Recalling the story Daniel had told him, Ruans von Isuter grasped Lorencia’s red hair.

“You are the monster born for me, Lorencia. So you are mine forever.”

Illina, who arrived at the tea party held by the Empress to introduce Charlotte, the prospective Crown Princess, drew attention while receiving all kinds of sympathy from people. Even though she was an illegitimate child, she was being praised as a kind lady who cared.

Charlotte was slightly shocked that what she had thought impossible had happened. She never dreamed that Lorencia would be made unable to move to prevent her from attending the tea party.

“Lady Pol Heredian. Is Lady Lorencia seriously unable to move?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell us why she is seriously unable to move? Surely it’s not because of Lady Anne?”

At Charlotte’s question, Illina nodded slightly. Her large eyes quickly became moist. People patted Illina’s back.

“Don’t speak, Lady Illina. You’ve suffered a lot.”

“No, Princess Charlotte. I really wanted to bring her.”

“It’s admirable that Lady Illina grew up properly under such a mother.”

“You flatter me.”

“Lady Illina also wanted to come to the tea party with Lady Lorencia, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then you must wish for Lady Lorencia’s safety above all else.”

“That’s right, Princess. Although I’m an illegitimate child, I wish for my sister to be safe and happy more than anyone.”

“Hearing Lady Illina’s words really warms my heart.”

“Thank you.”

“I shouldn’t just sit here doing nothing.”

Charlotte, smiling at Illina, whispered to the maid beside her. The maid immediately went outside. Soon after, Teishar came to see Charlotte.

“Duke Teishar Spencer.”

“Yes, Princess Charlotte.”

“Please take all the healing scrolls you have and go to the Pol Heredian mansion. Then use the healing scrolls on Lady Lorencia, who is unable to move due to severe abuse from Lady Anne, and bring her to the palace.”

Charlotte looked at Illina and smiled brightly.

“I’ll grant the wish you told me about, kind-hearted Lady Illina.”

“Princess Charlotte. There’s no need to go that far…”

“Lady Illina, don’t feel burdened. Considering the heart that has protected her poor illegitimate sister under such a vicious mother, it’s not a waste even if we use hundreds of scrolls with healing spells.”

Illina’s face gradually turned pale.

“Please think of it as my gift. I want to become friends with the kind-hearted Lady Illina too. Lady Illina, you want Lady Lorencia to recover quickly, don’t you?”

Unable to say no, Illina’s smile gradually stiffened as Charlotte’s lips curled up more and more. It was then that Empress Ines, sitting quietly next to Charlotte, also nodded silently at Charlotte’s words. It was a sign of approval. Illina’s face turned white.

“Yes, but mother…”

“Don’t worry about that, Lady Illina.”

“Empress.”

“I will issue an imperial order for Duke Spencer to bring Lady Pol Heredian here.”

With even the Empress stepping in to issue an order, Illina couldn’t refuse the offer. Being at the tea party, she couldn’t even inform Ruans or anyone else about this. The only thought in Illina’s mind was ‘What should I do?’ It was like sitting on pins and needles.

Anne looked at Duke Teishar of the Polroid Empire, who had brought the Empress’s order, in bewilderment.

“This is the Empress’s order.”

Anne, receiving the Empress’s order handed over by Teishar, involuntarily bit her lower lip hard.

The Empress’s order stated that Anne’s crime of interfering with attendance at the tea party would be addressed immediately after the duel of honor between Ruans and Lorirolls ended, and if Teishar confirmed Lorencia’s abuse, he was to bring her to the palace.

Anne’s complexion turned pale blue. It felt like everything was going dark before her eyes. If Ruans found out that Lorencia was being taken away to the palace like this, he wouldn’t leave her and Illina alone.

“What do you mean, taking Lorencia away? That’s absolutely not allowed!”

“Are you thinking of disobeying the order?”

Seeing Teishar speak coldly, Anne clenched her fists tightly.

“I won’t ask the Countess to guide me to Lady Lorencia’s room. Butler.”

“Yes, I am Arden, the head butler of the Pol Heredian household, Duke Spencer.”

“Guide me to Lady Lorencia’s room.”

