Chapter 4

As soon as Sebastian regained his senses, he began to run like a madman. He had to—because he had played a trick on Duke Lyon’s carriage. To a normal person, it would have been a harmless prank to be laughed off, but for Leticia, it was different.

She was afraid of dogs. Terrified, in fact. Just as all phobias can be irrational, Leticia would scream at the mere sight of a tiny puppy.

‘I…’

“I hate that girl! She’s repulsive!”

“Then how should we handle this for you, young master?”

When he had complained as usual, his attendants had asked him with friendly, eager faces. Sebastian knew they would move exactly as he wished with just a slight nudge. Even though she was a “half-blood,” Leticia was still the Duchess’s daughter and had a large budget allocated to her—something that sparked intense jealousy. His attendants, in their ignorance, mistakenly thought they were on the same social level as her.

All he had to do was stoke their envy. Jealousy was always the best ingredient for manipulation.

“She had the nerve to come and stare at my dog’s new puppies the other day. Can’t you guys do something about that?”

Why did he do it? Why was he so… cruel and merciless?

Sebastian had been shocked when the things he had only calculated in his head became reality. He hadn’t known it would result in such a horrific scene, nor did he realize she would nearly die because of it. Back then, the only thing he felt bitter about was losing the attendants he found so easy to use. Afterward, his father had assigned him older, more experienced servants who were not easily swayed by a child’s whims. Sebastian had feigned sorrow over the firing of his old attendants, though he felt no true regret.

His father hadn’t cared, and Cesare… his sharp-eyed older brother seemed to see through to the essence of the matter. Not that Cesare had spared a single ounce of concern for Leticia, either.

‘She hasn’t boarded the carriage yet, has she? No!’

Running desperately, Sebastian saw the door to the Lyon carriage standing wide open. The “prank” he had prepared was simple: he had created an automaton that looked exactly like a real dog and tossed it inside the window. He thought that when Leticia entered, the automaton would leap onto her lap, and she would scream.

Leticia… was there. She was inside the carriage, trembling in Terdis’ arms. In Terdis’ hand was the automaton Sebastian had made. It was a doll enchanted to look like a “living dog” to anyone who wasn’t a mage. She must have been absolutely horrified.

The automaton shattered in Terdis’ furious grip. Having caught the “dog” while shielding Leticia, he had realized through the texture and the flow of mana that it was merely a doll.

Sebastian came to a dead halt. A guilt bordering on terror washed over him, and he didn’t dare approach the carriage any further. Terdis’ enraged gaze pierced through the air, landing directly on Sebastian, who stood in the middle of the garden shrubbery, breathless from his sprint. Sebastian flinched, certain that Terdis knew he was the culprit.

Now, the automaton no longer looked like a dog; it was just a crude toy made of a few wooden blocks. Terdis’ strength had crushed the core inside, breaking the spell.

Terdis didn’t seem to tell Leticia that Sebastian was even there. He handed the wreckage of the toy to an attendant and focused entirely on calming Leticia.

She was crying.

In truth, Leticia’s tears had been falling since the moment they left the ballroom, but there was no way for Sebastian to know that. Feeling as though his heart were not just pounding but tearing apart, Sebastian hurriedly hid behind a nearby tree.

‘Why am I so foolish?’

Even he knew how cruel this prank was to someone who had suffered such trauma. He knew, and yet he did it anyway. He had wanted Leticia to suffer. He couldn’t stand the thought of today being a happy debutante ball for her.

While he was hiding, the Lyon carriage departed. Sebastian couldn’t bring himself to come out from behind the tree. He was too ashamed—so sorry and heartbroken that he couldn’t show his face.

“…What are you doing there, Sebastian?”

Dominic approached him, casually munching on a large skewer of food that certainly hadn’t come from the imperial banquet. Sebastian didn’t even have the will left to snap back at his master.

“Master…”

Smack!

It was a literal case of kicking a man while he was down. Sebastian was hit hard enough to bring tears to his eyes, but he wasn’t angry. He felt he deserved to be beaten.

“Cry, you pathetic disciple. You had a look on your face that said you wanted to be hit, so I obliged.”

“I… I did something horrible…”

“……”

Dominic remained silent, pulling a piece of meat off the skewer. When he reached a piece of green onion, he held it out to Sebastian.

“Eat.”

“……”

Sebastian looked like his mind was spinning, but he took it and ate it anyway. Dominic took the skewer back and spoke with a pensive expression.

“You said you lived with that girl for twelve years? Since you can’t really torment someone when you’re a literal baby… let’s say you bullied her for seven or eight years. Hmm…”

“……”

Sebastian’s head drooped. Dominic looked at him with pity. His own family had died of old age long ago; now, the mages and disciples of the Tower were his only family. He had expected that Sebastian had done something incredibly stupid and wicked. His youngest disciple was brilliant, but he had a cruel streak. When people like him decided to be mean, they went all the way.

‘It’s hard to tell them to make up. It wasn’t a fight; it was one-sided abuse.’

Reconciliation is only possible when a certain line hasn’t been crossed. What Sebastian had done was a crime. It was only covered up because the victim was kin and the guardian chose to ignore it. Because the victim was ignored, she likely felt completely alienated from her father as well. He had chosen to protect the perpetrator over the victim.

“It’s impossible for her to forgive you or accept you, so just forget it and live your life. It’s something you should apologize for until the day you die, but… apologizing doesn’t mean everything is forgiven, does it?”

Dominic’s blunt, innocent delivery of the truth turned Sebastian’s face ashen. Dominic ignored him and chewed on the last bit of meat.

“Is there really no way?”

“Hmm…”

Dominic incinerated the finished skewer into ash and pondered. Honestly, he didn’t cherish Sebastian that much, and he was starting to find this annoying. Sebastian was clever, but his heart was far too poisonous.

“Wait until your sister’s anger cools down… then when she needs a mage who’s easy to order around, crawl to her and be her slave for life.”

“…You’re just saying whatever comes to mind.”

“Then what do you want? You won’t stay sorry forever anyway. In a few months, your clever little brain will think: ‘I didn’t know back then, so what? Do I have to apologize for the rest of my life?’”

Sebastian didn’t even have the energy to get angry. He just looked at his master with a face that wanted to weep. Moved slightly by that expression, Dominic patted Sebastian’s head with his hand, which was still covered in sauce.

“When you think your sister’s shock has subsided a bit, go to her and beg. Beg on your knees. Keep apologizing and being sorry until her heart softens. Even if she was the one to reveal the truth herself, the shock must have been immense for her too.”

“…Will she forgive me?”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t. But who knows with her? Are you not going to apologize just because it’s obvious you won’t be forgiven? Since when did forgiveness become a guaranteed reward for an apology? It is only natural for someone who did wrong to apologize. Forgiveness is something to be considered only after the damage is fully recovered. Don’t apologize just to be forgiven. She’s going to hate you anyway. Honestly, she’d be an idiot to forgive you. Who would forgive you? Wait… hey, are you crying?”

“Sniff… You’re the one who made me cry, Master.”

Even though he had wiped sauce all over his hair, Sebastian thought his master was doing this on purpose because he hated him.

“I’m a stupid, horrible person.”

“I know.”

Dominic said, wiping the last of the sauce from his hand onto his disciple’s head.

***

People often say the sky feels like it’s falling when something big happens, but Cesare felt differently. He felt as if the very foundation he stood upon had vanished.

His deep-seated misogyny was rooted in his mother’s alleged adultery. While Duke Aaron also kept his distance from women, it was never to the extent of Cesare. He loathed women, though he hid it behind a mask of etiquette.

But it was all a lie. It was a frame… he had been deceived by a wicked person. His mother had never committed a sin, and his sister was indeed his father’s child. She had proven it herself before everyone.

Cesare stumbled out of the ballroom. He didn’t care about people’s gazes. He felt suffocated by the memory of his own words and actions. While he didn’t shout misogynistic slurs in public, he had mocked and insulted his mother countless times in his heart.

‘Mother.’

Remembering her gentle touch, missing her at times yet refusing to acknowledge it—he had fought so hard to erase her from his memory.

“I love you, Cesare.”

Thinking of the hands that used to hold him so tenderly, Cesare burst into tears. This was a different kind of crying than when he had wept simply because she was gone. He had found it impossible to accept her “infidelity.” It was a flaw in his character. Even if she had been unfaithful, he knew she had wronged his father, not him, and yet he hadn’t been able to stop himself from hating her.

Cesare had believed his mother died as a price for her sin. He thought she was being punished. Could there be a son more horrific than him?

In a corridor somewhere in the palace, a pair of eyes watched Cesare as he knelt and sobbed. It was Edward, who had worriedly slipped away from the Empress. Cesare didn’t even wipe his tears. Though he wasn’t a Sword Master, he was close to that level, so he had already sensed Edward’s approach.

“…You don’t need to hide.”

“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t follow… but I was worried. I also…”

Cesare turned his head and glared at the Crown Prince with a terrifying face. Edward didn’t find the gaze particularly stinging, as he felt his own share of guilt.

“…I didn’t think you would cry.”

“……”

“Are you all right? I think it would be best to prepare a room nearby for you to rest.”

“How can a sinner rest?”

“You didn’t know. That the Lady was your sister… honestly, it was something no one could have imagined.”

Edward meant well, but Cesare’s thoughts were different. If Leticia’s brother had been Edward instead of himself… Edward surely would have cleared their mother’s name.

“Did Your Highness not see through it? You said Leticia and Sebastian looked so much alike… I was the fool.”

“Well… that was just a passing thought. I didn’t actually investigate it. The Lady is the one who is truly amazing.”

Edward thought Leticia was lucky to be engaged to Young Lord Lyon. The Lyon family had been investigating all sorts of curses because of their son.

‘Or perhaps the High Priest noticed the curse on her… I heard reports that Duke Lyon called him in personally because he was anxious.’

