Magnolias have bloomed.
Adrina Grimaldi looked at the tree in silence.
The branches bent under the weight of the snow, too heavy to bear, and the white flowers drooped. Magnolia signaled the end of winter, but not the beginning of spring.
The snow fell at the wrong time. Through the snowstorm that swirled in the strong wind, magnolia petals fell like a whirlwind, as if dancing. As if mourning his death.
Snow-white petals and white snow, spread out as a carpet, quickly turned into mud under people's feet.
People clung to the body of the young man - no longer a boy, but not yet a man - and shouted that this could not happen. Sobs echoed throughout the mansion. Someone plunged into grief, someone denied death, someone was looking for those to blame.
- It's all because of your curse!
That's what they said about Adrina.
- Adrian died because of you!
Because you were born, people pointed their fingers at the woman, and the count, thinking about who knows what, locked himself in his office and did not come out.
- Because you were born!
How come they don't change?
Adrina couldn't help but grin at the consistency of these people from her family. This quiet sound caused deathly silence, and then screams and curses rained down again. But new curses cannot harm an already cursed body.
- Give me back my Adrian!
Yes, it's all because of me.
The death of Adrian Grimaldi came without omens.
Like a curse.
No matter how much everyone shouted that he could not die, no matter how much they denied his death, the cold body could not be returned. The blue color of death spread over the snow-white skin. Unreal.
The funeral took place, and the mansion was filled with the quiet pain of those who could not accept death. It was heavy and wet, like fog, and blocked my breathing. Adrina could not recognize her own feelings. Was it sadness, pain, a sense of loss, or complete indifference.
She couldn't understand her own feelings.
Adrian Grimaldi's funeral took place three days later.
In the not yet closed coffin lay a young man who looked exactly like Adrina. The blue skin against the background of snow-white fabric looked terribly unnatural. The armful of magnolias in his hands was completely inappropriate. Tears flowed like a river, lamentations multiplied in grief. And then someone said:
- It would be better if you...
The voice was very quiet, but loud enough to start an accusation.
- Yes, you should have died.
You are Adrian's curse. This quiet sound grew into a rumble, becoming louder. Immaterial words entangled man. It seemed that people's anger was taking on physical form.
In the white fog that covered the air, anger mixed and rushed towards Adrina. But Adrina did not react at all. She just stood straight and looked at the blue face. Same as her own.
- Why didn’t you die?
Poor brother.
They say that when favoritism persists too long towards one person, both the one receiving it and the one being deprived become unhappy. Adrian was just as miserable as Adrina. But now Adrian has freed himself from these shackles, and he should be calmer, Adrina thought.
Adrina did not react at all. People picked up stones from the ground and shouted, looking at her impassive face: “Why didn’t you die!” Adrina looked at them silently. She didn't know how she should react in such a situation.
One stone fell in front of Adrina. The Countess, who did not hide her rage, bent down again and picked up the cobblestone. The thrown stone did not even reach Adrina.
Weak power, mansion flower. The countess's beautiful face faded with Adrian's death. The withered flower spewed curses.
Unlike them,
As if asking: what is he going to do with this heartless, emotionless brat? But the count glanced at the countess only once and stood in front of Adrina.
“I haven’t seen it yet, your hair has grown a lot, Adi.”
These were incongruous words.
“Is it really because of one dead girl that they organized such a circus here?”
From the words that followed, everyone turned around.
- Isn't that right, Adrian?
At the Count’s words, Adrina’s gaze fell on the corpse, then looked away to the side.
Everyone present here knew that Adrian Grimaldi was dead. But Count Grimaldi, her father, named her Adrian. Looking at the count, who put his hand on her shoulder, calling her “Adi,” Adrina barely moved her lips.
Her father never called her Adi in her life.
Both Adrian and Adrina went by the diminutive name "Adi", but it seemed that it was intended solely for Adrian. Therefore, Adrina doubted whether this appeal really applied to her.
Only the deceased Adrian called her Adi. The expression of readiness to collapse at this name, which would never be heard again, froze again at the Count’s subsequent words.
- The curse of the family has dissipated, isn’t this happiness?
The woman was given a name as if she was just a shadow following the man.
