Eclace had arranged quarters for Shed in a manor apart from the main castle—one of many villas prepared for visiting dignitaries of the House of Vitel. Luxurious and refined, fit even to host a duke, it lacked nothing in splendor.

But to Shed, nothing about the place pleased him.

Most of all, it lay too far from the Golden Castle. And he knew: the eyes of the Vitel household were everywhere.

From the window, his gaze fixed on the distant fortress. Beneath the crimson dusk, the Golden Castle burned with a deep vermilion glow.

Shed recalled Eclace’s warning. It was the same counsel he had heard countless times before, from countless mouths. The words never changed.

Forget Liana, they told him.

There are women more beautiful, more worthy.

They insisted—he and Luise would only bring ruin upon each other.

Shed knew. He knew too well.

What they could never have known was that Shed Lester himself was more desperate than anyone else to escape Luise Ideana’s shadow.

The harder he tried to break free, the tighter her grip became, as if he were sinking into quicksand.

In the boundless blue of the sky.

In the spring breeze scented faintly of lemons.

In the hushed, holy courtyards of a temple.

In the cold whiteness of a bed sheet.

In the tears of a stranger.

In the rippling surface of a lake.

In the far-off cry of a wild hound.

Everywhere, she lingered. Everywhere, she reminded him.

Even in his dreams, she refused to let him go.

Day after day, he lived beneath the weight of her shadow.

Unanswered questions clung to his life like stains that could not be washed away: the black crescent mark on her skin; the dark magic; the heresy; Parmen; and the truths smothered beneath lies.

This suffocating lack of answers left him short of breath and filled with sharp, blinding rage.

And so—he had to find her.

Only then could he breathe.

“Save me, sir…”

Shed remembered the little girl he had met in the Golden Castle.

The memories of Luise, dulled by time, flared to life again the moment he looked at her, as if they had happened only yesterday.

She had been there, in the child of Eclace Vitel.

The girl, named Eve, bore an uncanny resemblance to Luise.

More than that, she carried a familiar scent that tore open his old longings.

‘Could it be…’

The knuckles of his clenched fist whitened, tendons rising stark against his skin as he stared out at the Golden Castle.

That was impossible.

That child could not be hers. She could not have had a child with Eclace Vitel.

“Where is that girl’s mother?”

“…She’s dead.”

Eclace’s words echoed endlessly in his mind.

Shed raked his hands through his hair in agitation, teeth grinding hard.

Impossible. She couldn’t be dead.

His chest burned as though aflame, the ache unbearable.

“D*mn it…”

Even if it were true, he wasn’t going to give up. It didn’t matter if she had married Eclace and had his child.

He had come this far. No matter what it took, he would carry her bones back in his hands.

🌺⟡───⟡🌺 🌺⟡───⟡🌺

Eve was exhausted after eating and taking her medicine. She quickly drifted back to sleep, clinging to her mother’s arms.

It was then that Eclace returned.

“Lea!”

Lea rose to her feet, sensing a trace of urgency in his voice. Gripping her shoulders with both hands, he scanned her intently, as though to ensure she was really there.

“What’s wrong?”

The unease on his face, usually so calm and composed, made worry ripple through her.

“Was it a mistake for Eve to go out earlier?”

If a priest had seen her, he would have known that she was not an innocent woman. Her heart was weighed down by too many sins and fears. Especially when it came to Eve.

“No, it isn’t that.”

Relief softened her face as Eclace shook his head with a faint smile.

But silently, he watched her.

Shed Lester. That beast of a man had probably picked up her scent. It was entirely his own failure of caution. Then again, perhaps it was simply fate at play.

“Lea, I’m sorry, but… unless it’s absolutely necessary, please remain in this room. A very important guest has arrived, and it seems he’ll be staying for quite some time.”

“Then should Eve and I return to Janna Island early?”

“No. Stay here for now.”

Eclace gripped Lea’s hand tightly. Like her, he wished he could send her back to Janna Island at once. But he knew Shed Lester. As long as that madman was around, it was dangerous to move Lea recklessly. If she left, she risked attracting his attention and being discovered.

It was safer to keep her close by, within his reach — somewhere under his watchful eye. Even Shed Lester would find it hard to get into the Golden Castle unnoticed.

“By the way, how is Eve?”

Eclace forced the tangled thoughts from his mind and asked. He realized he hadn’t properly checked her condition earlier, too distracted by Shed.

Lea nodded a little awkwardly.

“Yes. Thankfully… the medicine seems to have worked.”

“From the way she was running about again after only a few hours, I’d say she’s certainly healthy.”

