HOPE

The somber mood and silence dominate inside Sumire's chamber. Lunaire and Chaise were on their daughter's bed and later move to the sofa. Holding hands, Cornelius and Airenna were watching the maiden on the side pitifully, while Blanche and Claire are worried about their cousin lying unconscious for hours. Chadwick, on the other hand, leaning on the door, silently looking at them with hands crossed on his chest. After many hours passed, eyes slowly opened, blinking, Sumire woke up and rose from the bed. Her gaze cruise the place and Mort was the only person she immediately looked for.

"Where's Mort? Take me to him there, uncle. Right now." Sumire said to Chadwick who is now was sitting on the near sofa.

The Massoullèves except for Don Zagreus was there, worrying for the maiden. Chaise is wiping the tears off his wife. Clair and Blanche were there along with his uncle, Cornelius, and Airenna.

"I can't do that. No one can go in there, except the one who will be executed. You can't visit him." Chadwick responded in a plain tone. Sumire broke into tears again.

"But I want to see him, Uncle. Please help me." The maiden begged as her voice broke and constantly wiped away the tears clouding her vision.

Chaise, on the other hand, was already crying inside but was holding back his tears while hugging his wife weeping in his arms. He felt sorry for his daughter and Lunaire, caged into her husband's embrace couldn't bear to look at their daughter badly hurt.

"I can't help you, Sumire. Even if I wanted to." Chadwick meaningfully replied which made her stop sobbing. She remembered her Grandma Zèlle.

"I'll talk to Grandma," Sumire mumbled to herself who was about to get off the bed quickly when Claire stopped her by the hand.

"Sumire, just stop. Even if you cry blood, begging for Grandma will do nothing. You of all people should know this." Claire said in a calming tone as Sumire looked at her cousin piercingly.

"And what do you want me to do? Stay here? Are you out of your mind? You want me to do nothing while my man is out there waiting for his end? Claire, I can't do that. I can't do that to him. Even if I have to sacrifice my life just to save him, I'll do it." Sumire firmly said, eyes full of anger and determination.

Claire swallowed hard looking back at her cousin. It was the first time she saw Sumire like this; her eyes were embers of madness and rage.

"But-" Claire was about to speak again when Chadwick intervened with them.

"Let her go," Chadwick said in a stern tone which caught Clair's attention. She let go of her cousin.

Sumire didn't waste any time, she quickly left the room and headed to the Queen's chamber. Worried, Chaise stood up and was about to follow his daughter when Chadwick blocked his way.

"Let her fight," Chadwick said making Chasie flustered in anger.

"You know damn well that she can't stop it. She can't alter Mort's fate. Because the Queen's word is absolute!" Chaise yelled and grasp Chadwick's collars tightly who was unmoved by his brother's sharp look on him.

"But she's no God," Chadwick said in a firm and serious tone. Their gaze clashed for a minute before Chaise loosened his grip on his collar.

"Let go," Chadwick added and Chaise immediately let go of him.

"You should be jumping with joy right now. Mort is going to die tomorrow. This is what you want, right? for them not to be ended together. This is it. Your Dear God heard your prayers."

Chadwick ended the conversation sarcastically as he left the room. Blanche respectfully bowed to her aunts and uncles before exiting and following his father.

"Dad, what are we going to do now? They still don't know the reason why Mort killed Dreygur. We can show the videos to everyone tomorrow before Mort is executed. Maybe the Queen would spare his life." Blanche whispered to his father who stopped walking. There is no one in the corridor.

"That's a good idea, but it still won't stop Mort's execution," Chadwick responded. Blanche's shoulder greatly dropped off at what he heard.

"But we still can give it a try. Who knows a miracle will happen tomorrow?" Blanche desperately convinces his father.

"Sure. For closure. I don't want Mort to die without everyone knowing why he killed Dreygur."

Chadwick responded coldly which made Blanche gulp hard. Asking himself if the matter of life and death is this hopeless. He was worried about his cousin who he felt would certainly follow Mort to death the moment the man of her life will gone.

"Dad, please help them."

