Sabrina Luthferd

"Julienne!"  He shouted.

I turned around to see him, panting for air whilst his eyes are on me.

He knows...?

Tears welled up in my eyes upon having him looking at my face. Four days have I experienced his cold attitude. I miss him so much.

"Ciel!" My feet started to move on its own as its aim was to go to him.

"I do not think that is possible, my dear friend!" I was pulled back by thin yet strong hands who snaked itself around my neck. "That is so plain rude! I can just snap your neck right now!"

I struggled, preparing to elbow her. No way am I going to act as a lady in distress!

I propelled my elbow and hit her hard on her chest. I expected her to loosen her grasp on me but it only just tightened.

"You have to try harder than that, my dear friend." She whispered on my ear. "I have experienced things more painful than this."

I couldn't say more. I did not have the courage to try escaping against her grip. Something in her voice made me petrified beyond belief.

Juliana turned to Ciel, giving him one of her crazed smile.

"Brother! How are you doing?" She greeted, keeping her face close to mine.

I know that she is doing that to emphasize our resemblance.

"Julienne and I are having a pleasant conversation just moments ago!"

Ciel kept quiet but his eyes showed variety of emotions. Confusion, pain, anger, and relief.  He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and straightened his posture.

"Julia, why are you doing this?" came his question,

He opened his eyes who turned void from emotions once again.

"Why, I wonder?" Julia asked in her singsong voice. "Why would I ruin your life? Why would I ruin Julienne's life? Why would I continue ruining my life?"

There was a short pause.

"The answer is simple, really!" she continued after a while. "It is because I hate you."

"You managed to return to your normal life without giving no shit to what happened to our parents! You did not want revenge! You just want to live your stupid life acting like a stupid barking dog of the queen you are! I am disappointed in you! You are a disgrace!" she was angry.

Julia's body was shaking and her eyes are dilating. However, her grip was still tight against my neck. My air supply was starting to depreciate. Despite that, I...

"That.. is not... true." I managed to choke out. "Everyday, he would repent to a sin he did not even commit. He let his self be swallowed in despair, in such ways that he succumbed to taking in the forbidden knowledge."

"Shut up, you filthy entertainer!" she screamed in disdain.  "I am done with your dramas! I am going to kill you!" she retracted a small blade out her sleeves.

I closed my eyes, awaiting the pain that is to come...

But there was none.

I opened my eyes once again to see Victor holding Julia's hand that was about to plunge the lethal object on my neck.

"Please do not do this, Young Mistress." he said in a small voice.

"Let go, you useless vermin! Do you want to die!?" her voice was frustrated and annoyed.

"...If dying means saving her, then yes."

In a swift movement, he pulled me away from Juliana and pushed the blade to her shoulder. He took quick strides back, hands on both of my shoulders. I was not able to say anything but various thoughts filled my mind.

Why is he protecting me? Why is he defying Juliana? Why do I find these cold hands to be warm?

"Are you defying me again!?" Juliana growled, pulling the blade off her shoulder as if it was nothing. "How dare you!? You useless demon! I am done with your hogwash!"

She pulled her dress up, revealing her symbol not only to me, but also to Ciel who stood on his ground in complete shock. With her thin hand did she stab her leg which held the symbol. She jolted in pain but keep her lips sealed. She pulled the blade from the flesh and repeatedly thrust the sharp object on the seal.

"Die, you useless slave!"

Victor jerked, losing his grip against my shoulders as he started to clutch on his chest in pain. He started to break in cold sweats, his entire body shaking.

"Victor? Are you alright?" I asked, quickly supporting him up.

"I... She finally granted my freedom." He lightly joked, coughing out a familiar crimson liquid.

A sense of worry flashed through my veins. He was the one to torment me and yet I feel the need to console him.

"Vi-victor?"

My attention went back to Juliana as I heard a change in her tone. Why does she sound... Different?

Her eyes showed guilt and sadness as her body began to shake itself.

"I... I did not mean it!... I... I..." Her eyes went to Ciel and to me before she ran away, limping in the process.

"I need... To lie down." Victor whispered, smiling despite the pain he was feeling.

Frantically, I obeyed his request and let him lie down flat on the ground, his head on my lap.

"Julienne!" Ciel ran to us, his voice agitated.

"Please go to Juliana." I answered his call, not wanting to lose my glance on Victor. If I do, I will likely ran to Ciel's arms. "She needs you as her brother."

"But—"

"I will follow suit. Please trust me."

I did not speak further until I heard his soft footsteps fading away.

Victor was looking at me with half lidded eyes and a soft smile upon his lips.

"You really do have grown to a beautiful lady, Julienne." He softly muttered, holding his hand out to brush the strands of hair off my face.

"I... What.. What is happening to you? Are you not a demon? You can not just die that easily!" I said, grabbing his hand that was caressing my cheeks.

He softly laughed, gripping on my hand that was holding his tightly.

"Despite the bad memories without the good memories you recalled about me, you still chose to be compassionate, my beloved." He laughed, coughing in the process. "I... am just a low class demon. I cannot do what a normal demon can do.  I am utterly useless. I cannot simply devour a human soul without a contract with a human. My fate is sealed once a human makes a deal with me. I am to stay by this human's side until the day of his death. However, no matter how I prove my loyalty, humans cannot be satisfied with a useless demon like me. I always experience pain when trying to do the only thing that keeps me alive. My life had always been like that." He sadly laughed.

"That might be the disadvantage for having emotions. Demons shouldn't have emotions and yet, I have one. I feel happiness, sadness, anger, longing, pain, and love."

"It was a foreign feeling for a demon like I. Nevertheless, I enjoy each of the emotions I express."

"I felt happy when a human I once served said 'Thank you' before he departed. I felt sadness as I watched his soul crumble against my feeble hands. I felt anger whenever I feel how I am nothing but a mere disappointment. I felt longing when I see how humans can live a life of normalcy."

"... I felt love for the first time when I met you." He coughed. "I tortured you to the point of your memories being erased. I imprisoned you to a place almost resembling hell. I gave you pain, suffering, and sadness... And yet you would always smile. You would smile and comfort me with that warm heart of yours. You would say how you are fine with all the pain you are experiencing. It does not matter if you are hurt as long as I am not. You said that I am your precious friend."

"But you are not just a friend to me. You are my saviour and my salvation. The person who have gave me an identity. The person that made this nameless low class demon into Victor Gallaghad."

Sadness was what I felt. I do not recall what he was telling me but the hurt in his voice was evident. It was enough to move me. I believe him. I believe him with all my heart.

"I was extremely excruciated once you started to lose your memory. You started to fear me, my touch, everything about me... Oh how I regret for what I have done. If only I can bring back time... "

I felt his grip slowly turning weaker and weaker as his eyes started to close.

"Will you forgive me, Juliana? Will you forgive this sinful demon in front of you?"

"Of course I will!" I shouted without hesitation as tears stung my eyes. "But please!... Live! Do not die like this!"

"... Thank you. I do not regret my action to save you. You are the purest person I have ever known— even purer than any angel. You need to live for your existence brings light to all the people around you... I hope for your happiness, my beloved."

"... I love you."

His hand went limp against my hold. His eyes completely closed as his charming smile remained on his face.

"Victor?"

"Victor?"

"Victor!"

------------
(Bakamono: Two chapters left, my dearests!!!)