A string of pearls emerged from the hairpin. Dian’s expression hardened at once, he recognized it. He had seen it a few times before, albeit only briefly.

“You know who the original owner is.”

Gerard remarked, surprised by the reaction. Watching him carefully, he continued in a measured tone.

“Is it because you have a sharp eye, Count? Or perhaps…”

“I don’t know what kind of favor you intend to ask. But I must refuse.”

As if afraid he might actually walk off, Gerard hurried to explain.

“It’s not a request to return it to its original owner. I have no intention of burdening her heart again, not in the slightest.”

“..…”

“It’s better if I’m forgotten, especially by her. Not that there’s much to remember anyway.”

With bitter eyes, Gerard gently clasped the hairpin resting on his palm. To its original owner, it had been a trivial thing. She had handed it to him without hesitation when he had asked for it. Perhaps she had long forgotten that it even existed.

“I only thought…”

It was an item tainted by the hands of a traitor. He had no intention of returning it, nor of taking any risks by doing so. Besides, if she were to see it again, it might remind her of him, and he didn’t want to burden her with that memory.

“This hairpin doesn’t belong where I’m going. The north is bitterly cold. Even before we arrive, the wind feels different to that in the capital.”

“…”

“So, when you return, put it somewhere warm. Anywhere the sunlight can reach will do. Alternatively, you could toss it into a beautiful lake, which wouldn’t be so bad either. I meant to do it on the way here, but somehow I ended up carrying it all this way.”

“..…”

“As always, I missed the right moment. And yet, I still couldn’t let it go.”

The hairpin was too precious to abandon here. Even if everyone forgot about it, it belonged somewhere warm, somewhere unlike the cold path he was destined to take.

Dian hesitated for a moment, then sighed heavily when she saw Gerard’s face. He carefully took the pearl hairpin that Gerard held out to him, wrapped it in a cloth, and tucked it safely inside his coat.

“One more thing.”

Gerard, who had been observing Dian, parted his lips as if uncertain before finally speaking. The detachment that had seemed to lighten him moments ago had disappeared; now, worry filled his eyes.

“Count, you’re one of the people my brother values most. I know that well.”

“I’m nothing more than a sword he finds easy to wield.”

Gerard shook his head. By rights, Dian should have been guarding the emperor and his family. Yet the moment the exile decree was issued, his half-brother had appointed him to escort Gerard without hesitation, an act that spoke louder than words.

“Don’t mistake humility for blindness. If my brother chose you to escort me, it means he trusts you more than anyone else.”

“..…”

“So please, help him.”

“..…”

“There’s hardly anyone left to support him now. Practically no one. The court is crawling with snakes on all sides.”

Dian knew immediately who Gerard was talking about. At the same time, he realized just how deeply concerned Gerard was. The hairpin he had entrusted to him was proof enough of that, but the way Gerard now bowed his head spoke volumes, his plea was almost desperate.

“You know, his circumstances are difficult. And the burdens he carries…”

“…..”

“…must be many indeed.”

It finally made sense to him why his lord had begun reacting so sharply whenever his half-brother was mentioned. Although the Emperor himself had helped to fuel the rumors about his wife and brother, his expression would turn unmistakably sour whenever the younger man appeared.

“I mean no offence. I’m only worried for my newborn niece, that’s all.”

He turned his head, looking almost flustered, and added in a rush.

“A child has no one more precious than their mother. Isn’t that true of my brother and me? It is a mother’s steadiness and strength that sustain a child in every way that matters.”

As he spoke, he tapped his temple and chest lightly, and his expression filled with sorrow. After a brief silence, he pressed his lips together as if holding back emotion, then lifted his gaze to Dian once more.

“So please, I’m asking you, be there for them. You’re the only one I can rely on now, Count.”

“The time has come, my lord. Please board the carriage.”

He neither nodded nor offered any assurance; he simply gestured politely towards the waiting carriage.

Gerard smiled faintly and stepped inside. Just before the door closed, he murmured something under his breath. Whatever it was, it caused Dian to freeze for a moment, his expression remaining unmoved.

··· ✦ ···

Summer passed, and great changes came to Callithea. The land, once divided into scattered pieces, began to bind itself together again. Then, on the hottest day of the season, the largest piece that had been lost finally returned.

“Urgent news! Urgent news!”

“What is it?”

“The Duke… No, the traitor Duke Hellung, he’s dead!”

With his death, the greatest threat to the young Princess Isabelle Hardyde had disappeared. She had been executed, but not happily. Duke Hellung, branded a rebel, had disappeared overnight.

The one who killed Duke Hellung who had declared himself guardian of Callithea, claiming that the young princess was incapable of protecting it was shockingly his own youngest son, who had been kept hidden all this time: Palvani, the Holy Knight.

