Vice And Virtue 소설 & 이야기

Ivana lifted her chin stubbornly even as tears ran down her face. “I meant well,” she whispered, voice breaking despite her effort to keep it queenly. “Richard, I, I didn’t know. I didn’t know she had no virtue.” No virtue. The phrase sounded almost laughable in this context. Virtue. As if this was about morality and not greed. As if this was about purity and not deception. My mother stepped closer to me, her hands trembling now, her expression cracked open in a way I had rarely seen. “Forgive me,” she pleaded.

Driven by a cold, calculating logic, Violet talked about using weaknesses with almost chilling efficiency, sacrificing pawns, and manipulating the innocent. Her words, which reflected the harsh lessons she had learned in the shadows and the terrifying realities of their world, were incisive, exact, and free of sentimentality. But even after years of fighting and a lifetime of negotiating the harsh waters of their world, Vlad managed to hold onto a faint thread of something approaching morality. He talked about choosing the course of least bloodshed, protecting the innocent, and minimizing collateral damage.

I asked again raising my voice. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she said “Every action has a purpose. My life, my fears, my desperate attempts to understand this mark – all of it was just a means to protect you?. And each person can be given a role. With the help of a well-crafted set of guidelines your’s was to be a catalyst.” I practically screamed and the empty hall echoed with my voice.” You are completely unbelievable! You have no regret, no human decency!” “Remorse is a hindrance” Ivette shot back her eyes hard and unblinking. “Decency is a flaw. Efficiency logic are how I work. Not on the ephemeral whims of passion.”

I said softly causing him to look over at me surprise on his features at my change in tone. "Real name is Kateus, also known as the sin of envy, due to jealous tendencies and grudges" I said taking a deep breath. "One of the main downfalls in humanity is the want for what others have making him one of the most dangerous sins because it doesn't matter who gets hurt in the process the only thing that is a priority is his own want to be better and higher then anything and everyone else around him" I said causing him to look almost ashamed.

But next to his reflection, he saw the shadow of Angeline. She was the "weakness" he hadn't seen coming. She was the "motivation" that was already starting to rewrite his priorities. He realized then that the "Sinful Virtues" weren't just the rules they lived by. They were the traits that would either bind them together or destroy both their empires. Angeline wasn't just his wife; she was a mirror held up to his own soul. And for the first time, Roman Moretti didn't like what he saw.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” “There is no need to worry. My name is Micah, and I am your brother. I’m one of the Virtues, like you. I’m humility, and Sariah is Diligence,” Micah explains. He’s so calm, while my mind is whirling. I’m Temperance, a Virtue created by the Moon to give mortals morals and a healthy way to live. Thought told me so myself. And surrounding me, are two others, who I have never met, but who just saved my mind. I’m not as surprised as I thought I would be. In fact, I’m relieved I’m in their presence.

How to rule. The man I swore I’d never become. Viktor’s eyes gleamed as he saw the hesitation flicker across my face. He twisted his wrist, slashing across my side, and shoved me back. “See?” he spat. “You hesitate. You still think you’re better than me.” I caught my balance, blood soaking into my shirt. “I’m not better. I just still know the difference.” “Between what?” he sneered. “Mercy and weakness?” “Between living for power and dying for love.”

Across from her, Elio Marcello leaned forward with the smile of a man who’d survived too many betrayals to give trust lightly — or for free. “You really think Dante will let this stand?” he asked, voice smooth but laced with challenge. Alessia sipped her wine. “Dante let too many things stand. That’s the problem.” A flicker of something crossed Elio’s eyes — amusement, perhaps admiration. “And what is this alliance, then? Vengeance? Or preservation?” “Both,” she said. “I’m not naive enough to think I can win this war without fire. But I won’t burn for someone else’s sins anymore.”

I held his gaze, a spark of defiance flickering in my eyes, and replied, "True victory is not achieved through deceit and treachery. In the end, it is a hollow triumph, as emptiness shadows every step you take." The words hung in the air, a testament to the resilience of truth and integrity. It was a quiet defiance, a gentle reminder that true success could never be usurped by those unwilling to abide by the principles of fairness, honesty, and loyalty. With that, I turned my back on Herodotus, leaving him to dwell in the consequences of his actions.