To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

Before returning to the Lartman mansion, Liv was finally asking Walter this while holding him back. She usually tried not to mix words with Walter, but she simply couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“You hate me. It would have been a better choice for you to kill me.”

When Liv asked that, Walter, who was in the library, smirked as if in disbelief.

“Haha, Liv.”

“…”

“You’re too naive. Of course, it’s because that’s beneficial to me.”

“…”

“If you die, the alliance between Hamelsvoort and the temple weakens. That could lead directly to the downfall of Hamelsvoort.”

After hearing that far, Liv nodded. It seemed to solve her questions a bit now. Yes, how could Walter have worried about her?

“So that’s how it was. Then I’ll be going back now. Take care…”

As Liv, who found it uncomfortable and difficult to be with Walter, was about to quickly leave the library, Walter’s voice held her back.

“…Or not?”

“What?”

“When I think about you dying, it’s quite annoying…”

Unable to understand the meaning of those words, Liv stood with a blank face, and Walter stared at her intently. Then, as if realizing something, he smiled faintly.

“Aha, so that’s how it is…”

“What?”

“Alright, it seems it’s time to admit it.”

“A-Admit what?”

Walter stood up from his seat. A shadow fell over Liv’s head.

“Liv, remember this. I hate you, but at the same time, I am your brother.”

As he said this, Walter seemed to have no malice towards Liv, unlike usual.

“So even if I hate you, if you’re in danger from outsiders, I have a duty to protect you.”

“You can care for me?”

“Of course not.”

Walter smiled brightly. It was a warm smile that seemed to melt everything around.

“How could I sincerely care for you?”

At those words, Liv closed her mouth again.

“But no matter how many times I go back in time, the fact that you’re my sister doesn’t change. So I will fulfill my duty and protect you.”

Liv still couldn’t understand Walter’s way of thinking, but she couldn’t ask him why he thought that way.

“That’s the reason I decided not to kill you… Now, has your question been answered?”

“…Yes.”

When Liv didn’t ask any more questions, Walter brought up a new topic.

“By the way, Liv. I have something to say about your husband.”

“The Duke?”

“Be careful of him.”

“What?”

“Emmett Lartman is a man who can do anything for you, and such men are dangerous.”

…What on earth does that mean? Of course, Emmett hadn’t lived a completely righteous life, but Liv couldn’t imagine him becoming a dangerous existence to her. Just as Liv made a mysterious expression, the sound of someone knocking on the library door was heard.

“Young lady! Duke Lartman has come!”

“Ah, he’s here.”

Walter said in a calm voice.

“Now, go meet your prince.”

Liv still thought Walter was difficult to understand, but she had to return to the Lartman mansion, so she went downstairs.

* * *

“Sister Liv, see you next time!”

“Liv, contact us anytime if you need anything.”

The carriage carrying Liv departed, accompanied by the farewells of the Hamelsvoort family members. Emmett sat next to her, with one arm around her shoulders.

“Liv, it’s been so long since I’ve held you like this.”

Emmett said that and buried his face in Liv’s neck. His breath tickled, making Liv flinch.

“I missed you so much…”

As it seemed exactly like the attitude of a man treating his truly beloved wife, Liv felt her heart beating fast for a moment.

‘No, the Duke doesn’t love me.’

However, to avoid disappointment, Liv just repeated those words to herself again.

“…In the end, we didn’t end up confronting His Majesty directly this time.”

When Liv changed the subject and said that, Emmett’s expression sharpened.

“…Yes, but we’ve secured the cooperation of Marquis Arendt, so we can get help next time.”

“Marquis Arendt? How did you secure their promise?”

At those words, Emmett took Liv’s hands in his. Feeling somehow ominous, Liv’s body stiffened with tension.

“Liv, Marquis Arendt has guessed your true identity.”

“What?”

“She’s a clever person. She can grasp the whole picture with just a few clues.”

“H-How…”

If Marquis Arendt sided with the Emperor and revealed her identity, Liv would be imprisoned in Abgrund again. Thinking of Abgrund made rational thought impossible, and Liv started trembling.

“Shh, it’s okay, Liv. It will be alright. She won’t side with the Emperor. Marquis Arendt moves purely out of interest.”

“But she could be more interested in His Majesty the Emperor’s forces…”

“That won’t be the case. Marquis Arendt is also very interested in the last descendant of Gracia.”

“H-How…”

“Let’s think positively, Liv. Anyway, the Emperor will try to eliminate us someday. When that time comes, getting help from the Arendt Marquisate will improve the situation a little.”

“Ah…”

“And through this incident, we’ve also been able to get help from the Hamelsvoort County. Though I’m not sure about the temple’s help yet.”

“D-Do we really have to fight His Majesty? Can’t we just live quietly as we are now?”

However, Emmett shook his head with a somewhat lonely face.

“No, we can’t. Soon you’ll understand why too, Liv.”

