Spoiler I Become The Wife of The Male Lead

can you pls tell what exactly happened when she disappeared for a month

 

3rd quarter of book 4!

Spoiler: What Carl wants to do

Fiona POV

Sigrun would sometimes go to Fiona’s terrace at night. He’s figured out he can see her outside of Abel’s curfew this way.

“Are you friendly with Carl?”

Sigrun thought deeply at my question about his relationship with Carl.

“...Well, not really.”

“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”

He made excuses for my joke.

“We were separated suddenly when we were young and it’s only recently that we starting talking properly again. We don’t really know each other. Besides, Carl is basically just floating around.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, to put it bluntly... it’s more like a partnership for a common goal.”

It was a much more formal answer than I expected.

“So, have you achieved that ‘common’ goal?”

Now that the Empress is gone, were they both satisfied?

Sigrun shook his head with a subtle expression.

“...maybe, maybe not.”

“Maybe?”

“Well, I mean, I don’t know if Carl is happy with this. He and I are different.”

“Different how?”

It wasn’t about identity or anything like that.

Sigrun stared at me.

“Well, perhaps the biggest difference is whether there is something precious or not. Unlike me, Carl has nothing to lose.”

Umm, so contextually, you can say that precious thing is referring to me..?

Sigrun coughed in awkwardly as if he was embarrassed even talking about it himself.

“Anyway, I don’t know whether Carl wants to end with this or not.”

“Then, are you satisfied?”

He stiffened as if he had been stabbed.

“I... don’t know. I don’t think I will ever forgive or let go of the anger over my mother and aunt’s deaths. But Fiona, when I see you, I feel like I have to protect the good things.”

It meant he wasn’t satisfied, but he was hesitating.

I stared at him

“Because I am the most important?”

“......”

Sigrun’s face grew redder at my direct question. It seemed awkward to answer.

Why are you shy about this kind of question when you’re good at skinship?

“How could you ask a question like this so casually...”

“Am I wrong?”

“...you are right. You are the most precious thing to me.”

It was a very satisfactory answer.

Unable to handle the embarrassment, Sigrun hurriedly turned away.

“My aunt died because she got involved in helping my mother escape. So I don’t think Carl’s feelings for me will be very good either.”

Sigrun and Carl felt awkward.

I always thought of Carl as a pretty young man who sometimes ate cookies with me.

Honestly, my personal wish was to not fall in a bad path.

‘When I asked Carl what he wanted to do in the future, his expression was strange.’

Would it be good to have a proper conversation with Carl once in a while?

It’s not because I’m a very kind or good person. It’s just a familiar feeling of guilt.

Still, sometimes it felt like all the misery in this world was my fault.

‘Especially the misfortune around Sigrun.’

“Are you concerned about Carl?”

Sigrun asked with a curious expression.

I nodded slowly and agreed.

“...a little.”



Carl POV

Carl sincerely didn’t mind staying at the Halon mansion. His life goal has always been to get revenge for his mother and aunt but he has noticed that Sigrun’s resolve is being shaken because of Fiona. He doesn’t really like Fiona but she is a hard person to hate because of her kind personality.

Carl feels himself waver when he sees how happy Sigrun is with Fion. He decides he needs to leave. He doesn’t want to become weak like Sigrun.

As Carl leaves, Fiona stops him. She predicted that he had wanted to leave. Fiona asks him if he plans to live as a fugitive for the rest of his life.

Fiona tries to persuade him to stay. Carl’s life will be hard if he kills the Marquis of Erez. Carl declines.

Fiona says what if she was partly responsible for the death of his mother and aunt as well. Carl comments that that is a really bad joke and Fiona questions is it? She tells Carl to stay so he can gain more information. He can kill anyone at any time but he can’t undo it once it’s done. He wouldn’t be able to find out more about Fiona if he killed the Marquis of Erez.

Carl decides to stay.



Sigrun POV

Sigrun asks Cain if anything has happened in his household recently, Cain replies no. Sigrun deducts that Carl hasn’t done anything yet.

Sigrun doesn’t dislike Cain anymore but he was annoyed at Cain who acted friendly without knowing anything.

There is a guest for Sigrun. The person has brought a rough pink diamond to Sigrun. It was found on the estate that Fiona had told Sigrun to ask for.

Sigrun takes the gemstone to Halon mansion to meet Abel. Abel comments he is very lucky. Sigrun tells Abel that Fiona told him to get that land. Abel is shocked. Sigrun asks Abel if he knows how Fiona knows and Abel responds sarcastically “you tell me.”. Sigrun comments that Abel is a failure as a guardian.

At this moment Fiona knocks and asks to come in. Abel says he can come in. Fiona walks in with Carl behind her. He has been helping her out recently.

Abel tells Fiona that diamond ore has been found on the Agni estate. Fiona exclaims moderately surprised. Abel is weak to Fiona so he didn’t pursue the matter. He asks Sigrun if he is going to go to the estate. If he goes he won’t be able to see Fiona for a few days. Sigrun thinks he needs to go take care of things as quickly as possible.

Fiona tilts her head.

“It’s a diamond mine so I am curious.”

Sigrun didn’t miss the opportunity.

“Then, shall we go together?”

“Oh? Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

He immediately adjusted the schedule in his head. He would have to take Fiona into consideration.

Abel was annoyed at Sigrun’s frank actions right in front of him.

“I won’t allow it.”

Fiona complained.

“Why? All the work is done.”

“The two of you going on a trip together? What nonsense.”

“Then shall I go with you?”

All 3 heads turned at the same time at the unexpected intrusion. Carl received three pairs of eyes and smiled.

“Then you can be rest assured.”

Abel is still reluctant but Fiona manages to get his permission if all three of them go. She really wants to see the mines.

Spoiler: Going to the diamond mine + Sigrun's proposal + The 'real' Fiona

Fiona POV

In the carriage on the way to the Agni estate, Sigrun asks Carl why he followed them.

Fiona is actually glad Carl came because that means he can’t kill the Marquis of Erez while she is gone.

Carl replies no particular reason, he just wants to get to know Fiona more. Fiona thinks that he is being misleading.

The atmosphere in the carriage becomes heavy.

Fiona smiles as she looks outside. They have arrived.



Fiona knows about the diamond mine because in the novel, those are the diamonds that are used for Eunice’s dress in their wedding ceremony.

The mayor greets them. There are villagers hiding and watching them. Fiona makes eye contact with a child and smiles and waves. The child hesitates then waves back but the parents look terrified and take the child away.

Sigrun immediately says he wants to see the mine but the mayor offers they rest first and look the next day. Sigrun agrees. The mayor turns around and lets out a small sigh that Fiona notices.

Fiona asks Sigrun if he thinks anything strange is going on. The villagers are acting strange. Carl and Sigrun both agree.

The town is supposedly peaceful and quiet but something strange is going on. They decide to investigate.

Fiona says she will walk around as an innocent noble lady pretending to be curious but Sigrun is too conspicuous, so he needs to guard their room.

Sigrun puts on a dissatisfied expression.



In the village, a child grabs Fiona’s dress and asks if she is a fairy. She replies yes and the child asks if she can grant his wish.

The child asks her to bring Ez back. She asks if Ez is a friend and the child nods sadly. The child says Ez is the mayor’s grandson and was taken by a monster than lives in the forest. Fiona says she will try to find his friend.

Fiona meets up with Carl who reports that there appears to be a band of thieves in the village and they had kidnapped the child and threatened him with him.

Sigrun goes to see the mayor at night. The mayor falls to his knees and confesses he had been stealing the diamonds in return for keeping his grandson safe from the kidnappers. Sigrun nods and the mayor asks why he isn’t angry.

Sigrun grabs the mayor’s arm and raises him to his feet.

“A child’s life is more precious than a diamond.”



They go to the thieves hideout in the mountains. Ez was likely to be held there. The bandits had also asked him to send a young woman.

“Shall I go? The requirements of being a young woman are perfect-.”

“Reject.”

Sigrun immediately turns down Fiona’s idea.

Then Carl smiles and says he will go.

In the end Fiona and Carl both go. It would be impossible for Carl to fight and protect the child alone.

Sigrun is going to hide outside to catch any runners.

Fiona tries to comfort Sigrun.

“It can’t be helped Sigrun. Your body frame is too big to dress up as a woman.”

“...Fiona, it’s been a long time since your words have not been so comforting.”

Sigrun says he has something to tell her afterwards. He kisses the back of her hand.



Carl skillfully hides a dagger up his arm. They chat a bit and Fiona notices Carl has been getting colder and wonders if that is actually his original personality. The child hostage’s full name is Ezra.

The thieves approach them. Carl replies in a female voice.

The leader comes out and asks to see the gemstone. They tell him to release the child first.

Fiona runs up to him and hugs him. One of the bandits grabs Fiona’s shoulder as she suddenly ran out to hug Ezra. He notices that Fiona is very pretty. He asks if she is a prostitute.

The man tells Fiona he is her opponent now but Carl throws a dagger at his forearm. Fiona unties Ezra’s bindings and they retreat.

As the bandit shouts to get Fiona, they are surrounded by tall men. Fiona throws some magic and Sigrun attacks the bandits. Fiona points out the leader of the bandits to Sigrun but that attracts attention to her.

The leader goes for Fiona to try and take her as a hostage since she looks the weakest out of them. However, unfortunately for the leader, Fiona is actually the strongest out of the three of them. She electrocutes him.

The man’s screams echo in the mountains.



Fiona is glad things worked out. Carl wasn’t supposed to throw that dagger but he had gotten mad for Fiona because they kept calling her a whore.

The mayor thanks them for their help. Fiona congratulates Sigrun for not just getting diamonds but something more important – the hearts of the villagers. They will all choose to be loyal to Sigrun now.

She compliments him for his words.

“A child’s life is more precious than a diamond. That was a wonderful thing to say, your majesty.”

Sigrun blushed slightly. Embarrassed?

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“It was a compliment.”

They plan to mine diamonds to help the economy of the village. Sigrun asks Fiona if she wants the diamond mine but Fiona says people will think he is crazy for giving his lover a diamond mine. Sigrun says he doesn’t care.

Sigrun lightly kisses the back of Fiona’s hand.

“......”

After hesitating for a moment, he put one knee on the ground like a knight and looked up at me. He looked very loyal and noble.

“Sigrun?”

“Fiona.”

Sigrun carefully took Fiona’s hand, as if he was holding a snowflake.

“...As I said before, I have something to tell you.”

“What?”

I looked at Sigrun’s face. He was extremely serious and nervous.

I know what this look means.

“Fiona, my dearest beloved, please...”

Whenever he looked at me with this expression, it always surprised me, embarrassed me but also made my heart flutter.

“Will you get engaged with me?”

Just like right now.



I admired Sigrun’s tense face because I seldom got the chance to see it.

“......”

“Why are you asking for engagement instead of marriage?”