“If it were you, Your Highness, what would you do in this case?”

“If it were me… I would apologize.”

He spoke with a thoughtful expression.

“In matters like this, there is no shortcut. Especially with kin. If you just tell one side to endure, resentment is bound to build up, isn’t it? Such relationships eventually break. Come to think of it, your sister must have been enduring everything until now.”

“She must find me and my family repulsive.”

“Well… um…”

Edward couldn’t deny that. He had been horrified when he first heard what Sebastian had done. The same went for Godfrey.

“Still, you’re siblings… if you keep apologizing, a day might come when her heart opens.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Well… probably?”

Edward could only say this because he knew the chances were less than zero. She was a sister they had essentially sent away to a marriage meant to make her miserable.

‘Even that marriage was something they arranged hoping she’d be unhappy.’

“I don’t know where to even begin asking for forgiveness. Everything… every single thing was wrong.”

Cesare said as he stood up unsteadily. Edward thought Cesare was at least in a better position than his other brothers or his father, but he didn’t say it out loud. He simply patted Cesare on the shoulder and urged him to rest. At this rate, he looked like he might faint somewhere in the palace.

***

Godfrey was walking through the dark corridors of the palace. Having become an Imperial Knight, he knew the layout to some extent, but right now, he had no idea where he was.

He could have apologized sooner. Even a letter would have been better. Of course, Leticia might have found his letters disgusting and refused to read them.

Realizing the hallway was empty, he sank onto the cold floor. It felt similar to the time he realized his mother was gone forever and sat at the end of a corridor to cry. He didn’t remember much from then, only that he was terrified. He was cold and afraid and wanted to call for his mother, but he couldn’t.

She was dead. And whenever he asked about her, his brother and father would look at him with terrifying faces.

“Leti… cia.”

Back then, he had looked at the tiny Sebastian and felt he had to protect him. His father was indifferent and his brother was cold. Only Sebastian, his brother, and his father were his family. Leticia was nothing more than a foreign object that had invaded their home.

Not only that, he felt if it weren’t for her, his mother wouldn’t have died, and the “sin” wouldn’t have been revealed, erasing everything about her. His resentment toward Leticia was an extension of the resentment of losing his mother. He could be as cruel as he wanted because he didn’t want her to be happy. Sebastian probably felt the same.

‘I thought I was the one who loved Mother. But in the end, she was the only one who actually believed in her.’

Even if it was just a stroke of luck that the curse was discovered, it didn’t erase his sins. He had not protected Leticia. It was too late to say he was just a child or that he didn’t know. He was certainly old enough to know better when he had last hurt her so deeply.

“I’m sorry… I was so wrong.”

Godfrey wept as he thought of the words he had never spoken, the words he had never even tried to say. They were tears that no one would see. Even as he told himself they were the despicable tears of a crocodile, he couldn’t stop them from falling.

***

Terdis knew Carlyle hadn’t arrived, but he gave the order for the carriage to depart anyway. His father could easily catch another carriage or borrow one from the imperial palace.

“I’m sorry, Ter. I know you were looking forward to dancing at the ball…”

“Don’t be. There were more important things to do.”

Their original plan had been to obtain the Emperor’s permission, dance while observing the room, and then release the curse. However, after their private audience with the Imperial couple, delaying it had become impossible.

‘This was the right way. Who could leisurely dance when there was a murderer to catch?’

Terdis felt a lingering regret, but seeing Leticia successfully avenge her mother made him content. That was what truly mattered. What bothered him now was that, despite her victory, Leticia looked profoundly sad.

“Why the long face? You caught the culprit. …Did you wish it wasn’t her?”

Leticia shook her head. She didn’t fully understand her own emotions.

“I don’t know. I just… I just miss my mom. Even though I don’t even know what she looks like…”

After Teresa’s death, Aaron had ordered all her belongings burned. Jewelry was sold off; her clothes, furniture, and even her portraits were destroyed. Teresa’s father, Marquis Bill Larqus, had begged for at least one portrait and managed to keep it, but it came at a price. Aaron had forbidden Bill from contacting his grandchildren in exchange for that single painting.

Marquis Bill Larqus hadn’t even attended this ball because of that contract with Aaron. While Aaron blocked Bill’s access, he hadn’t strictly forbidden the children from visiting him; Godfrey and Sebastian had gone to the Larqus estate privately to see the portrait. Leticia, however, had not. She had been too young to go alone, and by the age of twelve, she was sent to the Lyon estate.

“I keep feeling like I’m going to cry. It’s strange, isn’t it? I’m an adult now…”

Today was her birthday; she was officially an adult. It signified that the Tesseia Duchy would no longer decide her fate.

‘That’s why I broke the curse and revealed I’m not a bastard. I cleared my mother’s name and caught the criminal…’

“Tisha…”

Terdis reached out and pulled Leticia into an embrace. Since they were sitting side-by-side, it was an easy motion. Seeing her face stained with endless hot tears made him feel like his heart was breaking.

“I miss my mother sometimes too. She passed away when I was very young. It’s not strange to feel this way today, especially since you just avenged her.”

“You think so?”

“Of course. You did wonderfully. If your mother were here, she would have praised you and told you how well you’ve done.”

Leticia knew she shouldn’t be like this. Even though they were friends, she shouldn’t lean on Terdis or act spoiled. But right now, he was the only person she could rely on.

‘Molly took the other carriage too…’

Perhaps seeing that Leticia needed comforting, Molly had boarded the Lyons’ second carriage. Terdis and Leticia were alone. Leticia leaned her head against Terdis’s chest, comforted by the hand stroking her hair. She made excuses to herself—he wasn’t dating Isella yet, so… maybe just for a little while, it was okay.

***

By the time Carlyle finished speaking with the officials handling the case, an imperial attendant informed him that his family’s carriages had already left. Even though they had brought two, it seemed they were both gone.

‘Was it because Leticia wasn’t doing well?’

The attendant mentioned that the Palace could provide a carriage, but first, the Imperial couple wished to speak with him. The first part was an offer; the second was essentially an order. If the Emperor and Empress wanted to see him, he had to comply.

He followed the attendant to a room in the main palace. The Emperor and Empress seemed to have retired early from the ball due to the incident. Since the Crown Prince had also slipped away earlier, the ballroom atmosphere was likely subdued.

“I greet Your Imperial Majesties.”

The Emperor was barely hiding his good mood, while the Empress looked somewhat weary. The Emperor, being of a lighter temperament, was likely enjoying the scandal like any other noble. But the Empress…

‘I heard she cherished Duchess Tesseia.’

“Has that woman confessed anything?” Empress Grace asked first. She seemed shocked that a mere governess could curse a Duchess to death.

“Nothing yet. She seems to regret speaking so carelessly in the ballroom and is keeping her mouth shut.”

“You must find the mage behind this. I am deeply disturbed that such a thing could happen to a member of the Imperial family,” the Emperor added with a forced gravity. Carlyle nodded in agreement.

“The Tower Master has agreed to assist for that very reason.”

“…I have experts in these matters. I will have them take over,” the Empress said. Carlyle didn’t object. The “experts” she referred to were torturers.

Duchess Tesseia had been a high noble by birth and became part of the extended Imperial family by marriage. Torture was permitted for those who attempted to assassinate Imperial kin.

“Theresa’s daughter seems to have held up well… though the shock must be immense.”

Carlyle realized they must have watched the scene from their high dais. He spoke carefully.

“She will settle down now that the culprit is caught. I thank you once again for allowing this to take place during a major Imperial event.”

“Hmph… It was a crime against Imperial blood. The Imperial family must show grace when it comes to catching a criminal and clearing a Duchess’s name.”

“Comfort the girl well. The Lyon family is the only family she has left to lean on,” the Empress said.

“I will, Your Majesty.”

Carlyle took his leave after thanking them once more. He planned to take the offered Imperial carriage home.

‘This favor won’t come without a price later.’

He loosened his collar, worrying about Leticia. Though the heaviest shackle of her life had been removed today, the things she had lost would surely haunt her. Even if she had never met her mother, the longing for her would last a lifetime.

***

Leticia thought she would be able to sleep easily once she returned home. She looked at herself in the mirror, slowly removing her elaborate accessories. She felt she had done everything she needed to do.

‘I want to leave this place before Isella becomes the adopted daughter.’

She wanted to leave the capital and return to the Lyon fief. Even if her father and brothers were terrifying and uncomfortable, she didn’t want to watch them doting on a replacement for her.

‘No.’

In truth, she just didn’t want to lose Terdis, whom she had been close to for so long. Aaron and the three brothers were different from Terdis. He had been by her side for eight years, her only true friend.

Terdis was destined to meet and fall for Isella, so they shouldn’t go down to the fief yet. If she went back, Terdis would try to follow her. She had to stay until Isella appeared.

‘Since when did I start liking him like that?’

Leticia put on the nightgown her maid brought and climbed into bed. Carlyle hadn’t returned yet, but he had sent word for her to sleep first. She had already said goodnight to Terdis when they parted in the hall.

“Goodnight, my lady. You were… truly brave today.”

“Goodnight, Molly.”

The lights went out. As the maids left and closed the door, the room became pitch black. Leticia closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but eventually sat back up. She slipped into her slippers and walked to the balcony window.

“Only a few more days.”

She didn’t love Terdis yet. She liked him, but not romantically—or so she told herself. So everything was still okay. She imagined how things would change when Terdis fell for Isella. Carlyle, being a good man, would be flustered and might scold Terdis. As for Terdis… she didn’t know. Men could change completely when they fell in love.

‘If the engagement is broken, the Tesseias might tell me to come back.’

She was an adult now. It was her 20th birthday. Carlyle had mentioned the Church wanted her, but there was still no sign of divine power manifesting. Since her status was restored, it would be easy to find another fiancé. She was, fortunately, quite beautiful.

Tap, tap.

She flinched at the sound of someone knocking on the glass. Leticia pulled back the curtain and saw a familiar face on the balcony. She opened the door.

