Chapter 208: The Fan Driven by Madness (3)

In this world, there are some phenomena considered so impossible that they are used metaphorically to represent the very concept of “impossibility” itself.

Things like the sun rising in the west, orcs becoming vegetarians, or Sion going on the offensive.

For Therese, the quintessential example of such impossibility was: “Marianne giving up on fangirling.”
She was a fan of the hero Lier’s epic tale.

To be precise, she was a die-hard fan of a character within it—Sien Lenos, the magic swordsman.
How much did she love him?

Enough to fill an entire villa with Sien-related merchandise and fan works, to flawlessly recite every line of the legend in which he appeared, and to fluently lay out thirteen distinct theories about his origin. She was the real deal.

Knowing this, Therese believed there would never be a day when her sister gave up her obsession.
She thought Marianne would live like that forever.

Until today.

“Ma-Marianne…? What are you doing right now…?”

“Oh, hey, sis.”

It was an early summer night.

Therese had stepped outside to get some air in the garden of their lodging when she spotted Marianne and stood there, gaping in shock.

Marianne was lighting a bonfire.

A bonfire large enough for four to five people to sit around.

Let’s not ask why she was doing something so out of the blue. That’s not what matters right now.

What made Therese doubt her eyes wasn’t the fire itself, but the fuel being used for it.

“Is–is that… a manga in your hand?! Are you seriously burning manga right now?!”

“What else would it be? Can’t you tell?”

Saying that, Marianne casually tossed another manga into the fire.

Made of paper, the book instantly turned to fuel, crumbling into ash and charcoal.

Therese recognized the book just thrown into the flames.

It was The Circumstances of Those Men, a BL manga featuring a Sien × Lier pairing.

It was also a legendary title in the BL world, known for its delicate psychological portrayals and contrastingly intense developments—an all-time classic.

Even the two sisters had “benefited” from it a few times themselves.

And now she was burning such a masterpiece?

Was she out of her mind?

“MARIANNE!!! What the hell is this?! What the heck happened to you?!”

Therese lunged at her sister, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her up.

“Have you gone crazy?! Did you have a near-death experience and lose your mind?! Or is this some kind of post-fandom crash?! I don’t know what’s going on, but snap out of it!! Don’t do something you can’t take back just because of a moment’s impulse!!”

“Ugh…! L-let go!”

Marianne struggled in surprise, then barely managed to shake off her sister’s grip and back away.
She glared sulkily at Therese and said,

“Hmph. I don’t know what misunderstanding you’ve got going on, but I’m perfectly sane right now, okay?
I made this decision with full clarity, of my own free will. So don’t stop me.”

“…What?!”

Therese looked as if the world had just ended.

Marianne—of all people, that Marianne—was burning a manga with her own hands?

Even if it was a trashy piece of work, if Sien appeared in it, she would’ve never thrown it away. She would have kept it no matter what.

What kind of wind had blown to change her like this?

“Wh-what happened?? What made you decide to do this all of a sudden? What’s the reason?!”

“Well… that’s…”

Marianne scratched at the side of her head awkwardly, then gave a faint smile.

Somehow, it felt incredibly empty and hollow.

“Maybe… it’s because sometimes, in order to make love come true… you have to give something up.

I don’t really want to either, honestly… But to stay by his side, I have to say goodbye to BL.
So I’m doing it with a heart full of tears…”

“‘His side’…?”

Therese furrowed her brow even more, utterly baffled.

This made no sense. Who in the world could make Marianne give up BL?

Not even their parents had managed to quell her burning passion—who could possibly do it?

“Who’s this person you’re talking about? Is it someone I know?”

“Well… he exists. It’s a secret for now. Maybe someday, you’ll find out too.”

“????”

Question marks flooded across Therese’s face.

Whether she cared or not, Marianne chuckled to herself as she tossed the rest of the books she was holding into the fire.

