Assassins Pride - Volume 5 - Chapter Pr

Volume 5 Prologue
Homeroom Earlier
(Unedited)

The dream always begins the same way. I’m gazing into a pitch black corridor, with a single long thread of light.

Even if our world is enclosed in the「night」, as long as the lights in the city remain on, there would be no such thing as complete darkness.

It is because of the fear of darkness that people have burned in excess and have「lit」our history with light, my father said.

But the reason the corridor I’m in is so dark, is because the house I live in is dark.Beyond these walls exist many layers of soil and rocks. And even if you left through the front door, all you’d see would be the bedrock that covered the skies themselves.

If it weren’t for the chimneys that extended above the ground, we would all be suffocating and soon we’d die ー It was daddy who taught me that. Daddy was very smart and he’d tell you the answer to anything you asked. Even if the both of us didn’t share blood. We were a family.

But in this dream, daddy always had his back to me, and the long thread of light I saw as a nine year old, was a crack in the door.

The smell of the lamp leaked from the study, I was warned and told to keep my hands tightly tied ー 「Do not enter.」

When I lightly peeked through the gap, I saw a big back sitting at the desk. He ruffled his almond-colored hair, making him look like a stray cat.

My daddy talked to himself a lot, and he did this when I and my siblings weren’t around and asleep, like now. He’d often stay in the study and mumble something to himself.

“It’s scary… Well, though it’s true in theory… you can’t do that…! No matter how much I do!! I can never be a noble!”

But no one was there except for daddy in the study. There were piles of complicated looking books on the floor, and strange smelling medicines in small bottles on the table.

Dad just now swung his arms in a mad manner, and some of the bottles were sent flying.

「Clank!」with a sound the glass bounced and my shoulders trembled reflexively.

It was a room cluttered with spider webs, I always think about it when I look into the study.

Even though I made a mess like this every time I started doing chores since I’m bad at cleaning up. My brother and sister said it would be better if we had a maid come to help us, and us kids aren’t allowed into the study room. And it would be the same even if we hire someone.

If only we had a 「Mommy」….

I almost thought about it, my nine year old self quickly stopped those thoughts. It was the first thing that they taught every child who comes to this house, to not talk about「it」, especially in front of daddy. 

“Rosé.”

From the corridors, delicate fingers grabbed my shoulders. Alto Voisu’s voice which hasn’t cracked yet was comfortable to hear. 

As I turned around to look, I saw a boy who had blended into the family that was blending into the darkness. His pajamas were another black that couldn’t be compared to his siblings’. Combined with his unusual hair which was rare here, he looked like a messenger from the land of slumber.

“What are you doing out of bed at this time?”

He spoke in a really calm voice and peeked through the crack in the door behind me.

“….Don’t mess it up. Let’s go.”

“Can’t sleep?”

“It’s okay.”

He intertwined my hand in his. I as a nine-year old rubbed my eyes, and followed him. I turned my back on the thread-like light and followed deep into the dark abyss as though I was being guided by the messenger of slumber.

“Because I’m always by your side, watching.”

And suddenly, the warmth of his hands and the pleasant darkness unravelled and disappeared.

He spoke elegantly like a prince, and he was unique among his siblings. And to begin with, I was the only person who he’d open his heart to and talk to. Even a nine-year old child could guess some thingsー…

Everyone else treated him like a pest, and he wouldn’t try to talk with anyone else.

It was the same with me at first.

“What are you doing there?!”

That was the first thing I heard from him, a yell like that. It was only natural that a nine-year old girl would be scared at a yell from a boy who she doesn’t know well.

I was crouched in the back of an empty square with no one there. There was a simple gravestone. And the flowers that were offered were trampled. There were many who were buried here in the square, but it was obvious to even a nine year old kid which cross was the most shabby.

The young boy with the hunched shoulders was like a grave keeper who was fighting a battle alone by himself.

“Did you too come here to insult them?! Even when they were alive, and even after they’re dead!”

“Ah… that…”

“If you don’t like us, then leave us alone! Don’t come near us!!”

The boy tried to force me away, but that’s when he finally noticed. The petals from my hand flew out of my hand as he pulled me up.

“Flowers…?”

The gravekeeper murmured as if he had scooped up the seeds that should’ve been in the ashes of death.

I hadn’t thought about it. There are many people who despise this cross, but I didn’t think that there was anybody who’d come here. I’m not here to ridicule the person who rests here. I saw the graves being vandalized by neighbourhood childrenー rather I couldn’t stop them from being vandalized, so I thought I could at least comfort them.

