Lorraine bit her lips tightly before shouting once more.

“I’d rather grow old and die alone than be with someone like you!”

“What?”

Daniel’s face twisted in anger. He raised his right hand high.

“You crazy wench—!”

‘I’m going to get hit.’

At that moment.

Someone rushed in like the wind and struck the back of Daniel’s neck with a sheathed sword.

No, to be honest, whether it was his neck or his shoulder was unclear—it was so fast that it was hard to see.

“Ugh—!!”

With a short scream, Daniel collapsed to the ground. Soon, there was no sound from him.

Lorraine gasped as she watched Daniel, who had fainted completely silent, as if he were a corpse.

She hastily looked around. The person who had struck Daniel was nowhere to be seen.

“Is he… dead? He’s not dead, right?”

“No, he is not.”

The unknown person hidden in the darkness flatly denied her panicked question.

“R-right. Killing someone is wrong. That would be murder.”

“……”

“But… are you a knight of Zeroden?”

“Lorraine Fertel.”

The figure in the darkness quietly called her name.

“I am not a knight of Zeroden.”

“What?”

“Please inform only the Duke and the Duchess that I have saved you.”

Leaving only those words behind, the man immediately disappeared.

After staring blankly at the nameless stranger as he left, Zeroden’s knights arrived, perfectly timed.

“Teacher!!”

With tears and snot hanging from her face, Bella ran into Lorraine’s arms. Behind her, the Duke and Duchess followed.

But Lorraine couldn’t regain her senses for a while.

‘Who… saved me?’

***

“A rather skilled swordsman saved you, Teacher? And told you to inform only His Grace and me?”

Lorraine nodded.

Elicity cautiously glanced at Alex. They had been having a serious conversation earlier, but now didn’t seem like the right time to bring it up.

“Dear. Daniel’s punishment is one thing, but isn’t this a bigger issue? This is an intruder.”

“……”

For some reason, Alex was silent. He didn’t look the least bit worried.

“Alex?”

“Forgive me, Miss Fertel, but there is no need for concern regarding that knight. He is a bodyguard placed near you by someone who is deeply worried about you.”

“Someone I don’t even know?”

Lorraine’s tone sharpened slightly.

But Alex’s expression remained unchanged. Still calm—no, indifferent.

“Yes. There’s no need to be concerned. Just go about your daily life as usual.”

“That’s absurd.”

Lorraine retorted sharply.

“You’re telling me to keep a bodyguard sent by someone I don’t even know? I refuse.”

“……I feel the same.”

Alex’s voice dropped low.

“I don’t like it either.”

“–!”

“Having someone else’s knight within my ducal estate is an unpleasant situation. But it is a matter of following the will of someone whose status demands my compliance. Do you understand?”

Someone the Duke himself had to bow to?

For a moment, Lorraine and Elicity both thought of the same person. Blonde hair and blue eyes.

As Lorraine’s expression became more complex, Alex let out a sigh. It was somewhat exasperated.

“This incident is my fault for not keeping a closer watch on my brother. I will compensate you properly beyond your regular salary.”

Elicity quickly added,

“Yes, you were in real danger. I don’t even know how to properly apologize.”

“Your Grace, you have nothing to apologize for. It was the young Count who committed the wrongdoing.”

“No, it’s my fault as well. Daniel frequently shows up unannounced, so I had instructed the guards to report whenever he came. But I’ve been so distracted lately. After the gatekeeper changed, I forgot to remind them. That was my mistake.”

“Daniel will be punished according to the law. Do not worry.”

Alex added firmly.

If it had been any other time, Lorraine would have thought he was acting like the Duke of Ice. But now, with someone filling her mind, she couldn’t think of anything at all.

“Yes, I understand.”

***

“What on earth is going on…?”

Returning to the study alone, Elicity let out a sigh.

“There’s simply no time for the two of us to talk.”

She had considered asking her husband for another conversation after roughly resolving Daniel’s issue, but his face had suddenly hardened, and he had disappeared into the study.

—Sorry, Elicity. Something urgent just came to mind… I’ll take care of it and come back.

He had looked so rushed that she couldn’t bring herself to stop him.

“At this point, wouldn’t it be better to communicate through letters?”

She chuckled to herself when—

Knock, knock.

A gentle knocking sound came, and through the crack in the door, her daughter’s face peeked in.

“Bella?”

“Mom!”

She must have been about to go to bed; she was wearing a nightgown adorned with layers of white lace.

With a bright smile, Bella dashed toward Elicity, her loose black hair fluttering behind her.

“Bella, what did I say about not running, no matter where you are?”

It was a scolding, but a mild one. Elicity kissed Bella’s cheek as the little girl jumped into her arms.

“Why aren’t you asleep, Bella?”

“I’m too worried about Teacher. How is she?”

