[V7C20] The Pitch-Black Mirror

Panting for breath, Cecilia ran past several corpses scattered at her feet.

Some were soaked in blood, and others had fallen from poison, but they had one thing in common. All of them had sacrificed themselves to protect Cecilia.

The eyes of the lifeless bodies all turned to glare daggers into Cecilia as she passed.

——”Die, die, die! Why are you still alive?! You worthless fake Saintess!”

The mouths of the bloodstained corpses spewed words of hatred one after another. All of them were demanding Cecilia’s death.

“No… noo…!”

Cecilia covered her ears and ran for dear life, as the corpses crawled across the ground in pursuit. Leading the pack was her bloodstained maid, Mia.

“Forgive me… forgive me…!”

The panicked Cecilia ran up the stairs to escape the voices of the dead. It was too dark to see properly, so she stumbled several times. Her legs were already covered in bruises.

Even so, Cecilia ignored her disheveled hair and freely flowing tears to ascend to the top of the staircase.

She found herself in front of the top floor balcony. The door, which was usually closed, stood wide open, letting the cold night breeze caress her tear-stained cheeks.

“Ugh…ah…”

Cecilia grabbed the chest of her gown, taking heavy, painful breaths.

Meanwhile, the tapping footsteps drew closer from behind. Cecilia turned around to see Mia walking toward her with the army of dead at her feet.

And behind the young maid was a familiar-looking man——the Dream Mage, Casper Hutter.

“What a worthless Saintess. You were rejected by the very mirror you inherited.”

Casper spoke in a low tone, looking down on Cecilia with clear hatred and contempt.

“And my sister… Mia died protecting this fake.”

Upon hearing those words, Cecilia understood everything. Hutter’s motive, and even the identity of the one pulling the strings behind him.

＊　＊　＊

A certain ritual was underway in a temple of the Achenwall territory. The Mirror of Bern, an ancient magical artifact, was about to be contracted to the inheritor.

Only three people were allowed to stand witness to this ritual: First, the elderly high priest. Then Cecilia’s grandfather, Duke Achenwall. And finally, Cecilia’s half-brother, Leonhart the Black Lion Emperor.

As instructed, Cecilia unsealed the mirror and performed the steps of the ritual in sequence.

It was said that ancient artifacts housed personalities within them, and the Mirror of Bern was no exception.

Once the mirror awakened, the reflection of Cecilia’s face in the mirror began to distort. Eventually, it ended up displaying a Cecilia with a haughty smile that she had never shown in her entire lifetime.

The shocked Cecilia let out a small gasp, as her reflection opened its mouth to speak.

——”How revolting! What manner of pathetic face is this!”

Cecilia was not the only one dumbstruck by the arrogant voice of the woman in the mirror. The high priest and Duke Achenwall were also taken by surprise. Only one, Cecilia’s half-brother Leonhart, seemed to find the mirror amusing.

The Cecilia in the mirror——or rather, the will dwelling within the Mirror of Bern——put on a frown, wrinkling her nose and contorting her face into a scowl.

——”Unsightly. You have the same disgusting face as the man who let my darling Constanze die.”

At the mention of Constanze, Duke Achenwall visibly flinched.

Constanze was the Saintess of two generations prior, during the war fifty years ago. She had activated the Mirror of Bern at the cost of her life, leading the Empire to victory as the Saintess of Salvation.

So who made Constanze use the Mirror? Only one man came to mind. Above all, Cecilia knew how much she resembled her grandfather.

——”I detest those who pretend to be weak, forcing all of the sacrifices upon those with power. How despicable and base. Surely you understand what I mean, brother of Constanze?”

The Mirror of Bern sneered at Duke Achenwall using Cecilia’s face, paying no heed to the elderly man growing red with anger. The artifact then turned to Cecilia with a disdainful scoff.

“Insignificant girl. I will contract you in deference to Constanze’s bloodline. However, that is all. I will never heed your calls, nor will I lend you my powers. Spend the rest of your days as nothing more than a figurehead!”

In the next moment, the entire surface of the mirror turned a pitch-black, as if it had been covered in ink. The lusterless surface reflected nothing, having lost its function as a mirror.

Cecilia loosened the neckline of her dress to inspect her skin, and the contract mark was clearly visible on her chest. If she were to infuse mana into the contract mark, the artifact should resonate with her. The ritual would be over once she confirmed that.

However, no matter how much mana she infused, the artifact displayed zero response. The mirror remained pitch-black.

While the contract itself was a success, Cecilia had been rejected by the Mirror of Bern.

After returning to the mansion, Cecilia’s grandfather and brother locked themselves into a room to discuss what should be done with Cecilia.

Cecilia secretly listened to their conversation from behind the locked door. Since she had been giving an upbringing fit for the Saintess, this was her first experience with eavesdropping.