“... I thought I could ask you this without any further discussions needed first?”

I laughed out loud.

“Sigrun, are you worried about Carl?”

“......”

I looked down at him who was persistently silent.

Eventually, he nodded his head.

“Yes.”

Fufu, he was worried about it. Cute guy.

Sigrun spoke clumsily.

“Recently, I have had problems with Carl...”

It looks like you have been paying attention all along.

I was so happy that I ruffled his hair.

Fiona, Sigrun called at my name in a voice mixed with dissatisfaction.

I was torn between the evil desire to tease him ore and the thrill of his confession.

The choice came quickly.

“Okay.”

“......”

Sigrun quickly shook his head.

“...that’s an exciting answer, Fiona.”

“Are you not satisfied?”

He smiled and got up.

“No way, I am relieved. I was worried.”

Fiona hugs Sigrun’s neck.

“Let’s tease the Duke a lot.”

Sigrun smiled softly at my words.

“I wonder what the reaction will be just by sharing this news.”

I might have to do aegyo and call him ‘father.’

It’s an area I am not quite sure about though.

In the end, I laughed as I imagined Abel’s reaction.

“Me too.”



They tour the diamond mine. The diamonds are red diamonds which are very rare and expensive.

The children follow Fiona around the village calling her a fairy. They go up a small hill where you can see more beautiful scenery. Fiona sees faintly dark clouds in the horizon. Her heart starts pounding with anxiety as her survival instincts kick in.

It isn’t a dark cloud... she is sure it was darkness.

Fiona shouts at Ezra and the other children to go back to the village. She immediately thinks about last time how she blocked the darkness but this time there is no Eunice. She tells the children to go tell Sigrun that the darkness is coming. The children hesitatingly run off.

Fiona remembers the smiling faces of the children and the gentle village mayor. She hopes she can slow the darkness enough to save as many people as possible.

She remembers her engagement with Sigrun – in a novel this is usually like a death flag.

The darkness quickly approaches. Fiona uses her magic to create a magical wall. The darkness hits her magic. She feels the pressure on her magic.

[----.]

My ears are already buzzing. It feels different from last time.

[---!]

I could hear something. Cold sweat dripped down my forehead.

She tries to focus on the sound so she doesn’t miss any words.

What is the darkness trying to say?

[...uh.]

It seems the other side has also sensed me.

The darkness closed the distance towards me in an instant. It was totally different form last time.

As the darkness approached quicker, it gradually decreased in size.

More accurately, it compressed itself.

It forms the appearance of a woman. The darkness in the form of a woman looks at Fiona.

[I found it.]

It was a voice that seemed unfamiliar but familiar at the same time.

As the woman recognized me, I recognized her.

I called her name out in a groan.

“...Fiona.”

Why is she here? Is it really her? What about me?

[I found it, I found it, I found it, I found it.]

She muttered like a child.

[I’ve been looking for it all along. I finally found it.]

I could only realize one thing.

If she was Fiona, she would hate me terribly.



Sigrun POV

Sigrun, who ordered the villagers to evacuate, got on his horse immediately. Carl tries to stop him.

“Are you going to die?”

“It doesn’t matter if I'm with her.”

Sigrun leaves quickly. He had no intention of letting her die alone somewhere he couldn’t see her. He sees the darkness disappear and sees Fiona’s back. Relief washes over him

“I... do you know who I am?”

She didn’t notice Sigrun approaching and was talking to someone.

Sigrun is shocked to see the figure in black standing in front of Fiona. It was the same shape as Fiona.

[I know.]

The unknown figure responded.

Sigrun realized that even the voice resembled Fiona.

“I, were you looking for me?”

[Yes.]

Why is she talking to that bizarre being who resembles her?

Sigrun then calls out to her and the being was surprised to hear the name.

“...Fiona.”

At that moment, Sigrun moved forward without realizing.

It was then that Fiona noticed his presence and turned her head.

“Sigrun?”

Fiona’s face was as white as a blank sheet of paper. It looked like she was about to fall. It was the first time he had ever seen Fiona like that. She never lost her composure in any situaton.

“Don’t come, it’s dangerous.”

He ignored Fiona’s warning.

“What is this being”

She hesitated and responded.

“...the darkness.”

The darkness looked at Sigrun as he approached. He felt a vague hostility in its gaze.

[Precious?]

Fiona flinched at that question and grabbed Sigrun’s hem.

[You are precious. Precious, precious, precious.]

The darkness murmured like a lost child.

Then it looked at Sigrun.

[Why only you?]

It didn’t seem like it wanted an answer. The darkness continued to speak.

[It’s not fair.]

It was out of context so Sigrun had no idea what it meant.

The darkness looked straight at Fiona.

[I’ll break everything. I’ll break it, I’ll break it.]

At those words, Fiona’s face became even whiter.

[Then I’ll be back. Can I have it too?]

I didn’t know what it was trying to say.

I could tell that every word the darkness uttered was torment for Fiona.

Sigrun stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Fiona.

The darkness look at him for a moment, then tilted its head.

[I, will have.]

At the same time, a strong wind blew. Sigrun held Fiona.

When he looked back after the wind stopped, the darkness had already disappeared.

I fully translated parts of this because Sigrun and Abel are too funny.

Spoiler: Getting Abel's approval for Engagement + Fiona and Abel bonding

Fiona POV

The soul of the ‘real’ Fiona had become dark.

Sigrun didn’t ask Fiona anything on the way back to the mansion. Fiona was thankful for that. All she could think about was her pity and fear for the real Fiona.

Did the real Fiona mean to break her? How did her soul become part of the darkness?

Fiona sighed and Abel looked at her with a worried face. He asks if she is okay but she says its nothing.

Abel asks about the engagement. Sigrun has already told him.

Abel asks if that’s why she is sighing so much. Sigrun didn’t tell Abel about the darkness.

Abel tells her to tell him if there’s anything wrong and Fiona says nothing is wrong.

Abel strokes Fiona’s hair awkwardly but gently.

Fiona did need the comfort though. She suddenly wants to cry at Abel’s soft touch.

“...Father, is it okay for me to stay here?”

Abel’s eyes widened. He answered with a rare, bewildered look.

“Uh? Of course.”

When I looked at him, I suddenly wanted to ask.

“Why did you make me your adopted daughter? After all, how many years did you try?”

Was it because I was a magician with rare talent and my personality was okay?

Abel made a funny face.

“Why not?”

“Yes?”

“Fiona, you seem to think that I have made you my successor because you are a strong wizard.”

Isn’t that why? I looked up at him curiously.

“Not just for that reason. If I simply thought you had talent, I could have just made you my subordinate. I didn’t have to take you as my daughter.”

“That’s true.”

“Ah, I’m embarrassed to even say something like this...”

Rarely did Abel hesitate.

“Of course, I cared about you, so I made you my daughter. No matter how much I do for Halon, I wouldn’t consider someone family simply because they are capable.”

“Eh, really?”

I was sorry to think it but until now I had thought Abel made me his successor because he highly valued my talents.

“Fiona, you are over-reacting.”

Abel gave me a scathing glance.

“Of course, I really wanted you to call me father. So why not?”

...I suppose so.

“Anyway, you still act insensitively in strange places.”

I pointed at myself with my finger.

“Then do you really love me? As a daughter?”

“Of course. If it were someone other than you, I would have considered them a loyal subordinate, but I wouldn’t have adopted them.”

I don’t know if Abel knew, but these words were of great comfort to me now.

“Do you think I am irreplaceable?”

“Of course.”

Oh, I’m about to cry.

“...Father, can I hug you?”

“You’re being foolish today.”

Abel smiled and opened his arms.

I smiled and snuggled into his arms.

Abel gently stroked the back of my head and said.

“Anyway, from the moment I first saw you, you were a kid with a heart.”

“I didn’t expect to hear this.”

“So, if you have any problems, tell me. Is it Sigrun? Is he the problem?”

I giggled and replied.

“No. Why do you keep doing this to Sigrun?”

Held in Abel’s strong arms, I thought.

It’s a happy thing to have someone you can rely on when you’re having a hard time.

I will never give up being ‘Fiona Halon’.



Fiona hasn’t seen the ‘original Fiona’ since that incident. Even after that, Sigrun has been a gentleman and hasn’t asked Fiona anything.

“Sigrun... I don’t know how to say this but you should probably check who you are marrying...”

Sigrun laughed.

“I think I said it before, Fiona. My standards are high enough.”

Of course, he always said words that lifted me up.

A little embarrassed, he kissed my cheek gently.

“When will the engagement announcement be made?”

“Ah, once your father allows it?”

“Are you going to call Abel father now?”

“For now...”

I pushed Sigrun back lightly. He muttered and clicked his tongue.

“He might never allow me to call him that.”

“Ah, maybe...”

Would Abel be so childish? I swallowed my next words. Sigrun’s thoughts were different.

“I am worried about how Abel prepare."

After all, he has no respect for his Master.

Seeing me with that gaze, Sigrun chuckled.

“You are underestimating Abel’s feelings.”

“No way.”

“Fiona, did you forget the weddings you saw in the North as a child?

“Ah, that.”

In the North there is a tradition where the son-in-law and father-in-law spar. Of course, they don’t fight to the death or anything, it’s just for fun.

Strength is valued in the North so it’s a tradition where the son-in-law proves he can protect his wife.

It was quite rare for the actual son-in-law or father-in-law to take part- they would usually use a proxy and clash swords a bit. However, Sigrun thinks Abel is quite immature and won’t accept that. Fiona thinks surely not.



However, Fiona realizes she may need to reconsider her evaluation of Abel.

Abel tells Sigrun that he has to follow the Northern way. People in the social circles murmured – didn't the Duke adopt Fiona so that he could marry her to the Prince? Weren’t Abel and Sigrun in a political alliance? Why are they going to fight now??

Fiona sighs – no, the two of them are just very childish.

“Are you kidding me?”

“Why would I kid you.”

“This could be a joke.”

The two men smirked at the same time.

Fiona wonders if she should just fight both of them instead. Abel reminds Fiona that this is a Northern tradition.

Livia comments to Fiona that she is very loved. Fiona gives up and lets the two of them do their thing.

Fiona realizes that worrying about the two of them has made her forget about the problem with Fiona.

Celine tells Fiona that all she needs to do is look down and clap as the two men fool around.

Fiona asks Celine how her granddaughter is. Celine replies with teary eyes.

Fiona can’t win against Celine and just does as she says.



The day of Abel and Sigrun’s duel arrives.

Abel makes a speech that he will kill anyone who keeps talking smack about Fiona. Fiona doesn’t know what to think – is Abel opposing the engagement while also warning others? All she can do is clap.

Abel is wielding his favorite black sword. It is a very heavy sword that needs two hands to lift it but Abel can lift it with just one hand and split a monster in half with one swing.

