My sister is Luna

In an unknown underground chamber, a dark and gloomy space.

A single candle flickered in the darkness, illuminating the only man in black. He held the candle in his hands, and shadows enveloped his face, giving him a deep, dark, and oppressive aura.

"Are you ready?" A cold, weathered voice came from the man in black.

"Yes." The emotionless voice echoed in the space.

"Then go." As the voice fell, it seemed as if countless footsteps faded into the distance, disappearing without a trace, and the suffocating oppression vanished instantly.

The candlelight suddenly went out, leaving only the weathered voice of the man in black lingering for a long time.

"It's time to come back—"

"The great gods."

"In the near future, they will all be back in their proper places."

Sunset over the sea, the seaside city.

High up in the building, the sounds of machinery operating were low but continuous.

"Click—click—click—"

Milady brandished her tools, adjusting the mechanical servant in front of her, her eyes devoid of any distracting thoughts, her expression focused.

The machine servant made uncoordinated movements intermittently, its slight trembling resembling that of a patient being dissected and observed by a doctor.

After an unknown amount of time, Milady stopped what she was doing, exhaled, and spoke in her usual hoarse and arrogant tone:

"The strength is right, but the movements are not coordinated and smooth enough. It's a problem with the materials and parts. Have the servants buy them tomorrow, and we'll deal with the rest tomorrow."

Milady twisted her stiff neck, got up and walked out of the mechanical laboratory, arriving at the open-air platform on the top floor of the tower, where the starry sky suddenly came into view.

Looking at the starry sky and gazing at the increasingly prosperous night view of the sea city, Milady felt the joy of being in control.

Cain has been gone for over a year.

For some reason, Milady remembered something.

She took off her long gloves and looked at her bare hands, her fingertips white and delicate. A moment of distraction flashed in her eyes. Cain's face flashed in her mind again. Whenever she thought of the curse, Cain would inevitably appear, and when he appeared, she would inevitably recall every little thing they had done together.

These days her research has made some progress, and the governance of Haidu has undergone some new changes under Cain's inspiration. She longs to share her thoughts with Cain.

Lately, she has been having recurring dreams in which Kain's blood-soaked figure appears naturally in her mind. Whenever this happens, she can't help but feel anxious and pained.

This made her feel very irritable, which contradicted the calm and collected state of mind she needed to be in control. She wanted to forget that person, but she could never forget him; instead, the memory only became more vivid.

Milady was acutely aware of her own emotional turmoil. She was confused and bewildered. Why had she become like this? Was this love? What is love? What is love like? Or something else entirely?

Milady, who had always been groomed to become a ruler and a master of mechanisms, and on whom the Tower family placed high hopes, had never experienced anything like this before. She couldn't understand it.

She recalled her recent meeting and conversation with the secretly imprisoned Vinci.

……

"Fifteen years have passed, and you still refuse to reveal the contents of the Dead Sea Scrolls?"

"..." The old man with a thick, wavy white beard remained silent, cold chains and shackles on his hands and feet.

Milady was already used to it; for the past fifteen years, he had always liked to maintain this appearance. Since his imprisonment, Master Finch had never uttered a single word related to the Dead Sea Scrolls; it was a tough nut to crack.

However, Milady was no longer in a hurry or concerned. Her curse had been broken. She rubbed her fingers together, and the image of Cain came to mind again.

"What exactly did the burned Dead Sea Scrolls record that made you willing to be imprisoned for fifteen years, yet still firmly believe your prophecy is correct!" Milady asked, pretending to be as usual, tapping her cane on the ground from time to time, trying to put pressure on her, just in case she found out something.

"What kind of person are you to possess such a great and earth-shattering secret, yet do nothing about it! Do you intend to let it go with you to your death and be buried in the ground?"

“You’ve changed.” After a long silence, Master Finch’s deep voice finally came, but it wasn’t an answer to the Dead Sea Scrolls.

"Hmm?" Milady was a little confused, thinking that Master Finch was trying to change the subject.

"Your eyes have changed. Others may not notice, but I can see it. You have someone in your heart, you are thinking of him. Ah, our ruler is also at the age where he should be falling in love," Master Finch said with a sigh.

"It's just that your decisive and efficient administrative style makes people subconsciously overlook your age."

Looking into Finch's deep, all-seeing eyes, Milady inexplicably recalled Cain's image again, and said calmly:

"People? There is no one in this world that I can keep in my heart. As a ruler, I don't need extra emotions. They will interfere with my judgment, especially on important matters. Right now, I only want to know the secret of the Dead Sea Scrolls."

“Sometimes you have to let loose, otherwise you’ll regret it when you’re old. Ah, I once had an unforgettable and wonderful youth,” Master Finch said to himself, stroking his long beard as if he were a man who had been through it all and reminiscing about the past.

"Hmph, for me, the happiest time of my youth was when you told me the secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls," Milady said with a raised eyebrow and a cold snort.

"If your youth was like this, then it's truly pitiful," said Master Finch with a hint of pity.

Milady tightened her grip on the cane; she was getting angry.

"Judging from your expression, you'll probably leave in anger. Thank you for keeping this old man company. See you next time." Master Finch, having keenly observed this, waved his hand laboriously and said.

Ding--

There was a flash of lightning.

The shackles on Master Vinci's hands and feet were broken into pieces.

“You…” He looked at Milady in surprise, speechless.

“You are free,” Milady said coldly. “Fifteen years have passed, and you have said nothing. This shows your determination. Continuing to do this will only be in vain.”

With the curse resolved, she no longer cared much about the Dead Sea Scrolls; there was no need to keep them around to waste her time.

"Do whatever you want, but don't show your face before me. Take your secrets and go to your doom." As she spoke, a cold light flashed in Milady's eyes.

“What if… I said that I might not be able to bear the loneliness this year and reveal the secret?” Master Finch whispered.

"...Disappear before I change my mind." Milady stared at Master Finch for a moment, then said through gritted teeth, the hard ground dented by her cane.

"Pretend I said nothing. Goodbye, Your Majesty." Master Finch chuckled awkwardly as he quickly walked past Milady, heading off to experience his long-lost freedom.

"Never see you again." Milady's icy voice rang out behind him.

Emerging from the secret chamber, the master Vinci embraced the sunlight with rapt attention, breathing in the fresh air: "I never imagined I'd see these again in my lifetime! Thank God!"

“Indeed, you have changed, Milady,” said Master Finch, gazing deeply at the azure sky.

"This is a good thing, isn't it? You've always acted with mechanical precision and maintained absolute rationality, and you've finally gained some popularity... The most important thing for a person is the emotions in their heart, even though they are also a weakness..."

……

Milady snapped out of her reverie. Her own curse was broken, but the family's curse wouldn't end because of her alone. Between family interests, emotions, and memories, only one word touched her heart. She looked eastward, her lips parting slightly:

"How dare you..."

……