Arasila had never experienced this before and was bewildered. Of course, Audrey always came out first to greet her whenever she returned home, but it was the first time she had waited outside.

Seeing her restlessly pacing back and forth, unable to contain herself, gave Arasila an ominous feeling. Demian, who had been out of contact for a month, flashed through Arasila’s mind.

‘Surely, nothing bad has happened?’

As soon as the carriage stopped, Arasila opened the door and got out. Audrey ran up to her in one breath. Her slightly reddened eyes made Arasila’s heart sink.

“My lady!”

“Audrey, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“Quickly! Please go inside quickly!”

Audrey urged with a trembling voice. Having waited outside for a long time, she pushed her mistress’s back with cold hands.

As Arasila strode forward, she imagined thousands of worst-case scenarios.

Was Demian injured? Or did they lose the war? If so, did he return safely? Surely His Majesty hasn’t imposed a new punishment?

The sound of her heart beating roughly from anxiety seemed to reach her eardrums. The branching imagination touched upon the most fearful point.

‘What if, like the premonitory dream during the western demon subjugation, Demian…’

Arasila stood still for a moment, gripping the handle of the central entrance door tightly. For a moment, she felt dizzy and had difficulty maintaining her balance.

Taking a deep breath, Arasila pulled herself together. She couldn’t give up before seeing with her own eyes what had actually happened.

She pushed the door open forcefully. The mansion’s staff were crowded in the entrance hall. All with faces that looked like they were about to cry, just like Audrey. Blue eyes scanned the people with a trembling gaze.

At that moment.

She spotted a head peeking out above the others and her breath stopped. As the surroundings quieted, the person slowly turned around.

Golden eyes like the summer sun stared directly at Arasila through mystical silver hair that seemed to catch moonlight even in broad daylight.

Whether because her legs had no strength, or because she couldn’t believe the reality before her eyes, Arasila moved slowly towards him.

The people surrounding them stepped aside to make way. He also took steps towards Arasila.

One step, two steps, three steps.

After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the two stood face to face with only a hand’s width between them. The face she had longed for so much was alive and breathing vividly right in front of her.

There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn’t know where to start. As Arasila’s lips quivered, he looked down at her affectionately, gently spreading his arms and saying in a low voice.

“I’m back, wife.”

A smile slowly spread across Arasila’s face, her eyes and cheekbones flushing red. She gladly fell into his broad embrace.

The two closed the last remaining distance, neither one first. Hugging him tightly, Arasila whispered.

“Welcome back, Demian.”

She finally delivered the greeting she had been waiting a year to say. With a bright smile instead of tears. Overwhelming joy warmed the winter air.

It was a dreamlike reunion at the tail end of winter, with spring not far off.

Demian returned triumphantly with proof of victory around noon. As soon as he returned, he first met with the emperor to present the surrender document.

After confirming the statement admitting defeat from the allied foreign tribes, the emperor said:

‘Demian von Vandermir has brought victory to the empire. Now no one will be able to call you a criminal.’

Thus, though he had not actually committed any crime, Demian was freed from his criminal status and gained his freedom.

Only after handling all official business did he return home to see Arasila. In truth, he desperately wanted to meet his wife first, but he endured to finish his work without any issues.

“That’s why I was late. I’m sorry. Were you very surprised by my sudden return?”

“Is that what you call it?”

Arasila pinched both of Demian’s cheeks. After embracing and having an emotional reunion on the first floor, they had moved to have a more detailed conversation.

In the meantime, Demian had also washed up and changed clothes, looking more polished than before.

“I was so worried when I lost contact with you a month ago. The news of your victories was coming in steadily, then suddenly stopped.”

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. It was because checks were put in place as the war tide turned in our favor, so we had no choice.”

The Red Hawk Knights’ victories were not viewed favorably by some, who began to send spies to sabotage supplies or ruin operations.

Demian, wanting to return as soon as possible, chose to completely cut off external contact rather than squabble internally. He made it so that they didn’t even know if they were winning or losing at the border.

And in that gap, he swiftly collapsed the allied foreign tribes and accepted their defeat. Thanks to that, no one was able to prevent his surprise return.

“Are you angry?”

