Love Letter From The Future-Chapter 396: Interlude: Gold and Silver (1)

0% Seria’s mind was in turmoil.

It was an utterly incomprehensible situation for her. Her thoughts were tangled like a knotted thread, making it impossible to think properly.

All Seria could do was ask herself the same question over and over.

Why?

Why were Ian and Delphine together in the middle of the night?

The tightly shut door revealed only the faintest of gaps. Most people wouldn’t even be able to guess what was happening inside, but Seria was already a seasoned swordswoman.

Even the slightest hint, the faintest glow of light was sufficient for her. She could already perceive the scene inside as if she were looking at it directly.

She could sense it—the entwined figures of the man and the woman.

Her blue eyes uncontrollably quivered, the trembling growing more violent with each passing moment.

“That first night feels like a lie... You acted as if you were some kind of monk back then.”

“And whose fault is it for pouncing on that so-called monk?”

The woman chuckled faintly, her voice tinged with sweetness.

Even though Seria’s vision was blocked, an imaginary image had already etched itself into Seria’s mind; of a man and a woman, entwined on the bed, exchanging deep, smoldering gazes.

Their clothes were surely half undone. It wasn’t her mere assumption, she was certain.

Seria trembled uncontrollably, unconsciously bringing her fingers to her lips.

Why?

They were the ones I loved the most, yet...

Seria had no roots left to cling to. Ever since her father, Marquis Yurdina, had been detained, her sister was the only family she had left.

Or perhaps... her senior who was bound to her by a tie even stronger than blood.

And now, those two were sharing a secret rendezvous.

It felt as though even the beating of her heart was wearing down, leaving her mind utterly blank.

With a mind gone blank, she could only murmur words of disbelief.

No, it can’t be. No, it can’t be.

Yet, the sound of increasingly erratic breaths grazed Seria’s ears.

Within the stifling silence that filled the corridor, her senses heightened to the point where she could perceive the scene inside with chilling clarity.

She could so vividly hear their breaths, it felt as if they were within reach.

The sound was like that of a huffing beast.

The distance between them was steadily closing.

Seria understood—not through reason, but through sheer instinct that a guillotine were about to drop,

And that thing inside was the guillotine.

“...So, do you dislike it?”

“No.”

A playful voice overlapped with a teasing reply.

Both of their lips slowly parted.

Their breaths intermingled as their bodies became on the verge of overlapping.

At some point, the man had abandoned all pretense of restraint, his lips curving into a faint smile.

“How could I dislike it? After all, I’m your husband.”

Seria nearly gagged, as if she were about to vomit black sludge.

She squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to see any more—but her unnaturally heightened senses painted the scene in her mind against her will.

Her heart screamed for her to flee.

But her legs, trembling like those of a newborn fawn, refused to obey. And above all, she feared making a sound and revealing her presence.

She didn’t know why.

All she knew was that she couldn’t bear to be seen.

No—that wasn’t true. She knew exactly why.

Because she was painfully aware of how she must look—shivering uncontrollably, biting at her fingers, huddled in front of the door.

Utterly pathetic and wretched.

And so, Seria pleaded desperately.

Please...don’t...

But as if to mock that prayer, a strange sound soon dug into her ears.

The lewd sound of tongues entwining and exchanging saliva.

Seria clamped her hands over her ears. The voices dulled, but no matter how hard she tried, the movements inside the room remained impossible to ignore.

Bare skin brushing against bare skin.

The feverish sighs, the heat of two bodies entwined—Seria felt as though she would lose her mind.

“Haah...”

A dampened breath spilled past parted lips.

Even then, Seria kept asking herself—

How... How could this be happening?

The woman had been her elder sister from birth.

And the man was her very first love.

Seria still remembered.

The sight of his back as he left to fight a demonic beast in her place when she sprained her ankle.

His tenderness and the way he wordlessly embraced her pain.

The necklace that was still emitting a faint light around her neck even now.

There was no way she could ever forget.

Because it was the first warmth she had ever known. It was a precious memory that bestowed a human heart upon a girl who had been forging herself into a sword ever since her mother left.

She adored him and revered him.

Whenever he got hurt, she grew so anxious that she couldn’t sleep. And whenever those vixen-like girls clung to him, it felt as if flames coursed through her veins.

Then, at this moment, how was she supposed to react?

Moans of pleasure pricked Seria’s sharpened hearing. Even without seeing it, the shuddering of her own skin told her everything about their entanglement.

About the gestures of a woman craving affection.

And about how the man’s body responded to them in turn.

She felt like she was about to go mad.

“Haa... Haa...”

