“Miss Arisa.”

At the sound of that gentle, dreamlike voice, Arisa barely managed to force her blurred eyes open and look ahead.

‘Is this what a forest fairy would look like?’

A flawlessly slender, porcelain face sculpted like a work of art; long, delicate golden lashes; eyes as clear and green as grapes; a graceful nose and lips that looked as if they’d been painted—every feature of that beautiful boy blended in perfect harmony as he gazed at her in silence.

“Wow…”

She had seen that face countless times, yet each time, it struck her as impossibly, breathtakingly beautiful.

The owner of that lovely face—Joe Wilton, the young and capable chief attendant of the Ishpern household—moved his lips like a painting come to life.

“This isn’t your bedroom, Miss Arisa.”

Of course it isn’t. There’s no way Joe would be in my bedroom.

Arisa blinked, thinking exactly that.

“If you’re just going to lie around and sleep like that, why not go do something else instead?”

Joe bit down on those pretty lips and, looking thoroughly annoyed, pulled the book Arisa had been using as a pillow out from under her head.

His beautiful, grape-green eyes widened in horror as he saw the pages now soaked with drool.

“G-goodness…! This is a precious military treatise…! And you drooled all over it?”

“Sss…”

Arisa, a bit more awake now, grabbed her sleeve and wiped the corner of her mouth.

“Hehe, sorry, Chief Attendant!”

“If you have time to apologize, you could use that time to wipe the book instead!”

“Okay, I will.”

Watching Arisa grin and scrub at the pages with her sleeve, Joe pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh.

It had already been nearly two months since the Count and Countess of Ishpern had left the manor.

At first, it had been a bit chaotic, but Joe’s duty was to ensure everything in the manor ran smoothly even in the lady’s absence.

Just as Helena had done, Joe managed the staff and oversaw repairs to prepare the manor for the coming spring. With the help of his foster father, the former butler, he had even completed all the minor tasks that needed to be finished at winter’s end.

Thanks to his constant efforts, the Ishpern manor enjoyed a relatively peaceful daily routine.

Ah, there was one more thing.

Whenever he had time, Joe painstakingly copied out books that could no longer be restored. Of course, copying was slow, difficult work—but Joe didn’t mind at all.

“Reading a book and copying one are two entirely different things. Reading is just scanning with your eyes, but when you write it out by hand, you start to understand what the author was really thinking.”

He gazed at the yellowed, mold-stained old book as if it were a rare treasure, then lifted his eyes to Arisa.

“So, don’t just think of it as menial labour. Engage with the content by writing with your hands and thinking of it as a form of study…”

Arisa’s head lolled back and forth.

“Snorrrre.”

Snoring softly.

With a look of mild disapproval, Joe slid the military treatise out from under Arisa’s nodding head.

‘It’s a good thing for the staff to improve their skills, and I do support a challenge, but… it seems copying out books really was too much for Miss Arisa.’

Staring coldly at Arisa’s spinning crown as her head lolled in circles, Joe finally turned his gaze away and looked out the window at the clear, blue sky.

‘Madam… why did you ever assign Miss Arisa to this copying work…’

As Joe was reminiscing about Helena with a faintly longing look, a voice called out.

“Joe.”

Wesley, the butler of the Ishpern manor, appeared between the shelves, holding a thick bundle of papers and looking startled.

“Wesley, is something the matter?”

“Well… take a look at this first.”

Wesley handed him a document—a formal order sent by the Duke of Roussel’s household to all the southern families.

Joe’s eyes widened as he scanned it.

“They’re freeing the Arkein?”

“Yes.”

“Who? The Duke’s household?”

“No, the entire Empire.”

“What in the world happened?”

Wesley explained simply.

“I’ve heard from my contacts in Goha that the Empress was actually an Arkein herself.”

“What?”

“So the Emperor decided to free the Arkein to protect the princes.”

“This is…”

Joe, too shocked to process it, instinctively glanced toward where Arisa lay.

“Mmm… mmm…”

Seeing Arisa sleeping so peacefully with a silly look on her face, his pounding heart quickly settled down.

Regaining his composure, Joe said,

“I see. Understood. There are a few Arkein workers here at the manor as well, so I’ll be sure to pass on the good news to them.”

“That would be best. Also, here’s a letter from the master, who’s currently staying in Hodlin. I thought you should know, so have a look.”

The letter from Benjamin wasn’t long.

[By the time this letter reaches you, I’m sure you’ll have heard that the Emperor has decided to free the Arkein. I’ll be bringing an Arkein woman to the manor, she’s like a mother to me so please prepare to welcome our guest.

From now on, Burwood intends to actively support the liberated Arkein, so I hope you’ll be ready for that as well.

And there’s no reason to keep this a secret, so I’ll say it plainly: the mistress’s birth mother was also Arkein, so please be mindful of what you say and do.

I’ll be returning soon, together with the mistress.

—Benjamin Ischpern.]

“…!”

At the mention of Helena’s lineage, Joe’s eyes went wide. His green eyes flicked over to Arisa again.

She was now sprawled out with one cheek pressed to the desk, sleeping soundly. Seeing her peaceful profile, all of Joe’s tangled thoughts seemed to sort themselves out at once.

Regaining his calm, Joe said,

“I see. There’s no problem. After all, the Emperor himself has declared the Arkein to be free.”

“Exactly.”

Wesley replied with a gentle smile.

“Regardless of such things, our lady is our lady.”

Joe chuckled softly.

“I wish the word ‘Arkein’ would disappear altogether someday.”

