Ella drew a small parchment envelope from inside her robe and pressed it into Molly’s hands.

“Don’t open this until after I’ve entered the palace, Molly. You must read it only when you’re completely alone. And after reading it, you must burn it without fail.”

“Yes, Miss Mariella.”

Ella smiled at the resolute determination in her eyes.

That same night, after Molly returned to her quarters, Ella made her way to the western storeroom of the Grand Temple.

The old storeroom was broken and rotting in places, untouched by human hands for a long time.

A place full of painful memories.

A place she would never return to once she entered the palace.

Ella intended to take it in for the first and last time.

“Was this space always so small?”

The dusty attic room held nothing.

The bed that had been like an extension of Ella’s own body was gone. The dark red stool Marian used to sit on during her occasional visits was gone too.

“There’s truly nothing left……”

Seeing it confirmed before her eyes, Ella felt the reality of Marian’s absence settle in.

The fact that she could never see her or meet her again carved itself into her chest with a sharp, aching clarity.

“Fool.”

Such a fool.

Knowing full well what the price of touching the forbidden would be……

The mask fell away, and tears tracked down her face.

“Did you think I’d be grateful for this?”

A life with her other half gone. What was so good about that.

Tears ran down Ella’s pale face. The sorrow hanging from her chin was heartbreaking.

The fallen drops left small, scattered stains on the dusty floor.

Ella walked slowly to the window.

She remembered a time when the whole world had been what could be seen through that round window, and she had been grateful even for that.

“You really got it wrong, Marian.”

Born as one, their fates had split sharply into light and darkness. Of the two, Ella had willingly taken the dark.

If asked why…… well.

The one who belonged in the light was only ever Marian.

She was good, and she had a loving heart. The complete opposite of herself, gloomy and twisted somewhere inside.

Ella had loved Marian with everything she had.

“Sister. If you’re watching me somewhere……”

Marian’s image surfaced in the reflection on the window. Ella reached out and traced the shadow of her face on the glass.

“Close your eyes.”

What was coming would be too hard to watch.

Ella’s eyes flashed cold and hard.

***

Early morning. Ella walked out of the temple alone, with no one to see her off.

‘I would like to make the journey to the palace alone. I wish to follow the instruction to endure the oracle’s work solely through my own strength, so I ask for your understanding.’

Ella had not forgotten to add that it was the chief god’s will.

Perhaps because she wasn’t looking at anyone from the temple, her steps were almost light.

The imperial carriage and an escort from the imperial knight order, the Royal Hounds, accompanied her on the way to the palace.

The knight commander, Tailian Martis, bowed to her with proper respect.

“I greet you, Miss Mariella. I am Tailian Martis, commander of the imperial knight order.”

Warmth came into Ella’s eyes as she looked at Tailian.

‘Right, this man was here too.’

To think they would meet like this……

The imperial knight order commander of this Empire, and the eldest son of the distinguished Martis Marquisate, Tailian Martis.

He had been recognized for his exceptional martial ability at a young age and became the youngest knight commander in the imperial order’s history.

‘He was the only one who ran himself ragged trying to help Marian……’

Tailian had quietly deployed even the Black Moon knights to find evidence that would expose the false accusations against her sister.

The Black Moon knights were under his command, but they were secret intelligence knights who moved only under imperial orders, never otherwise.

Yet despite all his efforts, Marian had died, and Tailian had been put on trial for helping her, ultimately stripped of his position as knight commander.

The only person in the entire Empire who had tried to help her.

‘How could I have forgotten about him.’

Ella gave a warm smile.

“Sir Martis, I’ve been wanting to meet you.”

“……Me…… you say?”

“Yes.”

Blue eyes and bright golden hair, a face that looked cold but somehow gentle.

He and Ella had a great deal in common. They resembled each other closely enough that one might believe they were siblings.

Perhaps that was why. Ella felt a swelling in her chest, like meeting family.

“I look forward to working with you. Sir Martis.”

