Everything was in chaos.

An arrow, seemingly aimed at Eriel’s neck, narrowly grazed it and lodged in her forearm.

The maids and servants who witnessed it all couldn’t even scream. Their eyes were filled with a scene they should not have seen.

They should have immediately stepped forward to protect Eriel, but everyone just stared in disbelief at the arrow shot at the Duchess.

Eriel’s body tilted sideways.

Yet Eriel, who did not fall, moved her steps without even glancing at the arrow lodged in her arm. Only one word came from her mouth.

“Lucy.”

Her softly uttered voice was too far for them to hear, yet everyone present heard it.

The hem of her dress fluttered in the wind through the bushes.

Her gradually diminishing back was still moving, searching for the child. With each limping movement, Eriel’s voice desperately calling for Lucy pierced their ears.

Ping-!

It was the sound of Eriel’s step being nailed down.

Once more, an arrow cutting through the wind lodged in Eriel’s back. Now everyone was running out, and the voices of nobles urgently calling for knights rang out.

Far away, knights who had grasped the situation were chasing madly, but Eriel’s eyes were fixed only on the forest.

“…Lucy?”

Eriel, who had fallen with the arrow lodged in her back, smiled unknowingly upon seeing Lucy through the trees.

With a relieved smile, tears fell from Eriel’s eyes. Eriel, with arms outstretched, called the child’s name again.

“Lucy. Thank goodness.”

Seeing the child in Damian’s arms, Eriel realized that fortunately, she no longer needed to move to find the child.

Her stopped figure disappeared among the bushes.

“…Mother.”

*

“Eriel!!”

Father, shouting loudly, rode his horse urgently. In an instant, he arrived in front of Mother, where two arrows were lodged in her body.

Blood flowed profusely from where the arrows were lodged.

No.

It can’t be.

This can’t be happening.

The smell of blood crept up. It was because the grass leaves, heavily stained with Mother’s blood, fluttered in the wind.

“Mother.”

My voice calling for Mother gave me goosebumps.

Once again, I couldn’t bear the disgust of being alive alone. Father, who had broken the arrow shaft, seemed to gauge the trajectory of the arrow and instantly turned his gaze towards the air.

Maids and servants surrounded our family. At the same time, the clamorous voices of knights rang out. It was the sound of searching for who had shot arrows at the Duchess.

Sir Charles began to rush to a certain point under Father’s orders.

I sat down heavily and looked at Mother’s blood smeared here and there among the green leaves.

Nothing was different from then.

Mother’s fall, which was like a tree, happened again with only the place changed.

“…Mother.”

I believed that I was very different from then and now. Everything was arrogance, everything was my inadequacy. Despite being given a chance, I failed to protect Mother again.

Mother always did her best for me, but I was a fool who couldn’t even create an opportunity to risk my life.

“Please… Mother.”

I closed my eyes to the unbelievable reality.

*

“Lucy.”

When I opened my eyes, Mother was calling me.

Dry brown hair that no longer shines and a face that seems a bit gaunt. I blinked my eyes several times at Mother’s call, whose smile towards me was still the same.

“Mother doesn’t want our Lucy to follow Mother.”

Ah, it’s that day.

It’s the morning of the day Mother passed away.

“…Mother.”

I couldn’t discern which was a dream and which was reality. Only the fact that Mother was alive mattered.

I don’t care if this is reality.

“No.”

“Hm?”

“Let’s not go to the Duke’s mansion. What does it matter about Father’s belongings? Hm? Let’s not go.”

I got up abruptly and grabbed Mother’s sleeve.

“But…”

“Don’t go. Let’s not go, us. If Uncle doesn’t give it, it’ll just hurt your heart, Mother. Right?”

I was embraced in Mother’s arms. I was clearly embraced in a warm embrace, but… I feel Mother’s body slowly crumbling. When I opened my eyes in surprise, Mother was closing her eyes with blood flowing profusely.

Ah, please.

Don’t do this to me.

*

“How is the Lady?”

“Still.”

I heard someone’s voice.

Where is this? Reality? Dream?

Have I become young again?

Please, just one more chance.

“The Duke…”

“He went to the Imperial Palace today.”

“Hah…”

A sigh rang out.

