In the light of dawn shining through, my Esther removed her mask.

There, like her name, a single morning star was shining.

‘Thank you, holy sword.’

Beneath the mask was a white, clear face identical to the one outside the mask.

The red eyes inside the mask had returned to eyes that seemed to contain the sky.

Do you know, Esther, that your eyes are more beautiful than the dawn sky outside the window?

Sion struggled to suppress his breath, wondering if she could hear his heart about to burst.

Then he became sad.

The sad premonition he wanted to reject took hold of his hand.

He recognized her face.

His northern eyes spoke to him.

‘Sion. Perhaps your intuition is correct.’

Long ago, the five-year-old princess he had seen from afar.

His mother and father praised her for being so pretty and cute, making him jealous and glare at her.

Hans had been concerned when he remained sulky even after returning to the mansion.

She was a small, delicate girl with silver hair. But more vivid than her face were her clear eyes resembling the sky.

‘You… may indeed be that princess I know.’

Immeasurable joy and sorrow overwhelmed Sion.

He tried to force a smile but couldn’t manage it.

In the end, he faced her with an expression that seemed both laughing and crying.

A questioning look appeared on her face.

‘Esther, if I were to ask you now if you are the princess, how would you answer?’

Sion was afraid.

‘If you say yes, I must let you go. The Empire’s princess is someone the Northern Grand Duke cannot have.’

The white butterfly became Esther. And if that Esther is now the princess…

A pain far greater than the ache in his shoulder crushed his heart.

‘Ask, Sion Belfast. You must ask.’

But he couldn’t.

Sion stared at Esther standing before him. She was looking at him with a tense expression.

Do you know?

This desire to reach out and pull you onto the bed even now.

This urge to hold you with all my strength, to shower every inch of your body with kisses and confirm.

“Your Highness?”

Esther called to him in a trembling voice. Her soft, clear, transparent voice woke Sion.

‘I won’t say it. I hope… my intuition is wrong. I hope you are not the princess, Esther.’

Sion wanted to curse himself.

‘She can’t be the princess. Right. If you were the princess, Lahert wouldn’t have let you live. You, who killed countless people in your past life, being the princess… It can’t be.’

Sion pushed away his thoughts. If he could, he wanted to lock away this intuition in a box and throw it into eternal oblivion.

‘God of Belfast.’

Guilt churned in his chest.

May the woman before me not be the princess, oh God.

I want to keep her by my side. To have this silver butterfly by my side for just a moment, without anyone knowing.

Perhaps it’s fortunate I didn’t kiss her lips.

For my unrestrained heart might truly have been unable to stop.

Sion opened his mouth.

“I’m so glad. You’ve found your true self.”

“It’s thanks to you, Your Highness.”

A long silence fell.

Sion was the one to break it.

“My kiss on your forehead earlier was a sign of respect. Shown to the Sword Master revealed to the world.”

“…Yes.”

Esther lowered her head.

Sion thought to himself.

‘You worthless bastard.’

Esther raised her head again and put on her mask. Then she spoke with an unaffected expression.

“Your Highness, I’ll call for a doctor.”

“Alright. No, before that.”

Esther, who was about to leave, stopped. She looked at him.

Sion suppressed with all his might the desire to hold her back.

“Call Arcadia for me, Knight Esther.”

[This is the timeline separator]

Knight…

The Grand Duke called me a knight.

Knight, a position able to assist you by your side.

A word that brings me one step closer to this life’s dream of protecting you up close, a word that should surely sound sweet. And yet, why?

Why does my heart ache?

I turned towards him. His gaze on me was as heated as before.

As a knight, what should I say to you now, Your Highness?

“Your Highness. Though it may be a hasty report…”

That’s right, it might be a hasty prediction. But it’s best to speak quickly.

It could be an issue related to the safety of the North.

“I believe there was poison on the arrow that hit me.”

“I thought it wasn’t an ordinary arrow.”

The Grand Duke’s voice cracked as he answered.

As I thought, he’s still not well, I shouldn’t have…

“Your Highness, you should rest. I’ll take my leave.”

“No. Speak. You wouldn’t mention something unimportant.”

…Trust.

Thankfully.

Yes, this is enough, Esther.

A corner of my heart warms.

“Your Highness. Long ago, I experienced a poison similar to this one. Fortunately, I survived, but…”

That’s a lie.

I died. I knew as soon as the arrow hit me.

‘This is Medeia’s poison.’

In my past life, the poison Medeia injected into me before piercing my heart with Lucella.

Just a slight prick on my cheek from the dagger’s tip coated with poison, and my whole body stiffened, leaving me unable to resist.

The reason I couldn’t help being killed even as a Sword Master.

It felt rougher than back then, but it’s clearly the same poison.

After all, the sensation of crossing from life to death is something one can never forget.

“It was the poison used by Lady Medeia. I could tell when the arrow hit me.”

“Medeia!”

“It might not be, but it probably is.”

I raised my head to look at the Grand Duke.

“She must have discovered that I betrayed her.”

“…The red caterpillar escaped, Esther.”

“Yes.”