“That’s a good idea. When we announce their liberation to the staff, let’s suggest we stop using that word—at least within the manor.”

“We could mention it at a small celebration. I’m sure everyone will be delighted. They’re all good people here.”

“Then I’ll have to ask Chef Jones to prepare a feast.”

The butler and chief attendant of the Ishpern manor left the library together, discussing the small celebration soon to be held for the staff.

“Snorrrre.”

They left Arisa behind, still sprawled over the desk, softly snoring with one cheek pressed to the surface.

As she slept, the rosy evening glow of Burwood gently fell across the freckles sprinkled adorably over her cheek.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The events of the New Year’s Festival caused chaos throughout the Cardia Empire.

The royal family, the nobility and the regional lords were all thrown into turmoil. Meetings were held day and night, accompanied by countless secret conversations, political negotiations and clandestine pacts.

Some spoke of equality and harmony. Others gave impassioned speeches about unforgivable sins. Some insisted that the time had come for everyone to forgive one another and show tolerance. Whenever someone raised the practical difficulties of change, another would immediately counter with even more realistic concerns.

“The dignity of the Imperial House—there is nothing more important than that.”

Yes.

Ironically, it was Empress Clarissa who ultimately led to the Arkeins’ liberation, despite having once desired their annihilation more than anyone.

If they were not released immediately, the empire’s nobles would be shamed for serving an Arkein empress for decades. Even worse, the princes — especially Rufus Arpend, the heir to the throne — would have had their honour irreparably tarnished.

With the unanimous consent of the nobility, the Arkein were finally released from centuries of persecution.

The cheering started in the humblest of places.

Initially, it was the voices of those who had suffered the most that rang out in joy. Those cheers soon spread, blossoming into smiles on the faces of those who had once hidden their identities, spreading further still. Carried by the goodwill of many, the cheers reached countless more people.

When Helena brought up the subject, Isabella, who was staying with them at the Winston estate in Hodlin, said this:

“Forgiving others is also a way of setting yourself free from hatred.”

Helena couldn’t fully grasp the meaning of these wise words. After all, when she first heard that Empress Clarissa had finally been deposed and was to be exiled from the capital forever, she felt a sense of gleeful satisfaction.

But once that initial delight had faded, she was left with a deep sense of emptiness. No matter what punishment befell the disgraced empress, Sandra would never return.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

One evening, the Count of Winston called for Helena.

She found it a bit odd. Only moments before, she, Benjamin, Isabella, the count and countess, and all the Winston children had just finished a lively family dinner together.

“Father, where are you?”

As she looked down the hallway for Adrian Winston, Helena’s eyes widened.

Sandra’s room, which had been locked ever since she disappeared, was now open.

Helena cautiously crossed the threshold and went inside.

‘Wow… Was it always like this?’

In her memory, the room had seemed dazzlingly luxurious, but now it was unexpectedly neat and simple. The spacious room was furnished with just a few elegant pieces — nothing ostentatious or overly decorative.

Helena walked past the tidy sitting room and into Sandra’s study. There, she found Adrian Winston.

For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to step inside right away. She lingered at the entrance and called out softly.

“Father.”

Adrian Winston, standing before bookshelves packed with volumes, turned and looked at her.

“You’re here. Come in, won’t you?”

A sorrowful smile tugged at the earl’s lips.

“There was something I didn’t have the heart to mention at the dinner table. I wanted you to know—we were finally able to recover Sandra’s remains.”

“Ah…”

Now that the former empress’s crimes had been exposed, Sandra was finally cleared of the disgrace she had endured for so long. The disgraced empress herself had confessed to where she had buried Sandra’s body.

Despite the upheaval of abolishing slavery, Adrian Winston travelled back and forth in person, determined to recover Sandra’s remains.

Today, at last, Sandra came home to them.

In a quiet voice, Adrian Winston continued,

“Of course, as the former countess, she’ll be buried in the Winston family plot. At last, Sandra will be able to rest in peace.”

Helena found herself at a loss for words.

She took a hesitant step into the study, wanting to be closer to her father.

In that moment, a faint memory surfaced.

“Mommy…”

As a child, Helena had always stood just here and called for Sandra.

“Can I come in?”

Whenever Sandra heard that, she would put down whatever she was holding and reply, seated comfortably in her armchair.

“Of course, Helena. Any time, no matter what.”

As those vague memories drifted back, Helena glanced around the room.

There wasn’t even a single display cabinet in sight. The floor was covered, corner to corner, with a thick, soft rug.

Whenever she heard that, Sandra would put down whatever she was holding and reply from her comfortable armchair.

As Helena stepped into the study, she reached out, touching everything her hands could find. The chair was sturdy enough not to tip over easily, and every piece of furniture had rounded corners.

She walked up to the bookshelf. Sandra’s shelves were filled with books on art, literature, and history, but the lowest shelf was packed with brightly colored storybooks—exactly the kind little Helena would have loved.

Suddenly, tears began to flow.

Realizing she was crying, Adrian turned and pulled her into a hug. His own eyes were wet, just like hers.

Patting his daughter’s back, Adrian managed to say,

“Helena, Sandra was a truly courageous woman. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Seeing how happy people are now, I can see it. Sandra and you—you saved not only the Arkein, but the whole Empire. You set everyone free from hatred.”

After a while, Adrian Winston collected himself and let her go. Helena saw the bittersweet yet peaceful smile on his lips.

Adrian Winston said,

“Helena. Not once have I ever regretted loving Sandra.”