32: More Than Before

Inside the overturned carriage from the landslide, Kael had suffered severe injuries—his entire body felt crushed, and his head required twenty stitches. Yet, even in such a state, he protected Aella with his entire body. As a result, Aella emerged from the landslide without a single injury.

Now, Kael had regained consciousness, and with that, all of his memories returned. He remembered everything, including the memory of being trampled by the horse he cherished so much, and how he had once vowed to keep Aella Blueanz by his side out of hatred, only to eventually express his passionate love for her.

His cold fury now pierced Aella’s heart even deeper. She wished he would at least say something, anything, to her, but all he did was glare at her with icy eyes, refusing to acknowledge her existence at all.

It was only when he fell asleep, seemingly fainting from the pain of his injuries, that Aella tended to his wounds by his side.

“Kael… As long as you’re okay, I’m okay. Even if I become invisible to you for the rest of my life, as long as I can stay by your side, that’s enough for me. All this time… I’ve been so happy… I’ve been dreaming the happiest dream. I’ll never forget it, not for the rest of my life. I won’t let myself forget. That’s why I’ll treasure this Vision Stone… treasure it so dearly. It holds the memories of the time we spent together. Even though it was short, it’s so precious to me. I’ll live on, holding onto this. So, Kael, please… I beg you, don’t take this away from me. Let me hold onto this, so I can live by your side. Please… I’m begging you.”

Aella, trembling, gripped Kael’s right hand tightly with her own shaking arms, wishing and praying desperately.

After crying for a long time, she returned to her room and greeted the morning. When she entered the room, she encountered the coachman.

“Kael…?”

“Your Grace, His Grace left early this morning.”

“…I see.”

“Yes, he took a horse…”

“I understand.”

Aella wanted to run away to a place where no one could find her. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t because Kina was still at the Hormons estate, and because Hans Blueanz, the root of all evil, would undoubtedly target Kael, the late Duke’s son, next.

‘I have to go back.’

Aella stood up, but for some reason, her body felt heavy.

‘That’s strange… There’s nothing wrong with my body, so why does it feel so heavy?’

Her expression grew serious as she wondered if she had suddenly fallen ill.

‘If I were to get sick and die, what would happen to Kina? No… If I die, maybe it would actually free her. And Kael… If I die, he wouldn’t have to be consumed by hatred anymore… If I just die like this… No! I don’t want to die. I want to live. I just wanted to live a simple, ordinary life.’

Aella felt an overwhelming sadness. She hadn’t chosen to be born as the daughter of a devil like Hans Blueanz. If she could, she would have wished to inherit only the blood of her beloved mother and grandfather. Then no one would call her “Hans Blueanz’s daughter.”

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Aella let out a bitter laugh. Even to her, her thoughts felt futile.

“Your Grace…”

“How are you feeling?”

“Thanks to you, Your Grace, I’m fine. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve lived the rest of my life as a cripple, blind in one eye. I’m truly grateful.”

The coachman bowed his head in gratitude, and Aella gently patted his shoulder. She told him to prepare a carriage so she could return to the capital.

“Your Grace, it’s the season when wild animals and monsters roam the mountains. It might be better to wait a little longer.”

“There are mercenaries, aren’t there? I… I need to return as soon as possible.”

“Understood.”

After the coachman left, Aella was left alone in the room. She hugged her trembling body tightly with her arms.

“This was bound to happen anyway. Yes, it was always going to end this way… Hic. Hic. Kael… Hic!”

Aella collapsed onto the cold floor, clutching her chest with both hands.

After crying for a long time, she wiped her tears with her sleeve and stood up.

“This is the last time I’ll cry. I chose this path. I won’t regret it or cry anymore. For myself… Only for myself…”

Walking to the window, Aella looked out at the clear weather, which contrasted with her heart.

“Goodbye, my happy days.”

—

Every day, she cursed. She prayed fervently for Aella Blueanz to die in the most agonizing way possible. But for some reason, Rensi never heard the news she wanted. Instead, she heard that the harmonious Duke and Duchess had gone on a honeymoon to the village of Chervel, which made her blood boil.

“I’ve been offering blood every day! I’ve been praying with all my heart for an hour every day! So why?! Why won’t that woman die?!”

Blinded by rage, Rensi grabbed the dark sorceress by the collar.

“You tricked me, didn’t you?! You… you wretched woman!”

“I never tricked you. Calm yourself first.”

“Shut up! Because of you, I’ve become no different from a condemned criminal!”

Rensi raised her hand to strike the dark sorceress’s cheek, but before she could, the sorcerer grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

“Gah…! Ack!”

“The saying ‘a young pup doesn’t fear a tiger’ suits you perfectly.”

“Gah…! Ugh!”

The sorcerer’s strength was overwhelming. No matter how strong an adult woman was, lifting another woman by the neck with one hand was impossible.

“P-please… spare… me…”

“Should I spare you?”

Rensi nodded desperately, and the sorcerer threw her to the ground. As Rensi writhed in pain, the sorcerer approached her, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled her up.

“Ugh!”

“I tolerated you because your venom was somewhat useful, but your arrogance has reached the skies.”

