“Moreover, a place that gives you such things can’t be bad, can it?”

When Aelfrie returned riding the carriage of Ash Merchants Guild yesterday, several large baskets had been loaded onto it.

They were food specifically prepared by the dining facility of the Ash Merchants Guild.

Knowing that the only servants at home were an old couple and a sick maid, they sent the food so everyone could eat well and rest for at least one day without straining themselves.

Not only that, the doctor from Ash Merchants Guild had also provided medicine.

“It seems the empire’s medicine is truly different.”

After taking the medicine, her muscle pains that tormented her allowed her to walk freely as soon as morning came, and Aelfrie’s bruises and scars that hadn’t faded for weeks lightened significantly in just one day.

“Really, it’s the best!”

Jena couldn’t hide her joy and started to hum excitedly again. Aelfrie looked at her and smiled, wondering how her feelings showed so transparently on her face.

“Jena, I’ll be upstairs for a while. The laborers from Ash Merchants Guild will be here soon.”

“Sure, sure! Don’t worry and stay upstairs. I’ll bring up the food when it’s ready!”

Aelfrie exited through the mansion’s entrance.

The weather was clear from the morning, without a trace of fog.

The sun already risen over the sea and not a single cloud in the early summer sky. A refreshing breeze blew, accompanied by the clear chirping of a bird perched on a nearby tree.

Aelfrie walked slowly through the garden without a worry.

Although they couldn’t afford to hire someone to take care of the garden, making it somewhat embarrassing to call it a ‘garden,’ branches and wildflowers swayed freely in the wind.

In the past, she would have felt ashamed of the unmanaged state, but today it felt like even this was beautiful.

Aelfrie raised her hand to feel the incoming breeze.

Clear sky, beautiful bird songs. It felt like only good things would happen today.

A sense of happiness she felt for the first time seemed to overflow from her heart.

It was at the moment Aelfrie unconsciously stretched her hand toward the sky.

“Ah…!”

Suddenly, a gust resembling a whirlwind blew. The wind hit not only the trees in the garden but also the nearby houses.

Window shutters slammed shut everywhere, and surprised voices could be heard.

Aelfrie was equally surprised.

“What was that?”

The moment I stretched my hand to the sky, a gust blew. Of course, it must be a coincidence.

After all, gusts like this often blew near the sea.

But Aelfrie had clearly seen it. After she stretched her hand toward the sky, something had twinkled at her fingertips.
The reflected sunlight wasn’t it. The light displayed a color she had never seen before—a color so beautiful and complex that she couldn’t even begin to describe it.

Aelfrie looked at her hand.

As expected, her hand looked the same as always.

Aelfrie stretched her hand toward the sky once more. But unlike before, neither a glint of light nor a sudden gust of wind occurred this time.

‘But that light…’

She felt like she had seen it somewhere before.

‘Where was it?’

It wasn’t very recent, but she was certain she had seen such light.

‘It wasn’t at home, I think.’

Among the places she could possibly go to, the options were extremely limited.

Aelfrie sifted through her memories of the past few months. Her expression clouded the moment she recalled getting beaten by her father and Elise.

Her past memories were filled with just such incidents.