Chapter 58: The Price of Sin
Johnny froze. This was the moment his most desperately guarded secret was laid bare.
“Rose didn’t kill herself. She died because of this pendant—because of the suicide magic you engraved on it using black magic.”
Sisle sucked in a breath.
That pendant had been Rose’s final keepsake, the only remaining proof of their relationship. She had treasured it for years, believing it was her last connection to her sister.
But now, she learned that it was the very weapon that had killed Rose.
“No… No, no, no… I didn’t… I never did that!”
Johnny stumbled backward in a panic, his legs tangling beneath him as he collapsed to the ground.
He crawled forward on his knees, grasping desperately at Damian’s boots, shaking his head wildly.
“C-Commander! It’s not true! I never did anything like that! That pendant is a fake! Sisle must have forged it to frame me—”
“How far do you intend to disappoint me, Johnny Pattinson?”
Damian coldly kicked Johnny’s hands away and looked down at him with utter contempt.
“As a knight, you have committed the worst possible crime. Do you know what that is?”
Johnny, trembling, hesitated before shaking his head.
Damian reached out and gripped his shoulder with crushing force.
“You betrayed trust.”
“……”
“You betrayed the woman who loved you. You betrayed the comrades who trusted you. And you betrayed me.”
Tears welled in Johnny’s eyes. His face twisted in anguish, his voice breaking like that of a frightened child.
“I had no choice! If Reyna found out about my affair, she would have broken off our engagement! I tried to end things peacefully, but Rose wouldn’t let go—she threatened to expose everything to Reyna!”
Johnny hadn’t intended to kill Rose from the beginning. He had genuinely enjoyed being with her.
Her delicate beauty, her gentle and affectionate nature—everything about her had been to his liking.
But he had never planned to take responsibility for her.
To him, Rose had been nothing more than a fleeting indulgence—a distraction while he was stationed near the border.
If only she had let go quietly, he wouldn’t have gone to such extremes.
As the second son of Baron Pattinson, his engagement to Reyna, the eldest daughter of Count Hobbs, was an unmissable opportunity.
When Rose tried to ruin that future, Johnny snapped.
The fear that he might lose not just his engagement, but also his promising future as a knight, pushed him to desperation.
At that moment, he recalled something a fellow knight had once said:
> “I heard this from a friend who worked in the royal administration. Years ago, a noble suddenly committed suicide. But his family insisted it didn’t make sense and demanded an investigation.”
“And?”
“It turned out he hadn’t actually killed himself.”
“What? Then what happened?”
“There’s a black magic curse that forces people to commit suicide. Someone who held a grudge against that noble used it on him.”
“Seriously? So there was no trace of murder?”
“Exactly. The magic works by planting a suggestion in the victim’s mind, making them take their own life. No one suspects foul play.”
That was when Johnny first became interested in black magic.
He had been stuck—unable to silence Rose for fear that the Red Falcon Knights would investigate her death as a murder.
But if she killed herself, no one would question it.
And unlike that noble from the old story, Rose had no family to fight for her.
Sisle, the only person who might care, was nothing more than a commoner—powerless to challenge a knight.
And most importantly, if Rose’s death was caused by magic, no one would suspect him.
Having made his decision, Johnny secretly sought out a black magician and had the pendant enchanted.
Then, he gave it to Rose as a parting gift.
A few hours later, she was dead.
To cover his tracks, he had sent men to stage the scene as a suicide.
The only mistake he made was failing to retrieve the diary and pendant before she died.
Overcome by the spell, Rose had hidden them under Sisle’s bed, leaving behind the final proof of his crime.
Even after ransacking the house under the guise of a robbery, he had failed to recover them.
And now, the pendant had returned to haunt him.
***
“You deceived her, betrayed her, and killed her—what are you whining about?”
Aracila looked at Johnny with open disgust as he sat on the ground, sobbing pitifully.
At that moment, Sisle staggered to her feet.
Johnny flinched as she approached.
“You say she threatened you…?”
Her voice trembled violently.
Sisle knew Rose’s heart better than anyone.
Rose had never truly wanted to ruin Johnny.
She had been begging.
