The shortening sun after the winter solstice slowly set.

On the night of the Harvest Festival, people gathered by the Reche River.

It was for the annual tradition of releasing lanterns.

Louise was worried that it might take too much of Sched’s busy time, but Sched silently took Ieve’s hand and headed towards the Reche River.

“Your Excellency. If you have work, you can go first…”

“We have already come this far.”

Sched pointed to the setting sun over the Reche River with his eyes.

Even as the day grew dark, people were densely gathered by the riverside like grown wheat ears.

By the riverbank, members of the Paradel Residents’ Association distributed lanterns one by one.

Since those working for the Residents’ Association would surely recognize the Duke of Lester’s face, Louise went alone and received a lantern.

“Mom, what is this?”

Ieve examined the white lantern Louise brought from all angles.

“It’s a lantern that flies when you light it. If you make a wish and release it, they say the god in the heavens will grant your wish.”

“Really?”

Ieve was excited as if she had discovered a new toy and wanted to release the lantern quickly.

“Since there’s fire, you really need to be careful, Ieve.”

“Yes, yes!”

Sched received a small fire from the side and lit the lantern from below.

“Hold it so it doesn’t fly away, and now you can make a wish.”

Louise and Sched carefully made Ieve hold the end of the lantern so she wouldn’t get burned by the fire.

And the two of them also held the edges of the lantern together.

“Ieve, I’m going to make a wish!”

Ieve, who boldly declared, held the lantern, closed her eyes, and seriously made a wish with furrowed brows.

Seeing her, Louise also quietly closed her eyes.

Does a sinner called a demon have the right to make a wish to God?

God would never listen to her prayer.

But if, just if her wish could reach the heavens…

Louise was willing to pray for this one chance.

Louise Ideana, already a sinner, had no face to ask for happiness for herself.

But at least for the innocent Ieve, please allow this much happiness.

Please give me any pain, trials, and punishment the child may receive.

Please give the child the happiness I could have had…

Louise opened her eyes again, feeling the warmth of the lantern spreading through her fingertips.

Even knowing it was a fleeting wish, thinking of Ieve made it earnest.

Ieve was still making a wish with a serious expression.

She looked at her daughter’s face with closed eyes as if looking at a precious jewel.

“…I’m done wishing!”

Ieve, who finished her long wish-making, opened her eyes wide.

Fortunately, the sound signaling the start of the lantern release event was heard.

“Mom and mister, did you finish your wishes?”

“Yes, Mom made a wish too.”

Louise smiled, and Sched nodded stoically in response.

Soon, with the sound of a large drum, people counted numbers together.

Voices as numerous as stars gathered and reverberated as one.

Louise, Ieve, and Sched added their voices to people’s wishes.

“…Three!”

Louise saw Ieve’s eyes reflecting the lantern.

“Two!”

Yes, just like today.

“One!”

May Ieve be happy.

At the signal, the three of them simultaneously released their hands holding the lantern.

The lantern, swollen with heat, slowly rose and flew into the sky.

It was as if stars were being lifted from the earth to the heavens.

“Mom! Look at that! It’s flying! There are some on the river too!”

Ieve shouted, raising her head high.

The sky and the swaying river water were full of brilliant pieces of light.

It was a night when countless wishes seemed to be embedded as stars in the sky and shine forever.

Louise hugged Ieve and looked at the night of the Harvest Festival together.

“Ieve, are you happy?”

Louise asked, looking at Ieve who couldn’t close her mouth.

“Yes! The best!”

Ieve nodded her head vigorously as if to prove how excited she was.

The sight was so lovely that Louise kissed Ieve’s flushed cheek.

Ieve also kissed her warm mother’s cheek.

“Mom, I love you.”

At Ieve’s simple and short words, Louise laughed, holding back surging emotions.

“Mom loves Ieve too.”

As she whispered softly, Ieve smiled brightly at her.

Her heart boiled gently in front of the child’s smile.

“But you know what, what did you wish for, Mom?”

At Ieve’s question, Louise looked up at the lantern that had become too far to reach and answered.

“Mom? Mom wished for our Ieve to not be sick and to be happy.”

“Aw! What’s that!”

“Huh?”

“You should wish for your own, Mom! That’s Ieve’s!”

Ieve spoke sharply as if she didn’t like her mother’s wish.

Ieve was curious about what Mom wanted and what Mom liked.

But Mom always only talked about Ieve.

“I’ll give my wish to Ieve too.”

Louise smiled, gently stroking Ieve’s sulky cheek.

“No! Ieve wants to make Ieve’s wish!”

It was an answer that showed a strong sense of independence.

It also seemed like she was being quite stubborn.

“What did Ieve wish for?”

“Ieve made a hundred wishes!”

That was the reason Ieve had her eyes closed for a long time.

Things she wanted to eat, things she wanted to have, places she wanted to go.

She made all her usual favorite things into wishes before God.

Louise listened attentively to the wishes Ieve excitedly listed.

