23 years ago.

Early dawn, on a day when the air flowing through Hessen Castle was quite chilly.

The castle, which should have been filled with joyful celebration for the birth of babies, was istead filled with the wailing cries of the woman who had just given birth.

“No, Your Majesty.”

“A child born wrapped in an amniotic sac! This is an ominous sign! A sign that the kingdom will fall!”

“Father, we will raise them. We don’t believe in such superstitions.”

But the old king, seized by madness, ignored his son’s words and examined the bodies of the two sleeping babies wrapped in swaddling clothes. Then he raised his eyebrows.

One had a mark on its waist, the other on its shoulder.

“Which of the two was born wrapped in the amniotic sac?”

No one in the birthing chamber dared to speak. They all knew what would happen if they answered. The former king grabbed the neck of the youngest maid among the trembling servants.

“Ack!”

“Which one is it?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“No. Monica! Please!”

Princess Clara cried out desperately.

“Father!”

Prince Peter Gion rushed toward the former king but stopped abruptly.

With a swish, the old former king drew his sword and placed it against Monica’s neck.

“Aah!”

A small cut formed on her delicate neck and blood began to seep out. The old king whispered in her ear.

“Which one? Which is the ominous baby born wrapped in the sac?”

With trembling hands, Monica pointed to the baby with the mark on its shoulder.

“This mark might cause trouble later. Bring me a branding iron; we must remove it.”

Of course, no one brought the branding iron.

The old king, holding the baby Monica had identified, looked around and spotted a butterfly-shaped candle snuffer on the table next to the candlestick. He heated it in the flame and attempted to press it against the baby’s delicate skin.

“Ah, no, Your Majesty! Peter!”

Prince Peter rushed forward in an instant, grabbing the former king’s wrist to stop him, and a struggle ensued.

“What are you doing? Father, come to your senses!”

“Get out of my way!”

With a sizzling sound, the baby’s piercing cry erupted.

Very slightly, but a butterfly shape was imprinted over the mark.

“Aah.”

The princess fainted, and Prince Peter trembled violently, gritting his teeth.

The old king thr*st the baby into Monica’s arms and said:

“Dispose of it.”

“What?”

The pupils of the twenty-year-old Monica shook violently.

“The shallow wound on your neck has stopped bleeding. It won’t even leave a mark. But what do you think will happen next? If you don’t do it, your head will be the next to go.”

“Your Majesty, please, I beg you.”

“Make your decision. If you don’t do it, I will. And then it will be your turn.”

“…What?”

Monica felt intense guilt toward the baby who was about to die because of her.

But she would die whether she killed the baby or not.

Monica looked with fearful eyes at the poor princess who had fainted on the bed. Then her eyes met those of the prince, who was trembling as if he might go mad at any moment.

Then she looked down at the baby.

The baby was whimpering with closed eyes, perhaps still feeling the burn on its shoulder.

At that moment, she thought of her youngest sibling whom she had raised.

The crying baby suddenly opened its eyes.

Mysterious purple eyes.

Though it shouldn’t have been possible, she felt as if she had made eye contact with the newborn child.

Whether it was due to guilt, thoughts of her sibling, or the baby’s eyes meeting hers, she didn’t know.

She just thought the baby was so beautiful.

Without thinking, she took the baby and ran.

“Catch that woman!”

Despite the old king’s furious shout, she ran without stopping.

She never thought that memorizing the castle’s layout out of joy for being employed as a maid in
the great Hessen royal family would come in handy.

Knights quickly gathered. She could see the prince and the former king chasing after her.

She ran until her shoes fell off and escaped through the castle gates.

After running frantically, she came to her senses at the edge of a cliff with the River Theia flowing below.

She swallowed hard as she looked down.

The blue-green river surged below.

It was quite deep, she recalled.

‘I don’t want to die. But I couldn’t kill this child either.’

“Catch her!”

The old king’s angry voice served as a signal, and Monica threw herself down.
With a splash, she lost consciousness.

Blood flowed from her head, perhaps from hitting something as she fell.

* * *

Gasp.

Monica opened her eyes inside the swaying carriage.

“Haa, haa.”

“Sister? Are you alright?”

She noticed Joan looking at her with concern from the seat beside her and gave a faint smile.

“Yes. I’m fine.”

It was a dream, just a dream.

That day from the past that she couldn’t forget no matter how much she wanted to.

“Did I fall asleep?”

“You’ve been sleeping the whole time. We’re almost there now.”

“Ah…”

Monica sighed as she looked up at the castle.

The castle was still there as it had been in the past, but it was now draped in layers of time like clothing.

Dense ivy climbed up the castle walls.