Begging not to be abandoned.
Begging him to see her pain.
Begging for at least an apology.
A final desperate hope.
And yet, Johnny Pattinson had destroyed her in the worst possible way.
“Did you ever stop to think about why she did it? Did you ever—just once—apologize to her?”
“……”
Johnny said nothing.
He suddenly recalled the night of their first fight.
When Rose had found out about his fiancée, she had confronted him in tears.
And he had told her: “I had no choice. You love me so much—how could I have told you the truth about my engagement? You have to understand, Rose.”
He had always used that excuse. He had always shifted the blame.
Perhaps, in her final moments, Rose had realized just how much of a coward he truly was.
Maybe that was why she hadn’t hidden the pendant and diary under her bed—but under Sisle’s instead.
Because cowards would do anything to escape their mistakes.
“If you had just apologized… she would have let go.”
“If you had just said you were sorry… that foolishly kind sister of mine would have forgiven you and stayed silent.”
But Johnny had been too afraid to admit fault.
Too afraid to leave even the smallest stain on his future.
And because of that, this tragedy had unfolded.
Sisle collapsed to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably.
Her cries sounded like a soul being torn apart.
Johnny couldn’t bear to look at her. He turned away—only to see Damian’s polished boots before him.
“Johnny Pattinson, you are hereby expelled from the Red Falcon Knights. Your title as a knight will be revoked.”
“……!”
“From this day forward, you will never again be a knight. You will not live as you once did. The shadow of your sins will haunt you for the rest of your life, binding you forever.”
Damian’s voice was cold and absolute, like a death sentence.
Johnny lowered his head in shock.
His own foolishness had destroyed everything—his future, his dreams, his entire life.
If only he had truly apologized to Rose.
If only he had begged for forgiveness back then.
Then perhaps… things wouldn’t have ended like this.
Now, too late for regrets, Johnny wept real tears.
But his remorse had come far too late.
****
Through an internal investigation by the Red Falcon Knights, it was revealed that Johnny Pattinson had used black magic to kill someone.
This revelation made headlines across the Setron Empire’s morning newspapers.
As the Knights officially announced the details of the case, they also publicly acknowledged Aracila’s role in solving it.
The once-arrogant knightly order, which had been so triumphant when the Mage Tower initially dismissed the case, fell silent in an instant.
What made it worse was that the investigation hadn’t even been conducted by the knights themselves—Aracila had played a major role in exposing the truth. They had no room to argue.
But that didn’t mean the mages could act victorious either.
They had dismissed the case without properly investigating, simply because of the identity of the accuser. In the end, it was the knights who had resolved it.
To make matters worse, the Mage Tower had to formally reclaim the case from the knights.
After all, it was their jurisdiction to oversee and pass judgment on matters related to black magic.
The meeting convened to discuss Johnny Pattinson’s punishment was filled with an uncomfortable silence.
That atmosphere became even more palpable when Aracila entered the conference hall.
Of course, she didn’t seem to care. She simply took her seat as if nothing was amiss.
“Ahem, hmm! Aracila, I hear you cooperated with the Red Falcon Knights to resolve this case.”
Among the senior mages, Fernando was the first to break the silence with a forced cough.
Naturally, his words weren’t meant as praise. He still disapproved of the case and of her and wanted to make at least one biting remark.
“It must have been quite the ordeal, but wasn’t it improper to act without the Mage Tower’s permission? Thanks to you aiding the knights, we look like fools.”
Aracila met Fernando’s gaze with an utterly serene expression.
The moment their eyes met, he flinched slightly.
He knew he was nitpicking for the sake of it, and that awareness pricked at him.
“I’ve learned something from all this.”
“…?”
“There is nothing uglier in this world than someone who refuses to admit their own mistakes.”
“…!”
Fernando’s face turned red.
She hadn’t named names, but several of the mages who felt guilty about the case also stiffened uncomfortably.
“Since you don’t want to acknowledge your own mistakes, you’d rather blame everything on me. Does that make you feel better?”
“H-Hey, no matter what, that’s no way to speak—!”
Fernando, now provoked, was about to scold her for being disrespectful to her elders.