“And living together with Ieve and Mom and Dad…”

One of the child’s growing wishes made Louise’s heart sting.

She always seemed to be doing well bravely, but was her father’s absence still felt after all?

Louise had done her best to raise Ieve, but raising a child alone was not as easy as it seemed.

Louise was also a first-time mother, so there were many awkward points and trial and error.

Moreover, compared to families with a father, there must be shortcomings.

So Ieve’s words about wanting to live with her dad felt heavier.

“Ieve, do you miss Dad?”

With the word ‘Dad’, Louise’s gaze briefly turned to Sched before returning to Ieve.

“Ieve is fine. But Dad says he misses Ieve every day.”

Ieve thought of Egon, who said he missed her every time they met after a long time.

Egon, who only came once every few months because he was busy.

Ieve always waited for the day Egon would come with his hands full of gifts.

While staying at home, he played tag with her, and also played hide-and-seek or house.

It was also Egon who taught her how to play with the interesting toys he bought.

“I have to play with Dad every day. I promised.”

Ieve boasted as if she had no choice but to do so because Dad wanted it so much.

Ieve thought Dad was a bit pitiful.

He always went far away and came back, and couldn’t even meet Ieve and Mom.

‘Dad really likes Mom and Ieve…’

“Uncle, you know what…”

“I told you to call me Dad, Ieve.”

“But Mom told me to call you Uncle.”

“Dad would like it if you called me Dad, though?”

“Why? Because you want to be Mom’s partner?”

Ieve knew that the words Mom and Dad were very close partners.

Egon laughed at the innocent question.

“Yes. Mom and Dad are partners, right?”

Dad likes Mom enough to want to be family partners.

But he’s always alone, so he can’t play together, which is a bit sad.

So I wish we could live together.

“Does Mom hate Dad?”

Ieve suddenly asked.

Mom told her to call Dad Uncle every day.

But Dad tells her to call him Dad.

At the child’s question, Louise smiled quietly, hiding her stinging heart.

“Of course not, Ieve.”

She couldn’t say she hated Dad in front of the child.

However, Sched kept bothering her.

She thinks she should explain that Egon isn’t the biological father, but changes her mind.

She didn’t have the courage to reveal that the child born with black magic was her child.

She was afraid that the truth might become unhappiness for the child.

Louise swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to say and hugged Ieve closer.

Sched silently watched the two mother and daughter.

He was separated from the tightly bound ‘family’.

Then Ieve, who had been talking about her wishes to her heart’s content, turned her attention to Sched.

“What’s your wish, villain mister?”

“It’s late. Let’s go inside now.”

Instead of answering Ieve’s question, Sched moved his steps.

But no matter how great a duke he was, he couldn’t escape a child’s persistent question.

“We all said it! It’s cheating if only mister keeps it a secret.”

When Ieve shouted loudly, Sched’s steps finally stopped.

“I didn’t make a wish.”

Ieve tilted her head at Sched’s cold answer.

“Why?”

“…Because I have nothing to wish for.”

Sched answered briefly and strode towards the Lester ducal residence.

A long yawn escaped from Ieve’s mouth as she returned to the room.

No wonder she was tired, as she couldn’t take a proper nap and wandered around all afternoon.

When they returned home and finished washing the child, midnight had already passed.

The sound of people still enjoying the night of the Harvest Festival in the city could be heard faintly.

Ieve was drowsy, her eyelids more than half-closed, blinking.

“Mom. Today was fun, right…?”

Ieve asked in a languid voice, nodding off.

“Yes. It was fun.”

“Next time… let’s do it together again.”

“Yeah. Let’s do it together.”

Louise, who had finished changing Ieve’s clothes, carried the child and headed to the bed.

“The night is deep, so let’s sleep quickly, Ieve.”

Louise laid the child, who looked like she would fall asleep any moment, and covered her with the blanket.

“Mom… lie down with me.”

Ieve tugged at Louise’s clothes as if throwing a sleepy tantrum.

At that moment, someone knocked on the bedroom door.

Louise looked towards the door at the sound breaking the stillness.

At this late hour with the moon high in the sky.

There was no one who would come looking for Louise at this hour.

She heard that the servants were having a night out to celebrate the Harvest Festival among themselves, but it didn’t seem like they would invite her.

‘Did Sched send someone?’

Did he have something to convey or share about tomorrow’s schedule?

“It seems we have a guest, so I’ll go talk and come back.”

Louise left Ieve lying down and carefully opened the door.

But.

“High Priest…?”

Louise stepped back, startled.

Standing at the door was High Priest Dietrich.

“May God be with you.”

Dietrich greeted without entering the room, standing at the door.

A slightly subdued voice.

The clear gaze visible through the glasses.

Because of that, his demeanor seemed a little different from usual.

“May God be with you… But how did you come here, High Priest…?”

It was late at night. Moreover, this was the Lester ducal residence, not the temple.

Did he come to see Sched?

Was there something to discuss related to the big event of the Harvest Festival that had ended?

The visit of an unfamiliar guest was bewildering.