Eclace glanced at the child, who was fast asleep and breathing softly. If there was one thing she deserved credit for, it was giving Eve such a strong body.

“Daddy…”

At the sound of their voices, Eve stirred, rubbing her eyes as she sat up drowsily. Her half-lidded gaze landed on the clothes Eclace was wearing, and a sleepy smile spread across her face.

“Prince clothes.”

It seemed she was pleased he hadn’t changed out of the fine garments yet.

Eclace smiled and sat down beside her.

“Did you sleep well, Eve?”

“Daddy, aren’t you a prince…?”

Eve blinked up at him, still caught between sleep and wakefulness.

“A prince?”

He repeated with a chuckle.

“You’re wearing prince clothes… but Mommy said you’re not a prince.”

Her small lips jutted into a pout.

Eclace couldn’t help but laugh softly at her sulky, half-awake expression.

“Are you upset that Daddy isn’t a prince?”

“No…”

Eve shook her tiny head, though her voice was tinged with disappointment.

“But I wish you were…”

“Is that so? Then should Daddy be a prince from now on?”

He scooped her up into his arms.

“Really?”

“If Eve calls Daddy a prince, then he is a prince!”

Eclace spun her in a playful circle, and Eve laughed aloud, clinging to him tightly.

“But, Prince… did the bad man go away?”

“The bad man?”

“Maybe Eve got startled when she saw a guard earlier. Ever since, she keeps saying a bad man tried to take us away.”

When Eclace tilted his head, not quite understanding, Lea quickly explained further. For a moment, his gaze slid to Greeta.

The bad man… did she mean Shed Lester?

Greeta gave a slight nod.

Thankfully, it seemed that Lea had no idea of the truth.

Eclace softened his expression and turned back to the child with a gentle smile.

“Yes, the bad man is gone.”

“You beat him?”

“Yes. Daddy chased him away.”

At his words, Eve’s whole face bloomed with delight.

“Daddy’s the best!”

She flung her little arms around his neck. The warmth and softness of her embrace pressed against him, and for a moment, Eclace simply held her in silence.

“Eve… were you very scared of that bad man?”

“Mm-hm. He was this big! He grabbed me like this! He was going to throw me!”

Eve puffed herself up as she recounted her adventure, seeming almost to take pride in it. She described how she had wandered the halls before being suddenly lifted high by the frightening man with the terrifying eyes. She was convinced that he was about to hit her.

“Eve must have been so frightened.”

“Mm. I wanted Mommy and Daddy…”

Her small, earnest words sealed his lips tight.

Yes, Shed Lester. To this child, you are nothing but a villain.

He pressed a tender kiss to her peach-soft cheek.

“Don’t worry. Daddy will protect Mommy and Eve from that bad man.”

‘Forever. I’ll make sure you never see him again.’

At that, Eve’s face lit up in a wide grin.

“Mm!”

🌺⟡───⟡🌺 🌺⟡───⟡🌺

As Eclace ordered, Lea and Eve remained quiet in the rooms he had provided, keeping to themselves as though they weren’t there at all. They couldn’t go outside, but he left them no lack—lavish meals, fine toys, and all manner of comforts were brought to them.

Yet after three days, even the new toys failed to hold Eve’s attention.

“Mommy, I wanna go outside!”

She tugged at Lea’s skirt and pointed towards the window.

“Eve. There are scary people out there. We can’t go out.”

“But…”

“If you’re bored, shall we play a game of who can build the tallest tower?”

For a few days, Lea coaxed and distracted her.

But by the fifth day, Eve’s patience snapped.

“I want to go out!”

She had always been an active child. Back on Janna Island, she spent her days playing in the dirt, collecting seashells on the beach, climbing trees, and chasing stray cats. It was unbearable to keep such a child shut inside for days on end.

“Eve, if you’re bored, Mommy can read you a story.”

“No! Books are boring!”

She even crossed her little arms with a stubborn huff, turning her head sharply away.

No matter how wide the room, Eve needed the open air.

“Didn’t you always want to live in a princess’s room like this?”

“I don’t wanna be a princess!”

She stomped her feet, scampering to the door, and reached up on tiptoe to grab the handle.

“Let’s go out, Mommy! I wanna see outside!”

Eve’s mind was filled with the view from the high window: the glittering Golden Castle; the bustling streets of Scizlon, crowded with wagons and people, far below; and the massive ships at sea. To her curious eyes, it was the most wondrous world imaginable.

Lea tried to distract her with toys once more, but Eve wriggled and kicked until she slipped free and scampered back to the door.

“If you go outside, the bad man will grab you again.”