After coming out from Elodie’s bedroom, Carlot was still fuming with frustration. 

Their ultimate destination was the Duke Perdia’s office. While storming out to the Duke, Carlot said,

“What is wrong with her? Does she really think we are strangers to her? You’re still the firstborn, aren’t you? What if sister really decides to go back to those Severes?”

 “Shut up Carlot…”

“…..Huh, brother?”

Carlot was so surprised that he was taken aback, stumbled backward after hearing those words from Jansi.

‘What did I just hear? Did I hear something wrong?’

For a moment, he doubted his ears.

Though his brother sometimes have displayed his scary side, he always wore a smile, and he had never emotionally lashed out like this.

After a moment, Jansi, with a slightly furrowed brow, turned towards the frightened Carlot and asked.

“Oh, sorry. Did I just tell you to shut up?”

“Uh, yeah…”

“Well, would you mind shutting up a little bit? Your constant whining is making my already complicated thoughts even more tangled.”

‘Brother, he´s weird today……!’

It was hard enough for Carlot to have to deal with his sister, but now his brother was also acting weird. 

He was definitely the same as usual, but there was a subtle difference in his demeanor. 

His tone, which was usually affectionate, contained a mix of blunt remarks, and most notably, he didn’t smile at all.

His brother’s trademark was his gentle smile…! But if you mess with him, you might get a taste of his destructive powers……!

Knowing that his life could be at stake, Carlot decided to keep his mouth shut. Soon, the two arrived at Duke Perdia’s office after their silent journey.

“Father, we’re here.”

 “Yes, Come in.”

As soon as they entered the office, they locked eyes with the duke, who looked at them as if he had been waiting for them. 

The duke spoke only a few words with a rather cold tone.

“So, you know everything by now.”

“So, it’s true…….”

Carlot, who had been full of anticipation, muttered discontentedly.

Elodie wasn’t his biological sister. 

He didn’t like that fact.

Regardless of whether Elodie shared their blood or not, Carlot still considered her as his sister.

It was Elodie’s heart that was creating this problem that has cropped up right now.

With her heart now set aside for Perdia, and openly declaring her intention to become independent, she was not bound even by the ties of blood. 

Jansi, who hadn’t smiled for a while, suddenly spoke to the duke with a calm voice.

“When did Lili find out that she was a Severes by blood?”

“Not long. Around the summer, I guess.”

In response to Duke Perdia’s answer, the two young lords simultaneously thought of the same point in a time.

There was clearly a period when Elodie’s attitude changed dramatically.

“So, now did both of you have come here to argue with me?”

“If you had told us earlier, it would have been better, but I respect Father’s decision not to do so.”

“…I feel the same way.”

Jansi and Carlot answered in turn, especially the former one, who was grateful for his father’s choice to keep the truth hidden.

There was no guarantee that she wouldn’t have been mocked for not having Perdia’s blood in her veins. After all, they’d have called her an illegitimate child. So, he thought it was fortunate to learn about it now. Jansi said,

“I thought Lili had already given up on us. How did you change her mind?”

“She said she’d give it a chance.”

“Huh?”

“It means she hasn’t completely given up on leaving Perdia.”

As both of his sons who naturally thought that Duke Perdia had changed Elodie’s mind, were then again perplexed by the thoughts which were expressed by him.

“I can’t help but ask. How do you feel about Elodie?”

 “Lili is my sister.”

Carlot answered almost without any hesitation. 

Duke Perdia’s gaze then turned towards Jansi, for some reason.

Jansi felt his gaze was piercing as if it could penetrate his very essence. 

The answer was easy. He just had to say it.

 But why was it so difficult to move his lips?

 “Brother?”

In the past, Elodie had been nothing more than a half-sister to Jansi, a member of the Perdia family. A half-sibling with easy-to-handle emotions, someone with only half the blood, just that.

 Even until the night of the lunar eclipse. But then something happened to Jansi on the verge of a rampage that night that changed everything. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Elodie approached without hesitation, comforting him.

Even though she knew he had the power of destruction. 

Even though there was a risk of her being in danger. It felt strange.

At first, he thought it was because he realized Elodie’s usefulness. He thought of her as a useful presence who could forever hide the secret that he couldn’t control his power. So, he approached her more kindly than usual. However, the more he tried, the more Elodie stepped back.