“Ter? Why are you here?”

“I had a feeling you weren’t sleeping.”

He wouldn’t have knocked if he thought she was in bed, but he had sensed her standing by the window.

“Can’t sleep? Are you… depressed?”

Leticia nodded. He was a large part of the reason for her melancholy, but she couldn’t tell him that.

“Then shall we go out? It’s not even midnight yet… and it’s your birthday. There’s a night market in the festival district right now. Let’s go see it.”

“Suddenly? The guards must have gone to rest…”

“Tisha. Have you forgotten who I am? I can protect one girl.”

Terdis gave a grin and pointed to himself with his thumb. Leticia realized she was being silly. A night market. This might be the first and last time she could go somewhere like this with him. Knowing that, she couldn’t refuse.

“Wait just a moment.”

She closed the balcony window and ran to her dressing room. It took less than ten minutes to change into something practical, though it likely felt longer for Terdis.

“You’re fast! Let’s go.”

Leticia wore riding trousers and a blouse for ease of movement, her long hair tied back. Her eyes widened as Terdis stepped close and wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Wh-why are you grabbing my waist…?”

“I’m going to carry you. We can’t be caught, so don’t scream.”

“What? Gasp!”

As if she weighed nothing, Terdis lifted her with one arm, hopped onto the balcony railing, and leaped down toward the trees below. Since her bedroom was on the third floor, Leticia swallowed a scream and clung to him tightly. Terdis chuckled inwardly.

“No need to be scared. I’ve got you.”

‘Like hell I’m not scared!’

As Terdis whispered while hanging from a thick branch with one arm, Leticia wanted to pinch his side. He kissed her forehead and leaped the rest of the way down to the ground. Even with the weight of two people, he landed effortlessly.

He didn’t let her go once they were in the garden, moving quickly to avoid the Lyon guards. He glanced at Leticia’s face; she was shivering, her arms locked around his neck.

‘She’s so cute, it’s actually getting dangerous.’

He licked his lips regretfully and held her with both arms to reassure her. Then, using only his leg strength, he kicked off a tree and cleared the high outer wall in a single bound.

‘Is this even possible?’

A Sword Master was clearly more incredible than the rumors suggested. Having cleared the wall, Terdis continued walking while still carrying her. He found her trembling form too precious to let go.

“Are… are we outside? Is it over?”

“Yeah. We’re out.”

His playful tone was annoying. She glared at him and looked around. The street lined with high noble estates was well-lit by mana-lamps. However, most people were still at the ball or in the festival district, leaving the street eerily quiet. Leticia suddenly felt embarrassed.

“Ter. Put me down now.”

“Only if you stop shaking. You’re still trembling, poor thing. I’d be in trouble if you tripped and fell.”

“I-I’m not shaking! I was just a little surprised.”

Despite her words, her heart was still racing from the jump from the third floor.

“Was it that scary? Sorry. I thought that was faster than using the hallways.”

“Next time, I’m taking the stairs.”

“Right, right. Let’s do that.”

Leticia glared at his adoring gaze. Once she felt her shaking subside, she held out her hand.

“I’m fine now. Put me down.”

“The festival district is a bit of a walk. Isn’t it easier to be carried?”

“It’s not! It’s embarrassing, so put me down!”

Since she was stubborn, Terdis reluctantly set her on her feet. He met her eyes and said, “Tell me if your legs hurt. If you don’t want to be carried, I’m happy to give you a piggyback ride!”

“I’m not that weak.”

Because they had traveled quite a distance while she was being carried, the festival district was closer than she thought. The patrol guards at the entrance to the noble district didn’t even ask for identification when they saw them walking out without a carriage. They likely assumed they were servants or messengers heading out late to play.

“There are so many people! Don’t wander away from me, Tisha.”

“I know.”

Terdis’s heart hammered against his ribs as her small, soft hand gripped his tightly. With a face he couldn’t hide his joy from, he led Leticia into the night market.

***

The carriage ride back from the imperial palace was suffocatingly silent. Sebastian found it strange that his father and brothers were all in the same carriage with him. Usually, Cesare would have taken his own, and his father as well. Sebastian, still reeling from his own secret prank, sat silently, avoiding their eyes. The sauce stains remained in his hair, but no one mentioned them.

“…What do you plan to do?” Cesare finally spoke, breaking the lack of oxygen in the air. Sebastian looked at his brother, impressed. He hadn’t had the courage to speak to his father in this mood.

Aaron looked at his eldest son with cold, hollow eyes. After a pause, he spoke. “We have to bring her back.”

“I think that is a bad idea,” Cesare countered.

It was obvious who they were talking about: Leticia. Now that they knew she was a legitimate daughter, it was natural to want her back. Sebastian looked shocked at Cesare’s disagreement, and Godfrey glanced at him sharply. Aaron seemed to flare with anger.

“And why is that?”

“She is an adult now. If we try to take her by force without an agreement from the Lyon family, we will face their backlash… and isn’t Leticia eventually going to marry Young Lord Lyon anyway?”

This was a perspective Aaron hadn’t considered.

“I don’t think we should trouble Leticia for the sake of our own greed. She will spend more of her life with the Lyons than she ever did with us.”

“But brother! If we leave it like this, we’ll be worse than strangers to her. She’s never going to come back to this family on her own,” Sebastian blurted out.

“Even so, we must ask for her forgiveness in this state—not by dragging her away from a family where she is living well.”

Sebastian made a face that said ‘As if that’ll work.’ If he were in Leticia’s shoes, he would run away the moment a member of this family showed their face.

“You can say that because you didn’t do anything that bad to her! Brother Godfrey, say something!”

At Sebastian’s prompting, Godfrey looked at his younger brother with a heavy face before looking down. “What could I possibly say? …I nearly killed her.”

“Brother! That… that was an accident.”

While it was inexcusable, it wasn’t as if Godfrey had intended to injure her to that extent. Sebastian viewed it as an unavoidable mishap.

“It’s true I didn’t push her intending for her to tumble down the stairs. But I can’t call it an accident.” Godfrey thought bitterly that he’d had years to apologize. Not sending a single letter or visiting her was his own choice.

“It took Leticia a long time to recover from those injuries. After all that struggle and effort to get healthy again… can I really stand before her and say ‘it was an accident, so forgive me’? Could you stay calm if someone said that to you?”

“That’s…”

Sebastian lost his words as his own actions flashed through his mind. He hadn’t told anyone, but he was the one who lured the servant into using the dogs. Cesare and his father likely knew. And after today… maybe Leticia knew too.

A heavy silence fell over the carriage again. Sebastian couldn’t imagine being on good terms with Leticia, but he felt a sense of injustice. If they had known the truth, they wouldn’t have grown so far apart. If they had just noticed the curse, they could have grown up as a normal family. Losing Leticia forever because of that woman who took their mother away was infuriating.

“Then what? Are we just going to give up on her? I don’t want to!” Sebastian looked at his father and brothers. “Why do only we have to be torn apart and hurt! It’s all because of that woman who cursed our house! I can’t accept this!”

“Why?” Cesare looked at Sebastian. “Because just because I am in pain doesn’t give me the right to hurt others. We all suffered from Mother’s death and we took that anger out on Leticia.”

Sebastian wanted to scream. No, it wasn’t like that! I would have been good to her if she wasn’t a bastard! But he couldn’t say it. His aimless rage after losing his mother would have had to go somewhere.

“Even if Mother had been unfaithful… we shouldn’t have treated Leticia like that. Even if we feel wronged now, we have to endure it.”

“Why?!”

“Because otherwise, Leticia has to be the one to endure! We can’t tell the person who suffered the most because of us to endure more just because we’re uncomfortable!”

At Cesare’s words, tears began to fall from Sebastian’s eyes again.

“I still hate it. I know you’re smart and right… but you’re only saying that because you’re confident you can get close to her! She used to follow you around!”

Sebastian remembered how Leticia used to hide around corners and sneak peeks at Cesare, just like she had sneaked peeks at his puppy. He didn’t know when she had stopped, but he thought she might soften toward Cesare. Unlike him or Godfrey, Cesare hadn’t physically scarred her.

Cesare’s face twisted in pain. He knew young Leticia had liked him. He was the one who had crushed that affection.

“I… I also wronged her.”

“What did you do? At most, you made a sarcastic comment or two.”

Cesare looked at Sebastian with a dark expression. It was shameful to admit, but the truth had to come out.

“When Leticia was six. I don’t remember what led to it, but she called me ‘Brother’ for the first time. It was the first and last time. …But I couldn’t stand it, so I slapped her across the face.”

The small child had tumbled to the floor and looked up at him. At the time, his own disgust had mattered more to him than the shocked, terrified child.

“I told her never to call me brother again. Since I’d just used violence, it was a threat. After that, she avoided even my shadow.”

“……”

‘Still better than me,’ Sebastian thought, but didn’t say it. He looked at Cesare cautiously. “You were only twelve back then, too.”

Cesare lowered his eyes, and Aaron sighed, running a hand through his hair. There seemed to be no answer to their relationship with Leticia.

As the carriage took a long detour to avoid the festival crowds, Godfrey caught a glimpse of something through the window. He thought he saw a girl who looked like Leticia.

‘Was it just an illusion?’

He looked again, but the figure had vanished into the crowd.

***

They looked at glass animal ornaments and toys for children. Led by Terdis’s hand, they picked out clocks of various shapes and music boxes. They tasted seasoned roasted potatoes and colorful butter cookies.

Even though they had eaten a light dinner before the ball, the night market snacks seemed endless. They bought a pair of matching bracelets and watched street performers in the square until the time flew by.

Since the fireworks were scheduled for the end of the ball, people were beginning to gather in the central square.

“I know a great spot,” Terdis said, leading Leticia away from the square. She thought he meant the bell tower in the middle of the city, but that place was surely already occupied.