“Enough. Let’s not embarrass ourselves any further.”
Phillip’s calm yet firm voice resonated through the chamber.
“Had we listened to and trusted Aracila’s judgment from the start, none of this would have happened. This was our own doing. We should be the ones apologizing to her.”
Some still looked dissatisfied, but others showed hints of remorse.
Aracila slowly glanced around the room before fixing her gaze on Fernando.
“Fernando, didn’t you hear the Tower Master?”
Her indirect call for an apology made Fernando scowl.
Why should he apologize to this arrogant woman?
But…
“I also wish to apologize, Aracila. I’m sorry.”
When another senior mage took the lead in apologizing, the mood naturally shifted.
If he refused now, he would be the only one left stubbornly standing against it.
Grinding his teeth, Fernando reluctantly forced the words out.
“…I apologize.”
“For what, exactly? If you don’t specify, I won’t know what you’re apologizing for.”
Aracila gave him a deliberately sweet smile.
Fernando fumed at how she singled him out, even though she had let the others off easily.
He wanted to explode in anger, but Phillip, seated at the head of the table, was watching him closely.
With no other choice, he spat out his next words through gritted teeth.
“For not believing in you… for disregarding your judgment. I apologize.”
“It’s fine, Fernando. I understand. Just don’t do it again.”
Her overly kind response only made his blood pressure spike further, but he simply turned his head away in frustration.
With that, the round of apologies ended, and the discussion on Johnny Pattinson’s punishment began in earnest.
“The penalty for murder using black magic is heavier than ordinary murder. He must be executed.”
“But Johnny Pattinson is a noble, while the victim was a commoner. Giving him the same punishment seems excessive.”
“Personally, I believe he should be sent to Luson Island. Whether he survives or not will be up to him.”
“Black magic is a severe crime even when used lightly. Since he committed murder with it, stripping him of his noble status is appropriate.”
Opinions varied.
While both black magic and murder were severe crimes, the tradition of nobles receiving more lenient sentences for crimes against commoners complicated matters.
After taking everyone’s views into account, Phillip reached a decision.
“To ensure Johnny Pattinson can never use black magic again, we will cut off his hands and tongue. Then, he will be sent to Luson Island as a slave, never to return.”
Luson Island, known as the Island of Hell, was a place reserved for the most heinous criminals.
Its rough terrain and harsh weather made survival difficult, and prisoners were forced to work at least twelve hours a day.
People died there regularly.
While Johnny had escaped execution, that didn’t mean his remaining life was guaranteed.
The Mage Tower’s ruling was approved by the Emperor and publicly announced.
Johnny Pattinson was immediately mutilated and exiled to Luson Island.
However, the Emperor refused to strip him of his noble status.
Not that it was much of a blessing.
Most of the criminals on Luson Island were from the lowest classes—and they hated nobles.
Johnny, now powerless, would likely become a prime target for torment.
In the end, it was a fitting fate for a man who had thoughtlessly taken a life, assuming his status would protect him.
****
Sisle faced no punishment, as her accusations had proven to be true.
But that didn’t mean she could simply rejoice.
She had once believed Rose had taken her own life.
Now, she knew Rose had been murdered by the man she had loved.
Drained in both body and spirit, Sisle decided to leave the capital.
But she had no intention of returning home either.
She would simply wander—wherever her feet took her.
On the same day Johnny Pattinson was sent to Luson Island, Sisle packed her belongings and stepped out of her home.
And at that very moment, she ran into Aracila.
Aracila had come by on unrelated business, but her sharp blue eyes quickly took in the sight of Sisle’s luggage.
“So you’re leaving.”
“Yes. There’s no reason for me to stay.”
Sisle’s voice was calm, but her fingers fidgeted nervously.
Then, after hesitating, she cautiously spoke again.
“I… I’m sorry for lying, Lady Aracila.”
“It’s fine. After all, Sir Pattinson did use black magic.”
“No, not that…”
Aracila had responded casually, but Sisle shook her head.
There was something she hadn’t told her.
She had wanted to see Aracila before leaving—to say this before they parted ways forever.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
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