Amid that gusting wave of passion, Seria unearthed a distant memory.

Be careful.

A girl murmured with a languid gaze.

She had golden hair and crimson eyes—the Yurdina’s hallmark Seria herself did not possess.

It was right after her mother had been taken from her.

Because if you fail to prove your worth, you might end up just like that.

To a little girl who had just lost her mother, those words remained an everlasting stake in her heart.

Along with the cold smirk that the golden-haired girl had worn.

You must always win.

Even in hindsight, it was a scornful smile far too cynical for her age.

Though, back then, she hadn’t known whom that smile was really directed at.

Because that’s what it means to be a Yurdina.

To Seria, that faint curve of her lips felt like a trajectory slicing through her heart.

Her consciousness resurfaced from the past to the present.

From beyond the door, the obscene sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed, paired with the breathless cries of a woman twisting in pleasure.

With a crunch, Seria ended up biting down on her own thumb.

The rich taste of blood coated her tongue.

The taste of blood traveling down her throat felt pleasantly sweet to her. Only then did Seria feel clarity return to her mind.

Panting, the girl thought to herself.

Ah, so that’s how it was.

She had believed that, thanks to her senior, her wound had faded. That while the nightmares might never truly disappear, at least she would no longer wake up trembling in fear.

But she was wrong.

As always, her sister’s advice was right.

She should have been careful.

She should have won.

And yet—even now, Seria couldn’t let go of one final doubt.

Did her sister really have to go that far?

“Hhk, ah... Haah! H-Husband! Sl-Slow down just a bit... Hnng?!”

It was a voice that seemed to be melting under constant stimulation.

Delphine’s voice wasn’t just steeped in pleasure—it was overflowing with happiness.

Yes, a woman’s happiness..

Crunch, Seria bit down hard again, crushing her own finger between her molars.

Warm blood and mangled flesh smeared across her palate. Strangely enough, the pain wasn’t that severe.

If anything, the dull ache felt like it was scraping away the residue clogging her brain’s veins—a tingling yet oddly refreshing sensation.

Seria’s thoughts drifted, tracing back to somewhere in her childhood.

Her sister had always been this way.

Seria, wait until your sister has eaten before you pick up your utensils.

Even in the meals she ate every day—her sister’s share came first.

Because Lady Delphine is the legitimate heir, unlike you, young miss...

The family’s love, too, belonged to her sister.

Seria, this sword has been given to your sister.

Even the sword she had coveted so dearly—hadn’t that, too, ended up in her sister’s hands?

And yet, there was still more left to take?

She had yielded everything.

The only thing she had never yielded was the victory at the Hunting Festival. A memory she could leave behind, like a bookmark in the long story of her life filled with defeats.

A jewel called ‘first love,’ which one can only embrace once in life.

And now, is she trying to take even that away from her?

B-But this is the only thing I have left now...

Hadn’t she already given up the family name, their love, everything? Hadn’t she even sworn unwavering loyalty and devotion?

And yet.

And yet, if this was how it was going to be—

“Hnng... Ugh?! W-Wait... Ugh, I-I was wrong... I-I swear! I swear I won’t provoke you again... Nngh?!”

Before she knew it, a long time had passed.

Silently, Seria continued to bite down, crushing her own fingers as she held her breath.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

And so the night stretched on, dawn passed, and the two lovers, exhausted from their storm of pleasure, collapsed into unconscious slumber.

All that while, Seria simply endured the waves of moans and murmurs like a lone rock out at sea.

Only after confirming that both Ian and Delphine had dozed off in exhaustion did the girl finally rise to her feet.

She staggered once, nearly losing her balance, but it didn’t matter. Steadying herself against the wall, Seria unsteadily made her way down the corridor.

Leaving behind a whisper too faint for anyone to hear.

“There’s no choice but to kill....”

And in her once-bright blue eyes, a chilling coldness had already taken root.

***Bathed in the warm sunlight, I let out a languid sigh.

It was already afternoon.

Having woken up in the morning, I had to hurriedly leave Senior Delphine’s bedroom. Getting caught by the Imperial Intelligence would have been a disaster, not to mention, I still had a packed schedule ahead of me.

The war was over.

But my responsibilities were not.

As the one who devised the tactical plan, there were still burdens I had to bear.

That was why I was trudging along today.

Last night had been somewhat excessive.

Thinking we wouldn’t see each other for a while, I ended up spending a night more intense than usual—despite the alcohol.

The lingering fatigue was proof of that.

Even so, I cleared my throat and straightened my clothes. It was only proper to show courtesy to the person I was about to meet.

Of course, that didn’t mean there were no obstacles in my way.

