“So what, are you saying you’ll make her a victim of your beastly urges just so you don’t lose your bet?”

“Shut your mouth.”

Shed’s warning was sharp enough to suggest he might reach out and throttle the arrogant man at any moment.

To hell with the d*mn bet—win or lose, he didn’t care, so long as he could keep Liana by his side.

“Then why are you so stubborn about this?”

Eclace pressed him relentlessly. A drop of blood fell from Shed’s clenched fist. He knew—he knew this was all just stubbornness, nothing but a selfish obsession that would only leave scars. He knew that sending her away was the only way to set things right.

But he couldn’t do it. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t—it was that he couldn’t. A thick vein pulsed at his temple, jaw clenched tight.

He didn’t even know anymore. Was it vengeance, anger, regret, or just a mindless, habitual obsession?

All he knew for certain was this: He wasn’t ready to let her go.

🌺⟡───⟡🌺 🌺⟡───⟡🌺

At some point, sunlight reached the tips of her toes.

After crying for a long time, Liana finally lifted her head.

Outside the window, the sun had fully risen. No matter how she felt, the clear light poured into the room, filtered through the blue sky over Ideana.

Knock, knock.

The sound startled Liana, and she stared at the door with frightened eyes.

“…Miss Liana, are you all right?”

Eclace’s polite voice came softly through the door.

Liana squeezed her eyes shut. She knew she should say she was fine, but the words stuck in her throat.

“You should get treated.”

She clutched her bloodstained clothes to her chest.

“I brought the doctor. May I… come in?”

His gentle question made her lips tremble.

“I… want to be alone.”

She meant to say it firmly, but her tear-choked voice barely carried.

“Miss Liana?”

When there was no answer from behind the door, he called out again. But Liana couldn’t bring herself to say she wanted to be alone a second time. The words she’d barely managed to get out felt scattered and meaningless.

She wiped her hot, tear-stained eyes with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, and pushed all her racing thoughts back down.

Standing up straight, she checked her appearance over and over again, trying to smooth out every wrinkle and bit of disarray with trembling hands. For good measure, she pulled a shawl around her shoulders.

She walked carefully to the door, took another deep breath, forced a small smile onto her lips and reached for the handle.

She slowly opened the door. Outside stood a neat, composed man with eyes full of concern as he looked her over.

Liana noticed the long, thin scratch on Eclace’s cheek. His clothing was buttoned uncomfortably high, unlike usual.

She remembered hearing a brief commotion from Shed’s room earlier – something must have happened between Shed and Eclace. Eclace didn’t look well, but sadly, Liana didn’t have the energy to worry about him.

“Are you… all right?”

Eclace’s question made it difficult for Liana to control her expression. She tried to look as normal as possible. She wanted to greet him as if nothing had happened, as if she were fine. However, she couldn’t trust herself to speak; if she opened her mouth, she might start crying.

So she simply nodded.

“I brought our family doctor. She’s discreet and highly skilled—you’ll be in good hands.”

He said, introducing the Vitel family doctor. An older woman bowed respectfully. With the doctor’s gentle smile, Liana opened the door a bit wider and let them in.

“I’ll wait outside. Call me when you’re done.”

Eclace stepped back, letting only the doctor enter.

Liana was quietly relieved he wouldn’t be coming in.

The doctor asked her to sit on the bed, then gently lifted her clothes to check the wound.

“It’s not too serious, thankfully.”

She said in a soothing voice, as if trying to comfort Liana’s gloomy heart. The wound had reopened, but it wasn’t as deep as before—something to be grateful for. Just as Eclace said, she was as skilled as any doctor from the Lester house.

The doctor examined not only the large wound on her abdomen, but checked her over calmly. The bite marks on her neck, the deep purple bruise on her wrist, the shallow scratches from ceramic shards along her ankles and calves.

As she looked over Liana’s body, the doctor sighed in sympathy or offered gentle reassurances, but never once pressed her for details or scolded her.

“…Would you like me to check anywhere else?”

“No, I’m fine…”

Liana answered, covering the bite mark on her neck with her hand. She didn’t want anyone else touching her there. She could handle that much on her own.

“…Do you need someone to curse them out with you?”

The doctor, watching her quietly, finally asked.

Liana blinked in surprise, then shook her head.

“I’m all right.”

At last, a faint smile returned to her lips.

