“At the very least, they should’ve been feeding you properly. Look how thin you’ve gotten.”

‘That’s not it…’

The words that never reached Penelope echoed dryly inside Chronosa’s mouth.

Although she pronounced each syllable slowly and clearly, to the uninitiated, it was nothing more than meaningless mouthing.

Beroe would be shocked to see how well she had been eating lately, as would the Great Demon Lord Belphegor.

Yet ironically, someone who had only just met her pitied her instead.

Though, of course…

She felt quite sorry for Anankeus.

“Those holy folk are unbelievable… I live in Holy Arboas myself, but sometimes even I think they go too far. How can anyone reduce a person to this? Who do they think they are?”

Chronosa flinched involuntarily at Penelope’s rare display of fury.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and her voice dripped with murderous intensity. It was as if she had just come face-to-face with her sworn enemy on a narrow bridge. The fire of battle blazed in her eyes.

The hostility burning within them was so vivid that it was almost fascinating.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if she had charged off at that very moment to beat someone to death.

…

But unfortunately…

It might be better for Penelope’s journey if she continued to believe that misunderstanding.

The High Priest of Arboas.

The Princess of Belphegor.

A holy being and a demon.

Enemies, destined to oppose one another for eternity.

At the very least, she would never realize what truly existed between the two people precariously walking that impossible line.

***

The moon shone with an unusually pure white light.

Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, carried along by a gentle breeze.

The stars overhead shone brightly, making this a more profound night than any other.

Anankeus stood watch, relying on nothing more than a small campfire.

As he skillfully scanned the surrounding area, soft white breaths bloomed gently into the cold night air.

Crackle.

Crackle.

The firewood crackled softly, sending crimson sparks drifting into the night sky as they kept silent vigil beneath the stars.

The moon slowly sank towards the western horizon.

As night fell, someone quietly emerged from the darkness.

It was a familiar presence.

One hesitant step.

Then another.

With slow, uneven steps, they made their way towards Anankeus.

Before long, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, they settled against his back, sharing a warmth more precious than anything else.

Like a baby taking its first steps…trusting completely in the parents whose hands guided and steadied them.

That familiar weight rested against Anankeus without hesitation.

“Chronosa.”

Chronosa responded with a gentle nod at the sound of her name, her head still resting on his shoulder.

Anankeus turned to face her and drew her gently into his embrace as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Her soft hair slipped through his fingers.

Resting his forehead against the crown of her head, he was quietly surrounded by her familiar scent.

It was a peace he had not felt in a very long time.

Only after savoring her presence to his heart’s content — committing every sensation to memory — did he finally release her.

At last, they stood facing each other, their eyes meeting.

Without saying a word, they greeted each other with quiet, gentle smiles, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

“You didn’t go to sleep.”

—”I knew you were waiting for me.”

“So you figured it out.”

That was why he had waited quietly where he was, watching Chronosa make her slow, unsteady way towards him.

Each step she took was of her own free will.

One step.

Then another filled his heart with a joy he could hardly put into words.

He fought the urge to rush over and gather her into his arms.

Instead, he stayed where he was, quietly watching in case she stumbled.

Strangely enough…

Every moment of anticipation and every flicker of concern…became a small, precious thrill.

It was a feeling he had never experienced before.

“What made you decide to walk all the way here?”

—”You helped me practice walking last time. I can manage this much.”

She insisted it was nothing, yet she was certainly making a fuss.

Her old skirt was stained with dirt.

How many times had she fallen?

How far had she walked?

How much…

Had it hurt?

Thankfully, he hadn’t had to witness it.

The entire scene unfolded vividly in his mind.

There was a considerable distance between Chronosa’s tent and where he had been waiting.

Yet this woman…

As always…

Even if she had stumbled the entire way here, she would never have let it show.

This was what made her so heartbreaking.

She was so undeniably, unmistakably herself.

—”The winter sky, as it gives way to spring, is beautiful.”

An unusually sentimental remark escaped Chronosa’s lips.

Just as she had said, the winter sky slowly giving way to spring was breathtaking.

The clouds drifted lazily overhead.

The moon bathed the world in its gentle light.

Countless stars shimmered across the heavens.

Even the still night air seemed to embrace the entire scene in quiet serenity.

It was as though……before disappearing forever into the passage of time.

The sky itself was making one final, desperate attempt to endure.

Hoping to survive, if only as a small fragment preserved in someone’s memory.