“I’m sorry, but Lady Lorencia needs to continue resting, so…”

Teishar looked down at the head butler with an expressionless attitude. He was puzzled by the appearance of the people of the Count’s household, who seemed more afraid than extremely disliking going to Lorencia. What were they so scared of?

“That resting won’t be a problem, so guide me.”

Arden tried to continue speaking to somehow prevent Teishar from going to Lorencia’s room.

“Is it a specialty of the head butler of the Pol Heredian household to make people repeat the same thing twice?”

“Ah, no, it’s not.”

Arden looked at Anne. Anne bowed her head with a face that had given up everything.

“Guide him, Arden.”

“Yes, mistress.”

Arden glanced at Teishar following behind him. He was an attractive man with long, goat-like limbs, glossy black hair as if wet, large and beautifully shining ruby-colored eyes, and plump lips. Perhaps because he was handsome enough to draw attention, the eyes of the passing maids were all flushed.

“Butler, is Lady Lorencia alright?”

“Yes. If she rests a little…”

“A little rest…”

Arden’s voice gradually diminished. An uncomfortable silence flowed, and cold sweat ran down Arden’s spine. He felt the pressure as if a cushion made of thorns was chasing his back and pressing hard. Arden’s steps gradually quickened.

“This is Lady Lorencia’s room.”

He knocked, but there was no sign of movement inside the room.

“She seems to be still asleep.”

Teishar opened the door and entered the room. He approached Lorencia, visible between the beds. And behind Lorencia, a tree appeared.

“A tree?”

The tree Teishar saw was a very small tree, and it was dying.

The branches that spread out in many directions looked pitiful, as if they would break if touched even slightly. The ground where the tree had taken root was a desolate and dark swamp like a sandstorm. How did the tree take root in such a place? Is there no way to save the tree? As soon as the thought of ‘why’ came to mind, Teishar remembered what his father Magus had told him.

Teishar, covering his mouth with one hand, stepped back slightly.

Teishar muttered with trembling lips, unlike his burning red eyes.

“I’ve finally found her.”

Teishar’s lips trembled slightly. His heart began to pound as if the joy of finally finding her dominated his entire body. But before he could dwell on it, the tree’s branches continued to snap, break, and die. His heart sank with a thud, in a different sense from just before.

“I’ve just found her.”

Come to think of it, Lorencia’s condition was serious. Her head was wrapped in bandages here and there. There wasn’t a single uninjured spot on her body. Teishar hurriedly took out a scroll with a healing spell from his chest and tore it vertically over Lorencia’s head. He continued to tear scrolls over her legs, body, and face.

The bright light of the scrolls settled on Lorencia’s body. Teishar used the scrolls without leaving any. And once again, he looked at the tree behind Lorencia. A leaf had sprouted between the branches that had been breaking and snapping just before.

Teishar’s mind was filled only with thoughts of ‘I must take this young tree away immediately, I must protect it, I must hide it from everyone.’ Along with the joy of finally finding her came a murderous intent towards those who had hidden and abused Ella’s child.

“No wonder father couldn’t find her, hidden like this.”

Teishar carefully wrapped the soundly sleeping Lorencia in a blanket and picked her up. And his heart began to ache as if it was being torn apart. Despite being wrapped in a thick blanket, Lorencia was too light. Teishar looked down at her painfully. Her gaunt cheeks showed how much she had been abused and starved. Something welled up inside him.

−Meow!

A black kitten that had appeared suddenly from somewhere began to cry, rubbing against his leg.

“Is this perhaps a cat Lady Lorencia is raising?”

The cat kept crying. Teishar had no choice but to take the cat along. When he reached out his hand, the cat climbed up his hand and went into the blanket, seeking Lorencia’s embrace.

“Alright. You come along too.”

Arden didn’t know what to do when he saw Teishar coming out of the room, holding Lorencia in his arms. He tried to stop him, but his body shrank instinctively at the pressure Teishar exuded. And because of the Empress’s order, no one could stop Teishar from taking Lorencia away.

“If I could return to the Polroid Empire like this.”

He would like to, but first, the thought of taking her to the palace, treating her carefully, feeding her delicious food, and nursing her made Teishar’s steps quicken. He had to take Lorencia to a safer place, even if just a little. That was his only thought.