“If I testify, what will happen to us? Well, it doesn’t matter to me, as long as Sierra’s safety is guaranteed. If that’s not ensured, I won’t just refrain from testifying but also from writing any letters.”

In the past, present, and future, Sierra was the most important thing to Owen. For her and their child, he could sacrifice his life without any hesitation.
So, even when captured by Kaern Lavereon, Owen kept his mouth shut to the end.

“You have a daughter.”

Could he possibly know about the child’s existence?

Owen stared at Kaern with a face filled with shock.

“H-how did you know?”

“I told you. Your subordinate has quite the loose lips.”

Ha.

Owen let out a deep sigh inwardly, overwhelmed by despair.

“Was it because of the child?”

With eyes that already knew everything, Kaern asked Owen.

“Yes.”

Since there was no reason to hide anything anymore, Owen decided to spill everything.

Owen closed his eyes briefly and immersed himself in deep thought.

It was to organize the stories he was about to tell in his mind.

To explain the reasons why he and Sierra had come this far would take several days and nights of continuous talking.

But they didn’t have that much time.

One person’s fiance and the other’s wife were both captured in the palace.

Soon, Owen opened his eyes and stared at Kaern.

And he began to tell the short but comprehensive account of the experiences they had been through.

“Where should I start… Well, let’s start from after the Harper family was wiped out in a coup.”

It was a very peaceful afternoon that day.

No one expected the downfall of a family overnight, but on that day, the knights of Viscount Harper and Lady Harper rushed into the Imperial Palace.
At that time, Owen was already in a relationship with Sierra, so he stayed at Viscount Harper’s residence. The sudden intrusion of the knights led to chaos, and everyone in the viscount’s residence hurriedly fled. Owen quickly summoned his subordinates to protect Sierra and the viscount couple. While Owen and the mercenaries prevented the imperial knights from entering, Viscount Harper and his wife went to the emperor to assert the innocence of their family but were not accepted. Despite claiming innocence and enduring a long month, soon the knights of the imperial palace, along with soldiers from other noble families, joined forces to attack the viscount’s residence. As a result, Owen and his subordinates gradually crumbled backward, and in the end, the knights surged in, capturing Viscount Harper and his wife in an instant. Owen, avoiding the eyes of the knights who were trying to capture Sierra, managed to escape with her, who was on the verge of collapsing in frustration, despair, and shock. Thus, the Harper viscount family ceased to exist on imperial territory. The life of fugitives was, as expected, arduous and exhausting for everyone. Especially with Sierra’s portrait posted throughout the empire, they had to hide during the day and move only at night. However, they gradually became accustomed to it, developed their own strategies, and continued their lives.
Even in such difficult circumstances, their feelings toward each other remained unchanged. No, if anything, their affection deepened due to the circumstances. And as ten years passed, the young lady in the portrait transformed into a mature woman. Now, she could confidently go out during the day without covering her face, and yet, no one recognized her. Moreover, since much time had passed since the Harper family’s downfall, there was no one left to suspect her even more. As a result, their life on the run became gradually more manageable, and in the midst of it, a new life was born between them. A very lovely and adorable daughter named Chloe. Owen and Sierra found happiness in each day with Chloe. However, whenever Sierra looked at Chloe, a heavy heart lingered. The idea that this beautiful child would have to live as a fugitive for her entire life because of her weighed heavily on Sierra. When she expressed her thoughts to Owen, he agreed with Sierra’s opinion. However, resurrecting a fallen family, especially one accused of treason, was no easy task, and reversing the crime of conspiracy made it even more challenging. So, one day, while seeking a solution, Owen heard news that someone was urgently looking for skilled mercenaries, and the compensation offered was quite generous. Given that they needed a considerable amount of money not only to achieve their goal but also to continue their peaceful life, Owen decided to take on the job.
So, one day, while seeking a solution, Owen heard news that someone was urgently looking for skilled mercenaries. Moreover, upon hearing that the compensation offered was quite generous, he decided to take on the job. They needed a considerable amount of money not only to achieve something but also to continue their peaceful life. Therefore, he set out to meet the client, and to his surprise, an unexpected figure was present at the meeting. It was none other than the Empress of the Empire, Monica Royden.