For a moment, he found himself torn.
Part of him wanted to indulge his younger sister.
But he was afraid that doing so would only lead her further astray.
Neither of them was a child anymore.
They were no longer at an age where anything they said could simply be forgiven.
"I have no desire to become Grand Duke, nor do I possess the ability to do so."
Hoping to bring her back to her senses, he deliberately added in a cold voice,
"I'm truly disappointed, Raina. I don't like that woman either... but I still feel sorry for her. Isn't that only natural? I never imagined you were someone without a drop of compassion."
"I'm the one who's disappointed, Lucas. I never realized you were this foolish."
Raina shot back with a vicious glare.
"Do you think I'm the only one thinking this? The retainers are whispering about it behind everyone's backs too. If that woman ultimately fails to produce an heir, they'll have no choice but to bring in a new mistress or place their hopes on you."
Lucas fell silent.
Raina looked at him with mocking eyes before tugging lightly on the reins.
"Oh, right. Daren was looking for you at the training grounds."
Then, as though she had just remembered something, she called over her shoulder,
"The Noble Alliance Council will be convening soon. He said he'd like you to attend as the representative of House Siorcan in Brother's place."
"..."
"You should go. There's nothing wrong with making yourself known to the members of the Noble Alliance ahead of time."
After leaving those loaded words behind, Raina calmly headed toward the stables.
Lucas watched her leave with a vacant expression.
The rain, which had been easing, gradually began falling heavily once more.
Pulling up his hood, he lowered his gaze between the battlements.
The small grave stood there beneath the rain.
The maids who had come to pay their respects had already left.
Lucas quietly looked down at the pale bouquet of lilies resting atop the little grave before finally turning away with a bitter sigh.
His mouth tasted as though it were full of ashes.
* * *
A dull ache pierced through her hazy consciousness.
Talia barely managed to pry open eyelids that felt as though they had been glued shut.
Through her blurred vision, hazy as though she were submerged beneath water, she vaguely made out a room bathed in bluish light.
For a brief moment, she believed she had merely experienced a long, agonizing dream.
Then her hand absentmindedly rested upon her stomach.
Feeling how completely flat it had become, she finally realized she had awakened not from a dream—
but into a nightmare called reality.
"Talia."
As she blankly stroked her throbbing abdomen, someone gently cradled her head with a large hand.
Only after a long while did she realize someone was quietly embracing her from behind.
Turning her head unconsciously, Talia found herself looking upon the man she had spent half her life desperately longing for.
Her eyelids slowly fluttered.
She saw those beautiful eyes that had always made her chest tighten simply by looking into them.
Yet she felt nothing.
It was as though she had already died while still breathing.
Perhaps...
Perhaps I really have become a corpse.
"Talia."
As though denying that thought, his clear voice sounded beside her head.
It was a strange...
Such a strange voice.
Like a child who had only just learned to speak, endlessly repeating the same word.
"...Do you recognize me?"