Chapter 193
The Inheritance of Death
Eivass himself certainly did not keep a diary.
This made him feel insecure, as if his inner thoughts were being spied upon. Just the act of writing it down brought about this feeling, even if theoretically no one else would ever see his diary.
In such a situation, if Eivass were to write a diary, he wouldn’t be able to write the truth.
It was like sharing one’s daily life on social media—the content shared was of course processed, refining the interesting parts, artificially removing the boring components, and hiding things that would cause shame. It was even possible to tell lies that he himself would believe, repeating them over and over in an attempt to rewrite his memories.
—But conversely, reading other people’s diaries made Eivass feel a sense of aggression.
Stealing a glance was a clandestine form of aggression, but with the other party’s consent, and under their gaze, it was different—it felt like peeling away the other person’s inner self layer by layer, right in front of him. This feeling excited Eivass more than peeling off clothes.
Even if the diary wasn’t entirely truthful, one could at least savor the mindset of the writer at the time… much like folk legends often have some connection to events that actually happened.
After all, lies were like dreams, intoxicating substances that needed truth as their fermenting base to be brewed.
Isabel said, “You don’t have to read that part,” but she didn’t explicitly refuse. It meant she wanted him to read it.
From this perspective, perhaps the first layer peeled away was not by Eivass, but by Isabel herself…
Eivass vaguely sensed that Isabel might have been lonely for too long; she desperately wished for someone to liberate her from her past fears. And the change needed to be strong.
Because if it were too gentle, she might want to linger there, remaining motionless… Her heart was strong. Because only a little gentle comfort was enough to heal the emotional scars left by staying in the dark.
But that was always just a temporary solution.
If you’re going to buy, buy permanent fashion. If you’re going to escort someone, escort them to the end of the game!
What kind of sense did it make to do things halfway?
Unless it was intentionally teasing the other person…
And this made Eivass feel excited for the first time in a long time.
But he still suppressed his feelings and started reading from the beginning—if he had flipped directly to the end, his motive would have been too obvious. Moreover, without the prelude, he would not be able to resonate with Isabel, and she would feel disrespected and uncomfortable.
However, as Eivass seriously read this “Royal Diary,” he quickly became engrossed.
Because this diary indeed recorded many things he didn’t know…
“July 3, 1887, Sunny.”
“If you are reading these words, it means I am dead.”
Written in elegant and clean script was a diary, or perhaps a will, left by someone who seemed very composed: “Whether by poisoning, illness, or curse, eight members of our family have perished in these seven years. This could not possibly be a coincidence.
“In other words, we must be prepared to die at any moment. We must live each day as if it were our last, and be prepared for the possibility that one day, all of us will perish.
“At that time, no one will speak for us, nor will we be able to speak. For the dead cannot speak. Before then, we must leave some evidence… proof that we were here, proof that we lived.”
“My brothers and sisters, my elders, my children. I hope you will not be too sad when you see these words, nor too late… not so late that you have lost your reason and dignity. From this point of view, I wish I could have died sooner.
“I will continue to write my diary until I die. After my death, this diary will be spread throughout the entire Du Lac family.
“I hope you remember—the descendants of Lancelot are not cowards, and they do not fear death.”
This was the first entry in the diary, and clearly the reason they left diaries.
…Leaving records and proof?
Eivass mused.
Although he didn’t know who this person was, he truly admired their composure.
The next entry was still in his voice, but large portions were skipped. Clearly, Isabel had only transcribed the most crucial parts.
“September 1, 1887, Sunny.”
“I am probably going to die, but I hope you will live well.”
Following this was the tone of a second person.
He seemed somewhat anxious.
“September 4, Heavy Rain.”
“My eldest brother has also passed away, seemingly from poison. Mother is also very sad… It has been raining for three days, is it here to bid him farewell?”
“I saw your diary, and I understand what you mean. A knight must have his own dignity… but…”
“My Crown Lord… my most respected Lord. What exactly are you thinking? Why do you make us endure such suffering?”
Immediately after this, it jumped several months ahead.
“January 3, Rain.”
“My Annie is finally gone… She was only eight years old! This damned curse has tormented her for so long!”
“If I have to die, I’d rather die in her place! If I could catch the caster, I would skin him alive and roast him over a fire!”
“My Crown Lord, what are you thinking? Is this your punishment for us?”
Seeing the despair-filled words, Eivass’s fingers twitched slightly.
He licked his somewhat dry lips.
This was likely the child of the prince or princess who was writing the diary.
His excited mood gradually became heavy, and his brow furrowed slightly.
With just two entries, he could feel the resentment and obsession intertwined within this book.
