Chapter 14
Yui could not take her eyes away from them, those hooded, dull eyes that contained so much despair, so much sadness as they stared out into the distance. She was so entranced that she didn't notice the missing presence of the silver-eyed woman who she had been following all along. She jumped, startled as a certain albino stood where Cecelia was moments ago, his head tilted upwards.
In his hand was a silver dagger.
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The sound of the turning key clicked, followed by the short, shrilled screeching of metal as the door was pushed open. Upon hearing her name, Crista turned.
"...What are you doing here?" Her tone matched her lifeless eyes.
A small smile graced Cecelia's features before she responded. "You are the third individual to question my presence, and I daresay that yours held the least hostility."
Crista simply returned her focus towards the world behind the barred window, her thin hair resembling the finest snow as it swayed. Then, her quiet voice broke the short silence. "Hostility...such a precise word to describe the content of this world."
"Indeed," the silver-eyed woman replied. "white rose."
"That name...it seems like it'll only be used by your voice," Crista eventually said.
White rose was a name that complimented Crista beyond finely. The woman's flawless white hair was tied up in a bun at the top left of her head, held in a frilly, red hair band akin to a blooming flower. Two white strands cascaded from underneath the bun, splitting in half midway down to elegantly intertwine with one another before straightening again to reach her knees. To compliment her hair and complexion she wore a long white dress decorated with two parallel lines of black diamond-shaped straps that showered down the front sides of her dress, growing in size before the rest, lower half bled in crimson.
The dress billowed gracefully outwards as a light blue chiffon cloak acted as her sleeves, starting from the front bottom of her neckline straps and running all the way to the back of her dark, diamond-shaped choker, leaving her smooth, creamy shoulders exposed. Her gloves covered her hands and most of her arms, with one hand rested on the windowsill.
Her eyes were briefly searching the surroundings below her. Upon landing on the familiar figure below, they closed. "That kid...is down there, again isn't he?"
Cecelia gave her a look. "Yes. However, I believe 'that kid' is feeling quite down at the moment..." She trailed off after seeing Crista's composure began to waver.
The white-haired woman sagged. Almost impossibly, her voice lowered further. "...What kind of a mother am I...?"
Cecelia tilted her head. "A caring one."
"Liar."
"Now why exactly would I do that? You were a spectacular mother, and would have continued being one if—"
"—If it wasn't because of him, right?" Crista's sudden giggles shook her entire body, slowly building up into maniacal laughter that rumbled the tower walls. "That's right... It's because of him that I became this disgraceful! Him and that filthy child! Hell is where they should have been! Hell is where they should have rotted! They...they..."
Crista threw the wooden table across the room. It hit the opposite wall, causing a frenzied rain of shattered pieces. Cecelia immediately kicked the door shut behind her, the thunderous slam causing the walls to quake violently. Her composure reverted to grimness as she watched her friend slowly drown with insanity once again. And yet, she could do nothing. Her fist clenched while Christa screamed in rage, clawing fistfuls of hair. She then went silent, and the last traces of lifelessness disappeared from her eyes before it was conquered by lunacy. Those eyes then fixated on the silver-eyed woman.
"Do you know how many doctors and therapists you paid millions for?!" her screeched returned. "Countless! They were the most skilled ones, the best...and yet they were all useless for a disgraceful being like me! ALL OF THEM WERE!"
"...Mother?" Subaru's voice was barely audible below a few floors.
Crista froze. "Su...ba...ru? ...SUBARU!" She lunged towards the door, only to be blocked by Cecelia, who grabbed her hands to restrain her as she swung her fist.
"Mothe—wait—what are you—mmph!?"
"Subaru?" A pang of pain flashed through her face as her son's voice drifted away from her. "Cecelia, out of my way...I said, OUT OF MY WAY!" she screamed.
When Christa received no reaction, water began pooling around her eyes. Her knees then gave out and she crashed onto the floor. Despite refusing to loosen her grip, Cecelia's eyes reflected agony as she kneeled with her sobbing friend.
"I can't be a great mother..." Christa was slowly shaking her head. "...I can't. I called my own son filthy. I-I tried to kill him, did you know, Cece?"
On different circumstances, Cecelia would have smiled at the nickname. Now all she could do was remain grimly silent as Crista's tears trickled down, showing no signs of stopping before soaking their agonies onto the cold, stony surface. Crista then lifted her head, and their eyes locked.
"Because of such disgrace...I told him to kill me instead...What kind of mother—" Heavier sobs racked her body, preventing her from finishing her sentence.
Cecelia pulled the weeping woman into her arms, closing her eyes. "Did you not hear what I said before? None of this is your fault. If you had not been broken, if you had not been treated less than a lab rat whose been used to the point where scars are a part of your very skin...then you would have been a spectacular mother."