Demian asked, wrapping Arasila’s hand in his and burying his cheek in it. His sharp eyes took on a docile appearance through his not fully dried hair.

Arasila let out a hollow laugh. Did he think she would fall for it if he just pushed his handsome face close?

“…I’m not angry. Hmm, hearing the reason, it was understandable. If you returned safely by doing that, then it’s fine. You did well, actually.”

As she gently stroked his hair with her free hand, Demian stayed still like a dog receiving its master’s touch.

Unconsciously brushing away the hair slightly covering his eyes, Arasila discovered a small scar crossing his left eyebrow and frowned.

“What’s this? Who did this to you?”

“…Ah. I got injured during a night battle. It was dark around, so I was a bit late in dodging an incoming arrow.”

Demian answered bashfully. He had intentionally grown out his bangs to hide it, but to think it would be discovered so quickly.

With a upset face, Arasila caressed the scar. The unfamiliar feeling of the slightly indented skin was both strange and pitiful.

“Did it hurt a lot?”

“It didn’t hurt at all.”

“Bring me the person who shot the arrow. They must pay for marring this face.”

“I thought you might say that, so I made them pay on your behalf.”

The words exchanged like jokes contained sincerity and truth. Arasila, who had been slowly caressing Demian’s face, feeling even his well-formed bones through her fingertips, withdrew her hand.

At the same time, Demian grasped that hand as well, pulling it towards him as he said quietly.

“I missed you, wife.”

“I missed you too.”

“I’m curious about how you’ve been while I was gone. Please tell me.”

Nodding, Arasila readily told him about how her life had been for the past year. Her voice with its clear resonance sounded almost like singing.

Demian held her slender hand and listened to her words. He seriously listened to her journey of uncovering the true culprit behind Oscar’s assassination and realizing Frederick’s betrayal.

“I formed an alliance with Prince Lucas. He said you had already proposed it before? This time, the prince requested it.”

“So he finally made up his mind.”

“Yes, that’s right. I worked hard with His Highness to gather evidence to bring down the crown prince’s faction.”

Arasila smiled proudly. For the past year, she had not just passively waited, but worked hard for him and herself.

Even just hearing it briefly, Demian could feel her efforts, and spoke with a voice mixed with admiration, gratitude, and apology.

“It must have been difficult.”

“Not really. Rather, what troubled me was the confession drug research.”

Arasila shrugged as she replied. A small sigh tinged with complaint followed at the end. Even today, wasn’t she agonizing over the confession drug research until she saw Demian?

Hearing those words, Demian suddenly remembered something. He carefully let go of Arasila’s hand and stood up.

“Hm…? Demian, where are you going?”

“Please wait a moment, wife. I have something to give you.”

After asking for understanding, Demian left the bedroom. Left alone on the sofa, Arasila blankly waited for his return.

When Demian returned shortly after, he was holding a neatly folded handkerchief in his hand. He passed it to Arasila.

“What’s this handkerchief?”

“Please unfold it and see.”

“Why, is there something inside?”

Arasila unfolded the handkerchief without much thought, then was startled and opened her eyes wide in surprise.

Though a bit dried and rough, a flower with rainbow-like brilliant colored leaves lay carefully uprooted on the handkerchief.

The Dilai flower. The seedling that she and the lab people had so desperately wanted had appeared.

“No way, how did you…”

“I happened to see it while passing through the eastern sector of the border where monsters are active. I remembered hearing it was a key ingredient in the confession drug research you’re doing, so I brought it.”

“…Demian.”

Covering the flower again with trembling hands, careful not to damage it, Arasila looked at Demian with moved eyes.

She grabbed Demian’s hand and said solemnly.

“You just saved four lives. You’re the lifesaver of our lab.”

“Really?”

“Yes, because you stopped us from going crazy with research and causing an accident.”

“I’m glad it turned out to be a good gift.”

As Arasila gazed at the gently smiling Demian almost like an angel, she drooped the corners of her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t prepare a gift for you.”

“No, please don’t say that. Haven’t you already done a lot for me?”

“But still, I should have something to give you…”

There was. It just flashed through her mind.

Arasila’s expression suddenly changed to a careful one. It seemed like she was trying to read the situation, and also looked worried.