He had been abandoned at the temple for reasons unknown, and was believed to be dead even by Duke Hellung himself. No longer a son of House Hellung, Palvani had been chosen by the goddess and risen to fame as a knight of divine grace.

And then he killed his father.

He slaughtered his elder siblings, brother and sister alike without mercy.

“What will we do with the children?”

“K*ll them all. Every one of them.”

“..…”

“I will personally confirm the bodies.”

But that was not all. Barely twenty years old, he spared no one—not even his own nephews and nieces. Some were older than he was, while others were infants just learning to walk. The fact that a paladin, a holy knight from an order devoted to divine mercy, could commit such a merciless sl*ughter of his own kin left everyone who heard the news stunned into silence.

Yet, indifferent to the whispers and pointing fingers, he sent a formal letter to the young princess. In it, he pledged his loyalty and offered his rebel father’s head as proof. He begged to be accepted as her vassal. He vowed to renounce his holy office and asked for permission to take the name Hellung, as he was the last surviving member of House Hellung.

“What should we do about this? If he takes on the Hellung name, he’s related to the imperial line too, and that could challenge the regency.”

“What choice do we have? He has already absorbed most of the Hellung power, regardless of his actions. If we refuse his pledge of loyalty, it will only lead to civil war.”

“Perhaps this is for the best. Laxion has already used the civil war as an excuse to interfere far too much. It’s time we used his power against theirs.”

“I agree. We can’t allow Her Highness to become a puppet in the name of protection. This might be our only chance to stop the regency that Laxion has been pushing for.”

“I feel the same. We’ve held back for long enough, but the throne has been vacant for far too long. We’ve already reached our limit trying to stop Laxion from taking control. Now, just as that moment arrives, a man claiming to be the new master of House Hellung appears. For us, that’s a strong card to play. Aside from its rebel leader, House Hellung has the strongest claim to the regency. He might be the key to checking Laxion’s growing power.”

“It won’t be easy. We all know that Laxion has done the most to protect Her Highness. Princess Anita, Her Highness’s only remaining blood relative, is now Laxion’s empress. They’ll use that bloodline as a reason to interfere. Parvani, on the other hand, slaughtered his entire family. His name alone is infamous. If we side with him, we’ll have to bear the moral condemnation that will follow.”

“There’s no other way. Let’s give him permission. For Her Highness, it’s the best we can do.”

In the end, it was a small mercy amid the chaos. Of those who remained by Princess Isabelle Hardyde’s side, the most loyal to House Hardyde were the most vocal, and they were filled with pity and guilt towards the princess, who was now the last of her line.

This turn of events was only possible because when Laxion first turned against Duke Hellung to support the Imperial faction, their main concern was ensuring the safety of Princess Isabelle. They had ruthlessly purged anyone whose betrayal or hidden ambitions might have endangered her.

However, Laxion was a foreign power and Cedric had never held Callithea in high regard. It was therefore inevitable that those dispatched under his command to ‘assist’ the kingdom would exploit Callithea’s civil war and unrest to further Laxion’s own ambitions.

“Callithea is not a vassal state of Laxion. Until Her Highness comes of age, she must be protected with all our strength and guided by a regent loyal only to Callithea.”

However, such words sowed deep suspicion among the Callithean nobles gathered around the young princess. The fragile balance surrounding the question of the regency began to fracture, and tensions finally erupted into open conflict.

“Do you truly believe you can protect Princess Isabelle without Laxion’s aid? And who is closer to Her Highness than Her Majesty Princess Anita, the Empress of Laxion herself? Should the regent not be someone chosen by the Laxion Empress?”

Citing their history of military support and Anita’s blood ties, Laxion sought to install a regent who would serve their interests and, by extension, bring Princess Isabelle under their control. Those who opposed them fought desperately to stop it.

However, the true problem lay in Princess Isabelle’s age. Not yet eight years old, she could not ascend the throne without a regent. An empty throne, a kingdom without a ruler was a dangerous thing. Just as Laxion’s influence seemed impossible to resist, Parvani appeared, seemingly sent by the heavens, bearing the unassailable lineage of House Hellung.

Given these circumstances, Callithea’s Imperial faction had no reason to turn him away. It did not take long before Parvani was formally sworn to Princess Isabelle’s service.

Under her banner, Callithea reclaimed nearly all the lands it had lost. Though some minor territories remained divided, none posed a real threat to the throne. Many surrendered without resistance at the sight of the princess’s knights on the horizon, before a single blade was drawn.

Yet victory did not bring peace. The royal banners once again fluttered proudly over Princess Isabelle’s court, but the fierce struggle for control of the regency had only just begun.

Around this time, Anita received news of her niece in the Palace of Light.