My name is Luna Merivale, though throughout the Empire, I'm more commonly known as the Black Witch. I've never practiced witchcraft, yet the name clings to me simply because of my black hair. The people of this Empire fear me—they see me as a curse upon the land. They believe the only thing keeping that curse at bay is my twin sister, Estelle—my complete opposite in every way.
Though we shared the same face, our hair set us apart. I was the only person in the Empire born with black hair. When I was just seven years old, my mother tried to set my hair on fire, believing it might grow back blonde. Thankfully, my father stopped her.
My sister never truly cared about me—we never spoke. Mother always warned her not to interact with me, fearing I might curse her. Though she never bullied me or said anything cruel, she simply stood by and watched as I was mocked, hurt, and insulted by others.
At sixteen, people hurled stones at me in the streets and gathered outside our home, chanting that I should be killed before I turned eighteen. They believed that if I lived any longer, I would plunge the entire Empire into darkness.
My father stopped it. Neither of my parents truly cared for me, but he was at least less cruel than my mother. Still, it was obvious he favored Estelle over me—he frowned whenever he looked my way, his gaze cold and distant, yet he smiled warmly whenever he looked at her.
Estelle and I will be turning eighteen tomorrow. Not that I'm excited—I've never really had a good birthday. My family never celebrates mine; they only celebrate my twin's. Whenever there's a birthday party, it's always for Estelle never for me. The only thing I'm looking forward to is proving to everyone that I've reached this age without bringing a curse upon the Empire.
I sat on my bed, gazing at the moonlight streaming through the window, silently hoping this year would be different. When I got up to fetch some water, I noticed there were no guards or maids stationed outside my room. Like I said, no one ever favored me. So, I had no choice but to get up and get the water myself.
As I walked down the hallway, I noticed my father's office door was slightly open, and I could hear voices coming from inside.
It's late—who could possibly still be visiting him at this hour? I wondered.
"I'm telling you, my Lord! Refusing to give a Saintess to the Morgant Empire means war! His Majesty seeks peace, but the ruler of that Empire demands a Saintess as his bride!" the man's voice echoed from the room.
I froze the moment I heard those words. The ruler of Morgant Empire...?
I leaned in and took a quiet peek through the door.
"This is a headache... Fine. We'll give Estelle to Lucan Morgant," my father said, rubbing his temples in frustration.
"No, that's absurd! We cannot risk the life of our great Saintess, Estelle! Lucan Morgant is a bloodthirsty emperor—he disposed of his own family just to seize control of his Empire!" another voice snapped, sharp with urgency. "We can send Luna instead... she was still born a Saintess."
My breath caught in my throat.
They were talking about me—offering me up like a sacrificial lamb just to keep Estelle safe. My own father, the man who could barely look at me without a frown, was silently agreeing. Of course he was. To them, I wasn't a daughter. I was just a convenient solution. A shadow meant to disappear.
"Are you thinking straight?" my father snapped. "Our Empire is known for its golden-haired Saintesses. If we send Luna, it'll be seen as an insult to the ruler of the opposing Empire."
I felt my chest tighten.
Not only was I unwanted—now I was considered an insult. My black hair, the mark I was born with, was enough to deem me unworthy even as a sacrifice. To them, my life held no value, not even as a bargaining chip.
The two men fell silent, the weight of the conversation thick in the air.
After a moment, one of them finally spoke. "Still... giving Estelle to the opposing Empire... His Majesty would never allow it."
"You're right," my father said after a pause, his voice cold and final. "I suppose the only choice left... is to give up Luna."
I stumbled back from the door, heart pounding. The words echoed in my head like a sentence—give up Luna. Not even send. Not offer. Just... give up. Like I was nothing. Did he not care if I was murdered by the ruler of the Morgant Empire? Was I really that worthless to him?
To all of them?
I ran back to my room, tears streaming down my face. My chest ached with every breath as questions spiraled in my mind—How did my life come to this?
I had spent my entire existence in the shadows, unseen, unloved. And now, the moment I was finally "chosen"... it was to be sent off to die.
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After hours of crying, I finally wiped my tears. A strange calm settled over me—cold, numb, almost peaceful.
Maybe this was what acceptance felt like.
Perhaps dying was easier than continuing to live in this quiet hell... where I was never wanted, never loved, and never truly seen.
I lay down on my bed, letting myself drift into sleep, silently hoping that everything I'd heard was nothing more than a terrible nightmare.
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The first rays of sunlight slipped through my window, gently waking me. Just then, a soft knock came at my door.
"Are you awake, Saintess? May we come in?" a soft voice called from behind the door. It surprised me—someone actually wanted to enter.
"Y-yes," I stammered.
Five maids went inside my room.
