Episode 2
Because of you—because of your mother—our mother died.
Chase Seviche Roberti.
They only came to understand her story in their second life.
When Sofia was five and Benjamin and Joshua were twelve, Sofia’s mother, Benny Lo Rancel, was still alive. And so was Chase, of course.
It was around three years after Benny, a woman from the streets, had been allowed to live in the castle thanks to the lord’s generosity. One day, a stranger secretly entered the castle and was seen talking to Benny by Benjamin and Joshua.
The man with shaggy purple hair held Benny’s hand and spoke to her quietly.
They were too far away to hear or see clearly, but the fact that he had sneaked in rather than come through the main gate made him suspicious enough.
“Should we tell Father, Benji?”
“He said she could bring in guests anytime. Isn’t it none of our business?”
Joshua’s question was met with a shrug from Benjamin, who didn’t seem interested. But Joshua’s eyes lit up with seriousness as he responded.
“A real guest wouldn’t sneak in. What if we just witnessed the person behind some future major incident?”
“You’ve been reading too many detective novels lately.”
“But doesn’t it make sense?”
Amused, Benjamin didn’t bother to hide his laughter. He found Joshua’s seriousness over something so absurd entertaining.
It was rare for Joshua—who always remained indifferent to anything outside of his interests—to show concern, so it was enjoyable for Benjamin. But he also knew it was an unnecessary interest.
Just a few days ago, a servant had gossiped about Benny and ended up losing their tongue.
“Definitely not. If we say something, Father might get mad. He cares more about her than about us.”
Benjamin and Joshua, whispering in the bushes, quickly made their decision and quietly left the scene.
They didn’t report the suspicious man who had entered the castle. They, too, cherished the peace that came after Benny arrived.
A few days later, Joshua happened to see the man again while walking down the corridor.
This time his previously shaggy hair was neatly groomed, and he looked well put together. Though he appeared more human than before, Joshua recognized him immediately thanks to his focused observation that day.
“Josh, I baked the cookies really well this time. I’m taking them to Mother… What are you doing over there?”
Joshua was frozen, staring at the familiar face, when Benjamin spotted him with a basket full of golden-brown cookies and ran over.
“I think Mother has a guest.”
“A guest?”
This time, it wasn’t a secret visit. The man, dressed in elegant clothes, was being led to the drawing room alongside Chase.
His eyes were the same purple as Sofia’s—but paradoxically, they looked nothing alike.
“Looks like he knew Mother.”
“Yeah. Guess he wasn’t a bad guy.”
As Joshua muttered absentmindedly, Benjamin bit into a cookie with a sarcastic crunch.
Joshua, seeing Benjamin eat an animal-shaped cookie so cruelly, shifted his attention from the man to his brother.
“What are you even doing, baking cookies? Bet Henie did most of the work.”
“No way! I told the head chef to leave me alone, and I made them all by myself!”
“Whatever. I’m not eating them. Who knows what they taste like? I still remember the taste of the flames from that time.”
“Sofia said they were really good this time! Open your mouth, or I’ll shove the whole basket in!”
Dodging Benjamin, who chased him with exaggerated fury, Joshua ran with all his might. They ignored Loray’s warning not to run in the halls and continued their game of tag.
It was peaceful. That peace might have lasted forever, if only Chase hadn’t gone mad after meeting that man.
“Mother, it’s me. Benjamin! Joshua’s here too. Josh!”
“Benji… Benji… Josh… Where are you… I…”
“Mother….”
She had lost her mind. She no longer recognized people, tore through rooms, and even attempted suicide.
It was a pain far too heavy for children to bear.
Benjamin and Joshua cried as they begged their father, Bled, for help—but he said nothing. It was obvious he knew something, but he didn’t say a word.
His eyes looked like they wanted to speak, but he kept his mouth closed, as if someone had sealed it shut.
“…I’m sorry.”
That was all they got from him—one word—while the situation grew worse.
Chase’s nightly seizures increased, and Benjamin and Joshua began living in their mother’s room. They were the only ones who could stay by her side.
One day, when Chase woke from sleep in fear, retching, she pulled her sons into her arms and sobbed.
“Every time I dream, I feel strange… like I’ll die. No, like I’ll kill someone.”