Livia asks Fiona if they will only be engaged if Sigrun wins and Fiona shakes her head. In the North, victory or defeat doesn’t matter, the fight is over when the son-in-law receives acknowledgment.

Livia asks what if they don’t stop. Fiona says she will just have to defeat them both. Livia laughs as if Fiona said a funny joke but Fiona is dead serious.

Sigrun/Abel POV

“What happened in the mine?”

Clang! Abel asked as their swords clashed.

Sigrun nodded harshly.

“Nothing, just work.”

Abel clicked his tongue and pushed his sword. After a while, a struggle began.

“Fiona has been weird ever since.”

“Nothing really happened.”

Of course, it was a lie.

Sigrun recalled the darkness in the shape of Fiona. He felt agitated thinking about it.

She didn’t seem to have told Abel about it so he wouldn’t say anything either.

“Keeping secrets now that you’re all grown up.”

The two bumped into each other briefly and fell.

Sigrun dodged the sword blade that was approaching laterally.

“When are you going to admit it?”

“Who knows.”

I had no intention of admitting it.

“If we fight for too long, will Fiona drop lightning in the arena?”

Abel glanced at Fiona who was glaring at him. He smiled wryly.

“Well, I won’t go overboard.”

His sword came in aiming at his side. Sigrun deflected the blade.

That was new but doing this reminded me of my childhood.

Abel really rolled him like a demon. Still, there was no malice like the mercenaries who tormented him in the past.

Moreover, after Abel’s rigorous training, Fiona would come and caress his cheeks covered in dust.

Sigrun like that time.

“I also think Halon is good.”

Abel looked at him curiously at his sudden remark.

“What?”

“No matter how great the capital is, I don’t feel affection.”

It was also understandable that Abel was not happy with his engagement with Fiona because if he became Emperor, then Fiona would have to stay in the capital.

“Not long ago, my half-=sister came to see me.”

“You mean Princess Arya?”

Swords clashed. Sigrun opened his mouth.

“She said being emperor didn’t suit me because neither the capital nor the nobles like me.”

It was a blatant statement but it was true.

In a way, it was also an insult to him.

Hearing Sigrun’s words, Abel had a brief gap in his defense. Sigrun didn’t miss it.

Abel narrowly blocked the attack.

“This guy.”

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m going to step down from work with Fiona.”

Abel ground his teeth.

This guy, really.

It was questionable how this guy would’ve grown up if Fiona didn’t tame him.

“By the way, did you say this to Fiona?”

Sigrun grinned.

“If dirt gets in your eyes, you will give in?”

“What do you-.”

“You have to put in dirt.”

Sigrun raised his sword from the bottom. As soon as Abel stopped, he moved his right foot. Immediately, dust rushed into Abel’s eyes.

“No, this brat.”

Abel stopped reflexively.

The onlookers made a noise that was not usually heard among knights.

I could also hear Fiona making a disturbing moan.

“What did I raise you for!”

Sigrun grinned.

“Will you acknowledge me now?”

“I’m sorry but none of it went in.”

“......”

“It’s one hundred years too early for you to be engaged to Fiona!”

“Unfortunately, I can’t wait a hundred years!”

The conversation between the two men became more and more childish. Their voices had grown so loud that onlookers could hear what they were saying.

Fiona trembled in embarrassment. It was not a situation to applaud.

“Lady Fiona, are you okay?”

“It’s not okay...”

Fiona’s white cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.

At the same time, dark clouds gathered in the sky.

“Uh, it looks like it’s going to rain, should we stop...”

“Don’t worry, lightning strikes when it is dry.”

“Yes?”

Fiona jumped up and cried.

“STOP RIGHT NOW!”

Lightning strikes hit the arena floor.

“......”

Abel and Sigrun who were fighting childishly stiffened their bodies.

“Both of you are covered in dirt and dust!”

The lightning didn’t hit Abel or Sigrun but it had smashed the floor of the gymnasium.

Abel’s eyes dripped tears from the dust in his eyes as he looked at his adopted daughter.



Fiona POV

Two men screamed in pain.

“Oh my god, my daughter almost killed me.”

“I feel you. I was almost killed by my lover.”

“You both should have acted in moderation!”

I thought I was going to die in shame.

“Admit it, the dirt went in your eye.”

“It didn’t go in.”

“Liar! It went in, I saw you weeping!”

“It’s heartbreaking that the daughter I raised so hard, made me ill...”

“Don’t say nonsense!”

Abel chuckled as I told him off.

Sigrun lightly kissed my cheek as if to calm me down. Abel naturally raised his eyebrows when he saw it.

Sigrun then said.

“The engagement ceremony will be held at Halon Mansion.”

“Is that okay?”

“I want do what you want.”

That was nice to hear.

Abel crossed his arms and said grimly.

“Get an expensive ring for my daughter, Sigrun”

I objected.

“No need, no need.”

No, more than that, does this mean you agree to the engagement?

“Oh, will you allow it?”

Abel muttered as if he was sad.

“You put dirt in my eyes...”

I laughed. Hehehe.

“I’m sorry.”

Meanwhile, Sigrun answered, kissing a handful of my hair.

“Of course, I will prepare something that suits her.”

“Don’t do it, don’t.”

Thinking about it these days, even Sigrun didn’t know the extent of my problems.

“It’s an engagement, let’s just do it normally.”

“Don’t worry, Fiona.”

Saying don’t worry makes me worry.

“If you make the engagement ceremony so grand, what will we do for our wedding later?”

Sigrun laughed.

“Then, I will bring you a dragon.”

Abel replied.

“Yes, you should do that”

He nodded his head, showing satisfaction on his face.

I sighed at the sight.

Everyone is crazy...

 

thank you for the tl, i always look forward to them

 

End of book 4!!!

Spoiler: The engagement party

Fiona POV

They make preparations for the engagement.

Fiona goes to see Arendt to tell him she is human. Previously, he asked her whether she was human or not and she wasn’t sure what he meant. But now, after meeting dark Fiona she gets why he asked. Since he has darkness in him, maybe he hears voices too. So he was trying to check whether she was similar to him.

She decides not to worry about the darkness for now and focuses on preparing for the engagement. Carl helps a lot since it turns out he has unexpectedly good sense. Carl was more helpful than Sigrun. Sigrun would tell Fiona she looks good even in rags.

Fiona thanks Carl for staying and helping. Carl asks about Fiona’s biological family and she tells him she doesn’t know her mother. Carl notes she talks as if it was someone else’s life. Carl says he is sure her mother would be proud of her if she was around. Fiona thanks him for his words.



Fiona asks Sigrun if he is really preparing a grand gift, like Abel said. Sigrun leans against a window and laughs. He asks if there are any jewels that she likes, she says not particularly. She would like something that matches the red earrings she always wears (made from the dragon orb).

Carl was the first to see the dress. Carl says she looks beautiful and not to tell Sigrun he said that or he won’t let him go.

Sigrun asks if she will show him but she says he has to wait. The engagement ceremony is going to be at Halon mansion. Carl helps out with the formalities and such. Abel only helped prepare Fiona to fight.

Fiona asks Carl if he still wants to kill Marquis Erez and he says he does.

That night Fiona dreams about dark Fiona - ‘It’s all because of you.’

Fiona wakes up with a pounding heart. She tries to not think about it. The engagement ceremony is just around the corner.



On the day of the engagement party, they are all admiring the gift Sigrun prepared.

Sigrun prepared a giant red diamond necklace for Fiona – something that even an Empress would be jealous of.

He also prepared a ring for her as well. The ring was more subtle – not too flashy. Sigrun knew Fiona well, if it was too in the way, she would take it off.

Sigrun notices Fiona has realized this and kisses the back of her hand – on her ring finger.



Sigrun and Fiona wear couple rings. Sigrun wraps his large hand around Fiona’s and their rings of similar design sparkle under the light.

Lots of people come to congratulate them – Cain, Livia, Eunice etc.

While Fiona is talking to Eunice, Sigrun takes a step back. Fiona asks Sigrun whether he is not fond of Eunice. Sigrun replies that he is uncomfortable with that type of person.

When Livia greets them she is a bit cheeky and says it’s a shame that Fiona is engaged but they will always be close friends. Sigrun gets a little jealous. Fiona puts him at ease by kissing him on the cheek and telling him she loves him. Sigrun’s face turned slightly red.

Sigrun wants Fiona to say that to him when they are alone. Fiona is worried he will visit more at night. Abel is behind them and says that Sigrun still can’t stay after 8 o’clock even if they are engaged. However, Abel still doesn’t know Sigrun secretly visits at night.

Sigrun and Abel look at each other bitterly. Fiona tells them not to fight.

Sigrun grabs Fiona’s hand and whispers “Let’s go outside for a while to avoid that nagging.” Fiona takes a look at Abel, smiles briefly and follows Sigrun.



They go outside into a garden. Music can be heard from afar.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“No.”

Sigrun looked at my bare shoulders with concern and eventually took off his coat to cover me.

“It’s fine.”

“Just in case.”

Hand in hand, the two of them walked around the garden.

Sigrun murmured.

“I feel like your secret lover when we come out like this.”

“Says you who comes to my terrace every night.”

He grunted.

“We just talk. I admire my patience every day.”

Aww, my cute Sigrun can’t say such a thing.

“When you were young, you were so pretty...”

“Even now, my face is to your taste.”

I couldn’t deny it.

Sigrun looked down at me and smiled.

“Then, let’s be a little secretive, my fiancee”

I glanced at him but I didn’t refuse the hand that wrapped my cheek.

I slowly looked to the side in embarrassment, as he looked down at my face.

“Oh?”

Then, involuntarily at the sight I discovered, I gently pushed Sigrun’s face with my hand.

“...Fiona.”

“Sigrun, look at that.”

I pointed to a dead flower bush in the corner of the garden.

“Why is it like this?”

“Am I being pushed away for flowers now?”

No, I kept talking.

“It’s dry.”

“Isn’t it due to an inexperienced gardener?”

“But I think it was fine yesterday.”

While muttering, I exhaled.

“It’s cold.”

Even though I was wearing Sigrun’s coat.

“Fiona? Are you okay?”

“I’m not sure... I feel weird.”

No, it was a familiar feeling.

I glanced at the dried-out flower bushes.

“Sigrun, I think she’s here.”

At that moment, a strong wind blew.

Sigrun quickly blocked me.

The black, dead petals were scattered in the wind.

I opened my eyes slowly.

She stood under the moonlight, dead petals fluttered around like snow.

I whispered involuntarily.

“Are you here to see me?”

[Why only you?]

I exhaled like a sigh.

“...Fiona.”

Is it right to call her Fiona? Or darkness?

I listened to the faint sound of music from the side of the mansion.

A lot of people were gathered in that ballroom, people I cherished.

Abel, Livia, Eunice, Carl...

If Fiona used her powers here, they might all die.

Sigrun pulled me back.

“Sigrun, it’s okay.”

