SWNOVELXO Chapter 8: Nightmares Will Eventually End
Episode 8: Nightmares Will Eventually End
He, with the face of my son, proposes that we should kill him.
This is a true nightmare, an unwelcome reality that visits us just after we’ve lost our beloved son.
His deep black eyes seem to penetrate our very souls, demanding that we reveal our true feelings without any room for lies.
He is just like Vanny, desperately trying to fill the void in his heart with something else.
“Van.., I…,” Lavinia begin to speak.
I can’t hurt him, who bears the face of Vanny, just like Lavinia. I must make a choice.
Should I let this monstrous Vanny remain free or should I put an end to him?
But, I…
“One thing… may I ask?” I say.
“What is it, father?”
“Why did you make this declaration? Why did you inform us that you might commit evil deeds in the future? You could have simply pretended to be Vanny and taken over without revealing the truth. With a few minor discrepancies, we, who kept our distance from Vanny, could have been easily deceived!!?”
“…………”
“That way, we would have remained deceived, and at least we wouldn’t have to face the painful reality that Vanny is gone!!??”
Before I knew it, I was vehemently condemning him.
Yes, why does he torment us so much?
Why does he cause us such anguish?
But perhaps, it’s merely my own shallowness.
He… remained silent.
Unruffled like ripples on a pond, he steadfastly accepted the outcry from my heart.
Our gazes met.
He didn’t avert his eyes.
As if it were only natural.
I had underestimated him.
To think that he might seriously consider being killed by us here…
Just… he looked so sincere.
He provided us with the truth and an opportunity to express our feelings.
Live as he pleases.
Vanny, too, must have lived as he pleased.
Following his desires, he filled the void of losing his younger brother with violence.
Maybe he was waiting for someone to stop him, but no one reached out to help him, so maybe he couldn’t stop.
It’s just a parent’s delusion.
There’s no excuse for those who suffered from Vanny, the slaves, the subjects, the mansion’s maids.
However, I feel like he and Vanny are somewhat different.
The declaration he made is terrible.
It’s like he’s saying, “Don’t get in my way as I walk my own path.”
Ah, certainly, Vanny and he are the same in that regard.
But they’re different.
He gave us choices.
He gave us a chance to choose our own path.
Even if our own position may become unfavorable, we confronted it head-on.
“…I understand.”
“Ern…”
“The sincere monster Vanitas, who dons the skin of our beloved son, Vanny. Show us the path you’ll take.”
The nightmare continues.
Our son, Vanny, vanished and became the monster Vanitas.
But we felt a strange attraction towards him as he faced us with unwavering determination.
We found ourselves wanting to see what lies ahead.
The nightmare will eventually end.
However… we still wanted to linger a bit longer in the dream of the monster.
In the story, Vanitas Lindblum’s father, Ernst Lindblum, was a weak-willed head of the family, too timid to defy even his own son.
Among the seven noble families, the oldest and most prestigious lineage, he was a person looked down upon and scorned even by lower-ranked families, unable to admonish his uncontrollable son.
Thus, he was just one of the countless background characters whose names wouldn’t even be mentioned in a novel.
But that changed here.
The monster Vanitas captivated him in a sense.
Vanitas, who pointed out the path he should take as he is, made him anticipate seeing the future even after losing his son, Vanny.
It was a kind of fascination.
In the figure that declared he wouldn’t care about the masses and such, he saw himself reflected.
He realized that he could release his repressed emotions.
The next person to meet Ernst Lindblum will be astonished.
The story takes a different turn.
Those captivated by the monster also become monsters themselves.
The world is yet unaware of this.
Vanitas, who showed him the path he should take, made him hope to see the future even after losing his son, Vanny.
Those charmed by a monster would also become monsters.
The world is yet to know this.
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