The Pope just bowed his head. Priests wiped under their eyes and wiped away tears with their wrists.

‘Why are they crying?’

Isn’t it like stealing tears for those who couldn’t cry themselves?

“The divine power resonates.”

Assistant priest Hanelly answered, feeling for the eye patch covering one eye.

“The divine power that existed in the spring water felt the ancient trace and wept.”

Hanelly saw off the imperial party.

It was the time when dawn was breaking. The sunlight swept away the darkness and rose.

The imperial party that had visited the temple left.

“Inside, there was a very sad ancient trace.”

Count Bronthe.

The count placed his sword on the table and wrote a letter to be sent to the frontier.

“When you have a child, they receive baptism at the temple.”

The imperial carriage passed through the imperial city.

The emperor’s party, dressed in black, was inside.

“It’s an old tradition. It’s like the parents’ faith passed down from the hope that their child will grow up healthy.”

“…Do you think all parents had the same feelings?”
“They probably had the same feelings.”

As dawn broke, the streets became more crowded with pedestrians.

“When I was young, my mom was in a hurry to hide me. When I was little, she often told me stories to hush and hide.”

As if trying to erase Shaloff from the outside view.

“Why did she hide me so desperately?”

Benjamin brushed Shal’s hair.

“It was probably for protection. Even if the child didn’t know.”

“Indeed, I’m not sure if it was protection.”

Now, that child can’t remember his deceased mother.

“Usually, there is a cause and effect in ordinary things.”

Benjamin nodded his head.

“I guess the wish for the child to grow up healthy was the same. It’s just that the way of expressing it was different.”

Shaloff murmured, looking at the entrance to the imperial palace.

“I’m afraid of taking responsibility.”

When you take on a duty, your shoulders become heavier.

“Will that child experience a childhood like mine? I worry that after shedding like fallen leaves, it will linger alone.”

“Do you dislike the child?”

“It’s not about liking or disliking. The child is pitiful. Small and fragile. I felt that I didn’t have the strength to protect such a child. If I couldn’t protect myself, who could I protect…”

“The duty seems burdensome.”

Shaloff shivered slightly.

“I’m still uncomfortable with such duties.”

Shal’s life was uneasy.

“I didn’t intend to burden you with a duty.”

Benjamin replied to Shaloff like that.

“It was not about imposing a duty but expressing the will to walk together.”

“…”

“Reaching out my arm was to be a support for you to hold onto and stand up.”

The duty was as heavy as the many rights obtained.

“If I reach out my arm, isn’t that enough?”

Benjamin pulled Shaloff into his embrace.

A firm chest touched his back. Shaloff, who had stiffened his body, smiled faintly at the hand that touched his lower abdomen.

Fingers gently tickled the lower abdomen.

“Lately…”

“Lately?”

“Contact has increased.”

Benjamin rested his chin on Shal’s shoulder and asked.

“Is it not okay?”

“It’s getting warmer.”

“Haven’t you been avoiding the empress, who used to be careless, since I reached out my arm? You hunched your body like a hedgehog with thorns.”

Benjamin stroked Shal’s lower abdomen gently.

“Why do you keep touching my lower abdomen?”

“Yesterday, you said your stomach wasn’t feeling well and you kept trying to throw up.”

Thinking back to the memories before dying, his stomach rapidly felt uncomfortable.

Yesterday, he almost vomited several times.

“I felt stuffy in my stomach.”

Benjamin caressed Shal’s lower abdomen and wrapped his arms around his waist.

Sitting on his knees, Shaloff felt a little dazed.

‘Where did the imperial etiquette go?’

Again, he couldn’t push away the arm, which mentally provided a sense of stability.

“Even before I died.”

“…”

“If someone had hugged me like this, I wouldn’t have felt so lonely.”

Leaning on his body, the breath that touched his neck dug into his throat.

“Death is beyond the realm of humans.”

“That’s why black magic is forbidden.”
The reason black magic is strictly prohibited is because death is beyond the realm of humans.

The temple sternly guarded against the mingling of life and death.

“Lan has fallen asleep.”

“Ever since visiting the temple, he couldn’t gather his energy. It seems like his energy is flowing out of his body, as if he’s trying to suppress and hold it in.”

Lan, buried in white fur, lay down, placing his lower abdomen.

Reaching out to cover him with a blanket, Shaloff’s body crumbled.

A red waterfall flowed like a fantasy. No, it couldn’t flow like that here. Everything was red. Red mist rose and covered the ground, and ‘it,’ with its mouth wide open like a demon, was looking at her.

“Shal.”

Someone is calling her.

“Shaloff.”

Thud,

The carriage shook heavily.

Shaloff, whose center collapsed, slid down. Benjamin held Shal’s waist and covered her head.

Bump!

Her body slammed roughly against the backrest. A huge shock, as if the carriage was about to split, occurred.

“Whoa!”

The coachman exclaimed and tried to calm the horses.

“The horses, the horses were startled. Your Majesty.”

Shaloff’s hair flowed down like a waterfall. A red wave covered the field of view.

Soon, the bland carriage ceiling filled the sight.

Benjamin held Shal’s waist, embraced her, and asked.

“Are you okay?”

“…There’s no wind on a good day.”

“I hear a roar, what’s going on!”

Soon, footsteps were heard from outside.

“You should come down for a moment.”

“What’s going on?”

When Benjamin asked, the answer came from outside.

“There’s a fire.”

Benjamin got off the carriage and raised his head. Flames rose, emitting a dark red smoke.

A pungent heat struck. The sight of servants evacuating from the fire caught their eyes.

“It’s the Bronte mansion.”

Soon, the guards approached and indicated the direction.

“Weren’t they on vacation?”

Benjamin looked at the fire vaguely. The Bronte family is a lineage that handles swords on the punitive front.

Not long ago, Viscount Bronte’s wife applied for leave, claiming that she was unwell.

If the sword-wielding patriarch stays at the mansion,

“What does that fire mean?”