Ilion looked at a house that seemed to exude a somber aura.

It was the home of the only person who had returned among the missing.

After knocking on the door and waiting a bit, a middle-aged woman came out slowly and opened the door.

“Who is it… Oh, my lord.”

She recognized Ilion and bowed her head.

“I heard someone who went missing has returned.”

“Oh, you must have heard about my daughter.”

The woman nodded at Ilion’s question and led him to a room.

The room was modest but well-organized. In the middle of the bed sat a young woman staring blankly into space.

“Olivia, the lord is here. Greet him.”

“……”

Olivia continued to gaze into the void, as if she couldn’t hear anything around her.

“I’m sorry. I wish she could tell us what happened, but she’s been like this ever since she returned.”

Tears welled up in the wrinkles around the woman’s eyes.

“Where was she found?”

“I heard she was found by the river. A merchant crossing the bridge saw her wandering by the riverbank and thought it was strange, so he spoke to her.”

She wiped her tears and continued her explanation.

“Even when spoken to, she wouldn’t reveal her name or identity, so they had no choice but to take her to the guards.”

“The riverbank…”

“Yes, I heard it was near Count Glenn’s territory.”

Delas was separated from Count Glenn’s territory by a river, and there was active traffic across the bridge between them.

“Did she have any reason to go that way?”

The woman shook her head at Ilion’s question.

“No, she had no ties there, and I warned her to be careful because the village atmosphere was ominous. If she had any business there, she would have told me, but she said nothing.”

It wasn’t like she ran away voluntarily, as her clothes and belongings were all left behind. Yet, it was strange to consider it a kidnapping since she was found near a bridge that dozens of carriages crossed daily.

“How many days had she been missing by then?”

“It was probably a week.”

If she had been outside in this cold winter for several days, she wouldn’t have survived.

The more he thought about it, the stranger the situation seemed.

Why did the woman go so far alone, and what happened to make her lose her mind?

“Offer… blood…”

Suddenly, Olivia started muttering something under her breath.

“Blood?”

Listening closely to the fragmented words, they formed a sentence.

“Offer blood to Him… and enjoy eternal life. Even if breath ceases… and the body falls to the ground, the soul that remains by His side… will be with the Master forever.”

Her muttering sounded like a prayer from some unknown cult.

After saying this, Olivia once again stared blankly into space. Her mother didn’t seem surprised, as if it wasn’t the first time her daughter behaved this way.

“Does this happen often?”

“She occasionally utters such meaningless words. Even the priests who visited said they couldn’t find a solution and left.”

The place where she was found, her inexplicable state, and the occasional nonsensical words. There were only clues that seemed insufficient.

Leaving the house without much gain, Ilion looked up at the gloomy sky.

Come to think of it, has Ravenne arrived at the mansion?

She might be angry about him leaving without a word.

“Sigh…”

These days, just thinking about Ravenne made him sigh. Of course, he sighed before too, but recently, it was a sigh of a different meaning.

Avoiding her visit and coming to the territory alone were unlike him. Even when trying to explain the reason, only childish and pathetic excuses came to mind.

So, in the end, all he did was sigh more.

He knew there was no misunderstanding with Royden and that nothing happened. Royden was just trying to provoke him.

But for some reason, he got angry, and Ravenne saw that ugly side of him. If he had to explain why he was avoiding her, that was the reason. He didn’t want to show her his embarrassing side.

Yet…

“You don’t have to worry about me. As you know, the Duke’s residence isn’t far from here. Hohoho.”

Why does she stand out so much? Especially in the middle of a crowded village like this.

She was so conspicuous that it was hard to ignore her.

Is she already sightseeing? And who is that person next to her?

Watching Ravenne from a distance, Ilion suddenly made eye contact with her. And then,

“Oh my, honey! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.”

She waved and ran over.

***

Goodness, what a stubborn person.

“Let me escort you.”

“No, thank you.”