"The Marquess has ordered us to bathe you and dress you for your birthday," one of the maids said with a practiced smile. Of course, they said it like that—but in reality, they were preparing me to be married off.
They ran the bath with steaming hot water and laid out a fresh set of white clothes. As they undressed me and carefully scrubbed my body, I felt a strange mix of unfamiliarity and dread. I'd never been treated with such attention—only now, because they were preparing to offer me to the Morgant Empire.
After all the preparations, I stared at myself in the mirror. I barely recognized the girl staring back. It was the first time I wore a dress that wasn't a hand-me-down from my twin sister.
"The party will be held at the Imperial Palace during lunch. The Marquess will send a carriage to bring you there." The butler said. All of the maids went out of my room.
Imperial Palace, huh? That's new. Usually, when there's a party, Father holds a ball here at home.
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After waiting alone in my room for what felt like hours, I heard another knock at the door. This time, I got up and opened it. A knight with brown hair appeared before me.
"I shall escort you, my lady," he said.
My eyes fell on the crest on his chest—a silver dragon set against a dark blue background. It was unlike any emblem from our Empire.
That was when I realized—I wasn't being taken to a birthday party. I was being escorted to another empire.
My parents and sister hadn't even bothered to tell me.
I sighed quietly and followed the knight.
We stepped outside, and waiting before us was a carriage bearing the same crest that was emblazoned on the knight's chest—a silver dragon on a dark blue background.
"Luna!" That was Estelle's voice. Is she here to bid me farewell? i turned my back and saw Estelle smiling and rushing on my way.
"Can i talk to my sister mister Knight? I wanna bid her farewell" She said. She's lively as ever. The knight nod and stepped out for a bit. She then turned to me.
He gentle smile turned into an evil smirk.
"You know... I've never even talked to you before," she said, her lips curling into a smirk. "But Father's selling you off to die. You do realize that, right?"
I froze.
I had never seen this side of Estelle before.
"I couldn't even bear living under the same roof as you," she said with a laugh. "After eighteen years of your miserable existence, Father's finally found a way to get rid of you!"
She chuckled, as if it were all a joke.
"Since this is the last time I'll be seeing you," she said, her smile turning sharper, "I'll let you in on a little secret—I was the one who started the rumors about you being born a curse." She said.
I couldn't hold back. Rage surged through me as I grabbed her hair and shoved her to the ground.
"You... you started all of that!?" I shouted, my voice trembling with disbelief and fury.
"You witch! How dare you push me!" she snapped, scrambling to her feet. Her eyes burned with rage as she raised her hand, ready to strike me across the face.
But before her hand could reach me, the knight stepped between us.
With swift precision, he drew his sword and pointed it directly at Estelle's throat.
"Harming the future Empress of the Morgant Empire is punishable by death," he said coldly, his blade steady and unwavering against Estelle's throat.
For a terrifying moment, it looked like he was truly ready to strike her down.
I quickly raised my hand, stepping forward. "Stop," I said, my voice calm but firm.
The knight didn't lower his blade immediately, but he paused.
Estelle stood frozen, her face drained of color. For the first time, she looked afraid.
"We must not delay any further," I added quietly, turning away.
He withdrew his sword with a sharp hiss and stepped aside, opening the carriage door for me to enter.I stepped inside and sat down, watching as my sister collapsed to the ground and people rushed to her side. The carriage began to move, carrying me away. I let out a slow, heavy sigh.
The knight broke the silence. "It seems the people in your Empire imagine our Emperor as a ruthless beast." I just nod.
Is he not? We grew up thinking the opposing empire is all dark.
"I'm Laxus Viremont, the Emperor's personal knight," he said calmly. "We've been expecting you."
Expecting me? Not Estelle? But why?
I looked at him, confusion and suspicion written across my face. "What do you mean by that?"
"The Emperor ran a background check on both Saintesses," he explained. "He knew Estelle was favored by everyone in your Empire, so they'd never offer her willingly. That's why all of us in Morgant have been expecting you."
"So... were you expecting a golden-haired Saintess?" I asked.
"No. We knew you'd be the one sent." He answered.
I frowned, biting back the sting of their certainty. "Then why did they bother with the pretense? Pretending it was a celebration when they were just sending me away."
Laxus's eyes widened in genuine shock. "You... weren't told? No one warned you about any of this?"
I nodded silently, feeling the weight of their betrayal deepen.
He looked at me with genuine concern—something I wasn't used to.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "Our people will be honored to have a Saintess as their Empress. They will love you."
I felt a flicker of ease settle over me, fragile but real—a small light in the dark that had surrounded me for so long. But as the carriage rolled forward, I couldn't shake the feeling that this new beginning might be just the start of a far darker fate.
TO BE CONTINUED