Chapter 85: You Will Exist

“Pfft!”

As Mel's body descended, the blade of The New Moon carved a hideous, terrifying wound within Edward's body.

The holy artifact from the Red Moon tore through Edward's flesh and severed his bones without resistance, following the movement of its wielder's body.

—Free fall.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining both their garments.

Edward let out a piercing shriek, his eyes wide and round.

He looked at Mel in disbelief.

"Clang!"

Mel's body heavily crashed onto the ground.

The New Moon slid out of Edward's body, emitting a crisp sound.

Blood quickly spread across the floor, forming a patch of glaring crimson.

Edward staggered back a few steps, grasping the chest that had already been split into two, trying to mend it.

However, blood only continued to pour from between his fingers, announcing the countdown to death.

His face was ashen white, his lips trembling.

He seemed to want to say something, but could only make a weak moan.

“You... you—"

Edward's voice was weak and shaky.

His body began to sway, clearly unable to hold on much longer.

Finally, he collapsed to the floor with a "boom."

The chest he was tightly clutching was exposed, and blood continuously poured out of it.

Mel struggled to prop herself up.

Her wounds had reopened from the previous action, and blood soaked her clothes.

But her gaze remained resolute, even carrying a hint of maniacal laughter.

The girl fixed her sight on Victoria nearby, then slowly moved in her direction.

Like a malevolent spirit returned from the depths of hell.

“Don’t... don't come closer!”

Victoria fearfully scrambled to her feet, even though her body had already begun to dissipate due to Edward's death.

Even so, if Mel were to catch her before she vanished, Victoria couldn't imagine what her fate would be.

“Stop here, Miss Melantha.”

Just then, Charlotte suddenly grabbed Mel’s hand.

“You can rest properly now.”

She said, then picked up the Sword cane that Edward had dropped from the floor.

“Leave the rest to me.”

Charlotte’s voice was gentle.

Mel stopped, turned her head, and looked at the girl beside her.

The madness in those amber eyes gradually faded, replaced by a trace of fatigue.

“Charlotte....?”

Mel murmured, her voice weak from excessive blood loss.

“You have done enough, Miss Melantha.”

Charlotte smiled.

This seemed to be the first time Mel had seen her genuinely smile.

“Leave the rest to me.”

Charlotte gently hugged Mel, then carried the sword and walked toward the dissipating Victoria.

Victoria watched in horror as Charlotte approached step by step, shrinking into the corner of the wall.

“Don’t come closer.... You monster!”

“Monster?”

Charlotte looked calmly at Victoria, a faint smile curving her lips.

“Perhaps you are right, Madam Victoria.”

She said.

“But even monsters have someone they want to protect.”

Victoria’s body began to tremble violently.

Her form grew increasingly blurred, clearly indicating that Edward's death was accelerating her dissipation.

“No... don’t come closer!”

She shrieked, her voice filled with terror.

Charlotte did not stop.

She slowly raised the Sword cane, aiming it at Victoria.

“This is for Melantha,” she said softly.

“And it is also for myself.”

The blade cut a straight line of blood across Victoria’s throat.

Victoria’s body stopped struggling, and then a round object rolled off her body.

It was baffling.

As Victoria’s life vanished, a strange silence enveloped the entire room.

A heavy scent of blood mixed with dust and sweat permeated the air.

Charlotte slowly lowered the Sword cane in her hand, turned to face Mel, her face showing a smile that was weary yet relieved.

Just then, a faint glow suddenly lit up in the hall.

The light gradually condensed, forming a cylindrical object that slowly floated to the center of the drawing room.

“Is this.... the Heir's Insignia?”

Charlotte was slightly stunned, then slowly walked toward the insignia suspended in the air.

The Heir's Insignia slowly spun in the air, emitting a soft light.

Mel struggled to stand up, staggering to Charlotte’s side.

She looked at Charlotte, then smiled gently at her.

“What are you waiting for?”

Charlotte pondered for a moment, then reached out, attempting to touch the insignia.

But her finger passed right through it.

Charlotte’s palm hovered half an inch above the Heir's Insignia.

Not even the finest dust could be touched by her.

The sudden turn of events stunned both of them.

Charlotte looked down in confusion.

Her Lycoris-colored pupils sharply contracted, and an indescribable chill spread from her spine throughout her body.

Memories rushed into her mind like a tide; each segment stabbed her nerves like a sharp knife.

“Who... am I?”

Charlotte murmured to herself, her voice filled with confusion and terror.

In every memory segment, she heard someone repeat the same word: Simulacrum

Meaning phantom, a copy without an original model.

Or, rather, 【False Person】.

Mel noticed Charlotte’s abnormality and asked anxiously: “Charlotte, what’s wrong?”

Charlotte did not reply.

Her gaze became utterly vacant, as if staring into a distant past.

Scene after scene flashed before her eyes like slides:

Countless inheritance wars, countless times being scorned because of her illegitimate daughter status, countless times being targeted, and countless times.... dying.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz—”

The Heir's Insignia suddenly let out a low hum, its glow intensifying, seemingly urging the victor to claim it.

Mel subconsciously took a step back, but Charlotte remained motionless.

“So that’s it...”

She whispered, her fingers deeply digging into her palm.

The terrifying truth provided a chilling explanation for her so-called "illegitimate daughter" status and the fate of always being placed in dangerous tasks.

Her smile began to stiffen, and her Lycoris-colored pupils were overlaid with a layer of gray haze.

“I... do I not exist....”

Charlotte’s voice trembled.

The dream began to collapse; the floor beneath their feet started to disintegrate.

The two began to fall into The Void.

Mel suddenly realized something.

She rushed forward and grabbed Charlotte.

“Charlotte, look at me!”

Mel cried out.

Charlotte turned her head and gave Mel a bitter smile.

“I’m sorry, Miss Melantha. It seems... I was just a part of this dream. I was fabricated from the very beginning by Charles Michel... by Father.”

Her voice was full of trembling; no matter how bright her smile was, it couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Mel tightly held Charlotte's hand.

The two continued to fall in The Void.

The surrounding scenery twisted and deformed, as if the entire world was collapsing.

Charlotte’s body began to turn transparent, like a phantom about to dissipate.

“No!”

Mel shouted, “You are human! You are a living person, flesh and blood!”

As her words fell, the crescent moon mark on the back of the girl's right hand burst forth with dazzling light.

The New Moon rose in the hunter's hand, awaiting a new round of hunting.

Seeing this, Mel was slightly stunned, and then immediately realized something.

So, she stretched out her hand, grasped Charlotte, and then pressed the sharp blade against her heart.

Under the gaze of the Red Moon, Mel plunged The New Moon into Charlotte's heart, seizing the only life force in the entire dreamscape.

“From this moment forward—”

In Charlotte's look of pain, the girl solemnly proclaimed: “You will exist.”