The number of missing persons had now increased to twelve, including Sehera.

The first to go missing were villagers from a nearby settlement who had been collecting flowers from a cactus found only in the Desert of Passion.

Only after they had vanished en masse, followed by a few more isolated disappearances, did it become clear that this was an unusual phenomenon.

Currently, all harvesting and gathering activities in that area were banned, and the knightly order led by Sehera was surrounding the Desert of Passion to guard it.

Upon hearing the news that her beloved daughter and heir of Summer, Sehera, had disappeared, Deborah murmured in anguish.

“She was clearly told not to approach the center of the desert.”

“My lady, the captain strictly followed your orders.”

Yet, the knight’s words suggested otherwise.

“Then why has she vanished?”

“That is…”

The reporting knight’s voice grew cautious.

“It appears the area where people disappear is gradually expanding. Not only the captain, but two ordinary knights who left on patrol with her have also gone missing.”

That statement pierced Yerpi’s ears, who had been eavesdropping from beyond the door.

‘It matches the Forest of Discovery.’

The zone that took people and the frequency of its expansion seemed similar.

While the expansion of the zone was concerning, if it truly resembled the Forest of Discovery, then it was highly probable that the zone would soon begin to cause mental confusion among nearby people to lure them in.

The morale of the knights returning from guarding the area had been broken. After hearing all reports, Deborah turned to Raymond and pleaded.

“I’ve heard you handled the strange phenomenon in the Spring Territory. I beg you to investigate the Summer Territory as soon as possible.”

The extent to which the affected area might grow was unpredictable.

Near the Desert of Passion were several small to medium-sized villages.

Settlements clinging to a single oasis, surrounded entirely by sand, would have to be abandoned entirely if the phenomenon spread.

Raymond accepted Deborah’s plea. But there was something to correct.

“Begin preparations for departure. However, there’s one mistake. I didn’t resolve the Spring Territory incident—it was my lady.”

Raymond’s gaze turned toward the door where Yerpi was hiding.

He had known from the beginning that she was eavesdropping.

At Raymond’s glance, everyone turned their heads. She had no choice but to step out from behind the door.

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but it was noisy outside.”

“Eavesdropping? This was information I should have informed Her Highness about anyway.”

Deborah bowed her head apologetically. She had nothing to be sorry for—after all, the one suffering most was the lord who had lost her daughter.

But Deborah stood here not as a mother, but as a ruler, and the eyes of one who must protect others were fiercer than anyone’s.

That gaze stirred Yerpi’s heart.

“I will go with you.”

The knights murmured at her words.

A duchess with skin as pale as if it had never seen sunlight, possessing no survivalist muscles suited for harsh terrain, only beauty—volunteering to go to such a dangerous place?

If anything happened to the duchess in the desert, the entire Summer Territory would face a crisis.

Deborah seemed to share the same concern.

“I’ve heard the Spring Territory incident bears many similarities to our Summer anomaly. I didn’t know Her Highness had resolved that matter. But, if I may be so bold, could you tell me how you calmed the situation?”

“…That.”

The events in the Forest of Discovery were something even Raymond hadn’t been fully informed about. As Yerpi hesitated to answer, he stepped in.

“My lady is a ‘Seer.’ She possesses an ability akin to the Dragonblood Eye. It’s possible she surpasses even my own perception.”

That was how exceptional Yerpi’s latent abilities were.

In Growen, Seers were revered by all.

They could perceive the gaps in spaces invisible to ordinary people and resolve countless anomalies occurring in Growen.

Raymond’s words silenced the room. Deborah apologized, her eyes now calmer.

“I didn’t mean to doubt Her Highness. It’s just that the place is so dangerous—I couldn’t help but worry. Even those who gather fruits or flowers there are highly skilled martial artists. After all, other monsters also covet delicious food sources.”

She had to inquire for the safety of Her Highness. Yerpi accepted Deborah’s apology.

“I would have done the same.”

“…Her Highness possesses a calm strength.”

When Yerpi asked with her eyes what that meant, Deborah smiled.

