“It’s Velbutte’s fault for being so cold towards me—!”

While riding a back to the mansion in a half-forced repulsion, Lumina puffed her cheeks. She recalled Velbutte’s attitude when she was with him earlier.

…Now that Lorona is gone, why isn’t he the slightest bit pleased?

“…It’s my time to shine. I’ll definitely be happy.”

Lumina stared at the royal castle through the window while biting her thumb’s nail as she rode away.

She has first learned of Velbutte during the summer she turned 10-years-old.

Lorona went to the royal castle almost every day at that time, and Lumina grew envious of her.

After all, Lorona would wear beautiful dresses and ride a gorgeous carriage to the castle. It was as if she was the princess of a picture book. Lumina wondered why Lorona didn’t bring her.

One day, for some reason, Lorona stayed home all morning.

As Lumina wondered why she hadn’t gone out, she saw a boy alighting from a carriage. The carriage hailed from the castle.

He was a breathtakingly beautiful boy. He had fiery red hair and beautiful blue eyes.

He had a smile full of self-confidence and kindness, and he kept a firm posture.

“He’s like a prince…!”

Lumina fell in love at first sight.

She kept gazing at him, she was dying to meet him all the time.

In the meantime, the boy stood beside Lorona and began to happily speak with her.

He listened to Lorona who remain expressionless. The boy was worried because Lorona wouldn’t laugh. Lumina felt annoyed by that.

“Lumina wouldn’t let you suffer through that.”

Since her childhood, she felt that Lorona’s attitude was unacceptable.

Why won’t she smile when he’s such a nice person? Why doesn’t she praise him for his splendor?

—He can do better for himself!

Feeling such annoyance, Lumina stared at Lorona and the boy for a long time.

Then, she learned that the boy actually was the prince of that kingdom, Velbutte. He was also Lorona’s fiancé.

“Why, why mother—!?”

She cried and appealed to her mother, Belverassa—

—why does it have to be Lorona!?

“Poor Lumina…!”

Belverassa also didn’t conceal her regret. While mercifully hugging her daughter, she told her about their engagement.

The royal family asked Count Ruth for the engagement when Lorona was 4-years-old and Lumina was 2-years-old.

In that kingdom, until one was 3-years-old, they couldn’t be baptized by the church and be considered aristocrats. It was because children were prone to dying. Children without aristocratic status couldn’t be engaged.

Hence, Lorona was chosen.

“…Everything is merely because of that? How hilarious. Older sister merely wants to take over this house…!”

“Indeed. But rest assured. If she’s going to marry into the royal family, I’m sure she’ll let you succeed the family. No matter how cold Lorona is, you’re still her sister.”

“…”

To be honest, Lumina didn’t care about succeeding the family of Count Ruth.

All Lumina wanted was Velbutte. She wanted that beautiful person. She wanted to marry him.

But she couldn’t overturn the contract between the royal family and her house. She wailed over and over. Eventually, she discovered that Lorona wasn’t even willing to let her inherit the title of successor. As a result, she thoroughly despised Lorona.

Lorona wasn’t only blessed with appearance and talent, but also a wonderful fiancé.

Lumina decided to take action. She forcibly accompanied Lorona during her debutante and greeted Velbutte.

For a lady who hadn’t yet debuted to appear in front of a man who wasn’t her fiancé—it was a grievous violation of etiquette. However, she couldn’t endure it anymore.

Before the two truly became lovers, she had to somehow get between them.

She spoke, laughed, and behaved innocently—just as Velbutte liked. She did everything he liked and acted like his ideal woman.

There was also a day when she whipped her own foot to falsely accuse Lorona of bullying her.

The moment she realized that Velbutte had looked at her—her delight was simply indescribable!

Finally, instead of Lorona, someone had chosen her!

She was so happy!

Her mother, Belverassa, was sweet to her. But because her mother was busy dressing herself, Lumina’s education was entrusted to her nanny and hired tutor.

Her father, Count Ruth, had been absent from the mansion for almost as long as Lumina could remember. Even on the off chances he returned, they barely conversed. Lumina didn’t have much memory of being loved.

Within that large mansion, Lumina was always alone.

She wanted someone who’d only look at her and her alone.

“I’m sorry, my sister—but I’ll take everything.”

Velbutte, Count Ruth, and her parents.

From now on, they were all Lumina’s.

“Still, that was really an odd death. I’ll have to make sure no weird rumors don’t come up.”

It was said that Lorona died a gruesome death.

Within her toppled carriage, she was crushed by broken glass and pieces of woods.

If not for her silver hair and the dress she wore, no one would have recognized her as Lorona.

The coachman who had been guiding the carriage survived due to being thrown into the grass. Unfortunately, he was currently still unconscious.

The cause was determined to have been a broken wheel. However, she was still unsure as to why the carriage was there at the time.

If the fact that she had been missing since the previous day weren’t dismissed before any weird rumors arose, that could be an obstacle to the engagement between Velbutte and Lumina.

Lumina stared vaguely at the sky. Once she returned, she’d cry to Belverassa.

A white moon was floating in the light blue sky.

She suddenly thought of Lorona who was as beautiful as the Goddess of the Moon.

Her beautiful and talented sister died so easily.

She should had been happy, but she felt as if there was a hole in her heart.

Lorona’s remains were in poor condition. As such, she hadn’t been returned to the Count’s family and was instead kept in the temple.

They’d eventually have to go pick her up. Lumina hurriedly shook her head because thinking about that wasn’t her responsibility.

She muttered, “My sister is already dead, so it’s fine…”

Did she, really?

Suddenly, that a question rose up for a moment.

She should had confirmed her remains. At the same time, she was also aware that it wasn’t required of her.

She’d be happy from then on.

—Let’s forget about Lorona.

Lumina kept staring at the moon in the sky as she convinced herself of that.

---

***T/N: What’s with everyone fawning over her and calling her the Moon Goddess?

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