Feeling her sudden change in mood, Demian raised one eyebrow with a puzzled face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Demian, after you left, Count Rond came to see me once. He came to return your mother’s jewelry box.”

“…Ah, is that so?”

At the mention of Howard, Demian had a complex look in his eyes for a moment before calmly reacting. Arasila carefully continued speaking.

“Yes, and with Count Rond’s help, I discovered the secret of the item inside the jewelry box.”

When she told him that Cyan Mondor was an alias created by rearranging Monica Rond’s name, Demian lightly nodded.

“I didn’t know that was my mother’s name. It’s quite surprising since I didn’t expect it.”

“…But there’s more you should know besides that.”

“What is it?”

Unable to bring herself to say that Monica had not committed suicide but was murdered, Arasila silently got up and brought the diary.

The diary she had read to the end and closed was locked again. But Demian would be able to break the magic and open it.

“Open it and read it. You can do it.”

“Alright.”

Demian raised his hand and placed it on the diary. A green light flowed out and enveloped his hand, and soon the locking magic was released.

Watching him slowly start to turn the pages, Arasila quietly excused herself. When he reached the last diary entry, he would surely want to be alone.

When he first started reading the diary, Demian just felt heartache. The mental suffering experienced by his mother, who was as fragile as glass in his old memories, was pitiful and sad.

But as he turned more pages of the diary, a truth different from what he knew was revealed.

Demian thought his mother had entered seclusion, leaving him behind, unable to bear the betrayal and depression. The incident of falling ill from poison as a child, in fact, he didn’t even remember.

Vaguely, it seemed like he had been terribly sick with the flu, but he had never paid much attention to it.

‘I resented you a little…’

Why didn’t you protect me? Why did you leave me to endure alone?

He loved his mother, but a different kind of resentment from what he held for his father had taken root in a corner of his heart. It was the frustration of a boy who grew up without protection from either parent.

He had always wished that just once, his mother would open the door and come out, take his hand and run away from the hellish house.

Still, because his love and sympathy for his mother were greater, he had lived burying the unfulfilled wishes of his childhood days and the resulting resentment.

But Demian had been wrong. Monica had done her best to protect him. She hadn’t left him alone, but had been fighting in unseen places.

Thanks to that, Demian was alive and well like this now.

His hand turning the pages trembled. By now, he had only the last entry of Monica’s diary left. The setting sun was staining the room red.

Demian finally opened the last page.

The part that Arasila had closed, thinking it wasn’t her place to read.

“XX Month, XX Day, Summer.

This will probably be my last diary entry.

I am about to leave behind this diary, Sophie’s tea leaves, and the name Cyan Mondor.

I hope that our Demian will grow up safely and find my jewelry box.

Demian, if you’ve read my diary up to this point… You must now understand exactly what happened to you when you were young.

My son, I’m truly sorry for leaving you behind. Mom sincerely wanted to be with you.

I wanted to watch you grow up, and see you meet someone you love and build a happy family when you’ve grown up.

I truly didn’t want anything. Not a husband, not the position of duchess. I just wanted to live an ordinary and happy life with you…

Demian, how old are you as you read this?

Are you married? Do you have someone you love? I’m also very curious about what you’re doing now.

But in truth, what I hope for and am most curious about is your happiness.

Are you happy, Demian? I hope you are.

I’m really worried about my son who will be left alone among cruel people after I die.

I’m not sure if this inadequate mother gave you enough love before leaving. I want you, Demian, to grow up to be someone who is loved and knows how to give love.

So, my son, don’t be too sad about my death.

You don’t need to seek revenge or anything like that.

I know you’ve always been a child who thought a lot about your mother, so you’ll want to get revenge on my behalf. You’ll want to avenge my pain and sorrow.

If you want to seek your own revenge, I won’t stop you. But if you’re trying to get revenge for your mother, I want to stop that.

There’s no mother in this world who wants her child to dedicate their life to revenge.

I’ll take my pain with me. So I hope you overcome your pain and become happy.

I hope you achieve and live the peaceful life I dreamed of having with you, with the person you love. And I hope that person is stronger and better than your mother.

I love you so much, Demian.

I really love you too much.

I was happy because of you, so I don’t regret anything.

Thank you for being born as my son. I was truly happy living as your mother.