Anankeus watched Chronosa in silence for a long moment.

There was nothing different about her.

She looked exactly as she always had.

Her jet-black hair seemed to melt into the night itself.

Her snow-white skin stood out in striking contrast beneath the moonlight.

She resembled a masterpiece abandoned by an invisible artist.

The woman in front of him seemed as though she might simply dissolve into the night.

Disappear.

He felt a sense of awe, as though the most exalted being — someone he should never dare to desire or covet — was standing right before his eyes.

What could ever be more sacred than the woman before him?

And yet…

This very woman looked upon this insignificant fragment of the world and called it beautiful.

As if by habit, a passage from the Holy Scriptures came to Anankeus’s mind.

‘And the Creator beheld the world shaped by His own hands, and at last declared that it was beautiful.’

Amid that strange…

That indescribable emotion…

Anankeus finally managed to speak.

“…You are more.”

—”Hmm?”

“More beautiful than a mere sky like that.”

Apparently, they were words she didn’t mind hearing.

Chronosa’s eyes curved into a gentle smile.

She had been smiling far more often lately.

To Anankeus, those fleeting moments when emotion softened her formerly expressionless gaze were worth more than words could ever express.

Just like that day long ago, now lost to the past…

The two of them sat side by side, leaning back against the ground as they faced each other.

Even without saying a word…

Even if it was nothing more than a small, seemingly insignificant moment in the span of a lifetime…

To one of them, it would become a memory they could never forget: A single fragment of a quiet winter night.

Anankeus slowly reached out.

His fingertips, chilled by the passing season, gently brushed her soft cheek.

She was the one precious thing…that he never wanted to lose.

Who in this world…

Could ever understand how he felt at that moment?

“…Chronosa.”

After quietly savoring the silence that belonged only to the two of them, Anankeus finally spoke.

“Nothing’s happened… has it?”

—”No. Why? Does something seem wrong?”

“I only ask just in case. If anything happens, you must tell me immediately.”

Chronosa nodded.

A moment later, a faint crease formed between Anankeus’s brows.

“And…”

“The way you were looking at me earlier has been bothering me.”

—”Ah, that. The satyrus asked… what kind of relationship you and I have.”

What kind of relationship did they have?

Anankeus knew something that even Chronosa herself did not.

If she ever found out…

She would probably be horrified.

The necklace that Anankeus had placed around her slender, white neck still swayed gently.

He raised his thumb and gently brushed the corner of her lips.

Her soft skin yielded beneath his touch.

Gripping his wrist with surprising firmness, Chronos mouthed her words diligently.

—”What would you have answered?”

“That is… quite a difficult question.”

Had he answered honestly, knowing that Chronosa was a demon, this little merchant caravan would have descended into complete chaos.

This little merchant caravan would have descended into complete chaos.

Though, of course…

Chronosa herself would probably have been just as shocked.

It was something he found himself wanting to witness at least once. Chronosa utterly dumbfounded.

A faint, inscrutable smile touched Anankeus’s lips as he quietly asked,

“And what did you say?”

—”Master and slave.”

“…”

Anankeus was left utterly speechless.

His lips parted, but no sound came out.

It was true.

Not long ago, he had spoken those very words himself.

From a factual standpoint, they weren’t entirely wrong.

After all, Perihilion had given Chronosa to him as a spoil of war.

So yes…

Technically, it wasn’t a lie.

But…

Anankeus found himself looking at Chronosa once more.

A throat that could no longer produce a voice.

Ankles that would never walk properly again.

Cruelties that should only have been inflicted on spies.

In circumstances like these…

The satyrus could not hear the word ‘master’ without resentment.

Especially people like them.

Most of them carried painful memories of their own.

Meanwhile…

Chronosa looked up at him as if to ask, “Did I do well?”

Her innocent eyes seemed to be waiting for praise.

For a brief moment…

He found himself completely defenseless against her.

“You’ve really…”

Ah…

So that was why the satyrus had looked at him that way.

He had been seeing Anankeus through the lens of his own past nightmare.

Because of that, the words that finally escaped Anankeus’s lips carried a bitter edge.

“You’ve made me into… the perfect bastard.”

Talata’s furious voice echoed through his mind.

“You son of a b*tch…!”

Yes, it was fair.

Those words were right.

Every single time.

Anankeus of Arboas…

No, Anankeus, who no longer had the right to bear that name.

He was a bastard beyond compare.