CHAPTER 57…………………………………………..
If there was any relief at all, it was that Irina was no longer in the village.
Though I had never liked the idea that she had gone to the capital and was living in the ducal household, in this moment, I was grateful.
And it was also fortunate that Daniel was dead.
Even if someone went to the forest cabin, they would find many traces of Daniel, but very few of Irina.
Of course, by examining the house, anyone could immediately recognize that Irina was Daniel’s daughter.
“Seems she’s been living in the forest, hasn’t she?”
“Yes.”
The two who had come from the temple followed closely behind Alicia in silence.
Even though they knew she was at the ducal house, Alicia feared they might somehow notice Irina’s presence.
She was also afraid that perhaps now they were looking not for Daniel, but for Irina.
Before Daniel died, whenever Bernice left the cabin to earn money, he had given Alicia one simple instruction as a sort of final wish: to protect Irina.
It didn’t matter if anyone discovered that Daniel had once lived in the cabin.
Even if they wanted to find Daniel, he was no longer in this world. Forcing the temple to bring a dead man would be impossible.
And it didn’t matter if they discovered that Alicia had lived with Daniel.
There was only one thing Alicia worried about: that the temple might discover Irina’s existence.
If they realized that Daniel’s bloodline continued, and that someone had inherited his sexual power, the temple’s only course would be the same as with Daniel: imprison Irina and exploit her.
Once they knew her power had been inherited, Irina would suffer a life even more miserable than the already deceased Daniel’s.
Not wanting that more than anyone, Alicia led her steps not toward the cabin, but elsewhere.
“I hope I’m going the right way… beast?”
And as she prepared to shake off the two men and reach the cabin quickly, it was more convenient to assume her wolf form than remain human.
Her olive-colored eyes turned golden, fur sprouted all over her body like a true beast, and her fangs gleamed. The two temple knights instinctively reached for the daggers at their belts.
“A-a beast…!”
But Alicia had no intention of fighting the two knights.
Even if she did fight them, even if she killed them, another knight would surely come to the village to pursue her companions.
Quickly assessing the situation, Alicia chose not to show aggression but to turn and flee at full speed.
She heard the knights shout for her to stop and felt them pursuing her. She increased her pace.
“Damn it!”
How much of Irina’s life remains in the house?
Through the familiar trees, Alicia glimpsed the cabin and stopped, quickly shifting back to human form.
Panting, she entered the cabin, finding traces of Daniel everywhere.
A few of Daniel’s belongings, his clothing, and even a photograph of Bernice, Daniel, Alicia, and young Irina together.
She stuffed everything—family photos, clothing once worn here—into a large bag.
There weren’t many items; Irina had not lived in the forest for her entire life.
After gathering all the letters Irina had sent, as well as the money bundle, Alicia disappeared further into the depths of the forest.
Irina’s presence must not be discovered. For now, it was fortunate that she was living under the ducal house’s protection. Though she might be abandoned someday, her immediate safety was secure.
“To think I’d ever be grateful to the ducal house…”
Never in her life had she imagined the very people she despised could be of use. Even if they knew what Irina looked like, they likely wouldn’t notice her.
There were many in the empire with light beige hair and blue eyes.
Still, she prayed that the name Irina would remain common.
She could not return to the village and had no choice but to venture further into the forest. Between the trees, she thought she could hear the voices of the men calling for her, like hallucinations.
“Haa…”
She wanted to protect the home where they had lived together, but circumstances made it impossible.
Once they realized the house was empty, they wouldn’t linger long. Once she crossed the mountains to a safe place, she could contact Irina.
“Please…”
May no one discover Irina’s presence.
―End of the rumor?
―As if the scandal that had once shaken the capital had never existed, the two displayed a tender closeness.
Thwack!
The newspaper Rozian had thrown hit the wall and fell to the floor.
Tamitarte held her breath at Rozian’s tense demeanor.
After all, he was someone who only wished for the divorce of the duke’s household and the crown prince. Seeing a dating article instead of a scandal must have been frustrating.
A maid nearby lowered her head, trembling. She feared Rozian’s wrath might reach her. Tamitarte signaled her to leave, and the maid quietly closed the door.
Rozian, desperate to match the duke’s house with Persephone, had no interest in women, leaving him impatient.
“Hah… and Daniel?”
“Still haven’t found him.”
“Good grief!”
Rozian’s impatient voice echoed loudly through the palace.
“Twenty years have passed since we sent people to find him, and not a single strand of hair!”
He had been trying to track down Daniel and Bernice for twenty years. While Bernice was eventually found, Daniel—the one Rozian most wanted—remained missing.
“Back then, I didn’t want to kill that woman.”
Rozian clicked his tongue. Tamitarte sneered.
Rozian had ignored the plea to spare Bernice, letting his temper get the better of him, and killed her. Bernice, despite all her suffering, never revealed a word about Daniel.
But the reason Bernice stayed silent…
Tamitarte ran her tongue along her dry lips. Revealing Daniel would also expose the daughter she had been hiding.
She remembered Bernice smiling until the end, even on the path to death.
Rozian’s anger wasn’t solely about Daniel or Bernice.
It was also about the newspaper article claiming the end of the scandal.
The word “end” came with a question mark, which could be mildly reassuring.
But Rozian had personally seen Persephone with April. This article would not just end with a question mark.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that the April with Persephone wasn’t the real one, no one could say.
Tamitarte watched Rozian vent in silence, moving her lips slightly.
“Perhaps… he’s dead?”
Rozian froze, as if time itself had stopped.
Tamitarte’s pale green, summer-leaf eyes met his.
“What?”
Her expression was chillingly calm.
Rozian knew better than anyone that he sought Daniel to achieve immortality.
“Over twenty years have passed. The empire has been scoured, yet no trace has been found. Could it be that he’s dead?”
Daniel was dead. This had been confirmed through Irina herself.
Tamitarte silently hoped Rozian would finally give up searching for him.
She feared that, in chasing Daniel, he might discover Irina.
“Daniel has been gone for over twenty years, and Bernice has been earning a living, hasn’t she?”
“So?”
Rozian gestured for her to continue.
“Given that Bernice died, could Daniel have really supported himself while working?”
“……”
“A man who spent his life in the temple could not have done so.”
If Daniel had moved to earn money, he would have used his sexual power. A non-cleric hiding for over twenty years while using it? Impossible for him.
If he had used it, they might have found him sooner.
“It’s safe to assume he’s dead.”
Now she just wanted him to stop chasing Daniel.
