Legacy of Death

Of course, Iver himself did not keep a diary.

This makes him feel insecure, as if someone is spying on his inner thoughts. He feels this way just from writing it down, even though theoretically no one else should see his diary.

Under these circumstances, even if Iver were to write a diary, he would not be able to write the truth.

Just like sharing daily life on social media platforms—the shared content is, of course, processed, refining the interesting parts, artificially removing the uninteresting elements, and hiding anything that would make one feel ashamed. It might even involve telling lies that one believes oneself, repeating them over and over in an attempt to alter one's memory.

—On the other hand, reading other people's diaries made Iver feel a sense of aggression.

Peeping is a form of covert aggression, but it's different when you're being watched with the other person's consent—it feels like peeling away the layers of their heart right in front of them. This feeling excites Iver even more than being stripped naked.

Even if a diary isn't entirely true, you can still get a sense of the mindset when it was written... just like folk tales are often connected to real events at the time.

After all, lies are like dreams; they are hallucinogenic substances that need the truth as a base to ferment.

Isabel said "that part doesn't need to be seen," but she didn't explicitly refuse. That meant she wanted to see it herself.

From this perspective, perhaps it wasn't Iver peeled back the First Layer, but rather Isabel herself...

Iver had a vague feeling that Isabel had perhaps been lonely for too long, and she desperately wanted someone to free her from the fears of the past. And that change had to be strong enough.

Because if she were too gentle, she might want to stay there, remain motionless... Her heart is strong. Because just a little gentle comfort is enough to heal the heartache caused by staying in the shadows.

But that's always just treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

If you're going to buy something, buy permanent outfits; if you're going to bring someone along, bring them all the way through the game!

There's no reason to do something halfway.

Unless it's intentional flirting...

This gave Iver a long-lost feeling of excitement.

But he restrained himself and started reading from the beginning—if he flipped straight to the end, his purpose would be too obvious. Moreover, without the groundwork laid earlier, he wouldn't be able to connect with Isabel and would make her feel disrespected and uncomfortable.

However, Iver took a serious look at the "Royal Diary" and quickly became engrossed in it.

Because this diary did indeed contain many things he didn't know...

"July 3, 1887, sunny."

"If you see these words, it means I am already dead."

Transcribed in elegant and clean handwriting is a diary or perhaps a suicide note left by a seemingly composed person. "Whether it was poisoning, disease, or a curse, eight members of the family have died in the past 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 also be prepared for the possibility that one day we will all die."

"At that time, no one will speak for us anymore, and we will be speechless. For the dead cannot speak. Before that, we must leave some evidence... to prove that we were here, to prove that we lived."

"My brothers and sisters, my elders, my Children. I hope that when you see these words, you will not be too sad, nor too late... not so late that you have lost your reason and dignity. In this respect, I actually hope that I can die sooner."

"I will keep writing in my diary until I die. After I die, this diary will be circulated throughout the entire Du Lac Family."

"I hope you will remember that there are no cowards among Lancelot's descendants, and no fear of death."

This is the first diary entry in the book, and it's clearly the reason why they would keep a diary.

... Should we leave records and proof? Iver seemed thoughtful.

Although he didn't know who the person was, he did admire the other person's composure.

The next passage is still in his voice, but it skips a lot of content. Clearly, Isabel only copied the most crucial parts.

"September 1, 1887, sunny."

"I may die, but I hope you all live well."

And then came the tone of the second person.

He seemed somewhat anxious.

"September 4th, heavy rain"

"My eldest brother has also passed away. It seems he died from Curse Poison. Mother is very sad... It rained for three days. Was it raining to bid him farewell?"

"I saw your diary, and I understand what you mean. A knight must have his own dignity... but..."

"My Lord... my supreme lord, what are you thinking? Why have you made us suffer like this?"

Then, the story jumps directly to a few months later.

January 3rd, rain.

"My Annie is finally gone... She was only eight years old! This damned curse tormented her for so long!"

"If I'm really going to die, I'd rather die in her place! If I can catch the one who cast the curse, I'll skin him alive and roast him over a fire!"

"Your Majesty, what are you thinking? Is this your punishment for us?"

Upon seeing those words overflowing with despair, Iver's fingers twitched slightly.

He pursed his slightly dry lips.

This likely means that the child of the Prince or Princess who kept the diary has passed away.

His initial excitement gradually turned somber, and his brow furrowed slightly.

Just from the diaries of two people, he could feel the resentment and obsession that permeated the book.