He didn’t even have a sword. I’d rather face it.

“What do you want?”

Fiona glanced at Sigrun who held his arm infront.

[I came to take it.]

“If you take it, will you just leave?”

I was afraid she would kill everyone in the venue.

Fiona muttered repeatedly like last time.

[Is it precious? Is he precious? Is everything precious?]

“......”

I stopped trying to move magic around me. If I provoked her, even if I used all my strength, the people in the mansion would be in danger.

It would only take her a few minutes to annihilate anyone around here.

“Yes, they are precious.”

‘There is no way to win now.’

“But that doesn’t mean you have to take everyone’s life.”

I swallowed my saliva.

“because I am your only enemy.”

Fiona, Sigrun muttered.

He seemed to have notice what I was thinking.

“Please, don’t do anything. Let's just fight.”

I felt sorry to Sigrun but it was impossible for me to bet the lives of my loved ones in such a risky gamble.

That included him.

I stepped forward out of Sigrun’s hold and said to her.

“So if you want to take it, take me. Then it will be over.”

Sigrun POV

[…...]

The darkness glanced at Fiona.

Her whole body was black and fluttering like smoke. Fiona looked at him with clear eyes. Her gaze didn’t hold just fear but also guilt and concern.

‘Why?’

Why was Fiona like that?

Sigrun couldn’t understand how she felt. But he didn’t have time to dwell on the thought.

The situation changed in an instant.

The darkness approached Fiona.

He tried to stop it but to no avail.

It spread like mist from its fingertips.

In an instant, the appearance of the two women was reflected and contrasted like a mirror image.

Fiona fell.

“Fiona!”

Sigrun took hold of her body which collapsed.

Her skin was so pale, it looked blue. He stared at the darkness infront of him.

The darkness didn’t move at all, it just murmured quietly.

[Why me?]

Then she suddenly disappeared like a mist.

I didn’t have the heart to figure out what she meant.

Sigrun picked up Fiona, who was unconscious, and called for people to help.

Spoiler: Fiona loses (then regains) her memories

Sigrun POV

Fiona didn’t wake up for several days. Abel and Sigrun took turns watching and guarding her.

As Sigrun watches Fiona, he wonders what the darkness ‘took’ from her.

Fiona’s eyes start to move and she slowly opens them.

Sigrun places a hand on her cheek. Fiona, rubs her cheek against his hand and turns her head. Their eyes meet.

“Ah....?”

Fiona suddenly slaps Sigrun’s hand away and retreats to the far corner of the bed.

Sigrun worries something is wrong.

Fiona mutters

“Who are you...?”

It was then that Sigrun realized what Fiona had lost.



Fiona POV

Fiona has lost all her memories since becoming Fiona Halon. She understands she is in the world of her novel though. She compares the original novel with what is happening now and none of it matches up.

“I’ve lost all me memory so should I leave?”

Abel Halon’s face frowned.

‘Scary!’

“Absolutely not.”

“But I don’t think I can be of any help to the current Duke of Halon.”

Abel sighed.

“When you say that, it reminds me of the past...”

I don’t know what the problem is.

“You don’t have to be helpful to stay here.”

“But then, isn’t that just playing and eating for free?”

Abel nodded.

“It doesn’t matter if you just play and eat.”

I’m not sure but it seems Abel Halon is in favor of me. Or is this some kind of trap?

“Also, call me properly.”

“Yes?”

He frowned as if displeased.

“Call me father.”

“Well, that might take more getting used to...”

Abel sighed. He looked very dissatisfied.

I fiddled with the ring on my finger. I was even engaged.

‘Is it for some kind of political purpose?’

There was another problem, the male protagonist.

‘Damn’

What the hell have you been doing, past me?

Maybe I had some kind of deal with the other party for this too.

“Is it better if we break off our engagement?”

I asked the prince, Sigrun, who came to visit me.

Like Abel, Sigrun’s face grew dark.

“Why?”

“I don’t remember anything. I don’t know what happened...”

“It doesn’t matter. And you can speak comfortably.”

“Are you okay though?”

“I’ve always said that, except in official places.”

Hell, he said we were childhood friends.

What have I been doing with him.

“Oh, um, why are we engaged?”

“......”

“Is it for the family? Or are you cheating? Or is there some separate deal?”

Sigrun, who was quietly listening to me, smiled.

In any case, his face was to my taste so I looked at him.

He lowered his head and kissed my forehead lightly.

“Why wasn’t one of those options because I love you?”

“... What do you mean?”

At least, that’s how I thought it was.

Sigrun sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“You’re talking about everything under the assumption that you’ve never been loved.”

“......”

I glanced at him.

‘I seem to make a lot of men sigh today.’

“Fiona”

He gently stroked my cheek.

“You loved me, and I love you too.”

Why did he use past tense? Perhaps because he knows that I don’t love him now.

“... so, are we going to keep the engagement?”

“I don’t want to force you, but I hope you will.”

The hand that was stroking my cheek moved slowly to the back of my head. He pulled me into a hug.

With the other hand, he gently patted my ring finger.

The engagement ring gave a nice low-pitched sound.

“And I want you to always wear this ring.”

It wasn’t difficult, so I nodded my head slightly.

“Fiona, I am going to try to help you find your memory.”

“...thanks, but what if you can’t find it?”

Sigrun raised his face and smiled slightly.

“Still, I am not going to break up with you.”

I first assume several situations.

“What if I want to be engaged to someone else?”

Sometimes people change their minds.

“Well.”

Sigrun's smile hardened in response to that. It was soft yet sharp at the same time.

“At that time, I don’t even know what I would be like.”

He stroked my lower lip with his thumb.

“I wish you could remember my old warning, Fiona. You should always hold the leash tightly.”

‘Leash? Do I have a pet dog?’

Sigrun looked down at me and smiled softly and relaxed.

“......”

When I saw that expression, my mind went blank.

I wondered how I had been able to be so comfortable with my childhood friend who was now a young man like an apex predator.

That was the impression of my fiance after I lost my memory.



Fiona wonders why the darkness just took her memories instead of killing her.

Sigrun visits Fiona a lot. Today they are in the garden of the Imperial palace. All the flowers are in full bloom.

As petals flutter around them, she suddenly sees a boy and girl playing in the snow together making a snowman. The scene disappears in an instant.

“Sigrun, did we ever build a snowman together?”

“It happened quite often.”

“Was there anything else?”

“There was one time when you got hit by a snowdrift while riding a sled and got buried. Abel had to pull you out.”

Fiona can’t remember this.

Sigrun tells Fiona not to push herself too hard.

Fiona asks Sigrun if they have any bad experiences together and he says on the battlefield.

Sigrun tells Fiona that she was a strong wizard, a reasonable commander and many soldiers admired her. Fiona thinks that sounds like a lie. But Sigrun says its true. Fiona always makes the best decisions without hesitation, even if that means sacrificing herself.

Sigrun becomes a bit sad thinking about what Fiona has sacrificed for others.

“Sigrun, did I tell you that I love you?”

“...yeh.”

“Then at least don’t doubt that. It must have been sincere.”

I don’t know if these words will be comforting, but I hoped he wouldn’t suffer too much.



Fiona has a dream that she is a little girl trapped inside a small box. A woman opens the box and looks at her saying – I wish you were never born. At the cold words, the girl couldn’t even cry, she just softly called out for her mother. The door to the box closes with a bang. The woman’s last words pierce the girl’s ears as they walk out the door – disappear.

Fiona wakes up in a cold sweat. Was it a memory from the original Fiona?

Fiona was maybe 4 or 5 in the dream. Fiona looks around her room, the lights are out so it is dark.

“...Fiona, are you there?”

Fiona drags herself out of bed to get some water. She notices there is a light in the hallway. The lights in Carl’s room are still lit.

Fiona knocks on his door. Carl opens the door and asks if something is wrong. Fiona says no, she was curious if he was still working. Carl says its nothing, rather he will be in trouble if Abel finds out she was visiting his room so late at night.

Fiona ignores this and asks Carl if he knows about her past. Carl says she should ask Sigrun about Halon but Fiona says no, it’s about when she was around 10.

Carl has a troubled expression. Fiona realizes she is being weird asking at this time and apologizes. She wonders if Carl did any investigations into her and found anything.

There’s an awkward silence and Fiona apologizes and goes to leave.

Carl grabs her arm and tell hers to wait. There is something he wants to give to her but he can’t be alone with her right now so he asks her to wait outside.

Carl hands a document to Fiona. He asks her to keep it a secret from Sigrun and Abel – they will try to kil him.

Fiona thanks him and says she will definitely repay him. Carl asks that she answer a question honestly in return later. Fiona agrees.



Enoch POV

Enoch has been in a bad position. His followers are dropping like flies around him. He has been getting drunk every day.

He is very drunk and decides he wants to go kill Sigrun right now. He gets on a horse and rides out but because he is so drunk, he falls off the horse.

As he is lying on the grass cursing the horse that he fell off, he hears a voice.

[Do you want to get it back?]

The darkness stands in front of him. Enoch instinctively sense the danger.

[Do you want to get it all back?]

Enoch replied bluntly.

“Yeah, yes.”

[Those who stole it, let’s go get it back. All of it.]

The darkness moved slowly and Enoch followed.

[Go over there]

Enoch looked towards where the darkness was pointing. It was towards the imperial prison.

[Bill Curtis.]

The voice disappeared.

“......”

Like a man possessed, Enoch blankly stared in the direction the darkness was pointing.



Fiona POV

It got leaked that Fiona had lost her memories so she returns to the social circles. Abel asks if she is okay and that if anything happens, she can punch first and ask later. Abel laughs but he looks kind of lonely.

Fiona hesitates and hugs Abel.

“O...kay, I will do that, father.”

It would be nice if this action was comforting.

Abel took a deep breath and hugged me tightly once.

“Goodbye.”

Fiona then has a flashback to when she first met Abel.

“...it’s a bit awkward to ask in this situation, but is it okay if I ask you a question?”

Abel answered very kindly.

“Ask anything.”

I hope this is really okay.

“Have you ever tried to kick me out before? Even if I just die, you wouldn’t take responsibility?”

This time Abel hardened in a different sense.

“No, even if you recover your memories, do you have to recover these first?”

It was real.

In a rare instance, Abel stuttered.

“I-it only happened the first time. I treated you well after that.”

“...we are on good terms, aren’t we?”

He answered quickly.

“Very good terms.”

Hmm, I don’t know if he was lying or not.

“I’m going now, father.”

Abel smiled and patted my head roughly.



My partner was Sigrun.

I grabbed his hand while fiddling with the red diamond ring he was wearing.

“Sigrun, did you ever push me away as a child?”

Sigrun snorted as he drank his drink.

“Why so suddenly...”

“Just because I remember.”

From his reaction, I guess it was true.

“Why did you do it?”

“...You got on top of me and took off my shirt.”