“Where are we going?”

“Trust me!”

The fireworks were launched from a location between the Palace terrace and the central square. Terdis led her to the roof of a building in the luxury hotel district, slightly away from the main square.

She had been shocked when he first suggested it, but she eventually gave in to his persuasion and let him carry her. Climbing the roof was just like leaving the mansion—he held her with one arm and leaped upward. Leticia worried about being caught and branded as a thief, but they made it to the roof without being spotted by the patrol guards.

The buildings in the luxury hotel district weren’t as tall as the palace or the bell tower, but they were high enough to provide a perfect view of the sky. Reaching a flat section of the roof, Terdis set her down and told her to open her eyes.

Gasp.

Terdis’s face was so close as he looked down at her that her heart skipped a beat. But he just smiled and turned his gaze toward the surroundings as if nothing were wrong.

“See? You can see everything.”

The lights of the capital and the festival streets were visible below. It was a different kind of beauty than the city nightscapes she had seen in her previous life.

“I think it’s starting.”

Terdis whispered as a drum sounded in the distance. They turned their gaze toward the sky between the palace and the square.

Whistle… Boom!

The first firework soared high into the air, exploding into red and gold. Leticia’s eyes widened at the sight.

“Wow…”

She felt the sound of the explosions against her skin. The world brightened with every burst, then dimmed, only to be lit again by the next rocket.

“Let’s watch them together on the last day of the festival, too.”

The Spring Festival always ended with fireworks, just like it began. Leticia nodded in response.

***

They successfully descended from the rooftops without being caught and were lucky enough to find a stray carriage to take them back to the district where the Lyon estate was located.

To avoid the gatekeepers, they got off early and sent the coachman away. The walk back, hand in hand, was delightful. The streetlights were bright, and both were still buzzing with the lingering excitement of the festival.

Terdis was conflicted. His reason whispered that now was not the time. Leticia had achieved something massive today—she had caught the one who cursed her mother—but it wasn’t over. There would be a trial, a sentence, and a period of emotional recovery. Until then, even if it felt finished, it wasn’t truly finished.

‘So I have to wait! That’s what a good man would do! But…’

Leticia was always beautiful, but tonight, glowing with the joy of the festival, she seemed to practically sparkle. His affection, hidden for eight years, had swelled beyond its limits, poking at his ribs relentlessly.

Confess! Just confess! Now is the chance!

‘No, no! You’ve spent years pretending everything was fine.’

It hadn’t even been a month since he gained perfect control over the Pashanoi curse. While Leticia clearly seemed to like his face…

‘No. We’re engaged, and the contract between our families says we marry as soon as we’re adults…’

Maybe now was the right time? Perhaps Leticia was actually waiting for it? Unable to endure the fluttering in his chest, Terdis decided to take the leap.

“Tisha.”

At his serious tone, Leticia looked up at him. Just that simple gaze made his heart tremble so much he momentarily lost his speech.

“What is it?”

At her tilted head and curious expression, Terdis clutched his chest and held up a palm.

“W-wait. Let me just… take a deep breath.”

‘A deep breath?’

After steadying his breathing, Terdis took both of Leticia’s hands in his. His face was growing increasingly red.

‘…Hmm? This feels like that. He’s about to do “that,” isn’t he?’

Leticia realized what was happening, but she couldn’t think of a way to evade the moment. Besides, her primary prejudice—that a male protagonist like Terdis would never feel that way about her—interfered. She told herself she was probably imagining “the mood.” Consequently, she didn’t stop him from opening his mouth.

“You know I like you, right?”

Leticia smiled brightly. She felt instant relief, thinking this was just their usual friendly banter.

“Of course.”

“N-no, I’m not talking as a friend. We’re engaged, but until I returned to my original form, it wasn’t… this kind of atmosphere.”

Terdis had always looked at her that way, but he had intentionally kept his distance. He felt it was selfish to ask her to accept him when he was cursed.

“The truth is, I’ve liked you for a long time. I wanted to tell you… and I want to marry you. I know it’s already a settled matter, but I want your permission. Our marriage was something the adults decided on their own, wasn’t it?”

“……”

‘Why am I rambling?’

Terdis felt flustered, realizing his confession wasn’t coming out nearly as smoothly as he had planned.

Leticia was terrified by how much happier these words made her than she expected. She feared she might have already fallen for him. For the past few days, she had told herself her heart was just fluttering because of his handsome, refined face.

“So what I’m saying is… I like you, and I want to marry you. You’ve never once given me an answer when I said I liked you before.”

Terdis pulled her hands gently toward him.

“I really like you, Tisha. What about you? Can I believe your heart is the same as mine?”

“I…”

His blue eyes looked almost black in the darkness of the street. Leticia closed her eyes, trying to snap herself out of it.

“I… won’t marry you.”

She tried to pull her hands away, but Terdis hurriedly gripped them tighter.

“Why?! You like me too, don’t you?”

Leticia’s face flushed at his certain tone. Because it was true. If he had still been in his previous form, she wouldn’t have been able to reject him so easily, but now it was different. The current Terdis could marry anyone he wanted. She thought that even if she rejected him, he wouldn’t be truly hurt.

Opening her eyes, she looked away from his face and spoke.

“Marrying me has no meaning for you. I’m… a Tesseia in name only. I have no confidence that I can reconcile with those people. They’ll eventually give up on me out of exhaustion, and I won’t have any value as a political marriage partner…”

“Tisha.”

Terdis looked at her with absolute gravity. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Seeing her beautiful face crumble, he realized there had to be another reason.

“I would have married you even if you weren’t a Tesseia. The one I like is you, Tisha.”

‘But.’

Terdis took a step closer to the silent Leticia. She knew she should shake off the hands holding hers, but she didn’t want to.

‘The story has already diverged from the original. Terdis returning to his true form was partly thanks to me. So… Could I just keep him for myself without pushing him away?’

Greed bubbled up within her, making her want to cry. She had read so many stories of villainesses who met their end because of such greed. She wondered if wanting Terdis made her no different from the original villainess Leticia.

“You don’t have to think about political marriages. Just… like me, Tisha.”

“I can’t.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them. Terdis looked panicked.

“Why… why can’t you like me?”

“No. It’s not that…”

Leticia quickly tried to organize her thoughts. Since she had searched for hundreds of reasons why they couldn’t work, they came to her easily.

“Ter, you only like me right now because I’m the only girl your age who’s been by your side. Your situation has changed… you’ll have so many other choices. A moment will come when our engagement feels like a shackle. So…”

“Who told you that?”

His face turned menacingly dark in an instant, making Leticia shake her head. But Terdis was already convinced someone had put these thoughts into her head. There were many who looked down on Leticia as a bastard, and now that his curse was gone, people would surely try to pull them apart.

“It’s not true. This heart won’t change. I’ve never even thought about other women! I like you!”

“Y-you don’t know that for sure! If you grow to like someone else, then… then what do I do?”

Terdis reacted immediately to her slipped truth.

“Is that what you’re afraid of? That I’ll like someone else? Because I’ve become too handsome?”

“Huh? No…”

While Terdis was indeed one of the top two most handsome men in this world’s setting, Leticia hadn’t said that. She faltered, but Terdis’s thoughts were already racing ahead.

“Then it’s settled! I’ll always stay right by your side. Watch me for the rest of your life to see if I cheat. It’ll only ever be you, Tisha!”

“What? No, that’s not… and how can a person watch someone always?”

“You can just put a guard on me! I’ll follow anyone you choose. I’m telling you, I’m not the type of man to stray.”

“I…”

Terdis suddenly pulled the flustered Leticia into a hug. At the sudden proximity, Leticia’s heart dropped, then began to thrum violently.

“You like me.”

“N-no.”

“Look at me properly. Look into my eyes and tell me you hate me.”

When a person sees something they hate, their face stiffens, their features twist, and their pupils contract. Leticia, looking up at him with a pained expression, showed none of those signs.

‘As I thought, she likes me!’

He was certain that her time at Tesseia estate had eroded her confidence. He understood those feelings well. The old Terdis was exactly like that. Before returning to his original form, he had been terrified of even holding her hand, fearing she would find him repulsive.

“I…”

She needed to say no, but the words felt stuck in her throat. Leticia was afraid her own “shameless greed” was holding them back.

“I really… like you so, so much, Tisha. I won’t let you be anxious. Trust my heart.”

Terdis leaned down and whispered to her. Leticia felt like she was going to burst into tears. There were only a few weeks left until Isella appeared. After the Spring Festival ended, Duke Tesseia would go to the provinces to clear his head and bring back Isella. She would appear in a month or two at the latest.

‘When will Ter fall for Isella? The moment he finds out she exists? Or will it happen slowly?’

She didn’t want to expect anything, but it was also true that she was growing to like Terdis more and more. She wondered which would be more painful: giving up on him now, or giving up after being betrayed.

‘Even if Ter’s heart changes… I won’t act like the original Leticia.’

Because she knew how that battle ended. She would choose to give up and step away quietly. Terdis and the Tesseia Duchy weren’t her entire world.

‘Even so…’

She found she didn’t want to lose him. She wanted to keep everyone at the Lyon estate and Terdis by her side forever.

“Then if you start liking someone else, you have to tell me immediately. Hiding it hurts more.”

“I told you, that won’t happen.”

“Swear it.”

At her serious request, Terdis frowned slightly but looked her in the eye.

“Fine. I swear. If I ever like another woman, I’ll tell you first. And Tisha… it’s impossible for you to like another man besides me, but if there’s ever a guy who makes your heart flutter, tell me.”

“Okay…”

“I’ll kill him.”

He said it with a bright smile, but it didn’t sound like a joke. When Leticia looked at him suspiciously and asked, “You’re joking, right?” Terdis just laughed.

“Now, let’s kiss.”

“What?”

“Don’t ‘what’ me. We’re engaged! And we like each other! I’ve held back for eight years!”

