“What?”
“I just hoped that you would escape safely to a secure place and remain unharmed… But why have you returned here?”
“But I can’t run away forever. Sooner or later, I have to face the fight. All happiness in the world comes from the journey of finding one’s purpose!”*
*Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
“You… do you know what caused this contamination?”
My father tried to get up in shock, but I stopped him and answered.
“I have some idea. There is someone in the royal palace responsible for all of this.”
“What do you mean…?”
My father opened his mouth in shock but soon realized something and exclaimed.
“But, Seraphina! You can’t fight that person. I don’t want you to put yourself in danger!”
“Dad, I’ve grown a lot since I left on my journey. I’m not the naïve child I once was—I’ve become a strong mage now.”
“Even so, I—”
“Dad, do you remember how I was strangely devoted to Princess Eva? It was all because of her schemes.”
“What?”
“The one who put this continent in danger is none other than Princess Eva!”
My father remained silent for a long time, struggling to accept this truth. Eventually, with a face mixed with shock, he asked.
“Are you saying that Princess Eva brainwashed you?”
“I believe something similar happened. The catastrophe on this continent also stems from her.”
“But how could she, merely a light mage, possess such power…?”
“She is a brilliant inventor, and now she has even reached the realm of the gods—she can create life itself.”
“That can’t be….”
“The continent is in danger. I can’t just stand by and do nothing. Besides, I know her better than most.”
As I spoke with more determination than ever, my father could no longer stop me. Instead, he slowly sat up in bed and opened the drawer of the bedside table.
“Dad, I can do it.”
“No… there’s something I need to give you.”
He took out a whistle and handed it to me. At first glance, it was an expensive and finely crafted item.
“This was your mother’s keepsake.”
“Dad….”
“It is yours now, my daughter.”
It was his way of showing that he supported my resolve.
I accepted the whistle and hung it around my neck.
“Seraphina, but you must not overdo it. If a situation arises where your life is at risk, prioritize your safety above all else.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll come back safely.”
With a soft smile, I left the room. Behind me, my father’s anxious voice called out.
“You’re leaving already? Why don’t you rest a little longer…?”
“I have other places to visit first. After that, I plan to go straight to deal with Princess Eva.”
With a determined face, I went downstairs, where my companions turned to look at me.
“Seraphina, did you meet your father?”
“Yes. And now, I’m more certain than ever—I have to fight Princess Eva.”
Aurora didn’t ask me for detailed explanations. Instead, she patted my shoulder.
Although she usually irritated me nine times out of ten, moments like these made me grateful for her presence.
“So, what’s the plan? Should we head straight to the royal palace?”
Raffaelo asked. I hesitated for a moment before recalling the worried expression of Count Viviana.
“Shouldn’t we check on our families first? We need to confirm their safety before heading into battle.”
“Well, it’s not like I’m the head of the household, so there’s no real need. We’ll win and return anyway!”
“That’s true.”
Raffaelo and Arkhangelo answered confidently. But why was Arkhangelo so assured when he wasn’t even the one fighting?
At that moment, Simone, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
“Before going to the royal palace, I think it would be best to stop by the Monteverdi estate. As the head of the household, I have a responsibility to check on the family’s situation.”
“Oh, then should we go to the Monteverdi estate together?”
“You’re coming with me?”
“Weren’t we supposed to?”
Simone blinked slowly before flashing a bright smile. What was with that smile?
“That would be very helpful for me. Let’s go together, then.”
As Simone extended his hand toward me, Aurora pouted, looking displeased.
“Hey, Simone, we’re coming too, right?”
“It’s probably better if we keep things low-key.”*
“What?”
“I was joking.”
With that, we began our journey to the Monteverdi estate.
The path was far from easy. The automata had spread everywhere, making travel difficult.
“What exactly are they doing?”
“That place is a significant historical site…”
At the center of Pérez stood a centuries-old cathedral, a monument of great historical importance.
The automata had torn down its walls, leaving the sacred structure in ruins. It seemed they had converted the place into their base of operations.
Inside, heaps of mechanical devices and weapons—likely stolen from humans—were piled high.
Seeing such a significant landmark desecrated by the automata was disgraceful, but now wasn’t the time for grief. I forced myself to look away and continued moving forward.
Finally, we arrived at the Monteverdi estate, only to find it completely sealed off, much like the Viviana estate had been.
Simone easily leaped over the wall and unlocked the gate from inside.
“Butler, could you open the door?”
Simone knocked on the front door and spoke in a quiet voice. Soon, a surprised voice responded from inside.
“Is it really you, my lord?”
“Yes, I have returned.”
“Could you prove it somehow…?”
“Aurora stole my seal, so how am I supposed to prove it?”
“Ah! Then it really is you, my lord!”
With that, the front door swung open, and the butler’s gaze shifted past Simone, inspecting the rest of us.
We were finally able to enter the mansion.
The Monteverdi estate must have been grand once, but just like the Viviana estate, its beauty was now hidden behind boarded-up windows.
Tears welled in the butler’s eyes as they rushed to Simone’s side.
“My lord, Pérez has been in utter chaos….”
