Ian asked while rubbing his furrowed brow.

“… What kind of contact are you talking about?”

“This kind of skin-to-skin contact.”

Vincent raised his arms and clapped his palms together to demonstrate.

“And that can stabilize unstable aura?”

“Aura is the energy flowing in the body. To manifest it, you need a process of pushing it out with a sword. But does aura have to be pushed out only with a sword?”

Manifesting aura through a medium other than a sword.

It was a premise he had never thought of before, but it wasn’t an absurd hypothesis. As Ian nodded slightly as if to say go on, Vincent continued.

“I speculated that in the same way aura is manifested through a sword, it could be pushed into another person’s body. Of course, the other person would have to be a Swordmaster too. That way, their body could accept the aura without strain.”

“So that’s why you said it’s a premise that requires another Swordmaster?”

“That’s right. I thought that if stable aura and unstable aura meet this way, it might temporarily calm the unstable aura.”

“Or it could become even more unstable.”

Vincent readily agreed with Ian’s point.

“To be honest, I can’t rule out that possibility. But when I examined the records, all Swordmasters had the same characteristics.”

If aura is essentially the same energy, unstable aura meeting stable aura shouldn’t cause it to act up more severely.

Vincent added with a half-confident expression.

“…”

“And this is just my assumption, but if the power of aura isn’t limited to self-healing but has pure healing abilities… If it’s only manifested through swords, maybe that’s why the healing is limited to hands.”

Ian slowly raised his gaze. In the meantime, Vincent cleared his throat and spoke with a more determined face.

“Just by touching another Swordmaster, it could help with the internal injuries of the person you’re worried about, Your Highness.”

“I understand what you’re saying well enough. The problem is there are no other Swordmasters, so we can’t even attempt that method.”

“… That’s right. I’ll research other methods further.”

“You may go now.”

The monotonous footsteps ceased, and soon the door closed. The office, left with Ian alone, was once again enveloped in silence.

Ian swallowed a sigh and opened the book again. There was no way he could focus on the book.

“Another Swordmaster…”

The more he pondered Vincent’s idea, the more plausible it seemed, but the problem was that Rosebelia was the only existing Swordmaster.

Moreover, the method being contact. He felt on edge every time he recalled that word.

He wished for another Swordmaster to appear, yet at the same time, he hoped one wouldn’t.

Ian stood up and approached the window. In the pitch-black darkness, only the moon was emitting a bright light.

Looking at the perfectly round full moon, he naturally thought of Rosebelia. Whenever she fell asleep leaning on his shoulder, he would gaze up at the moon endlessly.

He even remembered clearly what shape the moon had been when he looked up at it.

The temperature of the wind, the scent of trees carried on its edge, the occasional sound of insects.

Even as he tried to divert his attention to such things, all his senses were focused on her, asleep leaning on his shoulder.

Her body temperature that seemed slightly lower than his own, the faint fragrance that lingered at the tip of his nose, the shallow sound of her breathing.

Recalling even her small hand that habitually grasped his tightly when she fell asleep, he suddenly felt his breath catch.

“Hah…”

Ian, exhaling a rough breath, ran his hand roughly through his hair. Now, just thinking of her made him feel pushed to the limit.

He took in the moon, so bright it hurt his eyes. He just wished for this night to pass quickly.

*

“This book also feels lacking in records.”

After reading several books related to the history of the Fonnes Empire or the Fonnes Imperial Family, the records seemed sparse in some sections. As if intentionally reduced.

After closing the book that had little nutritional value to the last page, I got up. As I was stretching and looking around the room, I suddenly remembered the handkerchief.

I had practiced aura yesterday too, and I think I wiped the blood with the handkerchief I received from Ian and put it directly in my pocket…

The problem was that I didn’t remember leaving that handkerchief in my lodgings.

Recalling how I had to make excuses to Anne last time when she caught me with a bloody handkerchief, I hurriedly searched the pockets of my unit uniform.

“Found it.”

As soon as I saw the handkerchief, a silly smile escaped. I told him I didn’t need handkerchiefs and not to bring them, but Ian always handed me a new one every time.

He’s not a contrarian. Come to think of it, he seems even more stubborn than me.

“Young lady.”

Suddenly, the door to the room opened. Seeing Anne entering, I hastily crumpled the handkerchief in my hand and stuffed it into my casual clothes pocket.

“Anne, what is it?”

“Sir Dillon has arrived. He’s waiting in the garden now.”

“Is that so? Alright.”

I picked up the lamp, trying to appear calm, and left the room.

I’ll talk to Dillon, come back and hide it in the drawer, then take it with me when I go to the knights’ order tomorrow.

As I walked, organizing my thoughts, I was already on the first floor. I opened the main building door and headed straight for the garden.

