Jansi and Carlot exchanged glances, realizing that the atmosphere was somehow unusual.

It seemed that Elodie had encountered some problems.

Was there an urgent matter that made her leave just a note?

“Father, what’s wrong?”

Carlot, who had quietly approached, glanced at the letter Silvester was holding.

Even with just a quick look, Carlot was also startled.

“Sister, sister has gone to Severes…!”

“What?”

Equally surprised, Jansi rushed over and snatched the letter from Silvester’s hand.

It was an uncharacteristically rude and rash action for Jansi, but his mind was so frantic that he didn’t even realize it.

Jansi’s eyes quickly scanned the letter.

Elodie’s distinctively neat handwriting filled the paper densely.

[To Father.

Since you were away, I had to leave this urgent letter and depart.

So please don’t be too surprised if I’m not at the mansion.

Um, writing in a hurry, I’m not sure where to begin.

I think I’ll start with stories from my childhood.

To be honest, I resented you very much, Father.

On nights when I was left alone in the annex and no one came to visit, I would sit on the corridor’s balcony and gaze endlessly at the main house.

Thinking that maybe someone from there might come to get me.

But even when I fell ill with a cold and was bedridden, no one came.

At those times, I thought I was hated by everyone because I was an illegitimate child. That I was a child who shouldn’t have been born.

After all, everyone would panic and change the subject whenever my birth mother was mentioned.

While resenting you and the family like that, I still wanted to be accepted.

I tried my best not to catch the eye of your wife and not to be hated, and I acted like a cute and good sister to brother Jansi.

With Carl, I might have deliberately picked fights to feel like a sister who doesn’t get along with her younger brother.

But still, it didn’t disappear. The loneliness.

It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? The image of someone who’s not even a real daughter, not knowing her place and crying out to be recognized.

When I found out that I wasn’t your real daughter, I realized I had been living in a flower garden.

Everything was more than I deserved. The fact that I could live under the name of Perdia until now.

I hated being called an illegitimate child, but I wasn’t even in a position to be called that.

Not knowing this, I acted selfishly.

I now know how much trouble you went through to accommodate your difficult daughter’s stubbornness. I’m sorry.

Thank you for adopting me into the family even though I’m not your real child. I wanted to say this.

Was there ever a moment when you were proud of your daughter?

No, no, please forget this question.

As I write aimlessly, the letter has become so long. Perhaps it’s easier to express in writing what I can’t say when I see you in person.

Anyway, to conclude this long letter…

I’m going to Severes to try and wake up my birth father. I might succeed, or I might fail, but I’m going to face it without running away.

Because I’ve only been running away until now.

After it’s over, I’ll come to see you. It might be a selfish desire, but I hope you’ll welcome me warmly then.

I wish you peace.

From Elodie.]

None of the three opened their mouths. But all of their faces had turned deathly pale.

Standing in silence with a hardened expression, Silvester strode out of the study.

“Father, where are you going-.”

The two sons followed behind him, unable to hide their confusion.

Where he stopped was Elodie’s bedroom in the main mansion. Elodie’s personal maid was humming a tune while tidying up the bedroom.

Martha was startled by the sudden appearance of Duke Perdia and his two sons.

“Where’s Elodie?”

Although he already knew the answer, Duke Perdia insisted on asking her.

“Ah, the young lady said she was going out for a bit…”

Going out for a bit.

Indeed, the bedroom looked like that of someone who had just stepped out for a moment.

It was the same as usual as if she would return at any time. Everything was in its place.

‘Did she leave without saying a word even to her closest maid?’

But the three of them knew.

Elodie would not be coming back.

[sc name=”add_image” image_url=” https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczM0KXtZ6ht2Tcyif_OC9HF1YHkV7KIgNGuCy-UqnqHJRjjhuv3_pl_9EyGY8FW5TDkAJ0D5YlPcMiQM0vYVUa9c0NvGTYeEUfTqjEXNHpwV7PKsXFk=w2400″][/sc]

Sylvester closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

[Was there ever a moment when you were proud of your daughter?]

Although Elodie had asked to forget that question, Sylvester instead repeated that sentence dozens of times in his mind.

“Father. For now, it might be best to observe the situation-.”

Jansi tried to calmly assess the situation, but Sylvester had no such intention.

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“We’re going to Severes.”

Sylvester declared.

***

I told Dad about everything that had happened.

The somewhat far-fetched story of how I grew up as the daughter of Perdia, and one day when the pendant broke, I recalled memories of my past life.

My connection with Raeyan and what he said he heard from Mom.

The mysterious affairs that Gabe Jenade and Irkala were involved in.

Finally, how I entered his dream using the power of Sloth to try and wake Dad up.

Even though the story was long, Dad just listened to me silently.

“…I see. So, you grew up in Perdia.”

It was true that he didn’t get along well with Duke Perdia. Dad’s expression seemed somewhat displeased.

“Unexpectedly, you received help from Duke Perdia.”

