Everything did not return to normal after that day.

  We could never achieve that tranquility again.

  And…

  After that day, I no longer felt that warmth again.

  Although I still spent time with Lilia after that, inside my heart, I felt I had missed a part of myself.

  I missed something important.

  I never told Lilia about it, about my encounter with that girl, about how I missed that warmth.

  At that time, I thought it was because of my emotion, it was because of my inner state that I could not perceive that warmth again.

  I did not want to disturb Lilia. So, I never mentioned it to her.

  Lilia may have noticed my condition, too.

  She stopped bringing me books.

  She also did not try to replace my writing utensils.

  Instead, she kept bringing me new games.

  She tried to distract me from all the troubles.

  She helped me forget all the bad things.

  She allowed me to find new quietude.

  So, I could enjoy my time with her again.

  .

  .

  I also needed to mention something.

  One week after that incident, I had a dream.

  I did not dream of the grassland like before.

  I dream of something else.

  I dream of a forest.

  It was different from the forest I reside in.

  It was not the sanctuary.

  It was the forest covered in snow.

  I could not see the sun in the sky.

  The sky was covered with clouds from one end to the other.

  In that forest, I walked alone, leaving a trail of my footprint behind.

  It was cold.

  It was lonely.

  It was unsettling.

  It was scary.

  Yet, I kept walking forward.

  I did not know why.

  Then, suddenly, I came to a field covered in pure white snow.

  In the middle of it, I saw a massive gate.

  It was closed.

  Yet, I could feel something emitted from it.

  It was something black.

  Then, as if enchanted by it, I walked toward that gate.

  I felt that something whispered into my ear.

  “The thing you want, the thing you need, lies waiting inside.”

  I felt that it was true.

  I could achieve my revenge with it.

  So, I walked there.

  “Just open the door, you can achieve it,” it said to me.

  Yes, it was a simple thing, my instinct told me.

  I only needed to push that door lightly, and I could achieve my revenge.

  I could make that girl suffer.

  She would cry and beg me for mercy.

  I could kill Duke Ellon.

  I could destroy the clergy faction.

  So, without hesitation, I walked toward that door.

  Yet, as I was halfway there, I sensed something.

  I sense that someone was watching me.

  I knew it was the woman I had met before.

  She stood behind me and watched me.

  She did not say anything.

  She neither stopped me nor encouraged me.

  She just silently stood there and watched my back.

  I did not turn back to look at her.

  I no longer needed her.

  What I needed was already in front of me.

  So, I kept walking forward.

  I could sense her sadness when she witnessed my action.

  Yet, she did not take any action.

  Then, I came to stand in front of that massive gate.

  I looked up at it.

  I saw it. I saw a red stone embedded in the middle of that gate

  I felt like I had seen that red stone somewhere.

  However, I could not remember it.

  Then, the whisper became louder and louder.

  “Just push it.”

  “Just push it a little.”

  “That is all you need to do.”

  Then, I mindlessly extended my hand toward that gate.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  As I was about to touch it, I heard her voice, the woman’s voice.

  “I hope you won’t regret it.”

  With this word, I sensed that she vanished.

  She, too, gave up on me.

  So be it.

  I didn’t need to depend on anyone.

  I could achieve anything with the thing inside that gate.

  Then, I made up my mind.

  I put my hand on that gate.

  However, before I could push it, I suddenly found myself enveloped in a light.

  The world was covered in light.

  That gate has vanished into that light.

  Bathing in that golden light, I slowly lost my consciousness.

  However, before I completely lost my consciousness, I saw something.

  I saw a bird.

  It was a golden bird.

  However, that bird was different from the normal bird, not only in its color but also in its wings.

  I saw a golden bird with six wings.

  It flew above my head.

  It stared intently at me.

  It was as if it was judging me.

  That was the last thing I saw in that dream.

  After that, I woke up.

  I found myself covered in sweat.

  The sun shone through the window and hit my face.

  That was why I woke up.

  Upon waking up, I found it empty.

  After I collected myself, I thought back to that dream.

  I found that I did something I should not have.

  I gave myself in the wrath.