“How could this happen…! If only the Mirror had completely rejected Cecilia, we could have chosen another contractor…! A contractor who can’t even activate the artifact is utterly useless!”

This despair-filled voice belonged to her grandfather.

With a contract established between Cecilia and the Mirror of Bern, no other contractor could be chosen for as long as Cecilia lived. Any contract with the Mirror of Bern lasted until the death of the contractor.

Her grandfather let out a groan and continued.

“…If it’s come to this, maybe we should let her die by her own hand.”

Upon hearing those words, Cecilia’s heart froze.

Her grandfather was going to make her to take her own life. Once she was out of the picture, he would choose a new contractor.

(I cannot use the Mirror of Bern to save the Empire from dire straits. My hands can save no one… nothing… But if I die, a new contract can be formed…)

Cecilia wrapped her hands around herself to stop her trembling body. She attempted to send mana to the contract mark on her chest again.

(Please, Mirror-sama, answer me… please respond!)

However, no matter how much mana she infused into the contract mark, all of it simply dispersed from her body. The mirror had rejected her mana.

(Why… why…?)

Even in times of peace, there would be ceremonies where the Saintess must appear in public with the mirror. How could that blackened mirror be exposed to the public eye?

As the despair threatened to devour her whole, her brother’s voice rang out to hold it back.

“Drive her to suicide, you say? What utter nonsense! She has established the contract, and even bears the mark as proof——this is more than enough! Cecilia still has plenty of value.”

“Your Majesty… Surely you don’t intend to…”

The face of her brother was not visible due to the door standing between them. And yet, Cecilia felt like she could imagine the Black Lion Emperor’s exceedingly arrogant and triumphant smile.

“The Saintess has value as a hostage. We can conceal the fact that Cecilia was rejected by the mirror and marry her off to Ridill. The Mirror of Bern was the cause of their defeat fifty years ago… so a marriage with the artifact’s contractor is an offer they cannot refuse.”

Whether for good or for bad, the contract itself was established, with the proof right there on Cecilia’s chest. Few would doubt her status as Saintess.

“If you are concerned about the ceremonies, I will make a replica of the Mirror of Bern. I’ve recently found a skilled craftsman, you see.”

“But Your Majesty, in case of an emergency where the Mirror of Bern is needed, how will we…”

“Excuse me? Are you implying a situation will arise where the Mirror of Bern is needed? With me on the throne?”

“T-That’s… erm…”

The Black Lion Emperor made his declaration right to the face of Duke Achenwall, a man who was old enough to be his grandfather.

“Consider the Mirror of Bern unnecessary for as long as I rule the Empire!”

He went beyond simply arrogant into completely egotistical. Even so, his words granted Cecilia relief. As long as she had value, she would not have to die.

＊　＊　＊

Since inheriting the ancient artifact, Cecilia found herself targeted for assassination several times.

Some were foreign countries who saw the Mirror of Bern as a threat, others were distant relatives, aiming to steal the inheritance rights for the artifact. Her assailants were many, and their motives were varied.

However, the Dream Mage just revealed the secret truth that Cecilia had desperately hidden.

There was only one man who knew that Cecilia was a worthless Saintess, and wished for her death.

“…It seems my grandfather has given up on me.”

Her grandfather, Duke Achenwall, had decided to go against the Emperor’s will and install a new Saintess.

The Saintess contracted with the Mirror of Bern also served as the face of House Achenwall, bolstering their political influence. To Duke Achenwall, marrying the Saintess into another country was nothing more than a losing move.

Thus, Duke Achenwall decided to assassinate his own granddaughter, employing the Dream Mage to do so.

Giving Cecilia a scornful glare, the Dream Mage practically spat out his words.

“Everyone said my sister died a honorable death, sacrificing herself to save the Saintess. I had intended to respect her decision… but then…”

The corpses crawling on the floor moaned in chorus, as if backing up the Dream Mage.

With a dark glint in his eyes, he turned to the illusion of his sister and tightly clenched his fists.

“I heard the truth from Duke Achenwall, and I felt like the anger was driving me insane. All Mia managed to save was a useless Saintess who couldn’t even use the mirror? …Then what was the point of her death?”

The Dream Mage’s words were an exactly copy of the guilt that Cecilia had been carrying. His anger was justified. In fact, it was only natural for him to be furious.

“If you had just taken your own life… if you had passed the contract to someone else, Mia would still be standing here today.”

(He’s right, I should have died when I was rejected by the mirror…)

“If you feel even the slightest tinge of guilt, jump off and bring an end to it all. Refuse to marry Prince Lionel by throwing yourself off a building; this is the script Duke Achenwall has envisioned.”

(My death will solve everything…)

With vacant eyes, Cecilia peered over the balcony.

The pitch-black darkness of night was the splitting image of the Mirror of Bern after it rejected her. Cecilia reached out to that darkness, and…

(Now, Grandfather and Mia will finally forgive me…)

——And so, she fell.

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