‘Eight years? Does that mean since he was twelve?’

Leticia shouted in disbelief.

“Twelve-year-olds don’t think like that!”

“I’m an adult now, so I can think about it! Actually, I wanted to beg you for a kiss the day I returned to my original form, but I held it in!”

Terdis pulled her even closer. She was already in his arms, but as he clung to her begging for a kiss, her heart felt like it was going to fail.

‘Aaaaah!’

“Even if we marry next year, it’s too late! We’re fiances! Let me… do you hate kissing me that much?”

Terdis pressed his cheek against Leticia’s and looked into her eyes. Feeling like her heart was about to explode, Leticia squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face away.

‘Ugh… so cute. I can’t take it.’

“Hmm? Leticia…”

“I-I don’t hate it. Since I don’t hate it, just…”

Her heart was pounding so hard she felt someone was about to die.

‘And that person would be me!’

Peck.

Leticia flinched and looked at Terdis as he kissed the corner of her mouth. He was looking at her with a flushed face. Then he closed his eyes.

‘Come to think of it, I…’

She had said she didn’t hate kissing him.

‘Wait?!’

In the moment her heart seemed to stop, Terdis’s lips pressed against hers. Feeling her heart racing like a wild animal, she felt his lips part and his tongue begin to push in.

“Tisha… you have to open your mouth to kiss.”

At the hint of laughter in his voice, a surge of irritation hit her. The moment she opened her mouth to say something, his soft tongue slipped inside.

‘Hic?!’

Including her past life memories, this certainly wasn’t her first kiss. But at this moment, those memories were wiped clean, and she couldn’t think of anything.

‘Ah! Aaaah!’

Unable to endure the tension, she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling Terdis’s fingers brush her cheek. As his tongue wrapped moistly and explored her mouth, she felt like an embarrassing sound might escape her.

‘No, this is really strange!’

Terdis peered at her through narrowed eyes. She was even cuter than he had imagined, and his own chest felt like it might burst.

‘That face is cheating, Tisha.’

He held her chin to stop her from turning away and hurriedly calmed his own racing, aggressive impulses. He wanted to kiss her gently, but a part of him wanted to claim her mouth greedily.

‘First. Since it’s the first time…’

When their lips finally parted with an embarrassing sound, Leticia’s face was scarlet. Even though he saw her dazed eyes from inches away—or perhaps because of them—it was hard to suppress his greed.

“Tisha.”

Terdis looked into her pale blue eyes and whispered hotly.

“Let’s do it again.”

Her reply was swallowed by his lips.

***

The way back was lit only by streetlamps, but it was purely heart-fluttering. Leticia crossed the wall in Terdis’s arms just as they had left, and it was the same as they climbed back to her room.

“Tisha, if you look at me like that, I won’t be able to hold back.”

“Wh-what do you mean ‘like that’?”

Her clear, round eyes were looking up at him with an adoring, lovely gaze. It was the look of someone in love, making Terdis’s heart pound as hard as hers.

Every time Terdis saw that look, he kissed her. In the darkness of the garden, and even on her balcony, he was relentless. Leticia’s mind was filled with excitement and palpitations. For this moment, the fear of Isella and the changes she would bring didn’t surface. There was only Terdis.

The kiss on the balcony was particularly persistent and long. Even after Leticia was left staring at him with a dazed face, Terdis hesitated, not letting her go for a long time.

‘Like this…’

He wanted to take Leticia to his bedroom. Or take himself into hers. But he knew he shouldn’t.

‘It’s the first day after the confession.’

No matter how cute she was, there was a sequence to things. Leticia needed time to prepare herself emotionally.

“Goodnight, Tisha. …I hope I appear in your dreams.”

“Me too.”

She wasn’t sure if the thought had come out of her mouth, but she realized it had when she saw Terdis’s surprised face. As Leticia’s face instantly reddened, Terdis laughed happily.

“Yeah. I’ll dream of you too. If you don’t dream of me, I’ll come find you…”

Terdis showered her forehead and cheeks with kisses, gave her one final kiss on the lips, and pulled back. With a gesture telling her to go in, Leticia opened the door. Looking back through the gap, she saw him.

I’m going.

Terdis mouthed the words and hopped over the terrace railing. Leticia almost went back out to the balcony, but realizing he was gone, she closed the door.

“Haaa…”

Her heart was still beating wildly. Leaning against the window, she thought of the kiss. It all felt so strange.

‘Was Terdis always like this?’

The Terdis in the novel and the game was a refined type. He could be mischievous, but he was more of a gentlemanly suitor when dealing with Isella. The current Terdis wasn’t ungentlemanly, but he felt like a spoiled young master at times.

‘Well, the original Terdis didn’t return to his true form until he was 23…’

In the original, he spent his youth without hope or promise. It was only natural that he was more gloomy and pessimistic than he was now. The current Terdis was a confident young man who felt certain he was loved. While it would be a lie to say there were no shadows in his heart, he clearly knew himself.

Leticia moved away from the window and into the dressing room. While she feared the hope growing within her, she felt she could expect a change. The original Terdis and her Terdis were different people.

She took a deep sigh, went into the bathroom, and showered. She felt certain she would sleep deeply.

***

A dream? No, that is the Goddess’s Star.

He was looking up at the sky. Countless stars were shining in the black night sky, but none were as brilliant as the stars representing the gods. Even unconsciously, he was searching for the star of the Goddess he served. It was normally one of the brightest, but today it was even more radiant.

…What is this?

The starlight intensified, and a single streak of light flowed out from the Goddess’s Star toward the ground. He watched blankly as the light, shot like a shooting star, flew toward the continent, then the capital, then toward the district of noble estates.

He recognized the roof of that mansion. Having visited several times, there was no way he wouldn’t. The light fell unhesitatingly onto a certain roof of that estate. He could clearly perceive that it passed through the roof to reach someone.

Inside the window, a divine light exploded, leaking out like a shimmering fog. Divine power was overflowing.

“Gasp?!”

Orlando snapped his eyes open and looked at the approaching light of dawn. The world beyond the thin curtains was brightening.

‘A dream… this is a revelation that a Saintess has manifested!’

Orlando believed that this was more than a metaphor—there were likely others who witnessed it. The manifestation of a Saintess usually accompanied such sightings.

‘It was the Lyon estate!’

On the second day of the Spring Festival, a Saintess manifested. This was not only auspicious but signaled that the empire would be prosperous. He kicked off his blankets and stood up. There was no time to delay. He had to prepare to welcome the Saintess.

***

The sentries clearly saw the holy light, describing a large semi-circle, fall upon the Lyon estate. The light fell onto a certain roof, witnessed by the Lyon guards and the gatekeepers who were awake in the middle of the night.

The spot where the light fell was the bedroom where the Tesseia daughter was sleeping. It was as if the light had fallen directly onto her; holy light could be seen filling the room even from outside the window.

The light stayed with her for an hour without vanishing, but Leticia, unaware, was in a deep sleep. Inside the house, people came down in shock. Terdis and Carlyle, realizing the light overflowing the house was leaking from Leticia’s bedroom, went straight there.

“Wait! It’s the lady’s bedroom!”

It was Molly who stopped the two men from immediately opening the door, fearing danger. Someone with divine power could be certain this light wasn’t dangerous, but the two of them were half-doubting.

Tap, tap…

“My lady…”

As Molly opened the door, they could see the bedroom filled with a faint, shimmering light. The strongest glow was leaking from the bed where Leticia lay.

“…Mol…ly?”

With a sound like a sigh, Leticia opened her eyes. She frowned in confusion, then her eyes went wide as she discovered the light around her—no, she discovered *herself* emitting the light.

‘What is this?!’

What she had hoped for was a low or mid-level Saintess-level divine power, not this massive divine power with such flamboyant effects.

She had never possessed mana or divine power, but she could feel it now. A massive amount of divine power filling her up. At the same time, she could feel the power of Terdis’s mana. She had known intellectually that he had become a Sword Master, but actually feeling his power was a different matter. It felt like a great mountain itself had become a living human and was moving.

But more importantly!

“T-Ter is at the door?!”

“Yes, and the Duke.”

“W-wait! Tell them not to come in!”

She threw on a gown, but feeling that wasn’t enough, she scrambled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Molly followed to attend to her, looking at her carefully.

“My lady, is your body okay?”

“I feel fine… except for having divine power.”

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t happy, but she had a feeling that something troublesome was about to happen.

***

“Leticia, are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Leticia’s physical condition was the primary concern for everyone in the household, including Molly, Carlyle, and Terdis. A physician residing at the Lyon estate even came to examine her personally.

Carlyle felt that what was bound to happen had finally arrived.

‘Since there were no signs until she turned twenty, I had hoped High Priest Orlando was mistaken.’

It was known that a Saintess typically manifests between the ages of sixteen and twenty, awakening to divine power by twenty-two at the latest. There was an exceptional case of a Saintess manifesting at thirty-seven, but that was only one person.

“M-Master! You need to come outside!”

At the servant’s panicked call, Carlyle stood up. Terdis was by Leticia’s side, clinging to her even now, so she would be fine.

As he stepped out of the room, the servant wiped away cold sweat and spoke.

“Members of the Great Temple are lined up in front of the house. The butler is currently holding them back, but High Priest Orlando is…”

It seemed he had arrived leading the Holy Knights of the Great Temple to claim the Saintess. Carlyle gritted his teeth and held his head. He knew that man would cause a scene. Both children were twenty, and since the families had promised they would marry as soon as they reached adulthood, Orlando must have been feeling desperate.

‘Hardly anyone works as a Saintess after marriage.’

The woman who manifested at thirty-seven was a prime example. She was already a mother of two when the nearby temple came for her, but she refused because her children were young. Though she eventually entered the temple after a bitter divorce, most chose to retire as a Saintess upon marriage.