“Master!”

From the distance, a figure hurried toward me.

Just the sight of that oversized pointed hat was enough to recognize her. With a wry smile, I called out the name of my ever-reliable companion—

Hoping, as always, that she would reconsider that overly burdensome title.

“Senior Elsie, I’d really prefer it if you stopped calling me that...”

“Where are you off to today? Surely, you’re not planning to go far, right? Or maybe some vixen is trying to lead you away...?”

As always, it was a futile attempt.

Senior Elsie paid no mind to my words, instead firing off a barrage of questions.

Every single one of them was filled with concern for me.

Well, maybe not the last one.

Either way, I chose to accept her sentiment with gratitude.

“I am on my way to meet someone, but it’s not a woman.”

At my answer, Senior Elsie tilted her head in confusion.

Then she went “Hmmm,” and for a moment, she stared at me as if I were up to no good.

After that, resting her chin between her thumb and index finger, she asked,

Her expression was doubtful, obvious to anyone.

“...Really?”

“Come on, do you really think I’d lie about this?”

As someone who hadn’t uttered a single falsehood, I couldn’t help but feel wrongfully accused.

It felt like I was some playboy being interrogated by a jealous lover.

Regardless, Senior Elsie didn’t retract her suspicious gaze for a long while.

Just as I was about to give in and reveal my destination out of sheer exasperation, she hit me with another round of questioning.

“Then what about Seria, what’s the deal with her?”

“...Seria?”

Now it was my turn to ask in return.

At my puzzled expression, Senior Elsie let out a thoughtful hum and stared at me intently.

To prove my innocence, I didn’t avert my gaze.

Neither of us backed down, and before we knew it, our faces had drawn uncomfortably close.

In the end, it was Senior Elsie who conceded defeat.

The moment our breaths brushed against each other’s skin, she suddenly leaped back, stumbling a few steps away.

A deep red flush bloomed across her face as she finally registered what had just happened.

“W-w-w-what the heck?! Why—Why did you get so close?!”

“I was just standing still.”

That was a lie.

But for the sake of a perfect victory, I chose to be shameless.

“Anyway, what do you mean by, ‘Seria’? Wasn’t she handling things on the front lines? Last I heard, she was supposed to arrive today...”

“S-She’s already here, though.”

Perhaps trying to cool down her flushed face, Senior Elsie fanned herself with her hand as she spoke.

Of course, she still couldn’t meet my eyes.

“So I thought you might be going to see that brat. And maybe you were trying to hide it from me or something...”

At her awkward excuse, I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

Even if I were going to meet Seria, why would I ever feel the need to hide it from Senior Elsie?

For the first time in a while, I reached out and pressed down on Senior Elsie’s pointed hat. Naturally, it ended up looking as if I were patting her head.

And yet, she didn’t resist.

If anything, Senior Elsie simply lowered her head, looking noticeably calmer. Though, judging by the way she fidgeted with her index finger, she was clearly embarrassed.

“You don’t need to worry so much, Senior Elsie. Do you really think women as amazing as you are that common?”

“...Then what about that wench Delphine?”

I was at a loss for words for a moment.

Come to think of it, was I still under suspicion?

In the end, I cleared my throat with a small cough and prepared to once again change the subject.

“As you know, the Yurdina Family’s situation is a mess, so I won’t be seeing Senior Delphine for a while. And besides, I have ties to the Imperial Family.”

“Then who exactly are you going to meet...?”

“Elves.”

At that single word, Senior Elsie, who had been pressing me for answers, fell completely silent.

A look of dismay flashed through her eyes.

Biting her lip, she looked as if she suddenly realized her mistake.

“I’m off to see Elder Poff.”

And, while I’m at it, the other elves in the village as well.

With a bitter smile, I lowered my head.

Now, facing my second farewell, there was one thing I had come to understand.

The more pain a person feels, the more they try to hide their wounds.

And the more they do, the deeper the scars they leave on their hearts.

It was a sorrowful and agonizing feeling.

***Meanwhile,

“You’ve arrived, Seria?”

In the highest chamber of Yurdina, the lord’s office, the reunion between the two sisters was taking place.

“...Yes, Eonni.”

With a calm and serene smile, the golden haired woman greeted her. Yet, she could not completely erase the lingering remnants of pleasure that were still flickering in her crimson eyes.

It was the trace of last night’s passion.

In contrast, the girl with grey hair wore a shadowed expression. Her deep blue eyes, reminiscent of the abyss, held a piercing chill.

Though the world called them ‘sisters,’ their very hues and temperaments stood in stark opposition.

It was truly a meeting of gold and silver.