Hello, Readers! I am celebrating my birthday with extra chapter updates, so please enjoy this special chapter release of 4 bonus chapters! 🥳

(Lurelia’s Birthday Bonus – Update 1/4 🎉)

♡ To all readers who purchased these chapters before my Birthday: I can’t express this enough – Thank you for your support. (*ˊᗜˋ*)/ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ*

Elodie left for the capital Somnia with the survivor.

Adenmir remained in the Black Ravine, receiving reports from soldiers and investigators in charge of examining the rift, and making future plans.

“After surveying the surroundings, it appears that all the monsters have been annihilated. The only rift in this area is that single enormous one.”

As the rifts merged into one, all the other rifts in the vicinity disappeared.

Unlike in the past when many rifts appeared and they almost gave up, now they only needed to monitor one giant rift.

“Isn’t it good that we’ll need less additional manpower than expected?”

“Well, I’m not sure if we should call this good.”

Adenmir’s expression turned cold.

He couldn’t positively accept the anomalies occurring all over the continent.

The calm before the storm.

It felt like a precursor to some great event that would unfold someday.

As the First Prince of the Empire, he couldn’t be absent for long, so he decided to return to Somnia first, leaving a trusted subordinate in charge.

Just as he was about to mount his horse, someone was riding towards them from the entrance of the ravine.

“Is it the Empress’s people again?”

“It seems to be… two people?”

“Huh? Is that…?!”

As they recognized the identity of the approaching figures, the imperial soldiers began to visibly stir.

“It’s Duke Perdia and his heir, master  Jansi Perdia!”

“Your Highness. Did you perhaps schedule an appointment?”

Adenmir narrowed his eyes as he watched the Perdia father and son quickly approaching.

“…No, I don’t recall any such thing.”

There were no urgent matters to discuss with Duke Perdia.

Could it be that Empress Salvatrice was showing suspicious movements in the capital?

Before he could finish his thoughts, the Perdia father and son arrived in front of Adenmir and dismounted.

“Duke Perdia, what brings you to the ravine?”

At Adenmir’s question, Sylvester looked around.

He saw the rift floating in the air, displaying its majesty, but he turned his head as if unimpressed.

“Where did she go?”

Sensing that they were looking for something, Adenmir realized why they had come all this way.

Then Jansi asked Adenmir.

“Your Highness. Do you know where Lili, I mean, Elodie is?”

“The Lady has already returned to the capital…”

Sylvester and Jansi looked at each other.

“Looks like we missed her, Father.”

“This flying squirrel of a girl. She really gets around the continent.”

They had rushed here after hearing that Elodie had gone to the Black Ravine, only to miss her by a hair’s breadth.

Listening to the conversation between the two, Adenmir pondered seriously.

‘Flying squirrel?’

What nonsense.

Elodie Severes was not a cute and lovable creature like a flying squirrel.

More like a predator hiding its claws.

‘…Though I suppose she does resemble one in appearance.’

That much, even Adenmir couldn’t deny.

***

It was dawn when I and the Severes knights arrived in Somnia.

We concluded that the sole survivor, the subjugation commander, would first recuperate at the Severes mansion before being handed over to the imperial army.

“We’ll take responsibility for this person, so please go in and rest, Miss.”

“Yes. Aren’t you tired after riding non-stop?”

The knights, seemingly concerned about me having traveled to and from the Black Ravine without rest, urged me to go in and rest.

As I was truly exhausted, I gratefully accepted their consideration.

“Then I’ll head in now. Thank you, everyone.”

“Rest well!”

“Don’t forget your promise to come watch our training later!”

Despite having only traveled together for a few days, I had built quite a rapport with the Severes knights.

I felt proud thinking that I had formed good relationships not only with the Severes retainers but also with the knights.

I headed towards my bedroom, dragging my body tired from the long ride.

[I just want to go in and sleep!]

‘Me too!’

[I’m going to sleep for 10 hours!]

‘I’ll sleep for 100 hours!’

I climbed the stairs while engaging in a pointless competition with Greed.

I needed to talk about the sins, but at this hour, Dad would be sleeping too, so I naturally planned to visit him in the morning.

But that turned out to be unnecessary.

“Dad?”

Dad was leaning against the door to my bedroom.

“I’m glad you’ve returned safely, Elodie.”

Dad approached me and pulled me into his broad embrace. I squirmed and raised my head as my face was buried, making it hard to breathe.

“You were awake? I thought you’d be sleeping.”

“No parent can sleep comfortably after sending their child to a dangerous place.”

“Were you very worried?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

Indeed, having someone who worries about you is a very happy thing.

As I watched Dad examining my face with relief, the helplessness I had been trying to ignore washed over me.

“Nothing happened. Because there was nothing I could do.”

“…That happens sometimes.”

“Isn’t it funny that I made such a fuss about going, but achieved nothing?”

“Not at all.”

Despite my needless complaints, Dad answered seriously without any sign of annoyance.

It’s so nice to have a family you can whine to as much as you want.

I finally felt like I had come home.

“It wasn’t completely without results. We found a survivor.”

“Was it the person you were looking for?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

But I did find a way to learn about Raeyan’s fate under the rift.

And the person holding that key was right in front of me.

‘What should I do?’

I wasn’t mentally prepared to bring it up yet.

After pondering for a moment, I called out to Dad.

“By the way, Dad.”

“Yes, Elodie.”

I decided it would be better to talk about it right away since we’ve met.

I blurted it out.

“Could you lend me the Sin Sealing Stone?”

They say strike while the iron is hot!

“…What do you mean by that?”