The boy swallowed and looked at me like a one in ten billion miracle and spoke to me.

“Did you… pick flowers for this person?”

I wasn’t quite in the condition to talk, and so I nodded my head. It was also because I was nervous in front of a kid who I didn’t know about. My fingers, which were stained with the dirt, trembled and presented the bouquet to him.

I gave my gift and tried to leave. But I was stopped.

“Wait! I’m sorry! I misunderstood and yelled at you!”

“….”

“Can you talk to them? I’m the only one who talks to them…”

In fact I was curious as to who this person who was resting here was. I turned back and crouched down in front of the grave. The boy was listening to my words. 

And the words I had offered to the simple cross would soon decide the fate of me and him.

“Nice to meet you! I’m his little sister.”

“…!”

“I’ll always be with my brother, so please rest with no worries.”

It was at the far end of the square, and even the lanterns weren’t lit well. 

Despite this, I wondered if I was mistaken when I saw the corner of the cross glimmering with a faint light. Or perhaps it was the reflection off of the boy’s cheeks.

Though it was a little embarrassing, I was happy that I was able to express my true feelings at that moment.

Because I would never be able to visit that grave again.

Why do I keep having the same dream again and againー?

The reason was obvious, it’s because that was the last day I spent with my beloved siblings. At least that was as far as I could remember.

My memory is in fragments. All those past albums were filled with holes, as though worms had eaten them out. I can’t remember even if I try my hardest, I may never remember what was there before those holes. The confidence in his voice, and the warmth of his palmsー

The dark hole in the photo was a barely visible view of the sky. To be exact, it was the 「Heavenly Lid」 that covered the streets. On the last page of the album, I’m looking at the back.

I couldn’t move even a finger, I could feel the blood dripping down from my body onto the floor which had been sucking away the heat. My cold and rigid soul was trying to escape, it was as though just with one exhalation my soul would rise away.

“Sorry, Rosé… Cra- Forgive me!”

Someone as though trying to hold my soul back, they embraced me. I can only look back at it vaguely.

“Don’t you dare die here!! Or else I’ll kill you myself..!!”

The boy who melted into the darkness said so and brought his lips close to mine, he kissed my neck. My ice-like body was lit up in a heat and a sweet numbness spread through all my nerves.

The soul that was about to go into a slumber woke up just for a little, and I saw it for the last time.

His lustrous and glimmering black hair was dyed in a magical white light.

“Br… oth…. er….” 

As if trying to pull the thin thread, the fingertips of my nine-year old self reached for the ceilingー

Yet, that’s always where the dream ends.

♱

“Mm…Nmm…Hm?”

Rosetti’s eyes fluttered open, as she realized that she had pushed the blanket away from her because of her right arm which had now been extending up to the canopy of the bed, as though it was trying to grab something.

Feeling that I couldn’t ignore this feeling, I tried grabbing it with my five fingers several times.

Yet she didn’t feel anything from the air she grabbed. It was as though these feelings had slipped through her fingers.

Instead, I noticed something. My cheeks felt cold.

“Why am I… crying?”

I wiped my eyes and sat up. 

It was as though my soul was just jerked out of sleep, I couldn’t comprehend.

“What were you dreaming of, me….?”

When I am submerged into the sea of blankets where the afterimage of my dreams are like the waves, will it reappear once I’m at the bedside, as though I was to be taken away far offshore?

And then someone knocked the door very loudly.

“Ms. Rosetti! Please get up soon! Breakfast is ready! Lady Elise is also awake! Ms. Rosetti!”

“Oh no!”

Rosetti got up as though she was a balloon popping. She unbuttoned her pajamas and slipped it off and threw it away. Sliding into her underwear, she stood in front of the mirror. She took a comb to settle her bedhead and picked up a clean towel and fully wiped her tears away.

She stared at herself at the mirror. 

She slowly bent over and lightly touched her lips. A glossy kiss mark was left.

“My lips belong to him…”

She used her fingertips to trace after the kiss left on her lips, she then kept her fingertips on her lips.

“Koo~…”

A knock sounded again, as though someone was using their fist to knock.

“Ms. Rosetti! I’ll have the maids charge in! I’ll get them to help you dress up! Are you awake, Ms. Rosetti?!”

“Wahh!! I’m awake! I’m awake! Please don’t do that~!”

Rosetti let out a pitiful scream and took out a change of clothes from the closet.

In the mirror that reflects no one, only a faint kiss-mark could be seen remaining. 

(Illu)