Upon feeling trembling arms wrapping around her, she tightened her grip, resting her chin atop Crista's head. Knowing that this is the only way to somewhat comfort her friend, Cecelia began rocking them gently back and forth before her perfect dark lips parted, allowing a hushed, mesmerizing voice to glide through the air, unravelling mediocracy as it slowly soothed the heart-ripping cries.
I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go,
When all those shadows almost killed your light.
I remember you said don't leave me here alone,
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight...
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound.
Just close your eyes...
You'll be alright...
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and...
sound...
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After Subaru was placed down, he immediately shot daggers at the butler in front of him before bombarded him with questions.
"What the—what the hell were you doing?! Why can't I see my mother? And what do you mean that it'll be harder for Aunt Cecelia?!"
Damian bowed ruefully. "I apologise, Subaru-sama, but mistress stated that you would be a hindrance towards her had you visited your mother."
Subaru gritted his teeth. "Hindrance?"
"I believe so. Your mother is currently in a...difficult state, and I am sure that she would most likely not want you to see her like this, much less go near her."
The albino-haired boy blinked in surprise before he suddenly stiffened. His eyes dimmed after, followed by bowing his head. With a quiet voice, he said, "You're right. Mother doesn't want to see me. Why would she? I'm a monster..."
"Subaru-sama, we all are. Even humans such as myself. In fact, some of us can be even more ruthless than your kind, surprisingly." Damian then cocked his head and smiled. "Though, that makes the two of us, doesn't it?"
Subaru stared at the back-cladded butler with wide eyes.
"Now...I believe this belongs to you," Damian said, showing Subaru a familiar silver dagger that he took from his inner chest pocket. It glinted with impatience as it awaited to be used. "Would you like it back?"
Subaru's hand hovered above the knife before certainty flashed in his eyes. He then gripped the dagger's handle. "Yes. It ...it was a gift from mother after all..."
Damian smiled as he retracted his empty hand. "Very well. Cherish it, then."
"...You don't have to say it twice." Subaru's gaze followed him as he straightened up, dusting small specks of dirt off his knees.
"Now, shall I escort you to the mansion?" Damian offered.
"No, I can go there by myself. Go check on Auntie or something...She probably needs it."
Damian blinked in surprise before his lips spread into an amused smirk. "Heh. If you insist, clever boy."
...
Black, well-polished shoes clicked gently on the smooth, marble ground. Warm, honey-coloured orbs landed on a beautiful figure leaning against the metal door, and with a swift motion, Damian bowed.
The woman's attractive face appeared pale, as if all the energy was drained out of it. Hooded eyes cause her long lashes to cast a shadow underneath her eyes, highlighting the hollowness on her flesh. Despite attempting to hide it, exhaustion filled her gaze as it flickered towards his bowing figure.
"Well done." Her voice was lower than usual.
"Thank you," Damian replied at her praise. He then raised his head, a scowl etched on his features. "Mistress, are you alright? Were you hurt in any way?"
"No." After that curt answer, Cecelia got off the wall and walked past him in silence. His sighing halted her.
Without turning around, she said, "What? You seem like you wish to say something."
"Ah. I feel deeply grateful that you know me so well..." Damian then closed his eyes, his smile still intact. "What burden my mistress has to uphold. Torn between the decision of blindly attempting to save your friend or to merely...end her sufferings. I prefer the latter, for I do not wish to see my mistress in this state."
Cecelia whirled around. "Damian—"
"However, I realised that though ending your friend's life is far simpler, it also can be very unbearable. For starters, you will lose your friend completely while being indicated that you are indeed blindly attempting to save your friend, only to result in futility. That can be quite painful, and not to mention, you won't be the only one grieving, for dear Subaru would very much feel twice the pain.
On the other hand, keeping your friend alive would soon drive you insane as well, for there is always a limit that one can take. Not to mention how long it'll take to save that friend of yours..."
Damian then grinned. "But knowing you, you will probably not rest until you lessen, or better, end her suffering, correct?"
"I believe she can be saved, more so recovered," Cecelia answered quietly. "People do overcome things like this, and for beings like us, our time not as limited as others. Besides, we are in a world of constant development, so I believe it'll make things easier to a certain degree as time passes."
Damian's eyes twinkled. "Ah, my thoughts are confirmed, it has always been."
"Oh? What thoughts?"
"That I feel no regret being a butler of yours."
"Well, I too," Cecelia replied fondly. "am grateful fo have you by my side."
A/n: The song that Cecelia sung was 'Safe and Sound' by Taylor Swift, for those who don't know. And I know it's definitely NOT from that era but... *whispers* pretend it was. That as the only suitable song I could think of. There might be a few minor grammatic errors because I always tend to miss them while editing *hides behind a lamp* sowy...
But hope you guys don't mind it too much. And another point is that I'm not too sure of Crista's character, so I might not be exact. Whoops.
Also, I'm glad there's people that actually like this so far~! More greatness is to be expected, so stay tuned. Yeah.