“In the Summer Territory, we believe all living beings possess a spiritual power called chakra. This power refers to one’s aura. Calmness has the ability to make others pause and reconsider.”

“Is that so.”

In truth, Yerpi still didn’t fully understand Deborah’s words. Deborah smiled and added that one day, she would come to understand.

“If you possess the ability to see into things, you’ll be able to detect any danger in advance. And above all, His Excellency will be with you. Please, both of you, look into this anomaly together.”

She was speaking not just as a ruler, but as a mother who had lost her beloved daughter and a comrade pleading for the lives of her people.

The next evening.

Raymond’s troops, who had begun preparations at dawn, departed from the territory.

Traveling through spatial gaps allowed them to avoid dangerous monsters and cover great distances in a short time.

A newly evolved giant nocturnal monster obscured the starry night sky. There, they were busy burning incense that masked their presence from monsters.

Soon, the Summer knights who had spotted Raymond and Yerpi’s group hurried to greet them.

“Oh, you’ve arrived. We received word through the Mirrorbird that you would come personally. It’s an honor to serve you. I am Commodore Komodo Laclade of the Crimson Sand Knights, at your service.”

The security was tight—perhaps because people weren’t just losing memories, but vanishing entirely.

With even the captain gone, their alertness had reached its peak.

Komodo guided the two toward the site of the anomaly.

“This way.”

The place he led them to was a desert hill densely packed with cacti.

Tropical flowers and fruits hanging from the cacti emitted a rich fragrance.

Small nocturnal monsters approached the cacti to eat the fruits, yet nothing happened.

Once again, it seemed the phenomenon targeted only humans.

“Though it may look like a cactus field now, suddenly you may see a reflective surface showing your own image. If you’re startled and reach out, you’ll be pulled straight in—please be cautious.”

The knight’s voice was sorrowful as he warned, “No one who’s gone beyond has returned.”

As Yerpi stared past the cacti, Raymond asked.

“Do you see something?”

“No. But…”

It wasn’t just visual. Just as before, the space beyond was calling to her. The moment she realized this, a mirage appeared before her.

‘It’s me.’

It was like looking into a mirror. Immediately afterward, Raymond noticed the reflection and tried to pull Yerpi back—but it was too late.

The instant Raymond’s figure appeared in the reflection, Dragonblood flames ignited across the desert.

“…Is it useless?”

Just as the flames couldn’t consume light, they couldn’t consume the reflection either. From beyond the light, figures reached out and grabbed Yerpi’s hand.

In that moment, her vision turned pure white, and a voice rang out—familiar yet different from Raymond’s. Her lover from a past life was calling her.

‘Jia!’

A man’s gentle voice called to her.

Yes.

In her past life, she was known as Kim Jia. Then, a high-pitched female voice rang in her ears.

‘Jia, what are you doing? Oh, you’re together with him?’

This time, it was a woman’s voice. Seo Yulha. A fellow orphan from the same orphanage, they had grown up as childhood friends, staying close even into adulthood.

Yes. We were friends. The closest childhood friends.

But friendship wasn’t eternal.

Even after becoming lovers, the three always stayed together—and that was true even at the scene of the accident. Ian and Yulha came together to visit her in the hospital.

Throughout her hospitalization and rehabilitation, they visited often without hesitation, offering comfort.

Thanks to them, she was able to return to daily life after discharge. She thought happiness would begin again.

If only Yulha hadn’t asked her to meet secretly, saying she had something to discuss, and to keep it from Ian.

It was her first time at that café. Two pre-ordered juices sat on the table—both red. At the mention of watermelon juice, she didn’t suspect a thing.

‘Please just die. Okay? Everything will be fine if you’re gone. I can take your place and be with Ian. Eventually, he’ll come to love me—if I comfort him, care for him, and protect him again and again.’

Alongside the cruel words, the murderer’s face, long hidden in darkness, was finally revealed.

Downturned eyes, gentle gaze. The delicate, beautiful face resembling a lovely deer.

‘It looks exactly like Charlotte.’

Yerpi’s current life.

The face of the true heroine, who would become Raymond’s second wife.