  I allowed myself to be consumed by my lust for revenge.

  I should have stopped when I heard that woman’s voice.

  I almost lost myself.

  If not for that bird, I may have done something irreversible, something I would regret for life.

  That dream… I also did not tell Lilia about that dream.

  I only kept it with myself.

  And I tried something different.

  I tried something that I should have done from the beginning.

  I went to Duke Raven.

  I asked him to train me.

  And to my request, he did not say anything.

  He just nodded at me.

  Then he told me to run around my hut until I dropped.

  Then…

  About two weeks after that incident, when we judged that I had become capable of staying awake normally. I began to learn swordsmanship from Duke Raven.

  We began our training in silence.

  I did not speak to him unnecessarily.

  He, too, only gave me instructions when it was necessary.

  We started from the basics.

  It was nothing but torture.

  He never showed me mercy.

  I, too, could not complain about it.

  I wasted too much time staying in bed.

  After two weeks of my practice, I was introduced to medicine.

  When I was lying down from exhaustion, he came to me.

  He coldly looked down at me and handed me something.

  “We don't have much time. So, please bear with me. Please take these pills. They will help you recover faster.”

  It was two small marbles.

  One was red. Another was yellow.

  Looking at those two marbles, I did not immediately take them.

  I looked at him warily as I asked about the identity of those marbles. “Is this a drug?”

  After hearing me question like that, I could see Duke Raven’s eyebrow twitch.

  Then, he lowered himself and grabbed my hand. His face when he did that was as if he had had enough of me.

  “... please call it a blessing. It was specially prepared for you. So, you should be grateful.”

  Then he pushed two marbles into my hand.

  “…” I did not immediately throw it nor consume it.

  I just looked at him silently.

  I was not sure whether it was a good idea to take them as he suggested.

  I tried to find more answers by observing his expression.

  However, I could not find anything.

  I believe Duke Raven also noticed what I was doing.

  After that, he sat down on the floor with me.

  As he crossed his legs, he took his hand off mine.

  Then he looked at me as if I were a troublesome child. “Despite everything, they still send it to you, they still take good care of you.”

  Hearing that, I sat facing him.

  However, this time I did not violently respond to him like before.

  After that dream, whenever I thought of that bird, I found that I became calmer.

  Over time, I could control my emotions to some degree.

  Then I asked him about what he had said. “... what do you mean?”

  Yet, he still refused to explain everything to me.

  It made me wonder whether he was incapable of explaining things.

  He lightly shook his head as he leaned back. “You don't have to think deeply right now.”

  He put his hands behind him and used them to support his body.

  Then he lazily looked at me.

  Even with that laid-back demeanor, I noticed his eyes betrayed him.

  He sharply looked at me.

  He was evaluating me.

  Then he said. “Please behave well when you meet Lady Aria later. At that time, please properly show your gratitude to her.”

  Then, I looked back at him.

  My eyes met his gaze.

  I could feel my rage boiling.

  However, I tried my best to control it.

  I tried my best to appear calm and asked him. “Is this from her?”

  Was she trying to poison me using him?

  Was the last time she came here to poison me?

  Did she give it to him because she failed last time?

  That was the hidden meaning behind my question.

  Yet, Duke Raven only smirked at me.

  Then he sat straight.

  After that, he leaned forward and asked me with great interest, “Pray tell me, your highness. What did Lady Aria do to you? Did she do anything wrong to you?”

  With him questioned me like that… With my mind became calmer, I began to think about it.

  I could clearly analyze it.

  Did she do anything to me?

  I did not know.

  I was not sure.

  We have never met.

  Had she harmed me?

  Had she harmed my sister?

  Had she harmed my mother?

  Had she harmed my father?

  I was not sure.

  I did not have a definitive answer to his question.

  Yet, I thought back to her identity.

  She was that man’s daughter.

  Surely, she would be involved in some of his actions.

  She might also do something dirty.

  I thought back to her luxury garment.

  She was wearing something expensive.

  She sure enjoyed it.

  She would not be different from her father.

  They were all the same.

  Both of them would surely commit evil acts.

  Yet, I did not have concrete evidence.

