There Is No Lie In This World-Chapter 28: Purge

I looked over to Elune. I knew it was just a painting so it was possible that somehow - someone like Elune, that wouldn’t have been too unlikely for her - this painting of the Founder and Luc together was made recently. But that didn’t make sense. Why would someone - even Elune - paint a picture like this now?

I then moved on to the second painting, and again, there was Luc in it. It was yet another painting with the Founder. This time they were sitting at a table together, discussing something. They both carried rather serious expression, but their body gesture seemed animated. The looked like they were having some super interesting conversation and were excited about it.

The next picture was also with Luc and the founder. They were standing but lurched over a table looking at some sort of a drawing made on a big paper. It seemed to be a blue print. They seemed to be planning something, and it was clear they were rather pleased with themselves for having come up with the plan.

Then the story went on and on. At some point Luc was hunting with the founder. There wasa faint smile on her face. On another picture they were enjoying a glass of wine each, Luc leaning back on her chair casually, her legs crossed, her perfectly shaped nose taking in the scent of wine.

After some more pictures, there was one where Luc was looking over the Founder laying on the bed. The Founder had aged a lot by then, and it seemed to be his last moment on his death bed. He was saying something, something very important. Surprisingly, there was no one else in the picture. Just Luc and the Founder.

Luc stood there listening, attentively, and with great sadness in her eyes. She seemed genuinely sad at the passing of the Founder.

But she didn’t seem to have aged at all.

In the next picture Luc was with a new young man that was not the Founder. But judging by the similarity of their facial features, it seemed he was the son of the Founder - the heir.

Similar pictures followed. Luc with the new heir discussing, debating, and deliberating. There were now more pictures of the Roen Family and various events. The house was becoming bigger, the dinner tables were topped with more lavish food, the ceremonial events were getting grander.

Yet, throughout all these pictures. Luc wasn’t aging.

Another death bed, another sadness in Luc’s eyes.

A new heir, a new excitement, a new enthusiasm.

The Roen Family was growing prosperous, successful - powerful.

And then -

"Purge."

A voice boomed inside the room. It was unmistakably Luc’s voice.

Elune shrieked and I felt a great force strike my body as well. I also yelped out in pain.

And with a blink of eye, I found myself laying in the corridor just outside the ’magical wall’ that Elune took me through before.

First thing I saw were the immaculately polished black leather shoes. I didn’t even have to look up to confirm that it was Luc.

"You’ve done something unforgivable, Elune."

Her voice was emotionless, but it carried fearsome tone of anger that made my body shiver. frёewebnoѵēl.com

"I’m sorry, Mistress!"

"Go back to your room."

Luc commanded and Elune hurriedly got up, threw a nervous and apologetic smile at me, and ran through the wall again, presumably to return to her room.

"Luc... how... what was that?"

"Miss Roen. I thought you were leaving the company."

"I- I was."

"You had no business in that room."

"I’m sorry."

I then quickly got up on my feet, and bowed my head deeply to apologize.

Luc did not respond. Instead, she took a step closer to me. I was scared. Very scared.

It made me take a step back.

With each step I moved away from her, she followed me with another step.

Until my back was pressed against the wall and she held her face inches away from me.

Her stare was intense. Impossibly oppressive. Overbearing. Foreboding.

I felt like she could kill someone just by staring at them, and she probably would do that to me now.

"Luc... I’m really sorry."

No answer.

"Luc...?"

Still no answer.

"I..."

But then I saw something flicker in her eyes.

A hint of emotion, but not anger, not annoyance, not frustration.

It was the same sort of amusement and joy I saw on her face in those old paintings earlier.

The subtle smile she carried on her face as she was discussing things with the Founder.

The quiet satisfaction at the corner of her lips as she witnessed an opening ceremony of some event.

The faintest twinkle in her eyes as she was listening to a new heir.

It was there. Unmistakable.

And utterly incomprehensible.

"What... is it?"

She took a step back and her face broke into an innocent smile of a child.

"Well, I suppose there’s no choice now," she declared.

My heart was at my throat. Was I going to be... punished?

"Miss Roen."

"Yes...?"

"You will just have to stay with me now."

"...eh?"

"For a while. Just for a while."

"Aren’t.... Aren’t you mad at me?"

Then Luc reached out, dusted off my blazers, straightened the hems, took a step back to examine that everything was in order - and now satisfied, she turned to walk toward the ’magic wall.’

"I am mad."

So she WAS mad at me after all.

"And..."

I hated that she always made these dramatic pauses that made my heart beat faster for no reason.

"A little happy."

With that, she walked through the wall.

I ran after her only to crash hard on the solid wall that wouldn’t let me through.

You are so cruel, Luc.

How can you just leave after saying something like that...

My mind was all over the place now.

My knees were weak, my hands trembling, and my heart about to burst out of my chest.

But I had to admit-

I was happy.

Just a little bit.