Chapter 3

Marcus stared at me in disbelief, unable to fathom how indifferent I seemed. With the eyes of the crowd fixed on him, he had no choice but to draft the separation letter.

I took the document without hesitation and immediately went to the Magistrate's Office to file it.

…

By the next day, the paperwork was finalized, and our divorce was official.

Marcus stood tall and proud outside the Magistrate's Office, his red-rimmed eyes glaring at me.

"Elara, don't think the Ashthorn family will take you back. You have nowhere to go. I'll be waiting for you to come crawling back!”

I scoffed, refusing to dignify his words with a response. Turning on my heel, I marched directly toward the Ashthorn Estate.

My elder brother, Gareth, had already caught wind of my arrival. His soldiers stood stationed outside the gates, their presence a clear warning to keep me out.

"Look at yourself!" he barked, his tone cutting.

"The eldest daughter of a Marquis, jealous of her own sister—cutting off your hair and divorcing your husband in public?

"Go back to the Blackwells and apologize to Julie and everyone else. If you dare ruin their marriage celebrations and bring disgrace upon this family, don't ever call me your brother again!"

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I took in Gareth's imposing figure.

When I first descended to the mortal world, Gareth and I grew up side by side, our bond as close as that of true siblings.

Though born unable to stand, he had always dreamed of being the protective older brother. I still recalled how he used his crutch to drive away the drunkards who dared to harass me.

It was with my astral power that I healed his legs, granting him the strength to stand—and the combat skills of a warrior.

On the day he earned his military title, he was so brimming with pride that he took me on horseback to tour the barracks, proclaiming that every ounce of his effort had been for me, his beloved sister.

And yet, this same brother had later helped restrain me as they tore my child from my arms—all because he believed Juliana's lies.

"Elara, Julie grew up away from the family. As her elder sister, it's your duty to make it up to her," he had said back then. "Are you jealous of her awakened astral power just because you've become mortal? It's only a child. Consider it your contribution to the family."

I took out the dagger Gareth had given me on my coming-of-age day and let out a soft laugh. "Perfect. Not calling you 'brother' anymore is exactly what I want! Here, take back this dagger. From this moment on, we're no longer siblings."

Gareth scoffed, laughing as if he'd just heard a joke. "How naive. Do you think returning the dagger is enough to sever our bond? If you really want to end our sibling relationship, you'll have to follow the rule of the Three Stabs and Six Wounds. But you, pampered as you've always been—do you really think you can handle the pain?"

I smirked faintly and plunged the blade into my left arm.

"This is the first stab. To repay you for protecting me when we were children."

Gareth's eyes widened in shock as blood soaked my sleeve.

Before he could react, I drove the dagger into my thigh. "The second stab. For your care after we came of age."

Gareth's face turned pale. He cursed loudly. "Stop it! You think I'll care? You're just showing off! Even if you stab yourself full of holes, you'll never replace Julie in my heart!"

His words rang in my ears as I plunged the blade into my left shoulder with all my strength. "The third stab. To end our bond as siblings. This dagger is yours again."

I handed the blood-soaked blade to Gareth. He stood frozen, his lips trembling as though he wanted to speak.

Before he could say anything, the blood loss overwhelmed me, and I collapsed into darkness.

…

On the third day, before I had fully regained consciousness, my father, the Marquis, dragged me to my knees before him.

"You wretch!" he roared.

"Will you only be satisfied when you've torn this household apart? Yes, you've done this family some good in the past, but we haven't treated you poorly either!

"Tell me, what other young lady could get away with being as willful as you? Even without your astral powers, we've still let you be the eldest daughter of this house.

"But now, Julie has awakened her powers, which is a blessing for us all, yet you're jealous enough to curse her? Are you hellbent on destroying our family's fortune?"

My mother stood nearby, glaring at me with disgust. "Elle, you've changed. You used to be so kind and sensible. How did you become this unreasonable shrew?

"When Julie and her husband return today, you'd better apologize to her in front of everyone. If you do, we'll still recognize you as our daughter."

I met their stares with a cold smirk. "Haven't treated me poorly? Then why did you watch me bleed without lifting a finger? Why did you ignore me as I begged you to spare my child? Why did you believe every lie Juliana told but never once believed me?

"I haven't changed. You have. Or perhaps I was never truly your daughter in your hearts."

As if my words struck a nerve, my father slapped me hard across the face. "Insolent girl! How dare you speak such treacherous words?"

My mother wept, covering her face. "What kind of cursed daughter have we raised? This is such a misfortune!"

They despised me now, but I remembered when they first learned I was an Astral Maiden.

Back then, they had doted on me, showering me with affection as if I were a precious treasure. I had assumed I could accept a mortal life as long as I could stay by their sides.

I cradled my swollen cheek and laughed bitterly. "You don't want me as your daughter anymore? Funny. Weren't you the ones who begged me to stay? Fine. Let's sign a disowning deed and cut all ties between us as parent and child."

Their fury erupted like a storm.

"Elara, are you insane? Sever ties? What will people say about the Ashthorn family? What about Julie?

"Today is her homecoming celebration. Reflect on your behavior in the ancestral hall. When you've repented, you can come out. Don't you ruin her special day."

In the ancestral hall…

I sat in silence, listening to the lively sounds of my family joyfully reuniting outside.

Someone mentioned my name.

"Where's Elara?"

"Don't bother with her. Let her stay in the hall and think about her mistakes. She's gone too far this time."

I smirked, my fingers curling around the cool porcelain vase resting on the altar.

Without hesitation, I hurled it to the ground, shattering it into pieces. I picked up a shard and pressed it to my skin, carving into my flesh.

In this kingdom, even without a disowning deed, a child who cut their own bones and flesh may sever ties with their parents.

Blood pooled around me, and the room spun as darkness crept in.

Through the haze, a voice filled with pity echoed in my ears. "Congratulations, Elara the Astral Maiden. You have severed all mortal ties. Your astral power will now be fully restored. Prepare to return to the Astral Sanctuary."

Outside, an alarmed voice shouted, "Has Elara admitted her mistakes yet? What's that smell of blood?"