Maybe it was because she’d seen a glimpse of his true self unmasked, and if so, he needed to be nicer. 　

“Lili, you are my precious little sister.”

But Elodie wouldn’t let him get any closer. 

Every time Jansi saw Elodie partially opening her heart to Carlot, instead of putting up a wall around herself, he felt a strange feeling. There was a time when he believed in her like a devoted follower as if she were the only one in this world.

“You don’t need to pretend to be kind to me anymore.”

Pretending to be nice….

That was Elodie’s assessment of his friendliness. 

Ironically, he couldn’t deny it. Because he’d been smiling at every word she said. It had only been in the last few months that he’d truly smiled.

A Part of him had mistakenly assumed that because she had patted him on the back for standing up to her, she would warm up to him. 

Elodie was kind, so she would understand. However, by the time he realized that he had come to the wrong conclusion, it was already the time where he had ruined everything with his own hands.

 “We’re family.”

Certainly, it was a phrase thrown to gain favor, but now he couldn’t tell what was what. He couldn’t even understand his own feelings.

He had never thought it difficult to say words like “precious sister” or “family,” but for some reason, even moving his lips felt difficult. Probably because.

 ‘Because it’s not fake, it’s real…….’

But he had to say it.

It was a moment to confess his sincerity towards her.

 “Lili is my precious little sister.”

Jansi’s words were sincere, but they didn’t reach her. 

After hearing the thoughts of both his sons who shared the same sentiments, Duke Perdia chuckled.

“Unfortunately, Elodie didn’t have to resort to using her fists.”

 “Huh?”

Carlot tilted his head, but the duke didn’t elaborate it any further.

“Elodie said she was going to wake her father up.”

“How can you wake someone who has been in a coma for 19 years?”

“Carlot. Have you forgotten the miracle that Elodie has performed?”

“Ah.”

It was a moment they had all witnessed, and they recalled the miraculous power that had closed the rift and driven back the hordes of demons during the founding ceremony.

 If it were Elodie, she might be able to do it. If that happens…

 “Then… Lili will no longer be a Perdia.”

The moment Jansi spoke the words out loud, the vaguely felt truth suddenly became reality.

She wasn’t a Perdia, she was Elodie from the very beginning. 

It was an unimaginable occurrence until now.

In response to Carlot’s question, Duke Perdia calmly answered.

“What is the name of your family?”

“Perdia.”

“Then, you should act like a Perdia.”

Perdia was secretive and tenacious.

No matter what happens, it accomplishes its goal.

The moment you come to your senses, you will already be caught in the spider’s web, unable to escape.

“I’m confident, Father!”

 “I’ll do as you say, father.”

The two sons engraved their father’s teachings into their hearts.

***

It’s been a while since I’ve been out alone. 

Spotting Raeyan waiting at the entrance to the Perdia mansion, I smiled and waved at him. 

 “Ian!”

Naturally, I thought he’d be happy to see me, but no, he looked me up and down with a serious face. 

“You said you were healthy, didn’t you?”

“Well, aren’t I healthy?”

“You seem thinner than the last time we met.”

“Really?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Why is Raeyan more certain than I am, the person in question? Even as we boarded the carriage heading towards headquarters, Raeyan didn’t stop his nagging.

“Don’t skip meals.”

“Alright.”

“It’s better to focus on a meat-based diet.”

“I got it.”

 “Don’t forget to eat your vegetables, too.”

“Oh, I’m eating them.”

 “Are you doing any light exercises?”

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With the endless nagging, I eventually couldn’t help but ask. 

“Raeyan, are you perhaps  my personal trainer?”

 “…….”

Only then did Raeyan stop the nagging. 

Upon arriving at the headquarters, I was greeted by Mario, the Deputy Chief. 

“Hey, who do we have here today? Isn’t this Elodie Perdia, the Savior of the World!”

“That’s… how it happened.”

“Miss Lili, do you know how famous you are now?”

“Well, how famous am I?”

“Don’t tell me. Right now, Miss, you’re the hero of Wallentian. If you go out right now, people who recognize you will swarm towards you. It’ll be a riot with everyone wanting to catch a glimpse of you.”

Being called the hero of Wallentian didn’t feel real to me, as I hadn’t been involved in external activities since the founding ceremony. 