Blanche pleaded while holding his father's hand. He tightened his grip on Chadwick's hand even though he was shaking with nervousness.

"I can't help them," Chadwick replied in a monotonous tone and left Blanche crying in the hallway.

...........

Sumire, who has just arrived, was immediately blocked by the knights when she tried to enter the Queen's room. She insisted on entering her Grandma's royal chamber.

"Young Lady, I advise you to leave and return to your room to rest. It is already late at night to make a scene in front of the Queen."

Said the Queen's Head Butler who faced the tearful maiden. After seeing her disheveled appearance, the Butler took off his long coat and was about to put it on Sumire when the maiden slap his hands away.

"I don't need your coat. What I need now is to talk to my Grandma." Sumire said firmly as the Butler's eyes went blank and narrowed.

"But the Queen ordered us not to let anyone in. And even the Davenfords and Massoullèves forbid to enter her room. That's an order from our Queen. And that's also one of the rules that the Queen must not talk to anyone before the execution."

The Butler sternly replied. Sumire coldly stared at the Butler but it remains unmoved in his place. The Queen's words are so powerful that even if she cries blood, or dies waiting outside Grandma's room, they won't let her in. She genuinely begged and pleaded but it had no effect on the knights. They remained emotionless and merciless towards her. Anger consumed her being, Sumire shouted out of desperation.

"Queen Zèlle! Grandma! Please I will do anything for him! Just, please! Please! I'm begging you to save him!" Pleading helplessly, Sumire called her grandma, hoping to be heard her voice.

Knees fell on the floor, her tears keeps streaming down her cheek nonstop. The knights guarding the Queen's chamber door can't help but feel pity for the maiden. She looks so wasted. Sumire forgot the fact that the Queen's room was soundproof. Even if she wails, no one can hear her plea from inside. Sumire holds her chest as she drowned in sorrow and despair. Chaise, who had already followed her, approached his daughter and embrace her from the back.

"Sumire, don't torture yourself like this," Chaise said with a trembling voice while the maiden shook her head in disagreement.

"No, Dad. I can't live without him anymore!" Sumire screamed hard. She needs to hear Mort's side of why he killed Dreygur and Cataleia. She needs to hear the truth. She will never believe anyone until she hears it from him.

"You can definitely live without him," Chaise whispered while hugging her. Sumire's eyes went blank and gradually stop sobbing.

"You have to let him go." He added emphatically which made her freeze. Slowly, Sumire faces her father.

"You don't care about me, Dad." Her voice was cold as ice, Sumire's brows puckered into a frown. Her head shook in disappointment. She no longer bothers to wipe her tears away making Chaise panic.

"No, darling. That's not true. How could I? Of course, I care for you. It is just that you have to let him go. We can't do anything about his inevitable death. For all I care he can-"

Chaise couldn't finish what he had to say when his daughter's palm landed on his cheek. Sumire slapped him for the first time and he was stunned and too shocked to speak. The maiden could not believe what her father said. He is a selfish and insensitive jerk, taking her happiness away.

"It's easy for you to say that because it's not about you. You won't be the one to die tomorrow and you won't be the one to lose, Dad. What did I expect from someone who hated Mort since day one?" Scoffed, Sumire said bitterly. She broke free from her father's embrace and left him stunned holding his reddened cheek.

"I hate everyone here. I feel like no one can hear me. They lost the ability to think once the Queen's order was issued. Damn it."

Sumire mutters between her sobs, not knowing what to do. She felt useless because she couldn't do anything. Even if she approached the other Davenfords, no one would listen to her. It was obvious that they would only listen to the Queen.

Walking down the corridors, Sumire continuously heading out of nowhere. Unnoticed, her feet brought her to the door of Klauss' room. She hesitated to knock. There was no one else in the world she ask for help but him. Even though their relationship was like cat and dog, the maiden is aware they both are worried for Mort right now. Both of them will lose someone very important in their lives.

Sumire took a deep breath before gathering all her courage. And before she could knock on the door, her hand left in the air when it opened and revealed Klauss with a cold face and eyes were slightly reddened. Even though there was no trace of emotion on his face now, she knew he was crying.