He’s supposed to be in the garden, but where exactly?

As I shone the lamp in my hand here and there, a figure dimly appeared in the darkness.

“Uncle?”

At my call, the black figure slowly turned. Upon seeing me, Dillon tilted his head as if in disbelief and approached.

“… You’re becoming more and more like Liliana.”

Dillon muttered. His expression was strange, neither smiling nor frowning.

“Is that so?”

“First, take this. It’s medicine good for pain.”

What Dillon gave me was a silver jar slightly larger than my palm.

“Thank you.”

“It takes quite some time for the medicine to be completed. If your friend’s poison has remained in the body until now, it needs to be detoxified as soon as possible.”

“But I’m about to leave for the subjugation…”

“Rosebelia, your friend cannot leave for the subjugation. They must not go.”

Dillon’s face was quite serious. I felt my cheeks tighten in response.

“You said you received treatment before, right?”

“Yes.”

When those who went on subjugation returned, they took some time to rest and regroup. Those who were affected by the poison of magical beasts were assisted with treatment at the Imperial Palace until they recovered.

Since only the Riley family could produce antidotes related to magical beast poison, they must have been treated with an antidote made by the Riley family at that time too.

“Yet it wasn’t detoxified, so we’re thinking of slightly altering the formula symptomatically. Since we need to immediately confirm the effectiveness of the medicine, your friend needs to stay in the capital.”

“I see. If the captain knows about this situation, he’ll step in and prevent them from going.”

“Yes, it was the Holten family, right? Seeing how much you care, you must be close.”

“We entered the order at the same time.”

“Then that friend…”

Just as Dillon was about to speak, there was a presence behind us. I put my index finger to my lips, and Dillon nodded, stopping his words.

I can just say I received the medicine I requested. There’s no need to be nervous no matter who I encounter…

“Father?”

The face revealed in the lantern light was, unexpectedly, Herman’s.

“Rosebelia?”

“Herman, it’s you.”

“Dillon, what brings you here at this hour?”

“I wasn’t feeling well, so I asked Uncle for some medicine. He stopped by urgently on his way back to the Grand Duke’s residence to deliver the medicine to me.”

“Now that I’ve delivered the medicine, I’ll be on my way.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Dillon’s retreating figure soon sank into the darkness.

“If that was the case, you could have talked in the reception room.”

“I didn’t want to publicize that I’m not feeling well.”

I answered briefly and turned towards the main building. As I was about to take a step, a question suddenly occurred to me.

“There’s one thing I’d like to ask. Did you approve the marriage talks with the Diaz family, Father?”

As soon as I spoke, I realized it was a wrong question from the start. There’s no way marriage talks would occur without the family head’s approval.

Still, I was curious inside. I understand why Olivia was trying to proceed with those marriage talks, but I don’t know why Herman approved.

“Yes, Olivia said that being in the same knighthood, you would understand each other well. The Diaz family is…”

Right, of course, he didn’t think deeply about it. He just agreed when Olivia coaxed him saying it was a good match, without a moment’s consideration.

“Is our family facing financial difficulties by any chance?”

“What?”

“I clearly told you I have no thoughts of marriage right now, but you keep rushing my marriage. From my perspective, I wondered if the family was in trouble and urgently arranging a marriage.”

“I just… Olivia said if you marry late, there won’t be good matches left…”

“There’s not much time left until the subjugation. Didn’t you consider that I might not return?”

“…”

“What’s urgent for me now is not marriage. I need to stay alive and return first for there to be a next step. So please let me focus on the subjugation.”

Having said this much, even if Olivia brings up another marriage proposal, he won’t readily agree.

I bowed slightly at the waist and turned around.

“Is that really the only reason?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re not just being contrary because you dislike everything Olivia does?”

The corners of my mouth trembled finely.

How much has Olivia been sowing discord for you to speak like this to your own daughter?

“This isn’t just any matter, it’s my marriage. If I can’t choose my partner, I at least want to do it when I want to. And that’s not now.”

“…”

“Then I’ll be going now.”

I turned around so abruptly that my clothes fluttered, as if to say don’t stop me anymore.

Herman, who had been standing still just listening to the receding footsteps, rubbed his eyes firmly. He took a few steps towards the main building when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“What’s this?”

Herman’s eyes flickered as he picked up an object that had fallen to the ground. It was a handkerchief.

‘It looks clean, so Rosebelia must have dropped it…’

Herman’s eyes shook violently as he discovered the blood stained in the center of the handkerchief.

‘I wasn’t feeling well, so I asked Uncle for some medicine.’

The disease of unknown cause that Liliana had suffered from. Ailing quietly and eventually coughing up blood…

It can’t be. Herman muttered lowly and clutched the handkerchief tightly.