At the same time, looking at the selection of content, he realized something else:

If Prince Andrew was the only mole, he shouldn't have targeted the little girl. It seems more like a traditional curse... According to traditional curses, the curse strikes the weakest person within its range. Only in such circumstances is a child more susceptible to being cursed.

So, does that mean that when Andrew went to cooperate with the mastermind, the curse had already been circulating for some time?

He sat in the chair in front of Isabel's desk and looked at Isabel standing behind him, also looking at the diary. "How old were you when you started copying this?"

"This is actually the third one. I was nine years old when I first copied it."

Isabel gently placed her hand on Iver's shoulder, just as Iver had placed his hand on her shoulder before.

The Princess with long golden hair said softly, "Annie is my sister, a year younger than me. I remember it clearly because she was my first playmate who died in a curse."

"Before this, I didn't really have much of a feeling about curses. Even though it happened right next to me, I always felt that it was something very far away from me."

"—Until my best friend collapsed in her hospital bed, coughing incessantly. The curse she suffered from was chronic, repeatedly cured by the priests only to relapse... but she couldn't eat, and her body grew weaker and weaker. She eventually left us in the middle of the night... She didn't call for help; she must have been exhausted."

Isabel lowered her eyes and spoke softly.

Then, Iver turned to the next page of the diary.

January 7th, sunny.

"Today is a bright sunny day, a good day to die."

"January 8, 1889, sunny."

"Yesterday, Princess Valeria committed suicide. Perhaps she was too grief-stricken by the death of Princess Annie. She is also the first member of the Du Lac Family to die by suicide after an unknown curse occurred."

"Some suggested we go to war with Star Antimony or Iris, but Mother rejected the idea. She seems to have her own plans, and I trust her."

"I don't really want to go to war, because we don't even know who our enemy is. A curse may not be permanent, but the damage war inflicts on people is permanent..."

"I am Herak Du Lac. I will record all of this and tell people. I will do my best to record it to the end... The Du Lac Family persevered to the end and never fell."

"July 1, 1889, sunny. But I wish it were raining."

"Klea is dead. My wife Klea is dead."

"It turns out the curse wasn't aimed at the Du Lac Family, but at the entire royal family."

"I wavered. I was furious, and I wanted to go to war. I knew that would only destroy myself, destroy Avalon. But I would rather everything be destroyed... but I couldn't. I couldn't do that. Klea told me to stand up for my justice."

"... Useless justice."

"Right now, all I want to do is protect my Little Philip and hope he's okay."

Iver remained silent.

There is clearly no one named "Philip" among the current members of the royal family. For him, who already knows the outcome, the story is too heavy.

So he paused for a while before turning the page again.

"January 1, 1890, rain."

"My father is dead. I am Philip, and now I will continue writing in his place."

"I want to live, and everyone else wants to live. I want my own griffin, as majestic as Uncle Leiketon. To destroy all evil and save everyone."

"April 2, 1891. Sunny."

"Little Philip is dead. Another one is dead. 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 I can die beautifully. If possible, I want to wear my prettiest dress and die quietly among bluebells. It would be best if it could be painted into a picture."

"Will anyone love me after I die? Constant Self, if I offer myself to you, can I dance with you under the moon?"

"August 1, 1891, sunny."

"Chris passed away today. It'll probably be my turn soon."

"His Majesty advised us that those who wish to live could leave the Silver and Tin Palace and abandon the name of Du Lac, which might allow them to survive. But now, is that really of any use? Those who truly want to kill us, even if we leave this place, will we truly be able to live?"

"I think the only way to survive is to become a Star Antimony or Iris People. But I choose to refuse such an ugly and lowly way of life."

"I hope that those of you who read this diary will also choose to refuse. But if you choose to accept it, I will not blame you."

"Everyone can choose to live rather than die, Children. You have the right to live. But I hope you will not betray your honor—betrayal is the worst sin, and to lose your honor is worse than death."

"My lord, I will fight to the very end and never yield. I will hold my head high until the end of glory and life."

"My lord, I will come to you."

Those were powerful and resounding words.

Iver took another deep breath, his fingertips trembling slightly.

The royal family members' diaries end here; the rest are Isabel's diaries.

The first line that opens is a diary entry from 1887.

"I'm so scared..."

"Dad said I can cry..."

There are only two sentences.

This is the first diary entry left by Isabel.

But just looking at it, Iver felt as if he were seeing that little girl who was only nine years old.

She was so lonely, so afraid... so vulnerable.

He turned around and looked at Isabel, who was shyly looking away.

Nevertheless, a faint, almost imperceptible smile graced her face. It was the expression of someone who clearly wanted to laugh but deliberately kept a straight face.

She was no longer afraid.

Update complete!