"What?" Klauss prickly asked that his eyebrows raised and narrow while giving her an intense frown.

"I need your help." Those words barely left the maiden's lips. She said it almost in a whisper and there she realized that even Klauss had no power here in North Le Frère.

"You help yourself, Sumire. Why don't you talk to your grandma?" Klauss responded sarcastically. The corner of her eyes and nose were so red but he show her no pity. Even though he doesn't want to blame her for what happened, she is the reason why Mort's life has led to this. If he hadn't met her, all of this wouldn't have happened.

"Klauss..." Sumire's words were left in the air when Klauss slammed the door shut in her face, causing Sumire to tremble with shock, fear, sadness, and pain.

Her knees give in and she fell to the floor, crying while her head lowered. A few seconds after the door closed, it opened again. Klauss was surprised to see her weeping on the floor.

"I don't remember the floor in front of my door being dirty for a Muscidae like you to stay there," Klauss said coldly as Sumire looked up. She really is helpless. Suddenly, she stopped crying.

"Don't just stay there and stare at me. Get up." Klauss added and Sumire quickly get up. She wanted to hug Klauss but she knew it would make him angrier if she did it. His eyes dawned on her like dirt because of the way she looks right now.

"Get inside." He said and Sumire entered his room looked like a child getting reprimanded, head lowered and pinching the edge of her dress. Laurel, Lyric, and Leroy greeted her with sadness written all over their faces.

"I didn't even expect this. I thought I would be the one to die first before Mort. We even had a bet." Chortled, Laurel said but Sumire can hear a trace of sadness in her laughter.

"Where is Narco?" Eyes peruse the place, Sumire looks for him. Narco will be more affected by what is happening now. She knew Mort's situation would sadden and hurt him.

"We do not know." Lyric and Leroy answered in unison.

"You should look for him, what if he does something that will harm him?" Sumire said worriedly that everyone in the place was stunned. They exchange glances and suddenly, the heavy atmosphere reigning inside the room made her wonder.

"Don't tell me he will be sentenced to death tomorrow?" Staggered, she added and her hand slowly raised to cover her gaped mouth in disbelief.

"No," Laurel replied briefly. She wanted to end that conversation immediately. Sumire breathed a sigh of relief as she sat down on a single sofa.

"I want to save him," Sumire said determinedly trying to cheer herself up but it only took a few seconds before she broke into tears again.

"What should I do? He always saves my life whenever I am in trouble. This time I want to be the one to save him." She added while blinking her tears away.

"You should rest for now," Laurel responded in a calm tone. Sumire looks in her direction.

"Do you think I can rest in this situation?" Frustrated, the maiden asked. Sumire felt like she was the only one who truly cared and worried about Mort right now.

"Stop acting like you're the only one who cares about Mort. Don't act like you're the only one who cares about him. Sumire, how about us who's been with him for years? And Klauss, who Mort has been with for almost half of his life. Do you think it is nothing to him? Ha... Damn it." Laurel said with her voice slightly raised to Sumire's stun.

"So, what do you want me to do? Just sleep and wait for him to die?" Confused, Sumire asked with a slight frown on her face. Laurel let out a deep audible sigh.

"I don't know. Maybe that's the least you can do to him. Before he is executed tomorrow, he can at least see you in good condition, he's happy with that." Laurel said and with those words, Sumire's emotions all vanished from her face. She left them in the room without uttering a word.

"They are all insane." Sumire uttered under her breath as she headed back to her room.

On the other side of the palace room, Blanche and Chadwick were talking about the plan and what they would do tomorrow.

"Dad, is there really no hope of saving Mort?" Blanche asked his father while arranging the things they would use for tomorrow.

"Yes. All we have to do is reveal everything Dreygur did so that everyone will know what Mort's reason was for killing Dreygur." Chadwick replied and Blanche nodded to him.

"How about that Narco?" Blanche asked and look at him. Stood up properly, Chadwick shrugged and tap his son's shoulder.

"Do you believe in God?" Chadwick asked and Blanche replied with a shake of his head.

"Then start believing."