BXBX NOVEL Chapter 51 – Collapse
Chapter 51 – Collapse
When Isabel heard Kyle had left the room and was heading somewhere, she dashed out.
Isabel was also aware that she was gradually losing her mind.
Whether it was her fault, Kyle’s fault, or if the world itself was wrong.
Everything was just confusing.
So, at last.
Just once.
Even if only a little, she wanted to talk to Kyle when her mind was clear.
There was no certainty.
She had confirmed numerous times that Kyle didn’t love her.
Just as he treated Luna.
Not more, not less, just that much.
Isabel only wished for that.
I should be able to ask for this much.
What does that woman have that I don’t?
Impatience crept into Isabel’s steps.
When she finally encountered Kyle walking down the corridor , Isabel finally realized.
That everything she had imagined a moment ago was just her pathetic delusion.
— Luna.
— Want to check on her condition. So, move.
The way he looked at her, his tone, his voice.
Everything was as cold as ice.
‘Why… Why only me again…!’
She couldn’t understand.
It was not just another woman, but Luna Winfred.
She was not much different from herself, a vile woman who ruined Kyle’s life.
He shouldn’t be worried about such a woman.
He shouldn’t look at her with such eyes, shouldn’t even mention that woman.
Ting—
For a moment, a sound as if something breaking inside her was heard.
It was impulsive.
Both yelling at Kyle with bloodshot eyes and spewing out all the dirty emotions she had bottled up.
Begging for forgiveness with unreasonable excuses.
It was all impulsive.
‘What have I done…’
She had to apologize.
She had to say that everything she just spat out wasn’t her true feelings.
But…
‘But… is it not…?’
No, it was definitely true
All the emotions she poured out were her true, unadulterated feelings.
It was then.
— I didn’t know. I didn’t know that you were that sincere.
The sunk, grave voice pierced her ears.
And at the same time, a strange sense of anticipation rose in a corner of her heart.
Could it be that Kyle understood her sincerity?
That her desperate longing for Kyle’s affection was conveyed?
Maybe…
Maybe even I…
But, reality in front of her was cold.
— Do you want forgiveness?
Kyle laughed.
That smile was cruel yet remarkably beautiful.
— Then you should’ve died at that time.
Kyle offered death to me with an indifferent voice.
That chilling tone made it feel like my breath was being cut off.
Isabel exhaled trembling breaths, inhaling, exhaling, repeating.
— If you had died then, I might have felt some sympathy, even if for a moment.
The words hid a sharp edge that mercilessly ravaged her mind.
At the same time, intense pain swirled in Isabel’s blue pupils.
She wanted to plug her ears immediately, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Suddenly, she became genuinely curious.
Did Kyle truly desire her death?
My heart beat irregularly.
No, I don’t even know if my heart was beating properly right now.
— What did she give me?
— I don’t need it.
— So just die when the opportunity arises. Or just pretend to be dead.
The pouring words were so painful that it felt like I couldn’t breathe.
My stomach felt sour as if it were melting.
Isabel trembled, gasping for breath.
And at the same time, her question was answered.
Ah, Kyle really wants my death.
I am nothing more to Kyle.
My heart started pounding wildly.
The erratic heartbeat felt like it would pierce through my ribs.
— Don’t even think about escaping the past, or changing.
The last words to not change.
That one sentence set Isabel’s sanity on fire.
Her trembling stopped as she dropped her head slightly.
While you have changed.
The you who whispered your love to me, changed so cruelly.
Tears poured down.
She wailed as if spitting out blood with her face in a mess.
Isabel’s voice questioning Kyle was pitifully desperate, like someone engulfed in flames.
Her face, stained with thick fear, isolation, anxiety, and despair, twisted in misery.
It was then.
— If you’re curious, would you like to listen?
Isabel nodded her head as if possessed.
Because she was truly curious about why Kyle had changed so much.
Then Kyle recounted a story in a soft voice, as if he were reading a nursery rhyme.
Kyle’s tone was calm, speaking in third person.
But Isabel instinctively realized that it was Kyle’s own story.
As soon as she realized that, her body went limp like a machine with all its switches turned off.
She couldn’t move a finger due to the overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
— But hope is bullshit.
— He got engaged, then married, but life didn’t become happy; instead, it became terribly broken
Isabel stared at Kyle, pale as if she would die any moment.
But Kyle didn’t stop.
Rather, a deep satisfaction tinged his eyes looking at her.
She felt a stabbing pain and her breath was caught.
With every inhale, it felt like dozens of needles were piercing her lungs, causing excruciating pain.
— The woman who had always hated her husband ended up killing him by poisoning his teacup.
— She procured the most excruciating poison with her own hands, directly causing him the greatest agony.
A past that she could not shake off no matter how much she tried to, once again tightened its grip around Isabel’s neck.
She couldn’t breathe as if trapped in a vacuum.
She wanted to scream, but her whole body froze in place.
Isabel gasped for breath desperately as if on the brink of death.
— That day, he felt hope for the second time in his life.
— The intense hope that he could finally be liberated from this place.
Her heart decayed into darkness.
The world in front of her flickered before collapsing onto the floor.
Kyle’s anger was violent.
Each word pouring down felt like a memory from the past.