Father went to the Imperial Palace? Then what about Mother? Is Mother alive?

My heart started beating fast.

It didn’t matter where this was or how old I was. Whatever the reality, the place where Mother is is real to me.

“This is serious. If the Lady regains consciousness, the Duke will also regain his strength.”

The sound of dusting off was heard, followed by consecutive sighs.

“Oh, did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“About Count Scala. They say he orchestrated the attack on the Lady this time. His head was displayed in the square.”

“…Really? I went to the square two days ago.”

“You know how the Duke caught a bear at the hunting festival? They say the body of Count Scala’s aide was found near the bear. What business would an aide have there?”

The dusting hands stopped, and a moment of silence fell.

“And this… I heard it somewhere.”

The maid’s footsteps echoed as she lowered her voice.

“They say Count Scala was actually a huge cult leader.”

“A cult leader?”

“Shh. Shh. It’s just a rumor. So they say there are still some followers left, and they all view the Duke as Satan.”

“Then… isn’t that serious? Our Lady hasn’t even risen from her bed yet. Those madmen will target our Duke again.”

“No, so… Do you remember a noble who died a mysterious death recently?”

“Ah, yes. I think there was something like that.”

“They say our Duke did it.”

“Come on. That’s nonsense… The Duke is now in grief and stays in the mansion every day except for going to the Imperial Palace.”

The maid shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, saying, “That’s unknown.”

“But why do those madmen call our Duke Satan?”

The sound of dusting off started again.

“Who knows. That’s unclear. Aren’t cultists just people with something wrong in their heads?”

“I guess so. …Anyway, the Imperial Palace will catch them soon, right? What use is being a cult or whatever? The Emperor and the Duke are old friends, so they’ll catch them soon.”

“Right. His Majesty will crush all those gloomy forces. So I hope the Lady wakes up soon, the Young Lady wakes up, and the Duke regains his strength.”

“Sigh… That’s right. I only stay in the Young Lady’s room so I don’t know well, but the one who cleans the Duke’s study says he seems to drink strong whiskey every day.”

The maid’s voice lowered sadly.

This is… right after Mother collapsed. But it seems she’s okay since they say she needs to get up from bed. I guess there was no poison on the arrows.

“I want to go to Mother.”

“Kyaaaak!”

“Kyaaaak!”

The two maids talking beside me screamed.

The two who looked at me as if I had risen from the dead opened their mouths and blinked their eyes.

“Y-Young Lady!”

“Young Lady, are you alright?”

One maid immediately put her hand on my forehead with a fuss, and the other was in an uproar mentioning doctors and butlers.

“It’s fine. It’s fine, so let’s go to Mother.”

However, my attempt to raise my upper body was in vain. I frowned as even moving a finger was difficult.

“Young Lady, you’ve woken up after a week. Are you okay?”

“First, we should call the doctor…”

“…What about Mother? Is she okay? Was there no poison on the arrows? What did Father say?”

“Ah, that…”

As the maid who had put her hand on my forehead hesitated, the maid who was about to call for a doctor suddenly covered her mouth.

“The Lady will wake up soon. Now that the Young Lady has woken up like this, the Lady will surely wake up. So let’s see the doctor first.”

But those words didn’t reach me.

Because Mother goes before me.

Because Mother, who is so kind and prioritizes me, leaves me behind only in the face of death.

“I miss Mother.”

As my voice rang out, both maids closed their mouths.

The silence was endless, and they lowered their heads with faces that looked like they might cry at any moment.

“Young Lady, then I’ll carry you on my back…”

As the maid whose mouth was covered spoke softly, the maid next to her covered her mouth again.

“Please trust the Lady, Young Lady. If the Young Lady eats well and stays well, the Lady will surely wake up first and look for the Young Lady. You know. When the Lady wakes up, she looks for the Young Lady first.”

Ah. That’s right.

When Mother wakes up, she comes to me first.

“…Okay.”

“Although the Duke went to the Imperial Palace today, if he knows the Young Lady has woken up, he’ll come back soon.”

However, I didn’t open my mouth about Father.

“Young Lady…?”

“He’s at the Imperial Palace, so there’s no need to tell him. Just call the doctor.”