“……It is an honor.”

Tailian answered with a somewhat bewildered expression. Understandably so, since this was the first time the two of them had spoken at such close range.

Setting aside his unspoken questions, Tailian opened the carriage door.

“Please board.”

Ella took his hand and stepped up, and Tailian held out a letter bearing the crown prince’s personal seal.

“His Highness the Crown Prince instructed me to deliver this.”

“I see.”

Ella replied coolly and took it.

The moment the carriage door closed, she unfolded Zikhart’s letter.

“‘My dear Miss Mariella?'”

A quiet, contemptuous laugh escaped her.

It said he had wanted to come see her off himself but was unable to, and he was sorry.

“He says he’ll send his heart along in the carriage with me……?”

The affection practically dripped from every word.

Ella pressed the back of her hand over her mouth to hold back the laughter. This was the crown prince who hadn’t even sent a formal letter before.

All she had done was hold his gaze for a single day.

‘How ridiculous.’

She was already looking forward to what awaited her in the palace.

The carriage moved, and her gaze drifted absently to the window. The great Solea statue standing at the Grand Temple’s entrance came into view.

“……Hm?”

Ella’s eyes went wide.

A tall man in a priest’s prayer robe, standing beneath the statue.

“Ha…… ven?”

He had his hood pulled up, but Ella was somehow certain it was Haven.

‘He must have received Molly’s letter……’

The letter she had given Molly had actually been two.

One for Molly herself, and one she had written in Molly’s letter to be left at the cave entrance near the Purification Spring.

“What are you doing here.”

It was no lie that the border guard was stationed throughout this area.

They would be desperate to find Haven, the only prisoner to ever escape……

“What if he gets caught.”

Ella bit her lip with anxiety.

But she couldn’t stop the carriage here. She couldn’t meet him surrounded by the imperial knight order.

Caught between two impossible choices, the man beneath the statue began to move.

“……Why is he coming this way?”

She was so startled that Ella rose from her seat without thinking. The sudden movement threw off her balance and she fell to the carriage floor.

.Thud

Her knee struck it with a heavy impact.

“Ugh!”

Her ankle throbbed too.

The carriage stopped immediately, and Tailian’s voice came.

“Miss Mariella, is something wrong?”

Even through the pain, Ella was too busy watching outside to answer.

“I apologize. Allow me a moment.”

Tailian opened the carriage door.

He saw her on the floor and extended his hand urgently.

“Are you all right?”

“Ah…… yes, I’m fine.”

She had hit hard enough to bruise, but she couldn’t feel that pain right now.

Every nerve she had was directed at the man making his way toward them.

“Miss Mariella, if you’re in any discomfort……”

“I’ll take a look.”

At the voice that came from behind Tailian, Ella squeezed her eyes shut.

‘Haven!’

Even in a priest’s robe, his appearance was too striking.

On top of that, the ones escorting the carriage were the imperial knight order. They would already have information on the fugitive prisoner the border guard was hunting.

Even if his likeness hadn’t been circulated, it was only natural to be wary of someone appearing so suddenly.

Tailian stepped in front of him and asked.

“State your affiliation.”

“I am……”

“Father Miguel.”

Ella cut in between the two of them.

Both men turned their eyes to her.

“Father Miguel, what brings you here? Shouldn’t you be at the training hall right now?”

She made up a name on the spot and asked with a composed face, though she was inwardly frantic.

“I was praying for your safe journey.”

“I said I wouldn’t be accepting a send-off.”

“So I intended only to pray from a distance and leave…… but you appeared to be hurt.”

Haven played along as though he were indeed Father Miguel.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and his wavered. Ella couldn’t have missed it.

Those were the eyes they had met countless times in the heat of that night.

A flash of red crossed Haven’s violet eyes, just as Ella’s lips parted.

‘Did I imagine that?’

When she looked again, his eyes had returned to their original amethyst color.

She must have imagined it.

Settling on that conclusion, Ella broke the eye contact first.