It wouldn’t matter if I became a celebrity. Now that independence was out of the question. Regardless, I had a mountain of things to do. 

“Enough with small talk. It’s time to report.”

Mario stuck out his lips and grunted as if he wanted to chat more.

“The Savior can be quite sharp.”

“Mario.”

Avoiding Raeyan’s address, Mario subtly looked away, placing documents he had gathered onto the table.

“This is the investigation report on Duke Kreundel.”

I unfolded the document and carefully scanned it.

The front part contained information I was already familiar with.

Leon Kreundel.

Similar in age to Jansi but ascended to the position of duke at a very young age after losing his parents.

Dark navy-blue hair, dark eyes, and a calm demeanor. 

 ‘He’s 184 and weighs……. No, wait.’

I stopped looking at the papers and looked at Mario. 

“Why is the height and weight mentioned?”

“The more detailed it is the better. There are even other sizes mentioned below!”

 “I don’t need that!”

“Oh, come on. That information is crucial. Do you know how many young ladies would be willing to request it just to find out?”

 “I don’t know.”

Mario’s words were probably not a lie.

As the head of one of the four major families, being a handsome unmarried man, he must be quite a catch. While skimming through the documents, Mario, who had been quietly keeping watch on me, discreetly got up.

“Then I’ll be taking care of other things, so please call me if you need me. “

 “Goodbye, Mario. “

 “So, you have a good time, right? “

Hoho, He left the office with a rather unpleasant laughter, but I focused on the documents without paying much attention to him.

However, the content included mundane details, making it quite time-consuming. At that moment, Raeyan called out to me.

 “Lili.”

 “Mmh?”

“I’ve already finished finding out about Duke Kreundel, so I’ll explain it to you if you want. “

Rather than reading through this thick stack of documents, it seemed more efficient to get a summary.

 “I need to get close to Duke Kreundel.”

“… What’s the reason?”

“I need the power of Sloth. I’m going to wake my father.”

“So, you’re saying you’ll awaken him with the power of dream manipulation.”

“That’s right.”

I wasn’t sure if it would work or not, but since Ishtar had said it herself, it was worth a try. And I couldn’t think of any other way to do it. 

“But Duke Kreundel rarely engages in external activities.”

“That’s a problem.”

As Raeyan spoke, it was known that Duke Kreundel seldom left his mansion. 

Showing up only for formal events that the heads of the four major families were expected to attend.

 How could I approach the Duke of Kreundel? 

That’s when Raeyan asked me in a whisper. 

“How do you plan to get close to him? Perhaps, are you considering using your beauty?”

 “If necessary… Yes.”

While the idea of using beauty tactics sounded somewhat absurd, it couldn’t be ruled out. Then Raeyan turned to me with a determined look on his face. 

 “I’ll just steal it.”

“Steal what?”

 “The Seal Stone of Sloth.”

 “What are you talking about? You can’t do that.”

 “I’m the one stealing it, and it has nothing to do with you, so you don’t have to feel guilty.”

What wonderful logic. 

It was strange logic that it’s none of my concern because I’m not stealing it.

But the Duke of Kreundel would not stand idle by and let the Seal stone of Sloth be stolen, either.

It is the duty of the Four Families to protect it. 

 “Don’t steal it.”

 “…….”

Feeling uneasy about the thought of him secretly stealing and sneaking in, I firmly voiced my rejection.

 “Raeyan, answer me, did you understand?”

 “…….Yes.”

I made sure to get a promise from Raeyan that he wouldn’t steal the sealing stone.

“How close do I have to get to him to be able to borrow the Seal stone for a while?”

 “After all, stealing is…….”

Ignoring Raeyan, who hasn’t completely let go of the idea, I asked.

“Any other noteworthy information?”

 “There is.”

 “What is it?”

“We have received information that he sent a man to search for someone. We were lucky to find this information because it was so secretive. “

If Raeyan considered this as luck, then it showed how cautiously Duke Kreundel had been moving all this time.

“Who is this person he’s looking for? Do you have a description?”

“She is in her early twenties, female. Presumably, Duke Kreundel’s younger sister, who is believed to be dead.”

At that moment, a certain figure flashed through my mind.

 I, too, am looking for a girl of similar age.

‘Estelle is around the same age.’

‘Was it just a coincidence that Estelle came into my mind?’