Before returning to the duchy, Selene encountered someone she had hoped never to see again.
"You look the same, Selene," Lioan said.
"Did I ever give you permission to say my name?" Selene snapped. "Our relationship ended a long time ago."
"But… we can still be friends, considering our past," Lioan said.
Selene let out a cold chuckle.
"Isn't it funny? The same person who stabbed me in the back and left me on the battlefield dares to speak of friendship now." Her eyes gleamed with disgust.
"I always wonder what I could've done better," Lioan murmured. "But that day… it was my only choice. If I hadn't gone back—"
"I don't care." Selene's voice cut through his excuses like a blade. "You left me to die. Only Kaelen stayed. That says everything. There's nothing left between us."
She turned and walked away.
Kaelen had been waiting nearby, giving them space. But his sharp gaze was locked on Lioan—a silent warning to stay away.
And just like that, Selene and Kaelen returned to the Southern Duchy.
Aria sat in the palace garden, basking in the sunlight for the first time in a long while since arriving in the capital.
The gentle sounds of birds and the sweet scent of blooming flowers made the moment feel perfect.
Theo sat beside her, quietly reading through some reports. Lately, it seemed like he was always by her side—perhaps the loss of his powers had left him feeling more alone than he cared to admit. But Aria didn't mind. In fact, she enjoyed having her uncle close.
That peace shifted the moment Liam stepped into the garden.
"Hah... you're actually here," Liam remarked, a smirk tugging at his lips. His blond hair was neatly combed to the side, and his striking green eyes could easily draw anyone in. He was the opposite of Theo, whose silver hair was streaked with black and whose demeanor was more reserved.
"Uncle Theo, why did you never get married?" Aria asked suddenly, catching both men off guard.
Theo choked on his tea.
Liam let out a laugh, clearly amused by the question. Though he had married for the kingdom's sake, even he had no idea what truly went on in Theo's mind.
"I just never felt the need to marry," Theo said calmly, recovering from the surprise.
"He's had plenty of proposals," Liam added, "but he's never wanted any of them."
"Says the man who got married because of political pressure," Theo shot back.
As always, the two brothers were quick to bicker—one like a Doberman, sharp and tense, the other like a playful husky.
"You still have time, Uncle. Want me to find someone for you?" Aria asked, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"No, no—I'm fine. And if you're this bored, how about doing 50 laps?" Theo said, leaning forward with a teasing glare.
Aria immediately shut her mouth.
Liam leaned against one of the marble columns, his arms crossed casually, but his gaze remained fixed on the girl sitting between the roses and sunlight.
Aria.
She laughed so freely, so innocently—like the world hadn't tried to crush her a hundred times over. She was no longer the fragile child.
She was changing—growing.
He glanced at Theo, who remained calm as ever, sipping his tea as if the world didn't shift each time Aria looked his way.
"You've changed, Aria," he said softly, almost to himself.
She looked up, blinking. "What do you mean?"
Liam smiled, a touch too quickly. "You're talking too much now. You used to be quiet."
Aria pouted. "I'm still quiet."
"No, now you ask dangerous questions," he said, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "Like why your uncle never married."
She giggled, and Theo gave Liam a sideways glare as if warning him not to provoke her.
Because something in him whispered that Aria wouldn't just grow into a duchess or a noblewoman.
She would become the centre of a storm one day.
Everyone had returned to their own places after a few tense days, but Aria remained in the North. She still had research to do—about the Church, the shadow that haunted them. The North still held the records left behind by her grandfather, and if any place had answers, it was here. Better to search through those archives than return to the Church's controlled silence. But her thoughts came to a stop when she bumped into someone.
"Apologies, my lady," said Sir Issac, stepping back politely.
Aria blinked up at him. She was the one who had bumped into him.
"No, I'm sorry," she murmured, distracted, before walking on with her thoughts still tangled.
She reached the hall lined with portraits. Her eyes were drawn to one particular image—a younger version of herself draped in white fox fur. As she stared, Abigel's voice echoed in her memory: "I was waiting for you."
A small smile tugged at her lips. Almost without realising, her fingers drifted to her neck—tracing the place where Abigel had left his mark. These past few days, Annie had kept pestering her:
"Where did that mark come from my lady?"
Aria had shrugged. "Something bit me."
Something… or someone?
Unbeknownst to her, Abigel stood nearby. He was always close watching, guarding. And when her fingers brushed her neck again, his chest tightened—not in pain, but in something achingly tender. He didn't need to hear her thoughts to know exactly what she was remembering.
Up on the first-floor balcony, Theodore and Alwin leaned over the railing, watching the two teenagers below.
"What am I supposed to do with these kids?" Theodore sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Jealous?" Alwin teased, the corners of his mouth curving up.
The two had been together long enough that Alwin could read Theodore's moods even in silence.
"No. I'm happy," Theo admitted, his voice softer now. "For a while, I thought my time was up. But I guess I've got a bit more time… enough to enjoy moments like these. Though it seems we haven't caught up with their pace. Sneaking around already."
"Let them," Alwin said with a chuckle. "At least we're having fun."
"You're having fun. Just wait until Kaelen finds out. He'll drag her straight back to the Southern Duchy," Theodore muttered, still watching them.
Then his expression shifted, more serious now. "But right now, we need to find that missing record. The late Duke's diary…"