But Illeon was not sorry at all. To him now, this single edict, which would clarify Lona’s ambiguous status, was more precious than the vast territory where many immigrants lived. He remembered that Lona had to work for the Grand Duke because she could not provide proof of her status.

Illeon, who momentarily thought of Lona, sighed briefly.

“Can she really be gone like this?”

Many things had happened in the meantime. First, he sent the competent butler, Bernard, down to the territory. Illeon himself should have gone, but it was Bernard who had managed the territory while he was blind. And he sorted out the work piled up at the Grand Duke’s residence one by one. There were big decisions that even Bernard couldn’t make on his behalf.

His lieutenant, Cedric, struggled to follow Lona’s trail by joining the Errand Guild. But no one had seen such a woman, as if she had evaporated and disappeared. There was no maid with jetblack hair. Lona usually tied up her hair carefully into a bonnet that the maids commonly used. Maybe that was why. He wondered if it was so hard to find someone by identifying their appearance by color.

But he could not post a leaflet. It was because of Lona’s ambiguous status. If word got out that the Grand Duke was looking for a woman with no identity, Lona, wherever she was, might be in danger. She would be treated as a game for a bounty.

But something kept bothering Illeon.

Maybe some precondition was wrong and that’s why he couldn’t find Lona.

While having various thoughts, it was when Illeon was walking down the long corridor that leads from the Solar Palace to the castle.

He saw women walking towards the Solar Palace under the guidance of the maids.

‘Illeon!’

Elicia felt like she heard her heart drop.

Sunlight poured dazzlingly between the dignified marble pillars. Illeon, walking in the middle, looked much bigger than the image Elicia remembered.

He was standing straight and walking confidently through the light. There seemed to be nothing shining more than Illeon in the Solar Palace’s main hall, decorated brilliantly with gold decorations on white marble.

He was no longer crooked or waiting for Elicia’s touch slowly. He seemed like a complete being that did not need any help or assistance, as if he had been perfect since birth.

The most perfect creature made by God.

The most outstanding human who inherited the blood of the legendary figure who ascended to the throne.

With each step Illeon took closer, his footsteps felt like they were increasingly imprinted on her heart.

‘I wanted to see Illeon open his eyes.’

She imagined Illeon described in ‘Blind Beast’s Flower’. But the Illeon she faced in reality was very different from the image she had described in the text.

How should she express those clear red eyes shining more vividly in the sunlight? Elicia felt like crying because Illeon, who had regained his sight, was so beautiful.

His uniform suited him so well. Who took care of the neatly aligned buttons and manners, without a single hitch?

Did Butler Bernard do it? Or did he hire another maid?

Since there were a lot of hires at the Grand Duke’s residence, someone must have taken care of his attire.

She remembered the days she was worried that Carina did not choose Illeon, and that he might not open his eyes.

She remembered clearly the times when she cried in pain, watching him suffer from seizures.

The future she prayed for a hundred, a thousand times, hoping for a miracle like then, was this very moment.

But what is this feeling, even though I’m happy that Illeon has opened his eyes?

Her overwhelming emotions receded like a low tide in an instant, and emptiness rushed into its place.

Although she knew, it was bitter and at the same time happy to see him, who didn’t need ‘Lona’.

‘Maybe the reason why he found his family and status now is that he doesn’t need Lona anymore?’

She thought. The worldview corrects what bothers the protagonist. She thought the story had naturally led Lona to leave.

With no change in his expression, Illeon walked past her. His footsteps receded behind her.

‘I’m no longer needed by him.’

At that moment, her heart tightened. Startled by the sudden pain, Elicia stumbled momentarily.

“Elicia.”

Mariella caught her.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. I’m sorry. I’m not used to the new shoes.”

Elysia quickly straightened her posture.

Soon it was the emperor and the empress’s turn.

The emperor and empress were dignified people.

Matching with the gentle and unassuming character of Duchess Uter, the atmosphere was gently flowing throughout the tea time.

Empress Seraphina showed a lot of interest in Elysia, just as Mariella had said.

“Your Grace Elysia, you attended every prayer meeting. Don’t you remember?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“After the prayer meeting, when I requested a private audience with you, even as an empress, in front of God, we are all the same, I waited for two or three hours. Don’t you remember that?”

“Yes, I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

The empress said that she had attended every prayer meeting held by priestess Elysia. She also said that she had donated a large sum of money in Haduncha for Elysia to make holy relics. However, since Elysia did not remember anything, she could only apologize.

“Even though you lost your memory, it’s to this extent.”

“I’m sorry.”

The empress looked somewhat disappointed.

Clank.

Unknowingly, Elysia made a sound as she put down the teacup. She should have put it down quietly without making a sound, it was an act against etiquette.

“I apologize.”

As she continued to apologize, Mariella smiled with a difficult expression.

“She forgot all the manners and is learning from the beginning.”

“Oh, I see. I thought Your Grace Elysia was behaving differently than before.”

The empress had an expression as if her curiosity had been satisfied.

“If you forgot even the manners ingrained in your body, it’s really serious.”

“Still, I’m thankful to God that there is no abnormality in health.”

“What about your debutante?”

The emperor, who congratulated her on her recovery, had been silent the entire time, allowing Empress Seraphina to lead the conversation.

“I missed the timing, but there were circumstances, so I’m planning to do it within this year.”

“At the ball held in the palace next week.”

“Your Majesty, I’m humbled. However, I think the time is tight and it will be difficult by then.”

“The young master of the Harrington family also decided to hold his debutante on that day. Young Miss Carina, whose debutante is late, this person allowed it.”

“Ah.”

As Mariella nodded her head with difficulty, Empress Seraphina smiled as if she had made a great effort.

“Let’s have Your Grace Elysia do it together that day.”

“I am grateful for such a favor.”

As Mariella bowed her head, Seraphina looked at them with a satisfied expression.

Elysia, who only said ‘I’m sorry’ and came out, felt like her mind was empty.

“I’m sorry, mother.”

“No need. Everyone is nervous.”

Then, a maid from the empress’s palace approached and whispered something to Mariella.

“Excuse me, the empress has something to say separately.”

“A resting place has been prepared for Miss Elysia in the garden. Please come this way.”

As Mariella left her seat, Elysia was going to slowly look around the garden alone.

Surprisingly, she had no thoughts.

The afterimage of Eleon, whom she had met earlier, filled her head. Elysia aimlessly loitered in the garden, staring blankly into the void.

“Ah!”

Elysia, who had tripped on the edge of a decorative stone embedded in the garden floor, was about to fall.

Thump.

Someone wrapped her waist in an instant.

A familiar sandalwood scent reached Elysia’s nose.

“Are you okay?”