“Put as much distance between yourself and all of this as you can.”

The doctor packed up her bag, leaving her with that single piece of advice. Put as much distance as possible. It was wise counsel.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

The doctor offered a comforting smile, then left the room.

As soon as the doctor stepped out, Eclace came in from the hallway.

“Did everything go well with the treatment?”

“…Yes.”

“Then, let’s move you to another room.”

Eclace spoke as if everything had already been decided.

Liana looked at him and realised that he was the one who would decide her future.

“Don’t worry. Lord Lester won’t make a fuss about it.”

Shed hadn’t given permission for this, nor had he made the decision himself. However, if he had even a shred of conscience, he wouldn’t have allowed her to stay in the room next to his.

“And there’s no need for you to serve near Lord Lester anymore.”

“Was that His Grace’s decision…?”

“Half his, half mine.”

“So you’re still planning to keep Miss Liana close by?”

“That’s…”

“If he were in his right mind, he wouldn’t keep you near him, not after what happened.”

With Eclace’s continued insistence, Shed finally fell silent. He must know, too. Things had gone far too wrong for Liana to continue serving at his side.

“So, then I…”

“For now, let’s move you somewhere less demanding. You need time to recover.”

Eclace said, showing her a gentle smile—the first warm smile she’d seen from him in a while.

Liana nodded silently. After all, she didn’t have any say in the matter, and it was clear that anywhere was better than working so close to Shed.

“And there’s still one thing you haven’t answered.”

Eclace said, stepping closer. Liana, perched on the edge of the bed, lifted her red-rimmed eyes to meet his gaze.

“Are you still not thinking of leaving this place?”

At his question, Liana pressed her lips together and looked down, lost in thought.

Honestly, the answer was painfully clear—so why was it so hard to say it out loud? Why couldn’t she just give a simple answer? What regret was still holding her back?

Eclace knelt in front of her, looking into her eyes.

“Forget about today.”

Liana averted her gaze in silence, lowering her head.

Watching her, Eclace spoke again.

“It was his rut.”

The word made her head snap up, startled.

“His… rut?”

Her green eyes trembled at the unexpected word.

So she really hadn’t known.

“I wondered whether it was right to tell you, since it’s such a sensitive issue for Lord Lester, but after what happened, you need to know.”

“Oh…”

A hollow sound escaped Liana’s lips. In that instant, all her agonizing felt almost ridiculous. So that’s what it was—a rut.

Those feverish eyes, the way he pulled her in with such hunger, the rough kisses, the burning breath and overwhelming desire, all of it—

“I see…”

So that was the reason. Shed hadn’t wanted her—he’d just needed someone, anyone, to satisfy his urges.

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Was it a relief? Or was that even crueler?

She bit her lip, then finally spoke.

“…Will you help me leave?”

Eclace was right. This was no longer a place for her. If she stayed, she wasn’t sure she could keep herself together.
What if Shed went into rut again, approached her with that same intoxicating scent? If he looked at her with those same intense eyes, could she really turn away?

She couldn’t trust herself. She didn’t want to become a plaything for someone’s fleeting desire. She couldn’t let her heart be treated like a broken doll.

“That’s the right choice.”

Eclace said, nodding in approval at the resolve in her voice.

🌺⟡───⟡🌺 🌺⟡───⟡🌺

Dietrich awoke from a light sleep to the sound of something tapping at his window. He’d finally managed to close his eyes just before dawn, only for another uninvited guest to show up.

Rubbing his eyes, he put on his glasses and saw a white carrier pigeon perched on the window ledge. Yawning deeply, he opened the window, and the bird fluttered down to land on his shoulder.

“What now…? What could the main temple possibly want this time…”

Dietrich muttered lazily, his voice still thick with sleep.

He untied the letter tube from the pigeon’s ankle and unrolled the message inside. As he read through the letter, the sleepiness faded from his eyes—quickly replaced by shock.

“This can’t be!”

His alarmed voice barely had time to echo through the room before someone knocked at his door.

“Come… come in!”

“Daisenkan, is something wrong at the main temple?”

It seemed the priest had seen the carrier pigeon arrive.

“Uh, well…”

Dietrich scratched his head and read the letter again.

“Gi—Giselle Marlhein, the High Priestess, is coming here. No, she’s already on her way.”

At his words, the priest’s eyes widened as well.

Another High Priestess was on her way to Ideana.