Throughout Malic’s story, Kasha maintained a calm expression without much change in her face.

Although her expression was blank as if she was listening to a story about a complete stranger, Leon noticed that her face had turned pale.

He also noticed that her small hands were tightly gripping the sofa fabric as if wringing it.

If it weren’t for the situation where her stepfather was glaring at them, he would have hugged her right away.

However, even if it wasn’t exactly that, as Malic’s story progressed, it became painful for Leon to sit there.

Because his father, Philip Aranias, the Grand Duke Osilote, was the most stereotypical and despicable villain in this story. Leon gradually became so miserable that he couldn’t even look at Kasha.

‘You… are not a suitable match for Kasha, Lord Leon.’

Could he confidently deny what Malic had said from now on?

After all, he was the son of such a father.

But because of that, he had even less right to show a miserable face in front of Kasha.

So he continued to silently listen to Malic’s story. Only Malic, who was sitting across from them, could notice that his expression was very similar to Kasha’s, who was sitting next to him.

“Then, that letter… wasn’t sent by my biological father…?”

At Kasha’s question, the Count nodded with a dark expression.

“It was the work of Grand Duke Osilote, Philip. As he was the representative of the envoy that led to Matthias meeting the princess for the first time, he knew more than anyone about Matthias, the princess, and me. He knew that I would try to contact Matthias, so he set a trap. He tracked the courier I sent, captured Matthias, and sent me a fake letter imitating Matthias’ handwriting.”

As he heard the details of his father’s misdeeds one by one, Leon gradually became more and more dazed.

There was something the Grand Duke, his father, always said whenever there was a crisis. That he was the one who saved Emperor Ramon, who almost died because of the Gillenuan princess.

His words were not a bluff, but the truth. He never expected that truth to be so cruel.

“On that night, they put drugs in my food and water. It was a paralyzing poison that took effect slowly. After I collapsed, they say they caught the fleeing princess and demanded that she disable the barrier.

At the same time, they sent soldiers into the castle through a secret passage. The princess had stationed knights at the end of the secret passage in case of an emergency, but they couldn’t hold off the imperial army’s wave tactic of cutting down one and two more pushing in until the end.”

“So, in the end… Mother disabled the barrier?”

“She had no choice.”

Malic’s face became miserable.

“Those bastards, those cruel bastards… Every time your mother refused their demands, they cut off… your father Matthias’ limbs one by one in front of her eyes.”

“What…?”

“After cutting off all his limbs one by one, then his eyes, and his ears…”

The Count couldn’t continue any further.

Kasha also lost her words, unable to urge him on.

I see. So that’s how it was.

There was a good reason why the princess, who had been so wise and clever, had gone mad. Could anyone remain sane after seeing their beloved husband’s limbs being cut off before their eyes?

And Kasha’s biological father Matthias, whose existence she didn’t even know about. How much pain and despair must he have felt at that moment?

“Matthias, he… even in the midst of that, he shouted at her that she must never disable the barrier. Until the very moment he breathed his last.”

“……”

“But when the knight who infiltrated the castle kidnapped you… Princess Kasha and threatened her by holding a blade to your tender neck, Camilla could no longer hold out. In exchange for sparing you and the people in the castle, she finally disabled the barrier.”

At some point, Kasha noticed that her heartbeat had become so intense that it felt like it would burst through her chest.

She wanted to scream in her frenzied state of mind, but she couldn’t, so she could only clench her fists so tightly that they almost crumbled.

“But those bastards didn’t keep their promise in the end either. As soon as Camilla disabled the barrier, they bound her with magic restraints and began massacring everyone in the castle. On that day, everything living in Gillistin Castle lost its life. They even beheaded all the starving, crying animals and burned them all together in one place, regardless of humans or beasts.”

Crack.

At the brutal sound that suddenly came from beside her, Kasha abruptly turned her head.

Leon’s profile, with his head bowed deeply, was shrouded in shadows, making his features indiscernible. However, his tightly clenched jaw muscles and clenched fists with bulging veins expressed his feelings.

Even as she saw that, Kasha couldn’t reach out to him. Just as Leon had done earlier.

The cruel history that lay between them was as distant and deep as a monsoon river. A sense of despair washed over her, as if no matter how hard she tried, she could never reach him again.

“Upon hearing the news, Camilla completely lost her mind. The emperor must have wanted to get rid of her right away, but it seems some of his vassals told him about the legend of the Devil’s Magic Stone.

That Magic Stone, which was said to grant power that couldn’t be challenged by the human realm. The Magic Stone that the Gillenuan royal family had sealed and guarded for generations. Out of greed to obtain that Magic Stone, he kept her alive.