“If I let you go like this, I won’t be able to face the Duke.”

Really, it’s fine. I don’t know who you are, but I can bet Ilion wouldn’t care at all.

Despite my repeated refusals to Glenn’s annoyingly persistent offer, he showed no intention of backing down.

Just when I thought I might have to shout, a man with a silhouette that caught the eye entered my vision.

Tall, broad-shouldered, with a perfectly fitting coat.

I might be biased, but I could confidently say that even if you searched the entire empire, only Ilion looked like that.

Still, if your wife is in trouble, you should rush over instead of standing there blankly.

Even after making eye contact, Ilion didn’t move, so I waved my hand.

“Oh my, honey! Where have you been?”

“Ho…ney?”

“You’re coming home with me, right?”

With a face more welcoming than anyone else’s, I ran to him and linked my arm with his.

“……”

He stood stiffly, looking down at me, seemingly not used to seeing me like this.

Well, whatever Ilion thought, this should be enough to get rid of that leech-like man.

“It’s been a while, Duke.”

Contrary to my expectations, Glenn greeted Ilion warmly.

“It’s been a while, Count Glenn.”

Ilion, too, seemed to know him well.

“…Co-Count?”

“Oh, did I not mention it?”

Glenn smiled with a friendly face, saying he had forgotten.

The two exchanged words as if they had known each other for a long time, and I stood there, watching them in bewilderment.

“Then, I’ll leave with peace of mind. Please take care, Miss.”

“Oh, yes. Goodbye.”

I bowed my head in response to Glenn’s farewell.

Seeing him turn away without hesitation, it seemed I had been unnecessarily wary.

Well, in this small territory, who would dare to harm me when they know who I am?

“Can you let go now?”

“It’s not like being with your fiancée is something to be criticized for.”

I replied, still clinging to his arm.

“Miss.”

“Why did you dye your hair?”

I immediately noticed that his hair was black. I could guess the reason, too. However, understanding and accepting are different matters.

“Do I have to explain everything?”

“Spinel worked so hard to save you, and that’s all you can say?”

“Then I have even less to say to you.”

So that’s how he wants to play it.

I looked at Ilion, who spoke so elegantly, then curled up and shouted.

“Ah, Duke! My leg, my leg hurts so much!”

“What?”

Ilion looked at me, wondering why I was suddenly acting like this.

“It hurts so much I can’t walk to the carriage. What should I do, Duke?”

I emphasized the word ‘Duke’ loudly, like I wanted everyone passing by to hear.

Then I whispered quietly to Ilion, who was staring at me with an incredulous expression.

“People who care more about us than a lifesaver are watching. How long are you going to stand there?”

***

My petty revenge ended with Ilion carrying me to the carriage.

“Are you satisfied now?”

“It’s still not enough.”

“……”

“If you give me a kiss, I’ll let it go.”

When I blatantly leaned in, Lily, who was sitting next to me, looked at me in surprise. Meanwhile, Ilion subtly avoided my gaze.

“It must have been easier to just dye your hair than to explain the sudden color change.”

I returned my face to its original position and spoke.

“But the Duke I remember would have cared more for his loved ones than worrying about such things.”

I understood that he didn’t want to be the subject of gossip due to his changed hair color. It was a choice Ilion, who had lost his memory, could make.

However, seeing his changed appearance made me constantly compare him to how he was before losing his memory.

I wondered if this drastically different Ilion could love me again.

The cold war between Ilion and me filled the carriage with silence, and poor Lily was left to gauge our moods.

“Sigh…”

Breaking the silence, I sighed.

“What do you want me to do, Duke?”

“……”

“Do you want me to be a scarecrow Duchess, holding onto memories alone?”

Ilion didn’t answer easily. The carriage had stopped at the mansion, but the silence continued.

After staring at Ilion for a while, I eventually opened the door first.

“I didn’t know it would be so hard to say ‘no.’ You are truly cruel, Duke.”