“I-I’m sorry…!”

“If you’re sorry, you must be punished.”

“Aah…!”

As Rensi’s joints twisted in unbearable pain, she begged to be killed instead.

“Huhu, Rensi, you’re still useful.”

The sorcerer restored Rensi’s body and laid her flat on the ground, facing the ceiling. With Rensi in a dazed state, the sorcerer placed a finger on her forehead and began chanting a spell.

“Ah… No… What is this? No! Stop! No!”

“You will now become my eternal puppet. A puppet that moves for me and dies for me.”

“Nooooo!!!”

Her screams mixed with the sorcerer’s eerie laughter, echoing violently through the cabin.

—

When the Duke of Hormons returned alone, despite saying he would be gone for ten days, Kina immediately sensed that something was wrong.

“Y-Your Grace! Where is the Duchess?! Why have you returned alone?!”

“Silence.”

“Your Grace!”

“Ian.”

“Yes, Kina, calm down.”

“Let go of me!”

Following the Duke’s orders, Kina was confined to the room where the Duchess had first stayed, until she returned.

“Kina, please… just take a bite of the soup.”

“…”

“If you keep starving yourself, how heartbroken will Her Grace be when she returns? Please, just one spoonful!”

Kina came to her senses. If she starved herself to death, who would protect the poor Duchess in this place?

No one. Even if everyone sympathized with the Duchess, no one in this estate would dare defy the master’s absolute orders. The punishment for disobedience was either confinement, like Kina, or expulsion.

Kina learned from Ian that the Duke had regained his memories due to the landslide.

‘Our poor Duchess… Please, please return safely. I beg you…!’

Kina prayed desperately, crying until her voice gave out, and perhaps her prayers were answered. After a week, she was finally reunited with the Duchess she had been waiting for.

“Your Grace!!!!!”

“Kina, I’m sorry for worrying you. I wanted to return as quickly as possible, but the monsters kept getting in the way.”

“Are… are you alright?! Are you hurt anywhere?!”

“Oh, Kina. Can’t you tell just by looking at me?”

“Ah, Your Grace! Hic! Your Grace!”

Aella felt her heart ache even more, seeing how much weight Kina had lost from worrying about her.

“You’ve grown so thin… because of me. I’m sorry, Kina.”

“Hic… Your Grace, you have nothing to apologize for. Hic… Your Grace~!”

“Stop crying. See? I came back alive.”

After returning to the estate over a week late, Aella noticed that no one, aside from Kina, came to greet her. With a faint smile, she walked to the place she belonged.

“This is where you stayed, Kina.”

“Yes.”

Kina couldn’t bring herself to say that she hadn’t been allowed to leave the room. She couldn’t burden the Duchess, who was forcing herself to smile.

“Your Grace, aren’t you hungry?”

“I ate before coming in. Kina, where’s Charlotte?”

“I’ll bring her right away.”

“Alright.”

After Kina left, Aella sat on the bed.

“I’m back. To this place…”

The shabby room held no good memories. As she slowly looked around, she pulled out the Vision Stone she had held onto tightly until now.

Inside the Vision Stone, she saw herself smiling. Next to her was Kael, clinging to her and smiling just as happily.

“Haha, Kael… If I can see you smiling like this, I think I can endure staying here.”

Though her lips smiled, tears streamed down her face like a waterfall.

Hearing footsteps, Aella quickly stood up and wiped her tears.

Click.

“Your Grace.”

“Charlotte.”

Meow!

As soon as she saw Aella, Charlotte squirmed out of Kina’s arms and leaped into Aella’s embrace.

Meow! Meow!

“Yes, Charlotte. I missed you too. I missed you so much. My Charlotte. I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”

Kina noticed Aella’s frail body trembling like a leaf as she hugged Charlotte tightly.

‘Kael Hormons…!’

Kina wanted to kill that despicable Duke and face execution if it meant avenging the Duchess.

‘But… if I die, who will protect the poor Duchess? And if I kill that wretched Duke, the Duchess will hate me. I can’t bear that. I won’t.’

“Kina, why are you crying?”

“I’m not crying. It’s… just a runny nose.”

“Haha, you’re so silly.”

Even seeing the Duchess smile tore Kina’s heart apart. She excused herself, saying she had errands to run, and leaned against the hallway wall outside.

“Kina…”

“Why are you here? Didn’t the Duke forbid—?!”

Kina’s eyes widened as Ian suddenly pulled her into an embrace.

“What… What is this…?”
“I promised, didn’t I? If the Duke regained his memories, I would protect the Duchess like a shadow. And of course, I’d protect you too.”

“Ian… If we get caught…”

“Then we’ll be kicked out.”

Ian smiled as he spoke, and Kina’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at him.

“Don’t worry, Kina. Everything will be okay.”

“Hic… Hic…!”

Ian held Kina close as she silently cried in his arms, gently patting her back.

“Aella Blueanz does not exist in this estate. Disobey my orders, and I won’t spare anyone. Remember that.”

The Duke’s cold voice echoed in Ian’s mind, and he let out a short sigh.

‘He’s worse than before…’

Shaking his head, Ian held Kina until she finally calmed down.