Her fingertips trembled.
The merciless coldness that tore her flesh apart scratched her skin.
— Isn’t it strange?
The sun shining down, the birds chirping, the scent of grass brushing against her nose.
Everything except Kyle was tainted white.
Kyle didn’t move from his spot.
He watched Isabel writhing in agony with eyes devoid of warmth.
— Then where do you think the Kyle you miss so much went?
No, no way.
The Kyle I remembered…
The Kyle who said he loved me until the end, is now in front of me…
— Yet still.
Her voice didn’t come out as if a lump of coal had lodged in her throat.
Frantically, she clawed at my neck with my fingernails, but only indistinguishable sounds of either whimpering or sobbing emerged.
And then, at that moment, Kyle’s tightly sealed lips parted.
— Do you still see me as that Kyle?
The sour taste of blood surged back.
As reason shattered into pieces, the thought stopped.
With that face, with that voice, it wasn’t Kyle?
A profound sense of emptiness twisted her insides.
Then an abyss of terror, endless and unfathomable, consumed reason.
Her terrified blue eyes trembled.
“Why are you so surprised?”
Looking at Isabel like that, Kyle said.
“You killed him.”
His violent voice passed through her ears and shook her mind.
“So just accept it.”
Kyle turned his back without a hint of remorse.
Isabel stopped breathing.
She stared blankly into the air as if forgetting how to use the muscles in her face.
Her unfocused pupils shattered.
“Lies…”
Kyle disappeared? Ridiculous.
Yes, Kyle just spewed lies to cruelly hurt her, nothing more.
Don’t be fooled by such nonsensical deceit.
Never… never waver.
“Indeed, it’s a lie.”
A mocking laughter escaped.
Isabel repeated fragmented words in a crushed voice.
****
“…Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue and narrowed my steps.
The relatively calm noon turned chaotic because of Isabel alone.
There was no need to scratch Isabel like that, but I didn’t regret it.
No, it’s refreshing.
Now she won’t be able to spout nonsense about loving me anymore.
That alone is a victory for me.
Even.
[ Scenario Progress: 80% ]
As I continued to hurl invectives at Isabel, the progress unexpectedly settled in the 80% range.
The unexpected success somewhat alleviated the dreadful feeling.
If there’s one thing to worry about, it’s the possibility of Isabel, who has lost her mind, making a drastic choice in the end…
‘That’s unlikely.’
Isabel won’t commit suicide.
No, she can’t.
I don’t want to admit it, but Isabel’s feelings for me are genuine.
So she’ll do whatever it takes to survive and prove that my words are lies.
Isabel’s lingering affection is not to be underestimated.
The more she goes wild in the process, the better.
Because it will accelerate the progress rate.
Above all, what’s done is done.
I sighed, trying to erase as much of the recent memory from my mind as possible.
A moment later.
“I would like to request a visit.”
“Oh, please wait a moment.”
The priest who recognized my face bowed once and went into the interrogation room.
And soon after, the priest who returned smiled and told me to come in.
“Right this way.”
Following the priest, we passed through spaces reminiscent of a prison.
My furrowed brow wrinkled at the stuffy, foul air filling the spaces.
After a while of walking, we arrived at a door.
As the priest turned the doorknob, the door opened with a sharp creak.
Through the gap in the open door, I saw a fairly spacious room decorated like a bedroom.
Luna, sitting by the corner and looking out the window, turned her surprised face towards me.
“Kyle…!”
Luna rose from her seat with a trembling voice.
And then.
“The visitation time is 10 minutes.”
The priest announced the time in a bureaucratic tone and closed the door behind him.
“Kyle, what are you doing here…”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
Luna smiled shyly and asked.
“Were you worried?”
Perhaps it was because I had just dealt with Isabel, but her nonsensical words just felt like mere coquetry.
I replied vaguely.
“Yeah.”
Luna’s blue eyes sparkled intensely.
“I’m glad you look okay.”
“K-Kyle…”
“The Duke will be arriving here soon.”
Duke Winfred.
Upon hearing that Luna had been taken to the Holy See, the Duke, who had been temporarily staying at the villa, immediately stopped by the imperial palace.
Having stayed at the imperial palace for about two days to finish his business, he is currently on his way to the Holy See.
Thinking about seeing his face again made my stomach churn, but what can I do? I just have to endure a little longer until the progress reaches 100%.
“As soon as he arrives, he’ll get you out.”
“Hm…”
“The problem is before that.”
Isabel is not in her right mind.
And I deliberately provoked Isabel, who was already somewhat crazy.
She’s probably completely lost her sanity by now.
“Isabel Yustia.”
“…”
“We don’t know what that woman might do to you, so refrain from eating and drinking for a day or two. Try to sleep as little as possible, and be careful day and night without letup.”
I roughly warned her.
Luna kept silent.
After a while, she moistened her lips and spoke in a subdued voice.
“I’ll do as you say.”
“Okay. Then I’ll go.”
“Kyle.”
She grabbed onto my sleeve.
Then, with a voice tinged with concern, she murmured.
“Be careful too.”
I have to be careful.
Until the progress reaches 100%.
Luna grinned.
Her smile, brighter and more innocent than ever, sparkled under the sunlight.
“Thank you for coming.”