At the same time, looking at the selected content, he realized something else:
If Prince Andrew was the only mole, he shouldn’t have targeted a little girl. This was more like a traditional curse… In traditional curses, the weakest person within the cursed area is attacked. In such a situation, it’s easy for children to be infected by the curse.
This meant that when Andrew went to cooperate with the mastermind, the curse had already been spreading for some time?
He sat in the chair at Isabel’s desk and looked at Isabel, who was standing behind him, also looking at the diary. “When you were how old did you start transcribing this?”
“This is actually the third one. I was nine years old when I first transcribed it.”
Princess Isabel gently placed her hand on Eivass’s shoulder, just as Eivass had done to her before.
The princess with long golden hair said softly, “Annie was my sister, she was one year younger than me. I remember it clearly because she was my first playmate to die from the curse.
“Before that, I didn’t really feel much about curses. Even though it happened around me, I always felt it was something very distant.
“—Until my best friend, collapsed on her sickbed, coughing incessantly. The curse she had was chronic, she was repeatedly healed by priests, only for it to relapse… but she couldn’t eat, and her body became weaker and weaker. She finally left us in the middle of the night… She didn’t call for help, probably because she was tired.”
Isabel lowered her eyes and said softly.
Next, Eivass flipped further through the diary.
“January 7, Sunny.”
“It’s a bright sunny day today, a good day to die.”
“January 8, 1889, Sunny.”
“Yesterday, Princess Valeria committed suicide. Perhaps it was due to excessive grief over the death of Princess Annie. This is the first member of the Du Lac family to die by suicide after the unknown curse occurred.”
“Some suggested we should go to war with Star Antinomy or the Iris people, but Mother rejected it. She seems to have her own plans, and I trust her.”
“I also do not want war, because we don’t even know who our enemy is. The curse may not be permanent, but the harm war brings to people is permanent…”
“I am Heracules Du Lac. I will record all of this, and tell people. I will record it to the very end with all my might… The Du Lac family persisted to the end, never falling.”
“July 1, 1889, Sunny. But I wish it were raining.”
“Clea is dead. My wife Clea is dead.”
“So the curse is not targeting the Du Lac family, but the entire Royal Family.”
“I am wavering. I am angry, and I want to go to war. I know it will only destroy myself and Avalon. But I would rather let everything be destroyed… But I cannot. I cannot do that. Clea told me to uphold my justice.”
“…Useless justice.”
“I just want to protect my little Willie now, I hope he’s okay.”
Eivass fell silent.
Among the current members of the Royal Family, there was clearly no one named “Willie.” For someone who already knew the outcome, this story was too heavy.
After pausing for a while, he turned another page.
“January 1, 1890, Rain.”
“Father is dead. I am Willie, and now I will continue writing in his place.”
“I want to live, and everyone should live. I want my own Gryphon, as majestic as Uncle Rektor’s. To destroy all evil and save everyone.”
“April 2, 1891. Sunny.”
“Little Willie is dead. Another one has died. When will it be my turn? I don’t know.”
“I’ll live one day at a time. The bluebells are beautiful today. Just like me.”
“Haha, I hope to die beautifully. If possible, I want to wear my most beautiful dress and die quietly among the bluebells. Preferably to have it painted.”
“Will anyone love me after I’m gone? Hengwo, if I offer myself to you, can I dance with you under the moon?”
“August 1, 1891, Sunny.”
“Today, Chris is dead. It’s probably my turn soon.”
“Her Majesty advised us, saying that those who wish to live can leave the Silver and Tin Hall and abandon the name Du Lac, and perhaps they can survive. But at this point, is it really useful? Even if we leave here, will the people who truly want to kill us let us live?”
“I think perhaps the only way to survive is to become a Star Antinomy or an Iris person. But I refuse to live such an ugly and humble life.”
“I hope those of you who read this diary will also choose to refuse. But if you choose to accept, I will not blame you.”
“Everyone has the right to choose life over death, my children. You have the right to live. But I hope you will not betray honor—betrayal is the most evil sin, and losing glory is worse than death.”
“My Lord, I will fight to the end and never yield. I will hold my head high until the end of glory and life.”
“My Lord, I will come to you.”
These were powerful words.
Eivass took a deep breath again, his fingertips trembling slightly.
The diaries of the Royal Family members ended here. The remaining entries were Isabel’s diary.
The very first line he opened was from 1887.
“I’m so scared…”
“Father said I can cry…”
Only two sentences.
This was the first diary entry left by Isabel.
But just looking at it, Eivass felt as if he saw that nine-year-old little girl.
She was so lonely, so fearful… so fragile.
He looked back at Isabel, who shyly averted her gaze.
Despite this, there was a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her face. It was the expression one wore when trying hard not to smile but deliberately putting on a stern face.
—She was no longer afraid.
Update complete!