Wait, what the hell did you do past me?

Sigrun smiled and patted my fingers slowly, as if noticing my embarrassment.

“Of course, that kind of behaviour is welcome now, Fiona.”

“......”

I quietly pinched Sigrun’s side.

After dancing and chatting for a while, it became night time.

A drunk man approaches Fiona. He was one of the men to propose to Fiona. She suddenly remembers all the marriage proposals piled up in the office. Abel had told her to use them as kindling.

The drunk man asks if she is still going to stay engaged to Sigrun even though she lost her memory. He says he is only marrying her to gain power and he will throw her away once he has what he wants.

Sigrun grabs the man by his neck. Fiona calms him down. Sigrun lets go hesitantly.

Fiona instantly slaps the man.

The man asks if she knows what family he is from.

“I don’t know and I don’t care.”

I exhaled coldly, holding Sigrun’s hand and smiling sarcasticaly.

“Please make a formal complaint about this to the Duke of Halon.”

If you dare.

I left the man with a red face and grabbed Sigrun’s hand.



Fiona POV

They return to Halon mansion after the ball. Sigrun asks if she is okay. He is worried that the man’s words got to her. She says she is fine.

She asks Sigrun if she had ever told him that he would have everything – money, fame and power.

Sigrun says yes.

“But the truth is, I never asked if you wanted those things.”

It was similar to how parents send their children to private academies to get high grades but they didn’t know what their children liked.

I glanced at Sigrun.

“Did you want those things?”

Few people hate money, power and fame but Sigrun’s opinion still mattered.

“No.”

This is what I had expected.

“Then?”

“What I want right now is for you to get your memory back.”

“Then, what about before?”

Sigrun shrugged.

“Going back to Halon with you and living for a hundred years?”

“Isn’t it too simple for a prince who has lived an eventful life?”

“Of course there’s more.”

“What? Tell me?”

He smiled faintly.

“If I tell you, you will think I am a bastard.”

I grabbed Sigrun’s arm and shook it.

“I won’t. Tell me.”

“Okay.”

Sigrun smiled briefly and grabbed my arm.

Then he grabbed my chin and lifted it lightly.

No, well, I’m the one who told you to tell me if there’s anything you want but...

At this moment, I pondered whether to slap him or close my eyes.

Then Sigrun seemed to notice my thoughts and he murmured.

“Do both, Fiona.”

‘Is he reading my mind?’

Seeing me roll my eyes, Sigrun smiled and bit my chin slightly.

“Uh...”

Startled, I backed away. Sigrun let me go and said in a natural tone.

“If I kissed you, you would have hit me.”

“I know...”

I spoke calmy.

“Okay, that means you have sexual desire for me.”

If you think about it, it made sense.

We’re engaged?

Sigrun narrowed his eyes.

“It makes me sound like a bad guy when you say it like that.”

“No, no, it’s natural.”

“Fiona...”

Sigrun sighed.

“You always misread the situation one by one. It’s always been like this.”

He took an attitude of understanding but the only thing that came to him was criticism.

Anyway, this topic felt like it was going in a dangerous direction if we continued talking about it in the bedroom.

I changed the topic.

Fiona asks what else Sigrun wants but he says he can’t say it or he will be treated like a madman.

Sigrun says he just wants her to find her memory for now.

“The loss of memory doesn’t change who I am, Sigrun.”

I slowly hugged him.

“I still cherish you.”

Then Sigrun let out a slow breath in my arms. I apologized.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know you were going through a hard time until now.”

Then he stood still and hugged me tightly, like I was going to disappear.



Abel tells Fiona that Bill Curtis has been released by the Crown Prince. Abel tells Fiona to be careful. He wishes he had gotten rid of Bill quietly before.

Fiona asks Abel if she was a gentle and kind girl before she lost her memories. Abel says absolutely not.

They talk about the CP’s suspicious actions lately. He has been fighting monsters recently.

Abel ruffles Fiona’s hair. In revenge, Fiona shuffles the papers on Abel’s desk.

“Fiona!”

Fiona giggles as she runs out of the office quickly.



Sigrun POV

The emperor has been sick and no doctors have been able to help.

The emperor tells Sigrun that there has been a lot of good things going around about his brother Enoch recently. They still don’t know why Enoch freed Bill Curtis so Sigrun has been careful.

The emperor suddenly started trying to play father ever since he got sick.

The emperor tells Sigrun to cooperate with Enoch for the country. Sigrun lies and agrees.

After meeting the emperor, Sigrun bumps into Enoch.

Enoch tells Sigrun to be careful of Fiona and pats his shoulder. Sigrun tells Enoch to shut his trap.

Enoch tells Sigrun to be careful because he knows the truth.

“Truth?”

When Sigrun asked, Enoch smiled confidently.

“Well, why don’t you just ask the ‘Fiona Halon’ you love?”

“......”

Sigrun frowned at Enoch’s unusually confident attitude.



Carl POV

Sigrun tells Carl to keep an eye on the CP.

Carl asks why. Sigrun tells him what Enoch said about Fiona.

Carl flashes back to what Fiona said to him when he was about to leave.

Sigrun asks Carl what’s wrong and Carl says nothing.

Carl tells Sigrun that Arya has been recruiting nobles to her side.

Sigrun says he doesn’t want to become emperor if it means killing all of his relatives.

Sigrun thought about the question Arya had asked him - How could Sigrun become a good emperor when he hates all the nobility?

He felt that there was truth to this.



Fiona POV

Livia and Eunice visit Fiona.

Eunice tells Fiona about her powers. Fiona guesses it must be because she is interested in the darkness.

Fiona wonders if the people who have Bill Curtis will try to put the darkness in his body instead of Fiona’s.

To distract herself, she decides to focus on the problem of the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has been actively subjugating monsters recently and doing well. Bill Curtis has been attached to him like a shadow as well.

She marks the villages that Enoch had helped recently and researched other sources. There were soldiers in the party but also mercenaries. While thinking, she is walking around and realizes she has been surrounded by a group of men. She wonders if she normally has an escort with her.

One of the men asks her why she’s in the alley.

“What the hell did you come here for sister?!”

The nearby mercenaries started to shout in turn.

“We will guide you!”

“Are you here to see the boss sister?”

Fiona doesn’t remember having ugly little brothers. She curses her amnesia.

The mercenaries take her to Gonther. She tells him she has lost her memory but she remembers the character Gonther.

She asks him about mercenaries who the CP had hired. She asks him if he can introduce her to them.

Gonther nods. He reminds her that he owes her one thing.

Gonther looked at me curiously and asked.

“Even though you lost your memory, you didn’t break up with Sigrun?”

Surprisingly, he was interested in other people’s love lives.

“We haven’t broken up.”

“Even if the memory disappears, do the feelings remain the same?”

I flinched at the unexpected question.

“...maybe.”

“Really?”

I replied nervously.

“I haven’t thought about it.”

“I’m not just asking, I am genuinely curious.”

“......”

Fiona thinks about it. She starts playing with the ring on her finger.

“...I’m going to go.”

She wasn’t sure how to answer Gonther’s question.



Fiona goes to visit a village to investigate more. Sigrun follows her.

The village is half destroyed and some of the bodies haven’t been buried. The bodies left behind could cause an epidemic.

A child is crying over the body of their parents. Although the villagers were grieving, they were still grateful to the CP for helping them get rid of the monsters. They all would’ve died if he didn’t come.

Fiona bows her head in bitterness. Sigrun wraps an arm around her.



When they get back to Halon mansion, it is night time.

Fiona asks Sigrun to stay so she can talk to him. Sigrun senses something is up and says he needs to go but Fiona begs him to stay.

She gives him back the engagement ring. She feels it isn’t fair to Sigrun right now because she doesn’t love him like she used to. She asks Sigrun to give her some time to find her memories again and fall in love with him again.

Sigrun takes the ring and says he is okay. He has always been the one chasing her. His feelings won’t change.

Fiona wraps her hands around Sigrun’s hand that is holding the ring. Fiona says she isn’t running away, she needs a pause.

Sigrun didn’t get angry or sad. He stood there with the ring in his hand. He didn’t say anything else but he looked very distressed.

Fiona hopes she can find her memory and tell him that she loves him again. She also wants to confess to him everything she has kept hidden.



Fiona POV

Gonther keeps his word and introduces Fiona to the mercenaries. She asks if there was anything strange.

The mercenary says he noticed one soldier mumbling about something strange. She pays him for the soldier’s name.

The solider is called Erdo.

Fiona tells him not to tell anyone that she asked as well.



Fiona finds the solider but he is really frightened and can only answer yes or no questions.

She asks him if he is sure the CP saved the lives of the villagers. Erdo doesn’t answer.

He bursts into tears. He says he wants to meet her and Sigrun somewhere then he will tell them everything. It feels like a trap.

Abel wants to go but he is too big to hide so Carl goes in advance to hide.

They meet at the entrance to a nearby village.

Erdo tells them that his job was to go to a village that the CP told him to and then wait. Then when the circumstances were right, he would report to the CP. The circumstance was that monsters had attacked.

This means the CP knows which village is going to be attacked. She asks him how the CP knows. Erdo doesn’t know.

Then Sigrun and Fiona realize something.

“Then, is this village also a place the Crown Prince mentioned in advance? A place where monsters will attack?”

“Y-yes.”

As if choked with guilt, Erdo wept.

“Please, I have no power... but you two are different.”

Sigrun tells Carl to call the mansion and soldiers.

“We need to evacuate the villagers first.” I said.



Erdo was right.

As they finished evacuating villagers, a monster attacked. Fortunately, Carl got back in time. One house was destroyed but no one was injured.

Then the CP appeared.

Sigrun confronts the CP. The CP thinks his actions are justified to gain support again.

“Hey, my handsome half-brother. Do you trust this woman?”

Sigrun looked at him and answered softly.

“At least more than you.”

As Enoch talks, Fiona’s head feels like there are thousands of shards piercing her brain. All of her memories come flooding back.

“Sigrun, you don’t believe me. Well, okay. So, Fiona Halon, why don’t you try to say it with your own mouth?”

I looked up and saw Enoch.

“Anyway, try deny my words.”

Why the hell didn’t you kill me, you took my memories, Fiona?

“Truly, all the misfortunes he went through, the death of his mother, did they have nothing to do with you?”

Do you want to inflict more pain than death? Did you want to make me lose everything precious to me?

“Deny it! That you are our creator!”

… just like you did?

“Fiona, just say he is crazy.”

I looked at Sigrun.

He was looking at me with hope in his eyes, for salvation. He didn’t say anything, but he seemed to be whispering to me.

Please, Fiona, deny it.

“......”

Seeing Sigrun cleared my mind.

Fragments of my lost memories kept coming back.

I bit my lip.

Why now?

I couldn’t lie. I didn’t want to lie.

That was deception.

“... all of it, it’s true Sigrun.”