In fact, Liv knew this in her head. It was just that her fear of the Emperor made rational thinking impossible.

“And… I can’t live like that.”

Hearing those words, Liv thought Emmett might have a big dream that she didn’t know about. Well, it’s natural for anyone to aim for the highest position.

“If we start a rebellion, who will become Emperor?”

“Well… We’ll have to think about that from now on.”

Emmett avoided Liv’s eyes and kissed her neck. It seemed like he was trying to comfort her, but Liv flinched at the sudden stimulation.

“Ah, no, wait…”

Liv was flustered by the shower of kisses in the middle of a serious conversation, but Emmett, who hadn’t been able to touch Liv for a long time, didn’t stop. Afraid that he might really do something in the carriage, Liv quickly decided to change the subject.

“B-By the way, Brother Walter seems a bit strange.”

“In what way?”

“I thought he would just hate me, but it doesn’t seem to be just that.”

Liv relayed the story Walter had told her. Then Emmett’s face showed interest. After a moment, he gave Liv an answer.

“That person probably…”

“Yes.”

“Seems to have gone a bit mad after experiencing divine punishment.”

“What?”

“It’s not strange to go mad if you repeat dozens of lives.”

“I suppose so. It seems Emmett’s words are right.”

As Liv’s expression brightened considerably, Emmett laughed out loud as if amused by her simple reaction.

“Haha, but it’s probably not just because he’s gone mad.”

“What?”

“Originally, affection and hatred often coexist. Looking back, Hayden should hate you, but he has goodwill towards you, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, that’s true…”

“Human emotions can’t be explained in one way.”

“Ah…”

Nodding at those words, Liv then thought about Emmett’s emotions. He doesn’t tell Liv he loves her, but sometimes he acts as if he loves Liv. Emmett constantly craves and desires Liv.

‘People’s hearts seem difficult.’

Both Emmett and Walter, there were many people around her whose inner thoughts were hard to understand. Her head becoming complicated, Liv leaned back in the carriage.

Then, as one thought occurred to her, she smiled faintly.

‘In the past, I wouldn’t have worried about this.’

Back then, she would have just grumbled to God about how complex human emotions are. But now Liv was trying to understand human emotions.

‘Now I can naturally accept more complex emotions than before.’

In the past, she would have just passed over things she didn’t understand, but now Liv could guess people’s feelings to some extent.

Liv’s way of thinking had been becoming closer to human at some point.

* * *

“…There are no records, you say?”

Louisa, receiving the report from her informant, blinked with a dumbfounded face.

“Yes, Your Highness… There are truly no records at all.”

“No, how can there be absolutely no trace of a person’s life? There should be records of how they lived!”

“Really, records about Liv Lartman only start from the moment she appeared as a Saintess.”

“What is this…”

Answering in an incredulous voice, Louisa realized something.

Does the lack of records mean someone intentionally erased them?

‘What could be the reason for erasing records about Liv Lartman…’

Louisa’s imagination began to branch out. Cases where Liv actually had a dirty past and the Hamelsvoort family erased it, where Liv artificially received God’s power, where Liv was an illegitimate child of a noble… However, there were too many possibilities, and it was difficult to deduce one of them.

“No, even if records were erased, there should be traces… They erased it so cleanly.”

Grumbling, Louisa lay her tired body down on the bed. Then, she decided to change her direction of thought.

‘If they could leave no trace to this extent, which family could have erased the records?’

The Zibel Marquisate, which once had enormous wealth but is now fallen? The Ballack Marquisate, which had great power but was exterminated after failing in a rebellion? Or the Lartman Duchy? The Arendt Marquisate or the Schmidt Marquisate? This also had too many possibilities.

It seemed she wouldn’t be able to find out the truth about Liv Lartman unless she asked her father for help. But Louisa was afraid to come forward because she was scared to tell her father that the ancient magic had failed.

‘What’s so great about that girl that she receives God’s love…’

Both the Gracia family and Liv Lartman. Louisa hated things that received God’s favor so much. It was a hatred she had learned from her father at a very young age.

At that moment, Louisa’s mind began to work quickly.

‘God’s love?’

The Gracia family was called God’s family, and Liv Lartman also receives God’s love. Anfang Gracia was famous for her white hair, and Liv Lartman also has white hair. If the last Empress of Gracia had given birth to a child, that child would be around Louisa’s age. And above all…

‘She has no past.’

Not that records of the past were erased.

What if, really, there was no past itself?

People create records as they live. But what if she lived a life that wasn’t properly alive? If she was imprisoned in Abgrund, unable to die?

“Liv Gracia.”

The moment she pronounced it, a shiver ran through Louisa’s body. She stood up from her seat, her green eyes flashing.

“Joy, prepare to go to Abgrund.”

“What?”

“Right now!”

She had to confirm. She had to know if Liv Lartman was really the last descendant of Gracia.