Would she be able to meet Cahilid this time?

Recalling those red eyes that had stared so intently at her, Ihis sank into thought.

“Ihis!”

At Mahie’s sudden loud voice, Ihis flinched and looked at her father.

“What on earth are you thinking about right now?”

“……I’m sorry. It seems the wound I received yesterday is hurting.”

“What is so serious about that wound? At most, it was only a slight scrape from a sword!”

A slight scrape from a sword?

She barely managed to hold back the hollow laugh that threatened to escape.

Yes, of course.

A person who could look at the deep, red scar running across the center of her chest and call it nothing more than a slight scrape from a sword could surely use and exploit his own daughter in such a way.

If you had received the same wound, you would never be able to say that.

Forcing down her disgust, Ihis slowly parted her lips.

“Since Cahilid will be coming, does that mean I should restrain myself for the time being?”

“At least your ears seem to work properly.”

“……”

“In any case, you remember what I told you last time, don’t you? Cahilid is the justification itself that we need in order to start a rebellion. Until I am certain he has completely come over to our side—you must not show him any of our cards.”

In the end, it meant he was worried Cahilid might learn about the things he had done.

In truth, if that happened, there would be nothing good in it for Mahie. In the worst case, Cahilid might even use it as leverage against him.

“For the time being, you will stay quietly here and wait for me.”

Then would she, once again, spend the next two years unable to do anything, only to meet the exact same death?

The thick stench of blood that never once left her nose.

Her body, growing more and more hideous as wounds were transferred onto her.

Her mind, gradually becoming hazier.

She did not want to experience any of it again.

Even if it meant dying right here and now.

I don’t want to help Father either.

Why should I repeat something like that?

Even while destroying my own body.

I don’t want to keep suffering in silence, exactly like before.

As Ihis looked at her father, a ripple unlike anything seen before stirred in her blue eyes.

That ripple was quiet, but it was more than enough for her to gather her resolve.

If, as she expected, Cahilid had also come to this mansion in order to use her father……

Could she not help him and escape this hell?

Ihis had something that even Cahilid could not easily obtain.

Information.

Information about the people she had revived and healed again and again until now.

In other words, definite proof that Mahie was preparing a rebellion.

“Of course, Cahilid must know of your existence as well. He would not have accepted my offer without doing any investigation. But that is all. Cahilid will have no reason to cross paths with you.”

No.

“Keep that in mind.”

“W-wait!”

Like someone being chased, Ihis hurriedly parted her lips and grabbed the hem of Mahie’s shirt as he was about to leave the room.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The moment his daughter’s hand touched him, Mahie frowned with all his might.

He had always hated Ihis touching him.

The reason was simple.

It felt unpleasant.

“I’m sorry.”

Flustered, Ihis let go of his shirt, and Mahie continued with an irritated expression.

“Cahilid will arrive soon. We are to have dinner together, so I must go now. Never forget what I told you today.”

“F-Father……”

From between Ihis’s bloodless lips, words she would normally never have dared to say began to slip out.

“Couldn’t I be of help?”

Mahie glared at her as if asking what kind of lunacy she was spouting, but Ihis did not back down.

“I have healing power, don’t I?”

“And what of it?”

“What if Cahilid has some discomfort, or something he wants healed? If I help with that, wouldn’t it make him trust you more, Father?”

Mahie’s expression crumpled slightly.

“……Or perhaps, while healing him, we could discover a weakness. We might be able to use that weakness to coax Cahilid as well.”

Ihis knew it was a flimsy scheme.

But this was the only card she could play right now.

“Ihis, so what you are saying is……”

Mahie parted his lips in a gloomy voice, each word pressing down on her.

“Are you saying you dare show yourself in that state and bring disgrace upon our family?”

Mahie’s sharp gaze turned toward Ihis’s scar-covered arms and legs.

“You know, don’t you? The wounds I receive from healing others are something even my power cannot do anything about.”

Ihis spoke urgently.

“I don’t mean that I necessarily want to join the dinner. In any case, if Cahilid has an injury severe enough to require healing power, I should be able to recognize it even from a distance.”

It was not a lie.

Ihis’s healing power was not limited simply to mending another person’s body.

It was a taxing thing to do, but if she set her mind to it, she could determine what illness someone suffered from, or what sort of treatment they needed.

“Use me, Father. Just as you have until now, for the glory of Erbereje.”

After finishing her words, Ihis carefully watched Mahie’s reaction.

Mahie……

For some reason, he looked deep in thought.

Cahilid Herneheight.

Even before bringing him here, Mahie had continued receiving reports about him.

From the several subordinates he had planted in advance.

His martial ability appears to be far superior to what we expected. He killed every assassin we sent to test him, without exception.

He is living on the streets while hiding his identity, but he seems to be plotting something, as he has been meeting with nobles in secret.

We obtained a ledger from a merchant who runs a slave market. It contained a name presumed to be Cahilid’s alias. According to the merchant, several years ago, Cahilid killed the noble who had purchased him and every person accompanying that noble, then fled.

Among the countless pieces of information pouring in about Cahilid, there were certain details that always appeared.

And there were phrases that had caught Mahie’s attention most of all.

We do not know the exact reason, but there are times when he disappears for about two days.

As the full moon approaches each month, his condition worsens. Not only does his complexion turn deathly pale, but his nerves become extremely tense and sensitive. At times, he even appears to lose his reason. We suspect he may be suffering from some unusual illness.

The full moon……

Was today not the full moon, by chance?

Mahie seemed to ponder for a moment, then looked back at Ihis.

“Do it.”

“Pardon?”

“But only from a distance, just as you said. You are only to look. Do not approach any closer than that.”

At Mahie’s words, Ihis looked at him in disbelief.

She had thrown out the suggestion while trying to make it sound as plausible as possible, but she had hardly expected Mahie to actually accept it.

“Aila!”

Regardless of Ihis’s reaction, Mahie flung the door open and loudly called the maid’s name.

“Change Ihis’s clothes. There is no need to dress her up. It will be enough as long as her scars are not visible.”

“Yes, understood.”

“And stay by Ihis’s side all day today. If she tries anything foolish, call my guard knight at once.”

With that, Mahie left without even looking back.

The narrow room.

Ihis, who had been trapped in an endless spring, stared blankly at the open door.

✦ ✦ ✦

The large hall House Erbereje always used whenever it held a dinner banquet.

In front of the long corridor that led to the exit located on the opposite side of the hall’s entrance.

As Ihis stood there, hiding herself as much as possible, Aila whispered quietly in her ear.

“You must remain here. You must not go inside, and you must not go out through the exit.”

“I know.”

Ihis looked ahead with a slightly tense expression.

Then Mahie came into view, along with Ihis’s half-siblings, Dietrich and Adelheid.

Unlike Ihis, those two, who had been born from his lawful wife, had lived lives of great privilege from childhood.

They had never lacked anything, and they had never been locked away in a cramped room like Ihis.

If this healing power had gone to them, would they have been locked inside a room too?

With various emotions crossing her face, Ihis stared at the seemingly perfect family.

“Lord Cahilid is coming.”

At Aila’s voice breaking through her thoughts, Ihis hurriedly lifted her head.

Then she looked at Cahilid, who was slowly walking toward them from up ahead.