I swallowed a bitter laugh.

“Didn’t you ever wonder why I was so king to you from our first meeting, how I could foretell what was going to happen, and how I knew the dragon’s name? This is how.”

Everything was over.

I looked at Sigrun’s expression and closed my eyes.

I heard my world collapse around me silently.

“Your past too.”

Tears were rolling down from the corners of my eyes.

“Carl, no!”

In an instant, Sigrun shouted.

At the same time, I felt a burning sensation in my side.

I looked down at the wound that was gradually bleeding red.

It was expected.

Carl heard it all.

He turned to face me.

The Carl who stabbed me looked more like he was the one who had been stabbed.

I patted his cheek and whispered.

It’s okay.

Carl’s eyes widened as if he understood the words.

What, why are you so shocked after doing the stabbing?

Anyway, it really hurts.

But the wounds Sigrun and Carl received must be more painful than this...

I closed my eyes at that thought.

Spoiler: Sigrun knows the truth

Someone whispered.

[You are alone like me]

I opened my eyes.

I didn’t know if it was a dream but Fiona was there.

“Yeah, I am alone.”

Fiona gently stroked my cheek.

[You found the lost memory, but the precious person who gave you those beautiful memories has gone far away. At this moment, you feel the greatest emptiness...]

I smiled bitterly. That’s right.

“Yes, even when I open my eyes, everyone I love will be gone. Is this what you wanted?”

[Yes.]

Oddly enough, I wasn’t angry.

“I see.”

She looked at me silently. Unexpectedly, it was a stare without hostility.

[Now, it is just me]

“You hate me, don’t you?”

She murmured like a child.

[Yeah, I hate it, I hate you. Why the hell do you love him...?]

“Fiona”

Although this was just a dream, I continued.

“Even if Sigrun hates me, I will see him”

[Why? It just hurts.]

“You can’t run away just because you’re hurt.”

I smiled and got up from my seat.

“Stop, I am going.”

Fiona murmured like a child.

[No, don’t go, stay here. You’ve lost your way now.]

“No, Fiona. He must have been hurt as well.”

[No...]

Although it was a scene my subconscious made up, that soft muttering strangely touched my heart.

Don’t fall for your foolish self-pity in your dreams and open your eyes Fiona.

With that thought in mind, I slowly opened my eyes. I felt a stinging pain my side.

“Damn it... hurts like death...”

“Miss?”

A startled voice was heard nearby.

It was Celine and another maid.

I unintentionally whined.

“Celine, it hurts so much...”

Celine gets her a pain killer.

Fiona is surprised she is alive. Carl is an assassin so there’s no way she would be alive if he actually tried to kill her.

Fiona has been out of it for two days.

She wonders if Sigrun told Abel.

“I can’t defend myself if my father attacks me right now, can I call you later?”

Celine is shocked.

“The Duke is very angry but he will not attack the wounded lady. Just stay there like a newborn baby.”

Ah... Celine, I’m scared when you are angry.

I lay there barely awake.



Abel doesn’t seem to know what happened. He put Carl in jail for stabbing Fiona.

Abel says he would’ve killed him if Fiona hadn’t woken up for another half a day. She was out of it for two days.

Fiona asks him to calm down and he asks her why she is being so generous.

Sigrun didn’t explain to Abel. Fiona doesn’t explain to Abel either.

Fiona says at least she got her memory back. Abel doesn’t dig further.

“If you are truly reflecting, please grant my four requests.”

“Four? Isn’t it normally three?”

My protest was lightly dismissed.

“First, the wound needs to be completely healed.”

I quietly nodded.

“Second, I don’t know what happened with that bastard Sigrun but fix it. He's no fun anymore.”

Y-your attitude towards Sigrun is too...

“Third, when you have organized your thoughts, tell me what happened. Fiona, with your own mouth.”

“...I will try.”

Abel tapped the handlf ot he chair with his finger as if displeased.

“Fourth, you must unconditionally call me father from now on. Not duke or sir, or anything else.”

I suddenly got curious.

“What about ‘Dad’?”

“Ah, that’s acceptable.”

It’s a pretty solid standard.

Apparently, he didn’t like how I acted while I had amnesia.

“I’ll just call you dad.”

Tch, Abel clicked his tongue lightly as if regretful.



Fiona stays in her room while her wound heals so she organizes her thoughts on some paper.

Fiona (dark), the Crown prince, Bill Curtis, Carl and Sigrun know who she is. She hypothesizes that either Fiona or Bill knew first. She wonders what Bill wants. What should she do about Carl? He is the type who finds it hard to forgive.

She wonders if she should have denied it but she didn’t want to keep lying.

The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to see Sigrun but he didn’t go to see her. She wonders if he knows she is awake.

As soon as she could move, she went to see him.



Sigrun POV

Sigrun heard that Fiona had woken up. He wanted to go see her but he couldn't after hearing the CP’s words. He thinks about all the things Fiona has done.

Fiona knocks on his door.

“Are you there your majesty?”

Sigrun whispers her name.

“You are right?”

“Lady, I am confused as to whether I should kick you out for trespassing right now...”

Cain Erez could be heard from the other side of the door.

“If I break the door, go complain to Halon.”

Sigrun goes to the door and it suddenly opens.

Fiona looks at him in surprise. Her eyes are mixed with various emotions – surprise, worry, bewilderment, fear. Although she acted boldly, she was frightened.

Sigrun tried to act normally.

They sit down.

“Sigrun, it’s a bit awkard to come in and say this, but are you willing to talk to me?”

“I would’nt have opened the door if I wasn’t.”

“... Are you mad?”

At Fiona’s cautious question, Sigrun shook his head.

“I don’t know. But I am confused.”

He rolled the ring in the palm of his hand.

“Fiona, we’ve known each other for a long time.”

“...yes.”

“So I thought I knew you well, but now I don’t know. Besides, I think the emotions you have shown me so far may have been planned.”

Fiona was friendly since we first met. Now that I thought about it, the reason was simple. Because she knew about me. If you know a lot about the other person, it would be easier to get to know them.

Fiona nodded at my words.

If someone knew everything about your life before you met, and you became close because of that, you would think that way. Wasn’t it all a planned approach?

No, the fact that someone knows your entire life in the first place is terrifying.

“...When I was young, my attitude towards you was sincere. It wasn’t smoke. I really thought I could be good friends with you.”

“Why?”

Sigrun slowly sat down opposite Fiona.

Even in this situation, Sigrun thought she looked lovely. Round forehead, pale quivering cheeks, and flickering eyelashes. Everything about her.

“Fiona, tell me. What did you think of me when we first met?”

It didn’t matter what Enoch said, I wanted to hear it for myself.

After closing her eyes tightly for a moment, Fiona opened her mouth.

“... I felt pity and sympathy. I was sorry too. I vowed to do my best to make you happy”

At that, Sigrun smiled briefly.

Was it sincere?

“I vowed to be your best friend and supported in this world.”

“Even now? Are you simply a best friend?”

She hastily denied it.

“No, of course not now. Other wise why would I get engaged to you?”

After speaking, Fiona was embarrassed, so she kept her mouth shut for a moment.

“Ah... what am I talking about now. The conversation order is a bit messed up. Sigrun, do you believe what the Crown Prince said? It’s kind of crazy.”

“I believe what you admit.”

“... but from your point of view it must be a lot of things you can’t understand.”

“I will understand it step by step.”

That was a clear answer.

Fiona was confused as to why Sigrun seemed more relaxed than herself.

Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

In fact, Sigrun’s reaction was completely different to what she expected. She even felt embarrassed.

She thought he would be very angry.

“Fiona, if you have something you want to say, just say it.”

“Aren’t you mad? Actually I came here with the intention of taking care of you today.”

“As I said before, you are the one who kicked me.”

Sigrun quietly showed the ring that was rolling in the palm of his hand.

At that moment, Fiona answered bewilderedly.

“Ah... of course, there was that time. Still, I thought you would tell me to end our relationship.”

“I won’t say that.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

As soon as she heard this, Fiona’s shoulders relaxed. She covered her face with her palms.

“...I thought you would resent me, like Carl.”

Her face wasn’t visible because she covered her hands.

Sigrun got out of his chair and kneeled in front of her. He listened to her words as they came out through her palms.

“Not anyone else, but I had a lot of influence in your life. Bad things.”

“Is that what you intended?”

“No, not at all. I thought you would be mad if you knew the truth. No, I was a little surprised...”

“That’s why you came to save me.”

“Huh?”

“You said you came to save me”

Sigrun laughed like a boy.

“Like a brave knight in fairy tale.”

While Fiona’s gaze was taken away by that smile for a moment, Sigrun pulled her palm and kissed it lightly.

Sigrun cleared the situation.

“You weren’t malicious and never thought you’d be living this life. But when you saw me, you tried your best to take responsibility. Perhaps to the extent that you valued me more than your own life?

“...Yes.”

“If so, now I will, Fiona.”

Sigrun looked straight into her eyes.

“Besides, if I were to resent you or push you away right now.”

Fiona swallowed her saliva.

“- if that happened, I would lose everything precious to me. There wouldn’t be anything left in my life. At the very least, I want to cherish what is in front of me.”

“......”

Fiona had a bewildered expression and slowly smiled.

“I think you are better than me. Yes, you are right.”

Sigrun gently stroked her cheek.

It was an ironic situation. The girl who may be ruined his life was also his greatest salvation.

Fiona’s existence which seemed so far away, felt present now. Perhaps because he knew her greatest secret now.

“...Fiona, promise me now.”

“What?”

“You won’t leave me.”

Sigrun carefully placed the ring on Fiona’s palm.

“You saved me, So I'm asking you to fulfill your responsibilities until the end. Brave knight.”

Fiona smiled at his words and nodded.

“I will do my best, prince.”

Upon hearing her answer, Sigrun felt relieved.

It was a strange thing that he couldn’t understand. Even knowing anything, she was such a lovely existence to him.

Whether this feeling was sincere love, inertia-like affection, or a crazy obsession, it didn't matter.

All that mattered was that she was back, and she was with him again.

At least for today, Sigren decided to be content with that.

Spoiler: What dark Fiona wants

Fiona POV

Fiona puts her arms around Sigrun and kisses him. Sigrun gently pushes her back since she is injured and dares not to touch her again in case he “loses control” and hurts her.

Fiona is upset and hugs a pillow.

She asks what he wants to do with Carl who is in Halon prison.

Sigrun leaves it to Fiona to make a decision.

Fiona asks if Sigrun has any thoughts about dark Fiona.

“I think I know roughly what the dark wants.”

At those words, I, who was hugging the pillow, raised my head.

“What?”

“...love.”

“Love?”

It was unexpected.

“Not revenge or hate?”

“At least I think so.”

“Then why did it attack me? Up until now, I thought it was trying to torture me.”

“Why is losing your memory a way to torture you?”

I carefully organized my thoughts.