‘If one works as a Saintess at the temple, they mostly remain single until their late thirties, marrying only after retiring from the position. I cannot let my son remain single until he is nearly forty!’

There was the option of Terdis giving up on Leticia, but unless she herself said she disliked him, Carlyle had no intention of losing her to the temple.

Hurrying down to the entrance hall, Carlyle found Orlando arguing with the butler and struggled to maintain his composure. It was dawn. He knew the man was the type to barge in even in the middle of the night, but his irritation flared nonetheless.

“High Priest Orlando. Are you aware of how exceedingly early it is?”

“Forgive my rudeness, Duke Lyon. I had no choice but to come after receiving a revelation of the Goddess’s divine light touching this house. Where is the Saintess?”

He glanced behind Carlyle as if Leticia ought to have emerged right then. Carlyle donned his public mask, reminding himself to stay patient. Hostility with the Church was foolish. He assumed Orlando felt the same, as the name of House Lyon carried significant weight.

“Considering the hour, she is exactly where you’d expect.”

At the indirect confirmation that she was in her bedroom, Orlando spoke in a deliberately solemn voice.

“We must escort her to the temple, Duke. Do not forget that she is a Saintess.”

“She is my son’s fiancée. Moreover, she is a child currently receiving bridal lessons in my home ahead of her marriage.”

Orlando looked at Carlyle with an air of pity, as if he were a child trying to outrun an inescapable fate. Carlyle was annoyed but forced himself to hide it. He felt he knew exactly what the man was thinking.

“Has the curse on the Saintess not already been broken? Surely she now knows the secret you have been hiding from her?”

‘Ho-ho… Dear me.’

As expected, Orlando seemed to believe Carlyle had been hiding “that fact” from Leticia. Since Carlyle had prevented her from speaking alone with anyone from the temple after Orlando made that disgusting proposal, the Priest seemed certain of it.

‘The High Priest seems poorly informed about high society rumors. I suppose it’s inevitable for a priest of the pure Order.’

“Let me meet the Saintess. If not, I will tell her the truth—that you knew all along she was Duke Tesseia’s biological daughter and hid it from her.”

Watching Orlando fumble like this was almost amusing, but Carlyle knew he needed to get rid of this unpleasant visitor.

“High Priest. While living a life of integrity as a clergyman is important… sometimes one must listen to the news of the outside world.”

He looked at Orlando with a cold expression.

“Tell my prospective daughter-in-law whatever you wish the next time you have the chance. A child who is like my own daughter must rest until late afternoon, so please leave. The exit is that way.”

“I will escort you out,” the butler added, not missing a beat. Orlando’s mouth hung open.

“Duke! You are making a mistake! I could run to Duke Tesseia right this instant!”

Because the threshold of House Tesseia was so low? Knowing that Aaron would be even more desperate to stop what Orlando was trying to do, Carlyle couldn’t help but snort. Meanwhile, the servants were already guiding the High Priest out. Gritting his teeth and forgetting his dignity, Orlando stormed out of the mansion.

***

‘What a bothersome man.’

High Priest Orlando seemed to have returned to the Great Temple, but the knights remained, guarding the front of the Lyon estate. They weren’t besieging the place, likely because Leticia wasn’t being held against her will.

‘They probably wish she were being confined.’

What worried Carlyle was that he couldn’t stop the news from spreading. When he sent people to check the rumors outside, it turned out most of the sentries on the city walls at dawn had seen the light. Only those who had been dozing off had missed it.

Even if Leticia were just the daughter of a Marquis, this would be alarming news, but since she was the legitimate daughter of Duke Tesseia, the Imperial Family was likely to view her in a different light.

‘A six-year age gap is significant… but they’ll think it’s not insurmountable.’

The problem was that Duke Tesseia had handed most of his guardian rights over to Carlyle. While it might not mean much since Leticia was already an adult, the empire could make it an issue if they ignored that and tried to change the marriage arrangements at will.

‘My biggest fear is Aaron making a deal with the Imperial Family regarding Leticia’s marriage!’

Carlyle was confident that his son, Terdis, was the best groom in the empire—except for Cesare—but he couldn’t be so sure if the name of Crown Prince Edward entered the fray. No matter how high the status of Young Duke Lyon, it couldn’t override the imperial name. Of course, considering the responsibility and weight a Empress carries, it wasn’t a position one would simply welcome.

Carlyle headed to Leticia’s room, thinking her will was the most important factor. He expected to hear the children chatting, but the room was surprisingly quiet.

“Duke…”

Molly, standing at the door, spoke in a hushed tone as if telling him to be quiet and slightly opened the door to show him the inside.

Clearly, they were exhausted from yesterday’s events, and the hour was far too early. Leticia and Terdis were asleep on the sofa, leaning their heads against each other. With Terdis seemingly embracing her and Leticia resting her head on his shoulder, they looked incredibly close. Carlyle nodded with a warm smile, and Molly silently closed the door. It seemed fine to leave them be until morning.

***

The news of Leticia reached the Imperial Family. Hearing the news early in the morning, the Emperor doubted his ears, but after confirming it was true, he lamented the missed opportunity.

“Now that it’s revealed she’s Duke Tesseia’s biological daughter, she is not beneath our Edward in status. A Saintess is more than qualified to become the Crown Princess… What a waste, truly a waste.”

“She is already Young Duke Lyon’s fiancée and has spent eight years in House Lyon. While it is regrettable, what can be done?”

The situation might have been different if Edward were the heir to a Duchy or Marquisate, but he was the Crown Prince. He couldn’t simply steal a lady who was already another family’s fiancée and had received training for eight years. It was a matter of dignity, and the Imperial Family couldn’t afford the scandal of stealing another house’s fiancée.

Moreover, House Lyon was one of the pillars supporting the Empire along with House Tesseia. They couldn’t afford to antagonize that family just because Leticia was such a prize.

“But aren’t they both just children anyway? The Tesseia Lady has only just reached adulthood… If we persuade Duke Tesseia and align our stories…”

“Have you forgotten what happened eight years ago when the Lady suffered that major accident? Duke Tesseia no longer has the authority to decide her whereabouts.”

“Ah, right. That’s how it was. …Oh, dear.”

The Emperor let out a deep sigh at the fact that they were truly out of options. Duke Aaron Tesseia likely hadn’t imagined it, but the Imperial Family hadn’t known this would happen when they permitted that arrangement. Both Dukes had agreed to it at the time.

“Furthermore, the Crown Prince won’t like it. He’ll think she isn’t worth antagonizing House Lyon for.”

“Ugh… Fine. But it really is a shame…”

The Emperor seemed to be imagining making Leticia, the Saintess, the Crown Princess to gain an advantage in negotiations with the Church. The Empress wasn’t without similar greed, but…

‘She is Theresa’s daughter. I couldn’t help her on her path, so I should at least help her with this one thing.’

Unless Leticia herself favored the Crown Prince, the Empress had no intention of cooperating in making the girl unhappy for the sake of Imperial gain.

As breakfast was ending, a servant entered the dining room looking apologetic. Since tea and dessert were just being served, the Empress looked puzzled. It was rare for anyone to interrupt the Emperor and Empress’s meals.

“What is it?”

“Your Majesties… Duke Tesseia is waiting, saying he has an important matter to discuss.”

At the servant’s words, the Emperor’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he looked at the Empress. The Empress began to feel a headache coming on.

***

Edward’s head started throbbing the moment the talk of a Crown Princess came up. The servant spoke excitedly.

“The capital is already buzzing with stories about the Tesseia Lady!”

“I’m sure. Yesterday it was revealed she’s Duke Tesseia’s biological child, and today she’s a Saintess.”

Edward made a troubled face, anticipating his father’s reaction even if he couldn’t imagine his mother’s. It wasn’t that he disliked Leticia or had another lady in mind.

‘Leticia is beautiful. She’s beautiful, but…’

The problem was the terrifying fiancé by her side. Being married to Cesare’s sister and subject to his chilling surveillance was scary enough, but stealing Young Duke Lyon’s fiancée and earning his grudge was also fearsome.

‘I believe my greatest quality as a Crown Prince is my eye for people.’

Young Duke Lyon disguised himself with a beautiful face and a cheerful personality, but he was a man with a twisted core. It was understandable. Transforming that way physically was not an easy thing to handle. He had lived like that for over a decade, receiving contempt from others. Even if he knew it wouldn’t be permanent from around the third year, it was enough to make anyone bitter.

If not for his devoted father, Edward thought the Young Duke might have committed suicide long ago. Despite appearing bold, he had quite a sensitive personality. Leticia was the one who had stayed by his side like a friend for eight years.

While it sounded easy, it was incredibly difficult. Even older ladies were prone to screaming and fainting, and children have expressions they can’t help but reveal. Because of that, the obsession the Young Duke showed toward Leticia was extraordinary. The good-natured Duke Lyon probably hadn’t even noticed. Leticia seemed the same.

‘To take Leticia from him…’

He would have to kill Terdis de Lyon. If not, his own life wouldn’t be safe. But who in the world could kill him? He was said to be protected by something like a Dragon’s Spirit or a Sword Spirit from legends. No matter how valuable Leticia was, it was a foolish move that was too dangerous to even attempt.

‘And… if I handle him, there’s another problem.’

He was afraid of how Cesare would react, but Duke Tesseia and his two other sons were equally headache-inducing. Only Young Duke Lyon could handle such things; Edward had no desire to. He was already overwhelmed with his duties as Crown Prince.

‘I should look for a suitable lady to use as a shield.’

***

To Carlyle or the servants, the two engaged children might have looked like they were taking a pleasant nap, but a storm was raging inside Terdis.

‘I’ve finally managed to stand by Leticia’s side.’

He woke up and gazed intently at Leticia’s face as she slept in his arms. While becoming a Saintess seemed like something to be celebrated, as the Young Duke, he knew what would happen next.

‘The Temple and the Imperial Family will try to use Tisha to achieve their own goals.’

