Mariella bristled at her husband’s consolation.

“A child without memories who has been living for over half a year doing house chores in someone else’s house. I thought she was a nicely grown child in Hadunsha who didn’t know how to do anything.”

Jillion realized that whatever he said only fueled his wife’s anger.

“You should rest a bit. I will continue looking for Elysia.”

Even after Jillion left, Mariella beat her chest, crying.

“I should have told the truth.”

It was not the right time to confide everything to Elysia.

But she hadn’t expected her to leave the house struggling like this.

“I thought she would just quietly follow.”

After refusing Ileon’s plea, Elysia had become quiet.

Quiet, or perhaps, she seemed unmotivated.

Compared to the fervent vigor when Ileon aggressively questioned why it couldn’t be done, this was rather better.

Anyway, she was silently doing and fulfilling what I wished and desired.

It was a mistake, realized only after Elysia disappeared without leaving a letter or note, saying nothing.

She wasn’t okay and going along with it. She neither understood nor accepted it but was only momentarily frightened by the ominous black flame’s coercion.

Crouching like that, gathering strength, and at a moment when Mariella was somewhat buoyant and off guard, she left the house.

As if to mock everything Mariella had worked on, all the preparations to rescue and help Elysia escape.

Mariella was bewildered and didn’t know what to do.

Elysia had to be found, but now there was a bigger problem as to what to do from here.

‘I’ve just wasted time and increased Saviel’s obsession.’

I wished the crown prince would forget about Elysia. I knew that Seraphina Empress was persistent, but I hoped that he, who enjoyed playing and was interested in women and entertainment, would forget about my daughter confined to the temple.

When Mariella heard that Saviel was sitting at the tea table in the garden and drinking tea, she felt like her blood was rushing backward.

Why did she have to meet her nemesis in such a place?

At the end of a bridge or a deadend.

In such a pinch, only one of the two could survive when facing an enemy, that was the law of nature.

Mariella was engulfed in vain regret.

Whooosh.

A sudden gust of wind blew out the candle in the bedroom.

Swooosh.

From the shadows that filled the room, a dark shadow stood up.

“Have you been well in the meantime?”

“……Sonatek.”

Mariella shivered at the greeting of the man in a white mask.

“How dare you come here!”

“Is there a place in this world where I cannot go?”

Brushing off the sleeves and hem of his wide priestly robe, Sonatek approached her.

“How is it? What are your feelings on the onset of the beginning?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Isn’t it the time you’ve been waiting and longing for?”

From the emotionless white mask, a mockery that couldn’t be hidden seeped out.

“The daughter you cherish so much. You struggled to protect her.”

“Madman.”
Mariella cursed, and Sonatek laughed at her.

“What on earth did the child do wrong? Why are you going so far?”

“Why? Why, you ask?”

The black eyes hidden behind the mask glared at Mariella.

“Because I want you to suffer.”

“Heh.”

When Mariella closed her mouth with a sickened expression, he approached her.

“If you want to save your daughter, beg now…”

Thud.

The door opened, and Jilian’s sword pierced the man’s body.

“Ah, I tried to dodge, but it was too late…four…”

The next moment, the man’s body turned gray, cracked, and crumbled.

Then, in an instant, it turned into sand and scattered.

“Are you okay? Mariella.”

“Yes. Yyes.”

Jilian hugged his sobbing wife.

It was the beginning of a long night of despair.

(This is a time separator.)

Walking at night with Elysia was something he hadn’t done in a while.

Unlike when she was working, her long golden hair waved and shook softly under the dim moonlight as she walked.

Admiring something beautiful, Illeon’s heart gradually softened.

The one who tried to introduce another young lady to me, the one who refused the engagement, the one who said it wouldn’t work and never to see her again.

All the words that troubled his heart were gone, leaving only the blonde hair that wrapped softly around his fingers when he touched it.

“It’s been a while since our last walk.”

“Didn’t you take a walk while I was away?”

“Yes. I didn’t need any extra exercise since I strolled in Euter’s paradise every day for my health.”

“Ah, I see. Once, I was too tired to walk back from the garden after having tea, and I had to rest halfway. That time, remember? I was embarrassed to be sitting in the dirt.”

“I remember.”

Big white flowers were blooming over the red camellia carpet. How pure and beautiful Elysia was in her simple white dress. He had to experience a strange phenomenon where his anger melted as soon as their eyes met.

“I was a bit embarrassed back then.”

“What was embarrassing?”

“No matter what, a ducal daughter sitting on the dirt like that is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“No. I was angry because you were trying to introduce me to another young lady, so that didn’t matter to me.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Illeon held back a laugh. Even in the backyard of the private residence, the sound in the night carried far.

‘Hmm? What’s she doing?’

Elysia started acting strange. A few steps ahead of him, she quickly went to where the bushes grew wild and seemed to be looking for something on her knees.

“El… Rona.”

He was so baffled by her behavior that he almost called her Elysia. He barely ignored it and naturally called for her.

“Rona, where are you?”

“I’m here.”

When he called, the woman who had stood up from the bushes quickly approached and took his arm.

“I was worried because I couldn’t feel you.”

“I’m sorry. I dropped something and was looking for it.”

“What did you drop? What is it?”

Elysia opened her mouth with an embarrassed face.

“A coin. A lucky coin or something like that.”

It was undoubtedly a lie. He was sure. But he couldn’t pretend to know.

“I’ll have people look for it when it gets light.”

“No!”

As expected, Elysia jumped.

“You don’t have to do that. I was just looking in case, really.”

For someone who had been kneeling in front of the bushes, getting dry leaves in her hair, and looking for something, her reaction was trivial.

“All right. I understand.”

Only after he responded did Elysia show a relieved face. But then again, she kept glancing back at the direction of the bushes as if something was bothering her unbearably.

Illeon looked at Elysia, and a part of his heart felt cold.

‘Is she hiding something from me?’