For someone who said he received help, his expression was still rather fierce.

“It’s okay. I know you don’t get along well with him.”

“No. It’s fine.”

“But I saw you two fighting in your dream earlier?”

“…Please forget about that.”

Dad’s ears turned bright red as he averted his gaze. He seemed to think he had shown an unseemly side of himself.

That didn’t last long, and Dad faced me again with a serious expression.

“Elodie.”

“Yes.”

“I know there are many other things Elodie hasn’t told me. Because it couldn’t have always been happy.”

I had deliberately not mentioned my reputation in social circles or what happened in Perdia, but he seemed to have noticed.

‘How did he know?’

…I didn’t want to show those shadows.

I had hoped to be seen as a child who grew up happily.

“So, how long has it been since I fell into a coma?”

“20 years.”

“20 years…”

After pondering the distant years, Dad let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh.

“It’s been a long time. It might be difficult to adjust. Will Elodie help me?”

I nodded while observing Dad’s expression.

I could see an overlap of Dad sleeping peacefully with the illusion of Mom that I saw when I first entered Dad’s dream.

“Is there a problem?”

“Well, when you wake up, Mom won’t be there…”

Dad’s face, which had been smiling gently, darkened. Just as I was regretting saying something unnecessary.

“Elodie.”

“Yes.”

“That’s not something Elodie should worry about.”

“…..”

“The longing is entirely my burden to bear, Elodie just needs to be happy.”

Once again, I was embraced in Dad’s broad arms. The hand patting my back was a bit awkward, but it made me feel at ease.

“Now I will protect you. As your only guardian and father.”

Tears welled up for no reason. I buried my face in his chest, trying to hold back my tears.

‘So, this is what Dad is like.’

Someone who would love me unconditionally, no matter who I am.

Someone whose mere existence is reassuring.

After staying in his arms for a while, as if indulging in long-overdue affection, I slightly raised my head. Come to think of it, it wasn’t the time to keep staying in the dream.

“Um… So how do we wake up from the dream?”

“Elodie is my daughter, so can’t you use the power of purification?”

“That’s right.”

“Try pouring that power into me.”

Until now, I’ve only attempted purification on mediums of rifts, can I really do it well?

“Don’t worry. You can do it.”

When I hesitated, Dad firmly grasped both of my hands.

“Because you are Severes.”

Not Perdia, but Severes.

Elodie Severes.

Feeling a strange sensation, I poured my power into Dad.

“Well done, Elodie.”

Soon, my vision blurred, and darkness fell.

***

I opened my eyes.

I, who had been lying beside the coffin, startled and rose up.

The first thing I did was to check on Dad inside the coffin. But… Dad was still asleep.

“Did it fail…?”

This can’t be. After pouring so much power, it failed?

As I was sinking into disappointment, Greed spoke bluntly.

[No. He’ll wake up soon.]

Only then did I realize that I had woken up from the dream.

But even though I had returned to reality, I still didn’t have a sense of reality.

[I’ll kill… I’ll kill…]

While I was in Dad’s dream, Sloth must have gained energy again as it started muttering noisily.

Anyway, thanks to Sloth’s ability, I was able to meet Dad, so I decided to let it be noisy for a while.

Believing Greed’s words that Dad would wake up soon, I stayed by his side, when suddenly I realized that there was a commotion outside the greenhouse.

“What’s going on?”

Did some problem occur?

To get a rough idea of the situation, I left Dad and headed outside the greenhouse.

As soon as I went out, I saw Severes’ servants gathered here and there, and Felix, who was sighing deeply as if troubled.

“Did something happen?”

“Ah, you’re awake.”

“It’s noisy outside.”

“Well, about that…”

Felix hesitated, but I could infer the situation from other people’s conversations.

“Isn’t that the Perdia carriage?”

“Yes, that’s the Perdia crest.”

“But why isn’t anyone coming out after arriving at the main gate?”

The story was that Perdia’s carriage had arrived at Severes’ main gate and wasn’t moving an inch.

Even though Severes’ head of the family had been absent for 20 years, everyone knew that the relationship between Perdia and Severes was not good until now.

I had a hunch.

The reason Perdia’s carriage came to Severes was because of me.

I was already feeling uneasy about leaving with just a letter.

‘I should wrap things up properly.’

As I strode forward, a surprised Felix called out to me.

“Wait a moment, Lady Perdia.”

“Count Hicklemeyer, please stay by my uncle’s side. He might wake up soon.”

“What? Really?!”

When I mentioned that the head of the family might wake up, Felix’s attention quickly shifted to that.

He rushed into the greenhouse with an excited face.

Meanwhile, I headed towards Severes’ main gate. Passing through the rippling barrier, I could see Perdia’s carriage standing majestically, just as the servants had said.

‘This is front-page news material.’

I could predict how much this incident would be talked about.

As soon as I escaped Severes’ barrier, the door of the Perdia carriage flung open.