“It’s okay, Mother. We’re here with you.”
“Ah… Benji… Josh… Sofia, Sofia…”
She fell back asleep just like that.
Back then, they were confused at her sudden mention of Sofia. But it didn’t take long for them to understand what Chase had been trying to say.
“Mother tried to kill Sofia?!”
“That’s absurd! She would never do that!”
“Exactly! She had no reason to harm that child!”
That day, her words had been cut short—
“Sofia… I feel like I’m going to… kill her…”
Now they realized what she had wanted to say.
“When that time comes… you two must protect her.”
It had been a silent plea through her eyes. And now, finally, they understood.
They raised their voices in protest, but Bled gave his order.
Chase Seviche was to be locked in the tower and given just a bowl of water once a week.
The Seviche family protested the cruel sentence. How could a lord value the child of a mistress more than his wife?
But Bled ignored all protests and carried on.
How could a person survive in that tower? It was tall and narrow, and the room at the top barely allowed one to curl up.
To imprison her there with only a bowl of water was beyond cruel—but they couldn’t argue.
The fact that he hadn’t exiled or executed her direct descendants was mercy enough.
“It must’ve been that man’s fault.”
One tear-filled day, Joshua spoke, and Benjamin agreed. Their mother’s breakdown had started after she met that man.
“He was close with Sofia’s mother.”
“I heard some relatives say he caused all this to push our mother out and take her place.”
“…To make his daughter the next lord? To marry the lord himself?”
“Maybe… yeah.”
“But Mother…”
She wanted to protect Sofia.
It didn’t make sense. Chase and Benny had been close. Benny never even accepted a title like mistress or concubine.
The puzzle didn’t fit—until they twisted it.
“What if being kind, acting sweet—that was all fake?”
What if Benny Lo Rancel had always harbored evil intentions and only pretended to be close to Chase? What if she refused the title just to seem like she didn’t care for power?
Deep down, they knew the woman who smiled at them so purely wouldn’t do something like that. But after their mother’s death, they were being dragged into a dark spiral.
Deeper and deeper. Just as their hatred for Benny and Sofia was about to take root—
Sofia came to them, holding a blue rose.
“This one’s a miracle. That’s its meaning.”
“…Ah.”
Her tiny hands clutched Benjamin and Joshua’s clothes, and in that moment, they felt like they’d been pulled out of the abyss.
A small beam of sunlight sparkled before them, shaking the flower.
“Do you know why?”
Maybe she’d learned something again from Loray. With a smiling face, Sofia eagerly opened her mouth to share her knowledge.
She knew nothing of what had happened in the castle.
They must have told her that Chase had a bad cold and was staying in her room. No one would have told her that she nearly died at Chase’s hands.
Sofia was still too young.
Yes, too young. And yet they had almost…
Without realizing the bitter smiles on Benjamin and Joshua’s faces were directed at her, Sofia went on.
“Blue roses don’t exist in nature, so the flower wizard made them. Because they don’t exist, they’re like a miracle—that’s why it means ‘miracle.’”
“You’re so smart.”
Benjamin smiled faintly and stroked her head. Joshua, beside him, also looked at her with a softened expression.
Sofia, who usually smiled when praised, kept a serious face. It was clear she had more to say. They waited.
Sofia fidgeted with the rose and spoke.
“So I’m going to give this to Cherry…”
“And?”
“So she can get better from her cold like a miracle!”
Cherry was what Sofia called Chase. She always brought cherries when she came to visit and affectionately called her that. Chase had once said she liked the nickname and told Sofia to keep using it.
But Cherry couldn’t receive the flower.
She was locked in the tower, counting the days until death, unable to meet anyone.
Joshua took the rose from Sofia’s tiny hands and spoke.
“We’ll give it to her.”
“Huh? But I want to go too!”
“No. You’ll catch the cold.”
“I’m strong! I’m super strong!”
Sofia raised her voice, knowing that if she didn’t sound confident, they’d never take her along. But Joshua ignored her and tousled her hair even rougher than Benjamin had.
“If you get sick, Benny will be sad.”
“Ah…”
“So we’ll go alone. We’re stronger than you.”
And with that, only Benjamin and Joshua walked toward the tower—leaving Sofia behind.