But Dad’s face turned pale as if he had been struck by that hot iron.

‘This, this isn’t right?’

I think I’ve just unintentionally become a terribly unfilial daughter.

***

Because of that, I had to stay awake and spill everything that had happened to Dad in great detail.

I didn’t want to talk about Raeyan without his permission, but I had no choice if I wanted to get my hands on the Envy Sealing Stone.

After the story ended, a strange silence fell.

I fidgeted with my fingers, waiting for Dad to speak.

After a while, Dad sighed and gently stroked my head.

“So that Raeyan was the contractor of Envy.”

“Did you know there was a separate contractor?”

“Yes. Since it’s the role of the Four Great Families to monitor the Sealing Stones, I knew.”

Dad said that Envy had a contractor even before he became the head of the family.

The contractor had been there for so long that no one knew when it started, but since they couldn’t identify who it was, it was passed down as a top secret within the family only through the succession of family heads.

‘Raeyan, you were a legendary figure.’

Since he said he became immortal to meet me from the past, that contract would naturally still be in effect.

“So I’ll just check with Envy. Whether the contract is still maintained or not.”

“The Sins are cunning. It’s not something you can decide easily.”

Greed, who had been scolded earlier, grumbled for no reason.

[Unfair.]

But there was a flaw in Dad’s words.

“Anyway, you can only contract with one Sin at a time. So there’s no danger for me!”

I thought I had made a logical argument, but that wasn’t the case.

“How do you know that?”

“Huh?”

“I asked how you know that.”

How did I know? Well, obviously I found out when I tried to borrow the Sloth Sealing Stone from Leon…

But if I said that, it seemed unlikely that he would ever let me meet Envy.

“Uh, well…”

As I dragged out my words while thinking, I soon continued.

“R-Raeyan told me.”

That’s right. What I chose was to throw Raeyan under the bus.

‘Sorry, Raeyan.’

But I believed he would understand since all of this was for his sake.

“That man, I don’t like him.”

Unfortunately, it seemed Dad had some misunderstanding about Raeyan.

I’d clear up the misunderstanding later, for now, contacting Envy was the most important thing.

“I’ll just check quickly and come back. Okay?”

“Then promise me one thing.”

“Yes!”

“You must not be enthralled by the Sin.”

“I absolutely won’t be enthralled!”

There was no way I, already experienced with Sins, would be enthralled by them.

It wasn’t long before I realized Dad’s words meant something else.

***

Guarding the Sin Sealing Stone is the duty of the hero’s descendant and the family head.

Naturally, the place where the Sealing Stone was kept was in the most secure location within the mansion.

Entering the family head’s bedroom and pushing through a section disguised as a wall, another room appeared.

After that, lifting the carpet revealed the entrance to a secret passage leading downwards.

[Terrifying confinement. Scary. Reminds of old times. PTSD coming! Aack!]

Greed screamed in terror, perhaps recalling memories from when we were in Vietan.

Unlike him, I was in a state of extreme excitement.

“A secret passage…!”

It was incredibly interesting. A secret passage in the mansion known only to the family head, how cool is that!

Of course, in Severes’ case, a few retainers and Felix also knew about it since Dad had fallen into a coma.

“Watch your step.”

“Yes!”

We slowly descended the dark underground stairs. After going down for quite a while, a rusty iron door that hadn’t been maintained appeared.

What Dad took out was the family seal.

When he inserted the seal into the engraving on the door, with a creaky, eerie sound, the iron door opened.

As we entered, amidst the bleak scenery, we saw the Sealing Stone inside a glass case.

It was the Envy Sealing Stone that Severes was monitoring.

“I’ll be watching from here, so go ahead, Elodie.”

“I’ll really just ask and come back.”

After reassuring Dad, who still seemed to doubt me, I quickly approached the Sealing Stone.

As I placed my hand over the Sealing Stone, I felt a strange resonance.

A moment later…

Pop.

Some kind of animal was summoned before my eyes, looking up at me.

“W-What is this…”

I was shocked.

I couldn’t help it.

A black, moist nose. Black, clear eyes. Soft and curly fur. Plump bottom.

Lastly, adorable feet and short, chubby legs.

“So cute…!”

A dog of extreme cuteness was in front of my eyes.

I almost hugged it.

“Elodie.”

At that moment, Dad called me in a low voice.

Was this what he meant by being careful not to be enthralled? If so, I indeed lacked confidence.

Cuteness is not a sin, I thought. Even though this is a Sin…!

“So adorab- no, that’s not it.”

I quickly gathered my wits and looked down at Envy.

The dog with a seemingly dumb face opened its mouth and spoke to me.

[What is it, foolish human.]

“…This one’s way of speaking is serious too.”

Are all the Sins gathered here just concept-obsessed?

Although I hadn’t seen all the other Sins, I could tell the situation was serious.

As if my inner thoughts had leaked out, Greed immediately protested.

[Are you talking about me right now?]

“You’re like a mind reader.”

How did you know?

But Envy’s way of speaking wasn’t the important matter. I looked at Envy and asked seriously.

“Envy. You’re currently under contract, right?”

[That is correct. Although it’s a half-contract.]

“A half-contract? What does that mean?”

[I cannot explain.]

I was curious about what it meant, but Raeyan’s life and death were the priority.

“That contract, is it still maintained?”

Thump, thump, thump.

Right after I blurted out the question, my heart started racing madly.

Afraid that I might not get the answer I was hoping for.

Pitter-patter, Envy walked as it answered.

[It is maintained.]

“…Is he alive?”

[Yes. The contractor. He is alive.]

Raeyan is alive.