“……”

Elicity felt truly ashamed to face her daughter.

Her uncle had tried to hit her mother, and her other uncle had attempted to assault the governess.

If her daughter had been just a little older, she might have questioned whether there was even a single decent person in this household.

Forcing a smile to reassure her daughter, Elicity spoke.

“Everything will be resolved properly through the right procedures, Bella. So don’t worry too much.”

But Bella was sharp. She must have thought things wouldn’t be resolved so easily because her eyes flashed keenly.

“But both Uncle and Uncle will go to prison, right? For several years?”

Oh, dear.

She had seen what happened with Daniel, so that made sense, but Elicity had hoped she wouldn’t know about Calix’s situation.

It seemed that rumors were impossible to contain.

‘Well, he did make such a scene…’

There was no way Bella wouldn’t have heard that her uncle had tried to hit her mother.

Suppressing a bitter feeling, Elicity crouched down so she could meet Bella at eye level.

“That’s not something my little girl needs to worry about.”

“But I’m really worried about Melina and Aunt. If Uncle Calix gets taken away, who will protect them?”

The ruby-red eyes in her line of sight were filled with light—firm, unwavering light.

Just like her father’s.

“…Baron and Baroness Rogers, your aunt’s parents, will be arriving here. They’ll have enough resources to protect their daughter and granddaughter.”

Of course, as long as they were alive, Calix would never be able to leave Capone Prison.

“I see.”

Bella hesitated for a moment before suddenly throwing her arms around Elicity’s neck.

“I hate anyone who makes Mom suffer. I hope Uncle Calix never gets out of prison.”

“……”

“Since he’s a Baron’s son, he’ll probably get out after a few years, right? When I grow up, I’ll become someone important so that I can make sure he never gets out.”

The warmth against her neck made Elicity’s nose sting.

Fortunately, Bella was holding onto her tightly, so she couldn’t see her reddening eyes.

Hoping her daughter wouldn’t notice her tearful expression, Elicity picked Bella up.

“To do that, you need to sleep early. It’s way too late now.”

“But still…!”

“Come on! It’s time for bed, my lady. Tonight, you’ll sleep with Mom.”

Bella’s head shot up in surprise, her cheeks turning a rosy red.

“Really?”

“Of course. Just for tonight. My little lady must have been frightened.”

When Elicity smiled warmly, Bella’s face lit up like the sun.

“Then that means we’ll be sleeping with Dad too!”

“Huh?”

Why did her daughter’s thoughts suddenly jump in that direction?

Elicity widened her eyes.

As if she had read her mother’s mind, Bella continued.

“Mom sleeps with Dad, so that means I’ll be sleeping with Dad too!”

“Ah…”

“Can I bring my Jerry doll? Our bed is huge, so even if I bring Jerry, we’ll all fit!”

Jerry was Bella’s favorite doll.

A plush gray mouse made of soft mink fur, just the right size for Bella to hug.

Normally, Elicity would have found her daughter so adorable that she’d pinch her cheeks, but right now, she was simply flustered.

‘Tonight… will my husband sleep with me?’

He had said he was busy, so she wasn’t sure if he could.

Even if that weren’t the case…

“Bella, I think Daddy is very busy tonight. How about we just sleep in your room?”

“But Daddy has to sleep at some point, right? So can’t we just wait for him in your bed?”

Why was she being so stubborn?

Elicity considered scolding Bella but suddenly had another thought.

‘Maybe if Bella’s there, he’ll come.’

Last time, he had promised Bella that he would do his best for her.

If his daughter called for him, wouldn’t he come, at least for her sake?

It was a cunning thought, using her daughter like this.

But Elicity knew how lonely it was to be alone in a cold bedroom.

The stark chill beneath the covers—she didn’t want to leave her husband in such a place by himself.

‘And besides… his expression… it was so strange.’

A face filled with pain and sorrow.

Even though Alex was the one who had left, he looked as if he were the one who had been wounded.

Anyone who had seen that face wouldn’t be able to leave Alex alone.

In the end, her lips moved on their own.

“Then shall we wait for Dad?”

“Yes!! I like that!”

***

Alex was writing a letter.

The hastily scribbled letter was soon placed into a golden envelope and landed in the hands of a certain woman.

The woman resembled the darkness itself. Her cloak, the garments beneath it, her shoes, and even the dagger strapped to her thigh—all were pitch black.

Only the diagonal line drawn across the mask she wore was golden. It was an eerie and unsettling sight.

“Here it is.”

The woman bowed her head deeply, then silently leaped out of the window frame.

In an instant, not even a trace of her shadow remained in the darkness. Watching her disappear, Alex lifted his head at the presence he sensed behind him.

Damian stood there, gripping his sword, his face set in a rigid expression.

Already anticipating what he was about to say, Alex gave a small nod.

“Alright, let’s go now.”