He didn’t know what the Crown Prince would do, but the Temple was certain. Seeing that they had openly stationed the Holy Knights at the front gate of House Lyon. Anyone among the high nobility knew that the lives of past Saintesses weren’t very happy. They could even become Empress when their divine power was strong, but as it waned, they were treated poorly. Leticia was a Tesseia, so it wouldn’t go that far, but it was clear she shouldn’t be lost to either side.

Neither the life of a Saintess nor that of an Empress was what Leticia desired. If she were someone who wanted power, she wouldn’t have said she wouldn’t marry him.

‘So… I will protect Tisha.’

But how?

The only method that immediately came to Terdis’s mind was moving up the wedding. No matter how much authority the Temple had, they couldn’t insist on making a married woman a Saintess. The Imperial Family was the same. Since they would want Leticia as a Saintess and given the Crown Prince’s dignity, they would surely stay away from a married Leticia. The problem was…

‘The Temple presides over weddings.’

While it was unlikely any priest would dare refuse to officiate a wedding for House Lyon, it was possible for High Priest Orlando or the Temple to interfere.

Then…

‘Should I make it so they have no choice but to officiate?’

He didn’t even consider getting Leticia pregnant before marriage. That would only make her anxious. For her, who was already afraid of being abandoned by him, suggesting they have a child before marriage was practically an act of violence.

‘Even a priest must have one or two things they value… and they surely have material desires.’

Kidnapping, torture, and threats were cards he shouldn’t use immediately, but he had no intention of ruling them out entirely. After all, the methods those people used weren’t exactly righteous either.

“Mmm…”

At Leticia’s faint breathing, Terdis’s hardened expression softened. He pulled her closer into his arms and gently rubbed his lips against her temple.

“Tisha, are you awake?”

“Ter…”

Her sleep-laden voice was so lovely that the corners of Terdis’s mouth twitched upward. Leticia rubbed her eyes, looked at Terdis, and gave a faint, relieved smile.

“I had… a strange dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“A dream where… the High Priest came looking for me, and Holy Knights… were outside the house. Telling me I’m a Saintess.”

‘That wasn’t a dream.’

According to Terdis’s senses, the Holy Knights were still waiting near the main gate of the Lyon estate. It was likely on the High Priest’s orders. A sort of protest demanding they hand over the Saintess. Leticia’s expression crumpled at Terdis’s bitter smile.

“…It wasn’t a dream?”

“No. Tisha, do you want to be a Saintess?”

At Terdis’s careful question, Leticia sighed. She had wanted to be a priestess, but she had no desire for the position of a Saintess.

“I’ve thought about wanting to be a priestess… but I don’t want to be a Saintess. You go where the Temple wants you, pour out your strength, and when you get older and your divine power wanes, they marry you off to wherever they arrange.”

She was a Tesseia, so it wouldn’t go that far for her, but it was obvious she would be manipulated under the yoke of being a Saintess.

“I don’t want to live like that.”

Looking at Leticia as she spoke calmly about the reality of being a Saintess, a method came to mind. It was a very simple method, hardly even a clever scheme.

“…There aren’t many ways to escape the Temple, Tisha. They are persistent. If Duke Tesseia uses even the Imperial Family to try and get you back, you might eventually be forced to become a Saintess.”

Terdis explained carefully to the wide-eyed Leticia.

“If Duke Tesseia brings the Imperial Family to his side, he’ll promise to give you to the Crown Prince as his bride. What the Imperial Family wants is ‘you’ as a Saintess. If that happens, it will be hard to avoid becoming one.”

“Ugh…”

Leticia hated the thought. To become a Saintess, one had to be interviewed and recognized by the High Priest or the Pope, but they also had to receive training for a year. That meant there would be time for her to fall completely into the Temple’s grasp.

‘The Temple will probably use every means to brainwash me during that time!’

Punishments in the Temple were basically confinement and fasting. While physical strikes weren’t allowed, she knew they were done secretly depending on the personality of the High Priest managing the temple. Since they would be desperate to brainwash her, she had to be prepared for them to use the worst methods. Who would know if they hit her and then healed her with divine power!

‘Publicly, I’m a Lady in a delicate position, so it’s entirely possible!’

“Even if you run, it’s not easy to escape the net of the Temple, the Imperial Family, and House Tesseia. Their pursuit will be relentless.”

I know. I know, and that’s why I haven’t even thought of trying yet.

“…There is one quick and certain way to escape all of that.”

“If you’re talking about marriage, it’s impossible. The Temple presides over weddings. The Church can just order any priest or priestess not to officiate our wedding.”

“So… let’s run away in secret and get married.”

‘Huh?’

While Leticia blinked slowly a couple of times, Terdis seemed to be staring at her without even blinking once. She looked at him with a startled face.

“R-run away?”

“Yes. Some people go to a temple and get married on the same day. Let’s do that. We can have a formal ceremony with everyone later.”

It was indeed a possible method. It would take time for the news of her being a Saintess to reach the countryside. It was possible if they had the ceremony before this festival ended.

‘When the festival ends, people from all over the Empire will return home. News about me will probably spread then, too.’

The Temple likely hadn’t sent out any official documents preparing for their marriage yet. An order not to officiate was essentially not a normal thing.

‘But… marriage with Terdis.’

Leticia, who wasn’t sure if the future where he meets Isella and falls for her had been completely derailed, couldn’t readily agree.

‘But! I can’t just keep hesitating. Aaron might have already moved forward with talks with the Imperial Family…!’

For her, it was definitely Terdis, but she didn’t know about Isella. Leticia thought she had to prepare for the case where she was a game possessor rather than a novel character, aiming for an “All Clear” or Crown Prince ending. Being a Duchess and then getting divorced was better; if she were a Crown Princess and then got divorced or kicked out, a harsher and more difficult life would await her.

‘Edward… he’s handsome, but six years older and a friend of Cesare—no thanks!’

“If I say I’ll do it…”

“We should leave right now. I’ll tell the plan only to my father and go immediately. Is there a city you want to go to?”

At Terdis’s question, Leticia happened to think of that city. The city where the original novel and game begin, where Aaron discovers Isella.

“Ra-Rahvain.”

“Rahvain? Got it. Let’s go there.”

Terdis, unaware of her inner thoughts, spoke as he kissed Leticia’s forehead. Rahvain was a small city with a temple that had a long history.

“Wait here. I’ll go talk to my father.”

Leticia nodded as she watched Terdis get up. Her heart raced at the thought that she might meet Isella there. How foolish and silly of her. She had agreed to marry him but was trying to face the original heroine to check his reaction.

‘I can’t live my whole life in constant anxiety.’

She suppressed her heart with a mix of anticipation and fear. Her heart was still beating rapidly.

***

“…I wish for my rights as her father to be restored.”

That was, as expected, Duke Tesseia’s demand. While he had relinquished those rights as the price for covering up Godfrey’s grave misconduct, his argument was that the situation had now changed.

Grace glanced at the Emperor’s face; he wore an expression of deep calculation, pondering how to manipulate this to the Imperial Family’s advantage. Grace’s eyes narrowed.

‘How foolish.’

No matter what greed they harbored, it would only be possible if Leticia complied. Her engagement to the Young Duke of Lyon had only been possible because she was twelve at the time. Even at that young age, she had maneuvered to ensure that Duke Tesseia could no longer interfere in her life as the price for covering her second brother’s flaws. Now that she was an adult, her resistance would likely be far greater.

After all, she was the “daughter who was unfairly treated as illegitimate.” Resentment and hatred toward the Duke must be settled at the bottom of her heart like sediment. If she had wanted anything from House Tesseia, wouldn’t she have sought out the Duke immediately after yesterday’s incident?

“Duke. Was this not something you consented to yourself? You agreed to grant the Lady’s request in exchange for covering up the second young master’s faults. I recall receiving a report that you willingly signed the documents.”

“Ahem!”

The Emperor cleared his throat, as if displeased with the direction of the conversation. Aaron, too, showed signs of discomfort.

“That happened because I did not know she was my biological daughter at the time. Had I known…”

He might not have signed those papers. Godfrey’s sins would likely have been buried through some other “deal” with Duke Lyon. No matter what tears of blood Leticia shed in secret, everyone would have turned a blind eye to her pain.

Perhaps reminded of that fact, Aaron fell silent, and the Empress looked at him with cold eyes. Only the Emperor looked at Grace with an expression that said he had something to add. Grace caught his drift but deliberately feigned ignorance, as this was not an outcome she desired. The Emperor, looking dissatisfied, finally spoke up.

“Duke. There were no loopholes in the documents processed back then. I know the situation is different now than it was then… but unless you intend to break her engagement with the Young Duke of Lyon, is there a need to bring the Lady back by force?”

He was asking a pointed question: did Aaron intend to break the engagement of this now-elevated Lady to the Young Duke?

The news of Leticia’s manifestation as a Saintess had already spread throughout the capital, so Aaron was well aware.

‘As expected, the Emperor wants Leticia as a match for the Crown Prince.’

On the other hand, the Empress did not seem particularly enthusiastic. Aaron considered whether he could exploit this situation. Although Cesare had ultimately opposed him, Aaron felt he could not give up on Leticia. Even if Terdis, the Young Duke of Lyon, was on good terms with her, he wasn’t necessarily the best husband material. Hadn’t the current Duke, Carlyle, failed to protect his own wife in the end?

In that sense, Aaron carried the same guilt, but he chose to bury those thoughts. It was too painful.

“If Duke Lyon is a man who cannot understand a father’s affection, then that is a burden he must bear,” Aaron replied.

A satisfied look crossed the Emperor’s face. Grace looked at Aaron with concern.

“Are you not considering the Lady’s position? She has been the Young Duke’s fiancée for eight years. They might truly love each other…”

“It hasn’t even been two months since the Young Duke returned to his original form. What could have possibly happened between them?”