  All I had was speculation and deduction.

  So, I knew Duke Raven would surely rebuke me if I told him that.

  Thus, I decided to state the most obvious fact.

  “... she…. She is that man’s daughter.”

  I could feel that I raised my voice at him again when I said that.

  However, at that time, he did not take offense.

  He just lightly chucked at it.

  Then he closed his eyes.

  After a while, with his eyes still closed, he asked me as if he did not expect my answer from me. “Is being his daughter justifying your hatred? Is this the right thing to do?”

  Then he opened his eyes.

  His eyes turned sharp.

  It was as if it were into that of a beast.

  He calmly asked me as he looked into my eyes. “Once again, did Lady Aria do anything wrong to you?”

  I did not answer him.

  I could not answer him.

  So, I stayed silent. “...”

  With the same question from him, I began to think again.

  Then I could not come up with another good answer.

  Everything boiled down to the same answers.

  Seeing me like that, Duke Raven let out a soft laugh.

  Then he began to stand up.

  As he stood up, he said this to me. “After you think it through…”

  Then he stood up straight.

  With his back straightened, he looked down at me. “You should give her a proper apology when you meet her next time.”

  His eyes when he said that were unfriendly.

  It was so cold.

  It sent a shiver down my spine.

  It reminded me of that cold forest.

  Then he turned his back to me.

  After he turned his back to me, he looked at the entrance of the sanctuary.

  Then, he softly spoke. “Next week, my son will come and replace me for a month.”

  After he said that, he walked toward his pose.

  However, I tried to stop him.

  He just dropped some important news that I could not ignore.

  He said he would leave this place for a while.

  I could only think of one thing that requires his presence.

  It was related to my family.

  My father might be in danger.

  So, I hastily stood up.

  I raised my voice as I asked him. “... What? Did something happen to Father?”

  Then, he stalled his footstep.

  He turned to look at him.

  As he shook his head, for the first time in a long while, he gave me a ‘proper’ answer to my question.

  “It was not like that. …. Her Majesty and her highness decided to attend the annual prayer this year. I have to escort them.”

  It was unheard of.

  After my mother became the empress, she stopped visiting the main church.

  And my sister... she never wanted to attend the annual prayer.

  Why did they suddenly want to attend it?

  I could not think of the possible cause.

  So, I asked Duke Raven as if pleading with him.

  “Why? Mother and sister never want to attend it.”

  Facing my plea, he walked to me.

  As he stared down at me.

  Then he placed his palm on my head.

  It was like the way he did it to me when I was young.

  I could feel this gentleness.

  “Asked yourself first, your highness.” He gently said that.

  Facing this long-lost gentleness from him, I looked up at him.

  Strangely enough, I did not feel rage when I heard him say that.

  I could calmly respond to him.

  I noticed it.

  The only time he refused to give me the answer was always related to that girl.

  And that time, he also refused to give me a definitive answer.

  So, I came to the conclusion that the reason my mother and sister decided to attend the annual prayer might have something to do with that girl.

  So, I asked him as I looked up at him. “Is it because of that girl?”

  After that, he took his hand off my head.

  Then he shook his head lightly.

  And he put his pointing finger on my chest, as he said this, “It is the opposite. It is because of you.”

  Then he walked away again.

  I could silently look at his back.

  I did not ask him again.

  I had so many things I needed to think about.

  While I stood there lost in thought, he turned his head to me.

  As if he just remembered something important, he spoke to me.

  “Please refrain from talking with my son during that time. It is for your safety.”

  Hearing that unexpected advice, I was at a loss.

  Why did he not want me to talk with his son?

  Was he genuinely trying to keep his distance from the imperial family?

  However, he stated his reason was for my safety.

  Was there something wrong with his son?

  When I thought of that part, as if he had read my mind, he provided me with an answer as he giggled.

  “Puzzle? You hurt his idol after all.”

  With that, he gave me a weak smile before walking away.

  I could only start at his blank look at that unexpected news.

  At the end, I walked in the opposite direction toward my hut.

  My hand still held the pills he gave me.

  I was not sure whether I should really take it.