- No, you should be happy at all.
There shouldn't have been a name for her. Just as a detail for Adrian, Adrin's name was included in the documents, but no one spoke it. Everyone called her “you”, “this”, “a clot of curse” and the like.
- Isn't it?
Adrina easily guessed the count's intention.
Adrina is Adrian's curse. In this country, everyone born as twins bears the curse of a witch. Therefore, having been born a twin, Adrina had to be abandoned or killed.
She feels the meaning of other people's gazes falling on her. It was not Adrian who should have died, but she. But the words of Spencer Grimaldi, not the words “you should have died”, but the words “you didn’t die”...
— Your sister was in poor health.
...made her position and place clear.
- Yes, a real man should not show sadness.
I should have died. No, I died.
The Count grabbed Adrina's long hair and lifted it. As if dissatisfied with what he saw, he took out his dagger and immediately cut off her hair.
Long strands fell smoothly. What could not be held in the hand fell onto the snow. The Count threw the hair he was holding onto Adrian's corpse, as if it disgusted him, and dusted off his hands.
People, although they were horrified by the hair that covered Adrian’s body, did not even think about touching it.
Adrina looked at Adrian, who was covered in her hair.
Adrien's body was a complete mess because of her hair. Adrina collected the hair scattered over her body with her hand and styled it. Her hair covered Adrien like a blanket.
When Adrina retreated, people began to cry again, looking at Adrian's face. It was as if the threads of a curse that covered him caused sadness and regret.
- Farewell is over.
At the count's word, the lid came down on the coffin. The servants began to drive nails into it.
- How long are you going to mess around with the girl?
“You know what, Adi? In fact, I wanted everything you had.”
- Don't sit back and take your seats.
“That was the problem, apparently.”
- You too.
"Because I wanted to become you."
- Adrian.
“But I didn’t want to become you this way.”
- You must take your place.
Adrina raised her head at Spencer's words. There was confusion in the eyes of those who looked at her and her father. The Countess, unable to shed even sorrowful tears, looked at them both with red despair.
What was Count Grimaldi up to when he locked himself in his office?
Did he think about how to resurrect his only son and this family? Did he think about how to maintain sovereignty, how to maintain power? And the result of these thoughts...
- Yes.
...was it: to kill Adrina Grimaldi?
- That's right, father.
But Adrina was no different from the count.
Adi.
“I can’t mourn Adrina’s death forever.”
I became you only by dying.
- It's time to let her go.
People gasped at Adrina's words, and Spencer Grimaldi looked quite pleased.
Snow is falling. While the hammer blows continued, a mound of snow grew on the lid of the coffin. The coffin is lowered deep into the ground.
Flowers, snow, despair and sorrow of people are laid on top of it - everything is buried along with the earth.
Adrina Grimaldi has died.
Curse of the twins.
People will probably consider this good luck. That Adrina died, not Adrian. The count, without looking at the lowering coffin, turned to Adrina:
- Adi. Let's go together.
At this suggestion, which amounted to an order, Adrina slowly moved. For the first time, Adrina sat in the same carriage with the Count. The carriage started moving, and the count said:
— Who should be entrusted with carving the inscription on Adrina’s tombstone?
At these unexpected words, Adrina raised her head. The count's expression remained unchanged. Adrina couldn’t hold back the laughter that burst out of nowhere.
“I’ll look among the local craftsmen for someone who has a more skillful hand.”
At her voice, tinged with a chuckle, the count looked around Adi’s entire figure.
- Since she died on the day the magnolias bloom, you can decorate the tombstone with a pattern of magnolias.
Having said this, Adrina looked out the carriage window. The countess collapsed on the grave covered with earth. Her mournful cry did not reach the window. It was only possible to make out by the movement of her lips that she was calling out to Adrian.
- Magnolia pattern... Okay. Do as you wish.
Adrina turned her gaze to the Count’s words. Just as Adrina found the Count unexpected, so the Count looked at Adrina with surprise. Then the count grinned and said:
“It’s good that Adi is gone.”
Is that Adi Adrian or Adrina?
Whatever it was, Adi Grimaldi thought exactly the same.
It's good that Adi Grimaldi died. More than that.