“Wait a minute... to lose what I held precious. It was as if it had been lost before.”

Sigrun smiled subtly.

It was a smile that seemed to be hiding something.

“...Well, Fiona, what kind of character was the girl you knew originally?”

“She is calm, without showing emotions.”

Sigrun laughed.

“The exact opposite of you.”

“Yeah, the opposite of me. Contrary to how cold she looked on the outside, there was an active volcano inside her.”

“She seemed calm but in fact, her personality was one that hid a lot of emotions.”

“Correct. Maybe it’s because she didn’t want to get hurt and kept her composure. Ah, well, to sum it up, was it lack of affection?”

I nodded as I recalled about Fiona.

“That’s right, Sigrun, as you said, it may be.”

“Do you think the dark woman has the same personality?”

“I think it’s a little different. Much more childlike and emotional. Maybe the mask she was wearing to avoid getting hurt has been removed and some of the emotions have worn it away?”

“Right”

“Ah, but if the darkness wants love, the part that is attracted to the Crown Prince can’t be explained. Enoch is hostile to us and is trying to hurt you.”

At my question, Sigrun gave a thoughtful expression.

“I’ll have to think about that more.”

“I wonder...”

I pondered on Sigrun’s hypothesis. If her purpose was to be loved.

“What should I do now? Is there any way to change Fiona’s heart?”

“Maybe you know the answer better than I do.”

Sigrun was right, I knew more about Fiona. Fiona remembers the woman who had left her – her biological mother.

“...It was her mother who abandoned Fiona first.”

Of course, it could also be said that she abandoned me.

“Um, if my mother accepts me sincerely again, wouldn’t Fiona’s heart be relieved...?”

Sigrun nodded slowly.

“Worth a try.”

I looked at his face and said abruptly.

“Sigrun, it feels like you are hiding something from me.”

“Who knows.”

“Are there any other hypotheses about Fiona?”

“...no.”

Unable to dispel my doubts, I narrowed my eyes.

But realizing he didn’t want to say anything, I gave up neatly.

‘I’ll ask you later.’

Then she realizes it was Carl who gave her the information about her mother.

She doesn’t know what to do with him

She has to go.

She kisses him on the cheek and stood up slowly.

Sigrun muttered a bit regretfully.

“...thinking of another man in my room.”

He pulls Fiona’s arm and whispers in her ear.

“See you when your wounds fully heal, Fiona.”

Fiona blushes.

Fiona only now realizes what he meant before when she kissed him.

She pats him on the shoulder and leaves.

Sigrun touches the part of his shoulder she touched and smiles.



Fiona POV

Fiona goes to see Carl in prison.

She asks Carl if he still wants to kill her and he says he doesn’t know.

Carl tells Fiona she doesn’t understand how important it is for him to punish those who killed his mother. Fiona says if something happened to Abel she would do the same.

Carl laughs and she feels he resembles Sigrun.

Fiona tells Carl she is more worried about Sigrun who accepted it so easily. Carl says it is because she is the first in Sigrun’s life. If he had liked Fiona little more he probably wouldn’t have stabbed her.

Fiona mentions that he didn’t stab her with the intention of killing her. She asks if he could forgive her.

He nods but he’s not sure.

Fiona releases him she needs his help. He asks what if he stabs her again. She says he should think about it carefully next time before he acts. She doesn’t think he will though, considering his behavior now.

Carl asks her if what the CP was true. If so, did she give him those trials on purpose to help him grow as a person? He thinks of her as a potential god.

Fiona answers truthfully. - No way. She says its just her fault, she didn’t know it would be like this.

Carl answers he likes this answer more than heaven giving trials to humans.



Fiona POV

Fiona tells Sigrun what happened with Carl.

Fiona is going to meet her mother with Carl. Sigrun wants to go but Fiona says no – he needs to take care of the crown prince.

They hope this will help change dark Fiona’s heart.

Sigrun asks her if she is okay. She says she is fine – she already has a stepfather who cares about her a lot. Abel wasn’t happy that Fiona just released Carl like that and he hadn’t spoken to her in 2 days.

Fiona thinks about how to tell Abel everything.



You are going to find your mother?”

Hearing my words, Abel didn’t look as happy as expected.

“Fiona, you must be going to find your mother because I haven’t spoken to you in two days-”

“Oh, that’s not it!”

I am not that small-minded!

“I am just checking if that’s why.

Abel opened his mouth suspiciously.

“You guys seems to be hiding something from me lately.”

“......”

It was true so I couldn’t deny it.

“I feel like I am being bulled after raising you all.”

“Ugh, I will tell you everything later when the situation is settled!”

Abel said solemnly.

“Fiona, I have a lot behind me. Don’t be cruel to grown ups!”

Abel pointed a finger at me.

“If you’ve grown up this much and suddenly miss your mother and want to go away alone...”

“I’m not leaving, I’m not leaving!”

If I stayed any longer, I might get caught up and have to explain everything.

I would sound like a crazy person if I told the truth now so I hurried out of Abel’s office.

“Anyway, I have business to do, so I won’t see you for a while!”

“Fiona-.”

With great embarrassment, I cried out to him one last time.

“My only parent is you!”

Abel laughed.

“What? Tell me one more time-.”

Oh my gosh, what an expression.

I am sorry but I can’t say it twice because I am shy.

Bang!

I quickly closed the door to his office.

That's a wrap for Book 4

 

"My only parent is you" DANGGGGGG FIONA

 

Thank you for the spoilers

 

Tysm!

 

First quarter of book 5!

I translated a big chunk of this because I just love Abel.

Spoiler: How to help dark Fiona

Fiona’s mother’s name is Kate.

Fiona is on her way to meet her mother with Carl. Carl asks if she read all the information that he gave her and she says yes. She can tell there is something Carl isn’t telling her though.

Kate was a commoner born in the North and lost her parents at a young age. She went to the capital as a young girl and became a maid for the Green family at the age of 15. She gave birth to Fiona when she was 18 and left Fiona when she was 21.

They arrive at the house that Kate lives in. It is situated in front of a mountain. It looks very idyllic.

Carl helps Fiona off the carriage.

Kate is in the front with some children. She has silver hair just like Fiona.

Kate realized who Fiona was straight away. Fiona realizes what Carl was trying to hide – Kate had two children a son and a daughter.

Kate tells her children to run inside. They run into the house and lock the door.

Fiona goes up to the door and knocks.

“Kate, I didn’t come to ruin your life. I just came here because I was curious.”

A faint gasp could be heard behind the door.

“Honestly, I don’t resent you. ...Can you please open the door first?”

Kate slowly opens the door. They go inside and sit down.

Kate asks how Fiona is. Kate had heard rumors about Fiona and was scared that she would come to get revenge on her. Fiona say no. She just wants to ask her some questions. She asks if anything weird has been happening lately. Kate replies no. This means dark Fiona wasn’t hanging around.

Kate says she expected Fiona to come one day. The atmosphere suddenly feels thick. Carl wraps a hand around Fiona’s as if to comfort her.

Kate explains that she didn’t want to give birth to Fiona. Count Green as not a good man but she fell in love with him because of his unusual appearance. Kate tried to raise Fiona with love but it was too hard for her. She wanted to disappear.

Fiona tells her not to blame herself too much – she was very young.

Kate admits she abandoned her and fled to the town she is living in where she met her current husband and has been living happily.

Fiona says she is glad Kate is happy. She asks if she would ever be able to love her again.

Kate pauses and says she thinks it will be difficult. She feels guilty when she sees Fiona, not love.

Unfortunately this means that their plan won’t work.

Fiona decides to leave before Kate’s husband comes back. She leaves saying she will never see her again.

As they leave, the two children look outside the window. Fiona waves at her half siblings, wishing them health.

Back at the Halon mansion, Carl and Fiona are in the greenhouse. Fiona asks Carl what he thinks. He feels that the original Fiona is a bit pitiful.

Sigrun comes in. Fiona says although his idea was good, there was a big problem. There was no one in the world who loved the original Fiona.

“Although you love me Sigrun, if someone else was in this body, would you still love them?”

Sigrun replied cynically.

“No way.”

“...then it would be the same for father?”

“Of course.”

Poor Fiona. Even if she resents me, I have nothing to say.

Sigrun proposes that they try catching the Crown Prince and Bill Curtis first. They need to reveal that they are working with the darkness. They need to get witnesses to reveal that they are manipulating monsters for their own gain.

Fiona likes this idea. She liked this kind of work since the beginning.

******

Fiona was looking forward to crushing the Crown Prince but unfortunately all the witnesses went missing. Even the bodies were missing.

They consider which families are supporting who. Both the Marquis of Erez and the Duke of Ernest are against Sigrun but the Marquis of Erez supports the Empress rather than the crown prince and the Duke of Ernest seems to support the Crown Prince. It’s dangerous for them to just confront the heads of these major families. It could cause serious conflict between their families.

Carl thinks deeply.

“Isn’t there someone around you who is perfect for this kind of job?”

******

Abel Halon swung the drawing room doors wide open.

“It’s been a while, Duke Ernest.”

Duke Ernest, who was in the drawing room, was surprised at the unexpected intrusion and almost fell backwards.

“Ah, Abel Halon! What the heck is this?!”

Abel ignored him.

However, sitting across from Duke Ernest was a person who could not be ignored.

The person sitting across the Duke in the drawing room of the Ernest mansion was none other than Princess Arya.

The half-sister of ‘that Sigrun brat’.

“Duke Abel Halon, what the hell is this?”

Abel greeted her politely.

“Excuse me, Princess. I heard that the duke was meeting a guest but I didn’t realize it was her majesty.”

“......”

Princess Arya had nothing to say in reply.

Actually, today’s meeting was quite secretive. In the end, Arya just said.

“...I didn’t know the two of you had such a close relationship where you could just skip procedure and meet.”

Abel laughed.

“Oh, of course, your highness. We are very friendly. Today, I have something very intimate to tell him.”

“......”

As soon as he barged in, he started talking nonsense but Arya couldn’t point it out because of Abel’s dignified manner.

Instead, the Duke of Ernest trembled.

“Th-this personality destroyer of the North...”

Abel continued to talk to the princess.

“What a mean thing to say. More than that, did you spread this nickname too?”

“...I shall take my leave now. I hope the two of you get along well.”

Arya left before the mess became messier.

Abel raised an eyebrow.

“I am very curious about what Duke Ernest and Her majesty were talking about.”

Before leaving the door, Arya grinned.

“Well, maybe the Duke and I will have a conversation soon.”

Without any regrets, Arya walked out the door.

Abel looked at her back for a moment and smiled.

“Well, isn’t she a smart girl.”

I don’t hate her dignified personality. It reminds me of Fiona.

Abel turned his head to look at Duke Ernest who was still trembling with anger.

“What the hell are you doing?! What is my guard doing?”

Abel laughed shamelessly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. He got in the way and passed out.”