The Emperor’s quick interruption made the Empress look annoyed. Aaron, pretending not to hear their exchange, looked at the Emperor.

“I will begin the lawsuit as soon as the festival ends.”

It was as good as saying he would turn this into a mess against Leticia’s will. Watching the Emperor, who couldn’t hide his triumphant air, and Aaron, who seemed unwilling to bend his stubbornness, Grace let out a sigh. Since the Emperor would side with Aaron, the trial would likely end in his favor. But what would be the point?

‘The problem is how Leticia will react.’

She was certain that things would not unfold according to their designs.

***

Holy Knights stood guard at the main gate of the Lyon estate. Arranged in two rows, they didn’t block the entrance but monitored everyone coming and going. The servants, merchants, and messengers of House Lyon moved about while casting wary glances, wondering what was happening.

“What is the meaning of this insolence?”

Hubert, the butler who had managed this capital mansion for decades, spoke out in indignation. Because of their presence, nobles from all the neighboring estates were coming out to see the commotion. Believing the prestige of the historic House Lyon was being tarnished, the butler was the one most agitated.

Carlyle looked out the window with an irritated gaze.

“It’s a demonstration to demand Leticia be handed over.”

“I cannot believe they would resort to such lawless tactics! The Lady is clearly our Young Lord’s fiancée…”

While rumors said the Church treated Saintesses with great care, those working for high-ranking noble houses knew the reality. This was because Saintesses whose divine power had waned usually ended up married to someone among the high nobility. Since powerless and unlucky Saintesses had often been forced into marriages with old and decrepit men, Hubert, regardless of his faith, had little trust in the Church.

“About that matter…”

Carlyle quietly informed Hubert of Terdis’s plan. Hubert seemed taken aback but decided there was no need to interfere with the young couple’s plan. He immediately grasped why the Duke was sharing this with him.

“If there is anything I must do, please tell me, Master.”

At Hubert’s words, Carlyle slowly began to speak.

***

 

As the iron gates of the Duchy opened, the Holy Knights moved. They had been watching even before the carriage approached the gates. The carriage bore the crest of House Lyon and was escorted by eight knights.

The knight in the lead frowned at the sight of the Holy Knights lined up on both sides. It seemed they would pass each other in silence with only a glare, but at the signal of the Holy Knight Commander, the knight at the very end blocked the path of the carriage.

“…What is the meaning of this?”

The man who had been casting fierce glances earlier spoke up. The Holy Knight bowed politely in the manner of the Church and spoke.

“Forgive me, but may I ask who is heading out?”

This was an incredibly rude question, and all the escort knights surrounding the carriage looked at the Holy Knights with displeasure.

“Why do you ask? The Church has no right to know that.”

“If it is the Saintess who is going out, we must protect her; that is why we ask.”

“This is a carriage of House Lyon. As long as it bears the Ducal crest, only those authorized by the Imperial Family may search it.”

The knight continued, looking at the Holy Knight with contempt.

“Fortunately, it seems you have no such authority. Step back and stop overstepping your bounds.”

Curtains were drawn over all the carriage windows, and despite the commotion, the occupant inside did not look out. Because of this, the Holy Knight Commander suspected that neither the Duke nor the Young Duke was inside. If it were either of them, they would surely have stepped out immediately to protest the situation.

‘They wouldn’t provide this kind of escort for a maid running an errand. It’s highly likely to be the Saintess!’

High Priest Orlando had commanded them to be wary of House Lyon smuggling the Saintess out. Accordingly, the Holy Knight Commander signaled his men—a command to push forward without backing down.

They didn’t even need to exchange words. While the escort knights were on horseback, the Holy Knights were mostly standing beside the horses, making their movements faster and more free. The Lyon knights were shocked as one of the Holy Knights pushed through the escorts and reached for the carriage door.

Clang!

It wasn’t a very loud sound, but the hand reaching for the door handle was struck hard by a sword still in its scabbard. Since the Holy Knights were also in armor, he likely wasn’t seriously injured, but their expressions turned fierce at the blatant act of force.

“…What do you think you’re doing?”

“I am simply trying to confirm if the person inside the carriage is the Saintess. It is for her safety, so please understand.”

“Does that mean you are ignoring us, the knights of House Lyon?”

There were already eight escort knights attached to the carriage. Knights, especially private soldiers, generally disliked Holy Knights who donned shining armor and acted noble under the pretext of serving God rather than an Emperor or a specific noble. They viewed them as blatant hypocrites who wore priestly robes but didn’t hesitate to commit wicked acts behind the scenes. They fought publicly to protect the Church’s followers, but they were even more disliked because they were mobilized for the Church’s interests, as they were now.

“Is it not enough to simply reveal who is inside the carriage?”

Voices of complaint were also rising from the Holy Knights’ side. Since they felt looking at the occupant’s face wasn’t such an unreasonable request. They believed they were on a sacred mission to protect the Saintess, so they felt the Lyon knights’ hostility was unjustified.

However, this was a thought possible only because many of the Holy Knights came from commoner backgrounds. Even if they bore the name of the Church, allowing House Lyon’s carriage to be searched at will was equivalent to admitting the Duchy’s honor was beneath the Church.

“How insolent!”

One of the enraged escort knights went to draw his sword, but the knight in the lead stopped him. He looked at the Holy Knight Commander with an annoyed gaze and spoke.

“The person in this carriage is not Lady Tesseia. Now, step aside.”

He had shown the maximum courtesy possible to the Church, but the Holy Knight Commander became convinced that Leticia was inside that carriage.

“Open the carriage door and let us see inside.”

“You dare!”

“Do you make such a demand knowing full well this is House Lyon’s carriage!”

Furious voices erupted from the escort knights, but this time, the knight in the lead didn’t even try to stop them.

“Your insolence has gone too far. What is your name?”

It was a statement that he would hold the man responsible for this. The Holy Knight Commander did not back down. This was partly because High Priest Orlando had told him he would take responsibility for everything.

“I won’t say it again. I must confirm if the person inside is the Saintess, so let us check the interior.”

“And if we refuse?”

“Understand that all of this is to protect the Saintess. Surround them!”

At the Commander’s command, the leading knight swallowed a laugh.

‘They fell for it.’

This fight couldn’t escalate anyway. At the right moment, “that person” would step out of the carriage.

“Protect the carriage!”

The escort knights of House Lyon drew their swords.

***

Meanwhile, Terdis was carrying Leticia and jumping over the estate walls. His servant was already waiting outside with two horses. The escort knights and the carriage were waiting outside the capital’s city walls.

Even in the midst of this, Carlyle lamented not being able to send an attendant for Leticia. He could have smuggled out one of the mansion’s maids, but he feared it would arouse unnecessary suspicion.

‘Put your luggage in here.’

He presented Terdis and Leticia with a magic pouch each. He hadn’t given one to Terdis before because the boy had suffered a tragedy young and rarely traveled, and he had set one aside for Leticia to give her someday.

Leticia happily shoved various items inside. The space within the magic pouch was vast, enough to hold everything in her dressing room and still have room to spare.

‘This will be useful even if I travel somewhere else later.’

She was certain it would be very useful even if she had to run away because things went south with Terdis. Terdis seemed a bit sulky, as he had expected a trip with just the two of them, but the plan had changed.

‘You brat! Safety must come first!’

The serious criminal Rupert had not been caught yet. Carlyle had no intention of putting Terdis and Leticia in danger under any circumstances.

Once they reached a distance far from the mansion, Terdis set Leticia down. He had insisted on carrying her until they met the servant, but Leticia had refused.

“People are watching. I don’t like it.”

“Tch.”

Ignoring the pouting Terdis, Leticia looked around. The meeting place with the servant shouldn’t be far from here.

“It’s that way.”

Leticia had been born and raised here, but she wasn’t good at finding her way. When she was young, all she did was travel between the house and the temple by carriage. It had improved a bit after coming to House Lyon, but it wasn’t enough to know every nook and cranny of the capital. Terdis, on the other hand, had explored here and there with a servant every time he came to the capital, so he had some childhood memories.

“Young Lord, My Lady.”

A servant holding the reins of two sleek horses spotted them and called out. He was also one of the people participating in this trip. Carlyle had advised that while it was difficult to ask errands of escort knights, they should take one servant along.

Terdis mounted his horse first and then helped Leticia onto his horse. The servant also mounted the other horse and prepared to depart.

“The escort knights and the carriage are ready. I will lead the way, so please follow me.”

Terdis nodded at the servant’s words. He checked on Leticia, who was riding with him for the first time. She seemed a bit stiff, perhaps due to nerves.

“I’ll be holding you securely, so there’s no need to be afraid.”

“M-mm…”

Leticia had never ridden a horse. In House Tesseia, there was no one to encourage her to ride, and she wasn’t in a position to insist on learning. At House Lyon, she had only received lessons to become a Duchess. The only person who might have encouraged her was Terdis, but since he didn’t like going out, riding hadn’t even crossed his mind.

Terdis held Leticia tightly as they followed the servant. When passing through the city gates, they didn’t show themselves; the servant showing the Ducal crest was enough.

‘It’s a relief that the checks are lazier when leaving than when entering.’

An unmarked carriage was prepared at a junction not far from the city gates. Terdis felt relieved to see familiar faces. After dismounting first, he helped Leticia down and greeted the escort knights. They were men specifically chosen from among the knights Carlyle trusted most.

“We will escort you safely to Rahvain, Young Lord. My Lady.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Terdis grinned and helped Leticia into the carriage. He quickly hopped in and ordered the departure. It was a five-day journey to Rahvain, so they had a long way to go.

‘It’s almost time, Tisha. I won’t let anyone take you from me!’

Looking at Terdis, whose eyes sparkled with anticipation, Leticia thought that things had finally begun. Because she was in Rahvain.

‘Now I’ll finally know the ending.’

If Terdis met her and changed, she would be able to step away. Hugging her fears and expectations, she looked at Terdis as he took her hand.