Chapter 14:
The blonde woman in her fifties sat quietly on a rocking chair, elegant as though time itself had chosen to stand beside her rather than against her. Cradled in her arms was a gray cat sprawled across her thighs like a warm cotton quilt, shifting lazily, purring with careless contentment. Slowly, the woman lifted her head, her gaze settling on the girl standing near the window—long hair cascading down her back as she stared at the lake stretching out before the modest palace. The palace looked like a stray plant that had taken root by chance within the gentle expanse of a vast forest.
The woman smiled and said softly, “I want to speak with her, Ellie.”
The girl closed her eyes, then opened them again. In that instant, the color of her pupils shifted—from pale green to a deep, dense green—as though something had been stirred awake in her depths. She turned slowly, her features taking on a polished precision, almost doll-like, and said in a confident voice, “What do you want?”
The woman laughed lightly, as if teasing a stubborn child. “And why are you angry?”
The girl replied with restrained sharpness, “Because I was in the middle of an important conversation with Ellie.”
The woman tilted her head, mocking gently. “No—you were asleep.”
The girl faltered for a moment. The woman sighed, moved the cat off her lap, and rose slowly. “You really never change.”
Ignoring the remark, the girl said with feigned coldness, “Say what you want, or let me sleep.”
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The woman stepped closer, her fingers brushing the loose strands of hair falling across the girl’s face—a familiar touch, carrying both tenderness and authority. “I came because I need you, Inder.”
Inder raised an eyebrow calmly, as though the matter were self-evident. “Of course. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in your daughter’s room, Caroline.”
Caroline sat down on the bed opposite her, leaning back slightly before speaking. “The balance of the system is beginning to falter again. After the Masonic Order’s dominance, it is now the Katakai Clan’s turn—suddenly. Yesterday, they announced they had recovered the Golden treasure, Rin Katakai. They also declared that they now possess three Anchors. And we know for certain that the Phoenix who escaped the Masons is one of them.”
For the first time, interest surfaced on Inder’s face. “And the third Anchor?”
Caroline shook her head slowly. “Unknown.”
Inder asked, “And what do you want us to do?”
Caroline drew a deep breath before continuing. “The Masonic Order was truly powerful—capable of manipulating events here and there without real consequence. But their strength never reached a level that allowed them to harm one of the other Lullabies. As long as our alliance with the Katakai was stronger than them, the balance held. But this rise of the Katakai… it does not bode well.”
Inder frowned. “Aren’t we used to having three Anchors in one place? It’s always been that way with the demonic lullaby.”
She suddenly cut herself off, her voice flaring. “But wait! How could they lose two Anchors to the Katakai Clan in a single day?! Are they really that foolish?!”
She fell silent abruptly, as though a heavy realization had dropped into her mind. Her expression shifted, her voice lowering. “Emma… Emma is the only one capable of slipping free from the pact of Allegiance due to her endless regeneration. How did the second Anchor escape?”
Caroline hesitated before answering. “That’s where the problem lies. What I meant by ‘unknown’ isn’t that they didn’t reveal his name.”
Inder lifted her eyes, watching Caroline closely. “I told you—we’re certain Emma is one of the two new Anchors, because they revealed both names openly.”
Caroline raised her index finger. “The first is the Immortal Phoenix… Emma Maso.”
She paused, as if allowing the name its full weight, then added, “As for the second Anchor—it is the Court Herald… Molinder Had.”
Inder’s eyes widened in pure shock. “Hah?!”
