At first, Dive flailed, flustered, not knowing what to do.

But the moment Camilla nodded, he started picking out only the carrots and placing them neatly onto Duke Kais Escra’s plate.

Only then did the child begin eating with a bright expression.

[Thank you.]

Sharua, watching the child like that, offered her thanks to Camilla. Her face, too, looked noticeably more at ease.

After that day—after Sharua entered Camilla’s body and made direct contact with the child—strangely enough, the child’s sleepwalking symptoms vanished completely.

So what the child had been looking for... was his mother?

Of course, there were probably multiple reasons the symptoms disappeared. His living quarters had changed, and Sebinne—the one who had been pressuring him—was gone.

But more than anything, that day... the meeting with Sharua, who held the child and hugged him warmly, felt like the biggest cause of the change.

Of course, I had to groan in bed for days.

This time, too, she couldn’t escape the aftereffects of possession. The chill wouldn’t leave her body easily, so she had to lie in bed without moving for days.

“Sis, you don’t hurt anymore?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a relief.”

Being sick alone in a foreign place was the most miserable thing there was.

And, absurdly, the one who soothed that lonely feeling... was little Dive.

The very kid who had worn down the threshold, going in and out nonstop while she was shut up in her room.

[Gyuu!]

Yeah. And King kept watch at her side the whole time, too.

With the two little ones tangled up and playing together, she didn’t have time to feel lonely.

On the other hand...

“What is it? That look.”

“What look?”

“You just glared at me.”

“My eyes have always been a little fierce.”

That man—while she was sick in bed—didn’t come by even once.

Not like I was waiting for you, either.

After giving him one last glare, Camilla set down the fork she’d been holding and stood up.

“I’m going to get up first.”

“M-me too! I’m done eating too!”

Dive hurriedly followed behind Camilla as she left the dining room.

And so, in the dining room they’d left behind, only two people remained: Duke Kais Escra and Count Alton, who had been eating with him.

“And you again?”

Duke Kais Escra, who had been mincing the carrots Dive had handed over on his plate with a knife, gently furrowed his brow again.

It was because Count Alton was looking at him with an utterly pathetic expression.

“See? What did I tell you. Instead of only hounding the Therapist and sending them over and over, I told you to go find her yourself at least once.”

When word came that Camilla had collapsed sick, the one who cared the most was none other than Duke Kais Escra.

On the surface, he acted cold, like he didn’t care at all—but he was the kind of man who kept reading the same page of paperwork over and over until the Therapist brought him new information.

And yet, only in front of Miss Camilla, you put on that act... honestly...

Watching from the side was so frustrating.

“I don’t like it.”

“Pardon?”

“She’s uncomfortable when I go.”

With that, Duke Kais Escra stood up as well.

“Tell the head chef that if I see carrots on the table again from now on, I won’t let it slide.”

Leaving behind a final, petty outburst, he left the dining room.

Count Alton let out a short sigh and gently shook his head.

*****

“Kgh!”

With a short death rattle, a man collapsed onto the floor.

The one who brushed the blood off his sword and looked down at the fallen man with indifferent eyes was Arsian.

Around him, there ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) were already people scattered everywhere, groaning. None of them looked like they’d be able to move properly for a while.

The place he stood now was one of the Khan branch bases.

Even though the mastermind had already been revealed, he hadn’t stopped tearing the branches down.

In the first place, the mastermind didn’t matter.

Whoever they were, anyone who laid a hand on Camilla—on that girl—he had no intention of letting a single one of them walk away.

After briefly sweeping his gaze around, at some point his eyes settled on one spot without expression.

As he stared at the place where a deep shadow lay, an irritated curse spilled from his mouth.

“Come out while I’m still asking nicely.”

The instant the words fell, someone slowly emerged from the darkness.

A man wearing a black mask that covered half his face clicked his tongue repeatedly, as if pitying the people sprawled on the ground.

“This really didn’t happen in the old days...”

Letting out a short sigh, he spoke toward Arsian.

“I even killed the one behind it and sent him on his way, but it’s no use.”

“So you’re connected to Khan too?”

“And if I am?”

A faint smile hung at the man’s lips. Arsian, without any change in expression, lifted the sword he’d been holding lowered.

“Then there’s nothing more to say.”

“Just like the rumors. They say you have absolutely no mercy for others. Let me ask just one thing.”

As Arsian looked ready to swing his sword at any moment, the man took a few steps back and continued quickly.

“Even House Sorpel stopped this. Why are you—someone with nothing to do with it—still continuing?”

“I don’t have a hobby of having long conversations with someone who’s about to die.”

“Is it because of her, after all?”

The moment he mentioned Camilla, Arsian’s presence sharpened in an instant.

Meanwhile, the man’s smile deepened.

“If you stop here, I’ll give you one piece of information.”

“I said I’m not interested in a long conversation.”