But then one day, the prison where she was confined caught fire. In her cell, a completely charred corpse was found. However, the emperor did not give up his suspicion and continued the pursuit. Because on the very day the fire occurred, the three-year-old princess who had been confined in the magic tower’s laboratory also disappeared.”

“Ah.”

Kasha finally opened her mouth and managed to utter a single word that sounded like an exclamation.

“Who… helped us?”

“There were many people. Including myself, who had barely woken up from the paralyzing poison, countless knights who owed their lives to Matthias, and wizards who respected Camilla, everyone risked their lives to help her and you escape. Among them was even a soldier who was moved after witnessing Matthias’ final moments and opened the door to Camilla’s cell.”

The escaped Camilla first went to Alyosha and entrusted him with the kingdom’s legacies. As she walked into the barrier herself, she asked him to hide them so that no one could find them.

“According to Alyosha, even then Camilla was not in her right mind, but she absolutely refused to let go of her arms that were holding the baby.”

“……”

Kasha suddenly gasped for breath. It felt as if her throat was being strangled by an indescribable pain.

“We thought she would come back in a few months… but she really disappeared without a trace and didn’t send any news for 9 long years. To anyone.”

“……”

“After going through all those things, she probably couldn’t trust anyone. Who could dare to blame her for that?”

No longer able to look directly at the Count and blankly staring at the floor, Kasha spoke again.

“Then, after Mother passed away, how did you find me?”

“7 years ago on that day, a letter arrived for me. It only contained the location of your house and a single line of message: ‘Please help your goddaughter.’ But that was enough. Because… you were the only goddaughter I had. Camilla sent that letter knowing she would die soon.”

After the Count’s words, silence flowed between the three of them for a long time. Finally, the one who broke that silence was Leon’s voice, which was completely hoarse.

“But even though the emperor knew that you tried to help Lord Matthias, why did he let you live, Count?”

Upon hearing his question, a bitter smile formed on the corners of the Count’s mouth.

“…It was a punishment. A punishment longer and more effective than death, you could say.”

“……”

“The land of Gillenua was not really something the emperor coveted, to be honest. Except for the veins of rare minerals, most of it was just barren and desolate land. But it was also a defensive line that had to be protected to block the northern tribes and pirates sailing the northern seas.

The emperor knew very well that I would guard this land that Matthias and Camilla left behind as if my life depended on it. There were no other nobles who would come all the way up to this barren northern territory and endure endless wars except for me.

So he kept me alive, but imprisoned me in this desolate and cold land forever. He knew that I would never try to escape from this prison on my own. Besides, I had a family and people to protect.”

His appearance, with his head bowed in an unfitting manner, suddenly overlapped with Daril. And the previous Countess, whom I had only seen in portraits.

Malic was not someone who could abandon them and the people who had entrusted their lives to him.

“So, in exchange for bowing my head and swearing loyalty to the emperor, the enemy of my friend, I was able to protect them all this time. Even if it was in this wretched way.”

Although he was belittling himself, the Count’s face was calm.

However, that face was clearly engraved with the undisguisable pain that had been tormenting his soul like an old inflammation. In his wrinkles, gloomy complexion, and sunken eyes like a swamp, all of it.

“For a very long time… I waited for this day in fear. The day when I would confess everything to you and finally receive the resentment and criticism I deserve from you.”

“……”

“Even after taking you in as my adopted daughter, I couldn’t even make you feel the happiness you deserved. Every time I saw your face, I saw both Camilla and Matthias at the same time… I never even warmly hugged you.”

“That… doesn’t matter at all. I know very well that you did your best, Count…”

Kasha barely opened her mouth and said that. However, upon hearing her words, Malic’s expression became even more bitter.

“Seeing you this time, I realized that it wasn’t the best. Because I saw you smiling at him so often, a smile I had never seen from you once in the past 7 years.”

Although Malic spoke while looking only at Kasha as if she were the only one in the room, it was all too clear that the ‘him’ he was referring to was Leon.

“I wonder why it had to be him, of all people… It seems like a trick of fate.”

At his added words, the three of them were once again enveloped in silence.

It was as if the terrible past had cast a dark shadow over the room.

What freed the three of them, who seemed to be bound by that shadow and unable to move, was Kasha’s voice.

“You know what? I… no longer believe in fate.”

A voice so calm that it could be mistaken as cold.

“…?”

Malic, who had lifted his head, flinched.

Kasha’s expression as she looked straight at him was fierce, and her eyes were shining with an unfathomable conviction.

“Because I personally verified that fate can be changed.”