“Yes, I’ve heard what’s been happening. It must have been difficult for you all. Are the others safe?”
“We managed to drive away a few automata, so fortunately, everyone is unharmed.”
“At least that’s a relief. What about food supplies?”
“We’ve been surviving on emergency rations—dried meat and flour—but we won’t last much longer.”
“I see….”
Simone listened to the butler’s report with a cold expression. Then, he introduced us briefly.
“Captain Nesta, Young Duke Ascary, and Count Phyro’s son have visited the estate before, so you should recognize them. This is Lady Aurora from the Marquess of Shae’s family.”
“Ah, the Marquess’ friend! I’ve heard of you.”
The butler bowed toward Aurora. Then, Simone turned his gaze to me.
“And this is Lady Seraphina of the Viviana family. Throughout this journey, we have become quite… close.”
“I understand… Wait, what exactly do you mean by ‘close’?”
At that, Simone leaned in and whispered something quietly to the butler. Trying hard? What does that even mean?
The butler’s pupils trembled at those words. He let out a dumbfounded groan before finally opening his mouth.
“My goodness… I never thought I’d see this day.”
“So, I’d appreciate it if you could be mindful of that.”
“Oh, of course, of course!”
With that, the butler hurriedly ran off somewhere, while Simone simply shrugged.
“For now, we should rest here a bit and maybe send a letter to the royal palace.”
“A letter?”
“Yes, we should inform Princess Eva that we will be coming to see her.”
“Do we really need to send a letter?”
Raffaelo tilted his head skeptically.
“She’s the one behind this entire crisis. Why not just storm in and take her down?”
“She is still a princess. If we act recklessly, we might be accused of treason. We need justification for our actions.”
“Hmph, I have no desire to show that wretch any courtesy, but do as you see fit.”
Since Simone had more political knowledge than any of us, we decided to follow his lead and send a letter to Princess Eva.
Wait a minute… But how were we supposed to deliver it?
“Oh, that’s simple.”
Simone smiled faintly.
“With all these automata wandering around, we just need to capture one and use it as a messenger.”
“Oh….”
True to his words, he wrote a letter to Princess Eva and stepped outside. I anxiously waited for his return.
When he came back, his hands were empty.
“The letter has been delivered safely. We should receive a response soon. Seraphina, in the meantime, why don’t you take a break?”
Honestly, I was exhausted.
Even though food was scarce, I wanted nothing more than to soak in warm water and wash my clothes.
Sensing my thoughts, Simone gestured for the servants to lead us away.
Two maids assisted me in the bath, chatting nonstop.
“It’s such a relief that the Marquess has returned! I thought we were doomed!”
“Did everyone really have that much faith in him?”
When I asked, one of the maids smiled knowingly.
“Of course! The Marquess is incredibly capable.”
“And you, my lady, are joining him to resolve this crisis! That’s truly amazing.”
“Haha, it’s not that big of a deal….”
I gave an awkward laugh, but for some reason, the maids seemed oddly excited.
“Oh my, you both are truly remarkable! I never imagined the Marquess would have such a close noble lady companion.”
“Isn’t Lady Aurora his close friend?”
“Well, from what I’ve seen earlier, the way he treats Lady Viviana seems even more special than how he treats Lady Shae.”
“Really?”
“Oh my, did you not notice? To us, you both looked like a perfect match.”
Ah! These were the typical maids found in romance fantasy stories—the ones who tried to pair up any man and woman they saw together.
Since they had been stuck in the mansion for so long, feeling gloomy, it was understandable that they’d be excited about such gossip.
“Haha….”
I let out an awkward laugh. As they finished assisting me with my bath, they brought me a new dress.
“It belonged to the former Marchioness of Monteverdi, Simone’s mother.”
“It’s fortunate that this was still here! It suits you beautifully, my lady.”
“Thank you.”
After taking a bath and putting on fresh clothes, I felt much more refreshed.
With a lighter mood, we all gathered on the first floor once again.
“Ah, this is the taste of civilization… I had almost forgotten what it felt like.”
Aurora, who had spent a long time on the run with us across the Eastern Continent, was especially moved by the comfort.
Just then, Simone, who had also finished freshening up, entered the hall holding an envelope in his hand.
“I heard a knock at the door, so I went to check. This was left outside.”
“Huh?!”
The moment I saw the pale pink envelope, I jumped in shock.
It was the unmistakable symbol of Princess Eva.
Inside, a yellow letter was neatly folded, containing the following words.
[To my dear Sera,
I’ve been waiting for you, Sera.
You are free to come see me anytime.
I will be waiting.
P.S. Next time, I’d prefer if you wrote the letter yourself, rather than sending me something worthless.]
Everyone’s expressions turned strange upon reading the letter.
“‘Worthless’…?”
“She really does see only you as special, Seraphina.”
“Uh….”
I let out an awkward groan, unsure of how to respond.
Just then, Simone turned to me and spoke in a calm voice.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of letting her take you.”
“…Huh?”
Simone turned away as if nothing had happened, but a firm determination flickered in his eyes.
“It’s time to go.”
🍓; *It might be better if only a few people go, without drawing too much attention or making it a big deal.