“It’s information related to her.”

“......”

The one who’d been so firm hesitated for a moment.

But it was only a fleeting instant. The moment he furrowed his brow, his presence became that much more vicious.

“Don’t put her in your mouth carelessly.”

He had no intention of hearing a single word about her through someone else.

If there was anything he needed to know, he could hear it directly from her—that was enough.

“You’re impossible.”

Tsk. Clicking his tongue, the man pulled something from inside his clothes and threw it at Arsian.

A dagger.

Arsian twisted his body lightly and avoided it, letting out a short sigh.

Fwoooosh!

In that gap, the man detonated a transport Mana Stone and fled the spot.

“What the hell? That bastard.”

He started to chase the trace of mana, then stopped.

Because dawn was breaking. Seeing daybreak, his heart began to hurry.

“I should go back.”

Soon Rio would wake up, and it would be the child’s mealtime.

After deciding to live together with Rio, he made one promise with Camilla—that girl.

That he would never let Rio eat alone.

And he hadn’t broken that promise even once.

WUUUUNG—

Casting transport magic quickly, he vanished from the spot in an instant.

*****

“King! Fetch it!”

Dive threw the small ball he was holding with all his might.

Watching the ball fly toward one side of the garden, King slowly turned his head and looked at Camilla—as if asking whether he really had to do this, too.

Nod.

When Camilla nodded, King made an annoyed face for a moment, then ran quickly toward where the ball had gone.

Then, in an instant, he picked it up and dropped it in front of the child with a TAP.

“Good job!”

Seeing Dive treating King completely like a puppy, Camilla let out a quiet snort of laughter.

Even so—King seemed to know Camilla was paying a lot of attention to Dive, because though he acted annoyed, he still played with the child pretty well.

“Okay! I’m throwing it again!”

But maybe he’d reached his limit.

[Gyuu.]

Watching the child throw the ball again with all his strength, King flopped down on the ground and jerked his head away, like he didn’t want to do it anymore.

“Huh? You don’t want to?”

Dive understood King’s intention right away.

“Okay. Sorry! I’ll go get it! Wait just a second!”

...It kind of feels like Dive is the one being trained by King. It’s my imagination, right?

“Uh—uh... ah!”

The child, running in a hurry, caught on something and went tumbling across the ground.

“Dive!”

[Gyuu!]

At the sight, Camilla and King rushed toward the child at the same time. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

But before either of them reached him, someone else’s hand got there first—lifting the child up.

A man, down on one knee, lightly brushed off the dirt on the child’s clothes.

Dive’s eyes went round the instant he recognized him.

“Big brother!”

“Have you been well?”

“When did you get here?”

“Just now.”

Big brother?

Then that man is...

Hearing their conversation, Camilla immediately knew who he was.

Jainer Escra.

Duke Kais Escra’s eldest son had finally returned.

The man, who had been lightly patting the child’s head, slowly turned toward her.

He’s an idol.

You could drag him to any agency right now and they’d shove a contract in his face first thing.

Dance? Singing? Acting? None of it mattered.

It felt like you could just stand him on a stage and he’d already have half the job done.

Arsian was tall too, but he was at least a palm taller than him.

Bluish hair with a dark sheen and a gentle smile upgraded his looks even further.

Duke Kais Escra was good-looking, and it seemed he’d inherited that bloodline very well.

And black eyes...!

Wait.

Black eyes?

The man staring straight at her... his eye color... was black.

No, why?

Why aren’t they red?

Didn’t Duke Kais Escra say everyone in House Escra had red eyes?

He definitely said that.

“I’m jealous.”

He took a step closer to her.

“Red eyes.”

The smile at his lips deepened.

“Nice to meet you, little sister.”

At those words, Camilla’s head filled with even more confusion.

Chapter. Jainer Escra

“Did you hear? Young Master Jainer came back!”

“He’s the same as ever! That smile, that face!”

“The noble young ladies in the capital are going to go crazy again.”

“There was even someone who tried to kill herself because Young Master Jainer wouldn’t meet her.”

“It was insane.”

With Jainer’s arrival, the atmosphere inside the estate changed in an instant.

Watching people’s slightly excited mood, Camilla could roughly guess what his presence meant here.

Which made it even more confusing.

What the hell is that guy?

Is he really a biological son?

“He’s not a biological son?”

“Yes.”

Count Alton, once again, simply resolved Camilla’s question.

Hearing him, Camilla offered one example.

“Did the Duchess have an affa—”

[No!]

“No.”

Sharua and Count Alton shook their heads at the same time.

[How could I dare have an affair while I had him!]

No, but why?

That man went and set up a whole other household with another woman and even had a kid—right in front of your eyes. The evidence is right here. Me.

Count Alton kept pretending he didn’t know a thing, wiping away cold sweat as if nothing was happening.

As expected of someone’s bloodline—his expression, seriously...