“I’ll give you one piece of advice—it’s about time you graduated from this little ‘game’ too, sis. I’m saying this as your sister, from the bottom of my heart.
Isn’t it about time we grew up? Hehe, uhuhuhu…”

“……..”

It would’ve been the kind of thing to make their parents at home burst into festive celebration, but Therese couldn’t feel even a shred of joy. No—instead, she felt fear.

The Marianne she knew wasn’t someone who would do this in her right mind. She’d sooner throw herself off a ten-story building than dispose of her precious collection.

And yet, here she was, burning her manga of her own free will—not under pressure, but entirely by choice?

This wasn’t Marianne. This couldn’t be Marianne.
She must be under the influence of some evil will!

‘I have to find out who this so-called “Master” she mentioned really is!’

Therese resolved firmly in her heart.

The next day, she spent the entire day tailing Marianne from a distance.

For the most part, Marianne didn’t seem too different during the daytime. If anything had changed, it was that she now carried a parasol when going outside and no longer participated in outdoor gym classes.

The latter especially seemed to delight her. Probably the only person in the world happy to become a vampire’s servant.

But the real shock came in the evening. After classes, when everyone else went off in groups to hang out or follow their own routines.

It was then that Therese witnessed something that made her eyes go wide.

‘Wha-what the heck?! Why is she wearing a maid outfit?!’

Watching from afar near Marianne’s room, Therese was completely startled by the sight of her sister.

She wasn’t in her school uniform or casual clothes. She was dressed in a full-on maid uniform. Even compared to the other maids wandering nearby, she looked perfectly natural.

Even Therese had almost mistaken her for a real room maid at first glance.

She’d never heard Marianne was into cosplay or anything—so what was she doing dressed like that?

Therese followed her more secretly now, observing where she was headed.

And eventually, she uncovered a shocking truth.

‘T-the Hero?! Why is the Hero there?!’

Yes—Marianne, in her maid attire, was serving none other than the Hero, Sion!

Marianne knocked on Sion’s door, and when Sion emerged, she bowed respectfully and exchanged words with her at the entrance.

Therese couldn’t hear what they were saying from this distance, but Marianne’s expression was clear as day.

Her eyes sparkled with affection—completely filled with love. “Starry-eyed” wouldn’t even begin to cover it.

‘D-don’t tell me… she burned her BL collection… because the Hero doesn’t like it…?’

Therese suddenly recalled Sion’s extreme disgust toward BL that she’d once witnessed long ago.

If the “Master” Marianne referred to was Sion, it would all make sense. Anyone would instinctively try to match the tastes of someone they liked.

Burning everything might seem a bit extreme, but if it was Marianne, it was certainly possible.

But still—Sion? Of all people?

She’s a girl, not a boy.

‘I mean, it’s not like I have anything against that kind of thing…
But my little sister… becoming a lesbian… I don’t know… it’s complicated…’

Therese crossed her arms and groaned for a bit. Then finally let out a sigh and said:

‘Well, fine. If it’s the Hero, I get it. She may be a woman, but she gives off this noble, commanding aura. I can understand why Marianne would fall for her.

As her sister, I’ll just quietly cheer her on from here. I’m actually kind of curious to see if she can win over the Hero’s stone-cold heart.’

Nodding to herself, Therese tried to convince herself and turned to leave, wishing Marianne good luck.

…Had she not overheard the maids whispering in the laundry room on the way back.

“Oh my, what’s this? Why’s there blood on the bedsheet? Where’d it come from?”

“Oh, that’s from the Hero’s room. Make sure to wash it separately from the rest.”

“Ugh, red stains are so hard to get out…”

Just a tiny, ordinary snippet of conversation.

Therese had been about to walk past when something made her stop. Two words echoed in her mind.

‘Bedsheet? Blood?’

She stood frozen for about five seconds, trying to connect the unfamiliar dots.

And after those five seconds—

She let out a scream and sprinted back toward Sion’s room at full speed.