“After he was captured, the demon beasts came, then the Sanctus, and you were hit.”

“Your Highness.”

I stopped his words. Because his voice was gradually trembling with indescribable anger.

The Grand Duke exhaled deeply. Then he smiled at me.

“It might be a needless assumption, but…”

“The North could be in danger-”

“You might be in danger. You are not allowed to get hurt without my permission. Think of your own safety first.”

“…”

“I don’t have the confidence to watch you bleed.”

His voice trembled at the end.

“Your Highness.”

I feel the same way, Grand Duke.

“Please rest comfortably, Your Highness.”

“Esther.”

“Yes?”

“Go straight down to the infirmary and rest well, letting no one in except the doctor. That’s an order.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

I bowed to him. Then I went outside.

As the door closed, I heard him let out a long sigh like a groan.

‘I’ll send Arcadia in a little while, Your Highness. For now, please rest.’

I took steps that didn’t want to leave. Leaving him alone in that lonely, spacious room.

[This is the timeline separator]

Walking down the stairs one step at a time.

Through the many windows lining the corridor, I could see the blue dawn light seeping in.

Arcadia was somewhere in that light, leaning against the infirmary door.

“Deputy Commander, are you not sleeping yet?”

“I woke up early.”

He smiled faintly, looking tired. Then he examined me.

“Esther, are you alright? You’re still a patient.”

“His Highness has woken up.”

At that, he straightened up abruptly.

“When?”

“Just now.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

I smiled.

“He asked for you. But, why don’t you go up a little later? He seemed ready to start work right away, the Grand Duke.”

“…Oh dear. Yes, that won’t do.”

He leaned back against the door. Then he spoke.

“Did you show His Highness your returned face, Esther?”

“…Yes.”

“He must have liked it.”

“Hmm… Not really. He had a peculiar expression.”

“I’m your direct superior, won’t you show me?”

He asked in a somewhat sad tone.

I don’t like him being sad.

I slowly removed my mask. Seeing my appearance, his eyes widened into round circles.

So pure, like a whiny child.

“…Your face is all swollen from crying. Oh dear, oh dear. This is why…”

He clicked his tongue playfully.

“This is why, what?”

“With such a swollen face, of course he’d make a strange expression.”

“Tch.”

How mean.

“It doesn’t matter. Even with a face like this… I’m so happy I can’t describe it. For the first time in my life, I’ve come to know my real face. I’ve regained it.”

Emotions well up in me without my realizing. It still feels like such a miracle.

“It’s like a miracle. No, it is a miracle.”

“You’re truly beautiful, Esther.”

“What?”

“Too, excessively… beautiful. I’ll never say these words again, so engrave them in your heart.”

“…Why?”

“You’re as foolish as I am.”

“?”

He gently patted my head with a melancholy expression I’d never seen before. Like a passing breeze.

“You’ve rested a bit, right? I’ll go up now.”

Arcadia showed me his back and went up the stairs to the Grand Duke’s bedroom. I watched him go without looking back.

‘What was that melancholy expression just now?’

That’s when it happened.

– Bang

The door to the Grand Duke’s corridor opened.

“Eosde!”

“Esther! Huuuung!”

“Yora, Bran.”

The two of them charged up the stairs towards me. Then, without saying who was first, they hugged me.

I hugged them back tightly.

“You bastards! Don’t you see she’s still a patient!”

Arcadia, who was going up, shouted roughly.

The two quickly let go of me.

“Sorry, sorry, Esther. Does it hurt?”

“I’m much better now.”

“That’s really a relief.”

Yora smiled with tears in his eyes.

“Get further away! You wild colts!”

Arcadia shouted again.

I looked at the bandages wrapped around Yora’s stomach.

“Yora, you…”

Yora stepped back from me and smiled.

“I’m fine now.”

“The red caterpillar?”

Yora nodded with a hardened expression.

Bran spoke.

“Let’s put aside the headache-inducing talk for now, Esther. I’m so glad you woke up.”

“…Yeah.”

“How about the Grand Duke?”

“He’s awake.”

At that, Bran shouted with genuine joy.

“The Grand Duke has woken up! The Sword Master is also awake!”

Then.

“The Grand Duke has woken up! The Sword Master is also awake!”

Someone else shouted from somewhere outside the castle. As if they had heard Bran’s words and were relaying them to everyone.

A joyous morning was dawning.

[This is the timeline separator]

I went back down to the infirmary at everyone’s insistence. Then I took the medicine given by the doctor and fell asleep.

Though I vaguely sensed many people coming and going, I couldn’t wake up.

Was I this tired?

I wanted to keep sleeping. I fell into an increasingly deep sleep.

How long did I sleep?

When I opened my eyes, it was night.

Not the night of the day the Grand Duke woke up, but as if several days had passed.

A small lamp attached to the window cast a soft light. But.

Next to the bed I was lying on, beyond the cloth partition, there was someone else on another bed.

As I turned my head, I saw the shadow of a person lying turned towards me.

‘Who is it?’

As I turned my body to face that shadow, I saw the person flinch slightly. A large shadow cast on the white cloth curtain.

‘Your Highness?’