The castle had aged.

Just like her.

“Sister, all your memories have returned, right?”

“Yes.”

She hadn’t known that the former prince and princess, now the King and Queen of Hessen, were still looking for Eve.

If she had known earlier, she would have sought them out.

She had only thought about surviving, fleeing from the terrifying former king.

Monica’s gaze, which had been looking at the castle with regret, became resolute.

Joan also took in the castle while observing her profile.

‘To think that Madam is Sister’s daughter and the princess of this Hessen Kingdom.’

“That’s right. Eve is my daughter and a descendant of the Hessen royal family.”

Her sister’s statement was truly shocking.

The carriage was slowly entering through the castle gates.

* * *

The next day, early morning.

A carriage that had traveled all night from Hessen stopped in front of the Duke’s mansion. A young maid ran toward the woman stepping down the stairs.

“Miss Joan!”

“Carrol!”

The two maids called out to each other joyfully and embraced. Carrol asked with a bright smile:

“Weren’t you supposed to come in a week?”

“Sister recovered quickly, so we hurried back. There’s a lot to do.”

“Ah. That’s true.”

“Carrol, just a moment.”

Suddenly, Joan handed her bag to Carrol and rushed up to the second floor.

Seeing this, Carrol felt a slight tightness in her nose.

“She must have missed Madam a lot.”

Standing in front of the Duchess’s room, Joan was filled with emotion.

When she had learned the true identity of the person in this room, she had been incredibly shocked.

How difficult it must have been all this time.

To think that the Duchess was the royal baby her sister had risked her life to save.

When she had taken Monica to visit Hessen Castle, all questions were answered.

‘How surprised would the Duchess be if she knew this?’

After wiping her damp hands on her maid’s uniform, she knocked.

“Come in.”

A sweet voice that was always pleasant to hear came from inside the room.

Joan turned the handle with a broad smile.

‘As expected…’

The Duchess was sitting at her desk, scribbling something.

“…Joan?”

Those elegant yet delicate purple eyes blinked at her.

She looked like a combination of the King and Queen of Hessen.

The memory of her sister meeting the royal couple flashed vividly before her eyes.

****

The couple had rushed out to greet Monica.

“Oh, Monica! You’re alive!”

“Princess, or I should say, Your Majesty the Queen now.”

“Welcome. Our savior has arrived.”

“Your Majesty. Thank you.”

“Monica, what happened to my baby…”

Queen Clara asked the question she had been holding onto forever, with an expression ready to endure whatever answer might come.

Monica painfully shook her head and confessed.

“I’m sorry. I lost her. I loved Eve like my own daughter… but I failed.”

At that moment, the faces of the King and Queen turned to shock upon hearing her words.

“…Did you just say ‘Eve’?”

***

Recalling that moment made her heart swell and her eyes grow moist.

She rushed over and embraced Eve, who was sitting at her desk.

“Your Grace, Your Grace.”

“Oh. Joan. Welcome back. Haha. Why are you acting like this?”

She smiled, showing her sparkling white teeth.

Her body was thinner than before; had she been eating properly?

“Your Grace, why have you gotten so thin while I was away? It must have been hard for you. But everything will be alright now. Truly.”

Joan was acting strange.

“Why are you really behaving like this?”

“I’m sorry. I’m just so moved to see you after so long.”

Joan’s eyes were red as she pulled away.

“I see. How are the King and Godmother?”

“They’re well.”

Even after two days, Eve couldn’t leave her bed.

It was because she had reached her mental and physical limits.

Even though Carrol stomped her feet and called for Edmond, Eve firmly refused.

Victor had come to check on her, almost like he was monitoring her, but she turned her back and didn’t look at his face, using illness as an excuse.

The plans she had set up were now useless.

‘A theater in a corner of the capital? I had such big dreams… If I have to leave Aria, where should I go?’

The King and Queen of Hessen flickered before her eyes.

Even to herself, she felt shameless and pathetic.

To still have hope after seeing Queen Isabella’s coldly changed face…

“How is your sister?”

“She’s much better. She’s regained her memories too. She won’t have to be away for long periods anymore. Thank you for everything.”

Joan’s eyes were brimming with tears as she spoke with her eyes gracefully curved.

‘Oh my, how sentimental.’ She wiped away her tears.

She had always felt that Joan was like a caring older sister.

Perhaps she could confide in her.

“Joan, I have something to tell you.”
“Madam, I have something to tell you.”

Huh? The two looked at each other and blinked.

I’ll go first. With a soft chuckle, Eve spoke first.

“Yes. Please go ahead, Your Grace.”

“Well. I’m getting divorced soon.”

“…What?”