Duke Ernest’s face turned red.

“Absolutely no manners, what a barbari-”

“What can you expect from someone with a personality disorder?”

Abel sat opposite Duke Ernest.

He acted so naturally as if he was in his own house.

This further ignited Duke Ernest’s anger.

“I-I am going to file a formal complaint!”

“Mmm, do whatever you want, Duke. By the way, I am here alone now.”

“What does that matter?!”

Abel shrugged.

“Is that okay with you? It’s going to be all the talk in the social world. The Duke of Halon, came to the Ernest mansion all alone, he stunned all the escorts and ruined the secret meeting with the princess?”

Abel, who was excellent at making men angry, even clapped and sarcastically said.

“Even if people find out about this, you don’t really care, right? Wow, that’s pretty cool of you.”

“......”

It was only then that Duke Ernest realized that he couldn’t formally file a complaint and became further frustrated.

It would be difficult for him if everyone knew that the Duke of Halon, who he hated the most, had barged in without an escort let alone the face that he had been in an informal meeting with the princess.

‘This madman, this is exactly why he came!’

Ernest swallowed his rising anger and looked at Abel.

“What the hell did you come for? Hurry up then shut up.”

“Ah, yes, I guess you can afford to listen to me now.”

Abel leaned back on the chair and continued.

“I mean, my cute adopted daughter hasn’t asked me for a favor for a long time.”

“......”

“So, I have come to fulfill that request in person.”

Ernest was so on the edge, he almost wanted to pull his hair out.

Fiona Halon.

An adopted daughter who has a similar personality disorder.

“What, you did this for your daughter?”

“The duke will know when he has a pretty daughter. Oh, but you only have a son?”

Duke Ernest realized he would need to be as crazy to deal with this madman.

Regrettably, he couldn’t be any more insane than Abel Halon.

“......”

Abel leaned forward and raised one corner of his mouth.

“So, what is the Duke up to these days?”

...I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m not great at conversation so I will be direct. I am asking if you have dealt with people for our esteemed Crown Prince recently? Where are the bodies? Did you burn them?”

“What? Are you trying to frame me for murder? Additionally, you are slandering his majesty!?”

Abel’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh? You don’t know?”

“About what?”

Abel laughed briefly.

“It seems the Duke has recently become estranged from his Majesty, the Crown Prince. You were even having a secret meeting with her Majesty, the princess, here.”

Duke Ernest flinched and responded.

“...The Crown Prince has only made a few mistakes in his youth. In fact, hasn’t he been doing amazing things lately?”

“Then why did you meet the Crown Princess? Don’t step back too far, Duke. I know all too how you roll around in politics. I wasn’t sure but I had a strange feeling, looks like you are jumping boats.”

“......”

Abel watched the Duke shut his mouth.

“Princess Arya is quite resourceful.’

Ernest would never support Sigrun. He believes in pedigree to the bone.

But what about Princess Arya?

Unlike Sigrun, she is not an illegitimate child. There was no problem with her bloodline. That means the Duke wouldn’t be dissatisfied with her pedigree.

“A mistake in his youth, that’s a pretty good excuse.”

Abel muttered as he stood up.

“Bu you will soon find out that it wasn’t a mistake, Duke. At that time, you won’t be able to cover up the Crown Prince’s faults.”

“What are you saying?”

“I am saying that the boat you are jumping to is better.”

Answer that, Abel grabbed the doorknob of the drawing room.

Duke Ernest felt this was absolutely absurd.

“So why the hell did you even come here?”

Abel smiled mischievously.

“To interrogate a suspect. Unfortunately, you appear to be innocent, Duke.”

“I-interrogation... The audacity...!”

Abel was too brazen to apologize.

“Would I do something rude?”

Finally, Abel waved lightly.

“Be well. I am going to catch the culprit now.”

Ernest grit his teeth as he watched that ugly back disappear.

That hurricane from hell!

“... I need to amend my will! If I die, the cause of death will be a sudden illness!’

Unable to resist, the Duke of Ernest picked up a pillow and threw it towards where Abel had left.

******

There are those who will make decisions based on changes in the situation and others who are already too far in to turn back.

The former was the Duke of Ernest, while the latter was the Marquis of Erez.

The Marquis of Erez is working with the Crown Prince. They are plotting what to do.

Bill Curtis says they need to target Fiona Halon first. The Marquis doesn’t like Bill Curtis but Bill seems to get along well with Enoch.

Fiona is a strong wizard so they need to get her out of the way first. If they target her, it will upset Abel and Sigrun as well. They will use that as an opportunity to get the other two.

The Marquis asks how they will deal with Fiona. Bill points to the window where a shadowy figure can be seen.

Bill says it is better to get Fiona alone. If she had someone with her, they would get in the way.

The three of them discuss using the monsters for something more dramatic rather than just attacking villages.

The darkness leans against the window in deep thought.

I fully translated the spicy stuff

Spoiler: Fiona and Sigrun get VERY intimate *waggles eyebrows* (if you know what I mean)

I lifted my thumb up.

“Father, you never worry about anything like image management.”

“...Fiona, what do you mean?”

Abel blatantly responded.

“Of course, I mean it as a compliment.”

Abel made a disgusted face at my answer. Confused, he wasn’t sure if it was really a compliment or a veiled insult.

I held back my laughter and left the office.

I went to deliver the good news to Sigrun.

Annoyed at the Crown Prince, I said something a little extreme.

“I want to blow his neck off!”

Fortunately, my fiancé was calm.

Sigrun calms Fiona down.

“Oh, I haven’t told Carl about this yet.”

Sigrun asked curiously.

“Why?”

“What if he goes to kill the Marquis of Erez right away? Carl can be very extreme.”

Sigrun had a thoughtful expression for a moment.

“Yes, I think you are right, Fiona.”

“Besides, I don’t know Carl well enough yet..oh, Sigrun. Don’t look at me like that. You know what I mean. Carl doesn’t even think of me that way.”

He laughed bitterly.

“You don’t know that.”

Then Sigrun pulled me towards him.

“Wait, if you pull me like that, I will end up sitting in your lap-”

Of course, it was too late to protest. Before I realized, I was already sitting in Sigrun’s lap.

He buried his face in the nape of my neck.

Um, this kind of situation made me a little nervous...

Sigrun grinned.

“Fiona, why are you so nervous? It doesn’t suit you.”

I answered with stiff shoulders.

“You, I’m not that good at skin ship...”

“Is that so?”

He seemed to be having fun. Sigrun playfully bit the nape of my neck.

Oh, it tickled.

I was very aware that Sigrun bites in situations like this.

I don’t know why but he seems to enjoy my reaction.

“I am telling you in advance Sigrun, don’t bite too hard. Sometimes I think that you think I am some kind of jelly.”

Sigrun sighed at my words.

“Fiona, I know very well that you are a girl with no sense of romance but is that really the only thing you can think to say in this situation?”

“......”

Sorry for not having a romantic personality. You are so savage.

“Anyway, don’t worry, Carl doesn’t see me in that way. I’m just glad he doesn’t hate me.”

Sigrun answered very vaguely.

“...I will try.”

What do you mean you will try. I ignored him.

Since I was sitting in his lap, I decided to take advantage of the situation. I hugged him around his neck.

“......”

Sigrun became very quiet.

After all, me touching him was his weaknesses.

Euphoric that I had embarrassed him, I lightly rubbed my cheek against his.

I whispered in his ear.

“Let’s think about how to beat the Marquis of Erez.”

“......”

The tension in Sigrun’s body left.

He sighed.

“...seriously, is that all you have to say in this position?”

“What?”

What was his problem?

I opened my eyes and looked at Sigrun.

He smiled softly.

“I was expecting something different since you touched me first. It seems like we haven’t been alone for a while now.”

“Well it is true we haven’t had alone time together in a while but we should still think about this – ugh!”

Sigrun put his arms under my knees and lifted me up.

In a panic, I hugged him tightly.

How could you just lift a person like this?!

Looking down at me and seeing my eyes wide open in surprise, Sigrun smiled at me.

“I’ve always thought you are a workaholic, Fiona.”

“Working hard is a... ah.”

As I was about to say ‘good thing’, Sigrun’s lips stopped me.

He kissed me briefly then stopped.

… Are you just trying to stop me from talking? It is, isn’t it?

I got a little embarrassed. What’s wrong with working?

“Since we are all alone, let’s do something that only the two of us can do, Fiona.”

Having said that, Sigrun started walking in strides.

“Sigrun, do you currently want to make your wish come true?!”

“Yeh, that’s right.”

Hey, don’t answer so sweetly!

Even though I struggled, Sigrun didn’t move. His strength is really enviable!

“I might always be working hard, but I am not a workaholic, am I? Are you listening to me? Besides, I am romantic!”

Sigrun responded childishly.

“I can’t hear you. Rather, is that the problem in this situation?”

“Of course!”

Annoyed by his unsatisfactory response, I slapped him on the shoulder.

Of course, he didn’t even budge.

However, Sigrun looked down at me for a moment with an expression saying ‘What’s wrong with you?’.

******

As soon as he entered his room, Sigrun put Fiona down. He took out a vial from the drawer next to the bed and drank it all.

Fiona, who had been thinking for a while and wondering what he was drinking suddenly realized what the drug was and holding back her laughter, pulled up the blanket.

The blanket fell softly on her shoulder. It felt ticklish so Fiona, who was lying on the bed, grinned and dug into the duvet.

Sigrun put on a sullen expression at Fiona’s reaction.

“What is it?”

“Well, it was funny that the drug is just in the drawer...”

As if it was already prepared.

Sigrun sighed and told the truth.

“I didn’t know but my servants always kept it in there.”

It gave you a slight insight into the private life of a member of the royal family.

Fiona even grew more at ease at those words.

Sigrun felt a little nauseous. She didn’t seem to be nervous at all in this situation.

It took a lot of patience for him to pretend to be relaxed and carefree.

Suddenly, Fiona looked up at him and asked, stroking his cheek softly.

“Sigrun, is this what you want to do after not being alone for a long time?”

“...yes.”

Fiona burst into laughter.

Am I being too honest? Finally, Sigrun grumbled.

“Don’t laugh too much.”

“No, ahaha... being honest is good.”

Sigrun, slightly angry at her tensionless reaction, took her hand. He gently pressed her into the bed as their fingers interlocked.

It was then that Fiona opened her eyes widely.

Sigrun kissed her forehead softly.

For some unknown reason, Fiona smiled slightly again.

“Where does your tension-free attitude come from, my fiancée?”

As Sigrun grumbled, Fiona shook her head.

“That’s not it. It’s just funny how this is happening with you...”

Sigrun narrowed his eyes, wondering if she still didn’t see him as a man.

Fiona reached out her hand that was not interlocked and gently stroked the nape of his neck. Sigrun flinched.

“I never imagined this would happen...”

Because he was so focused on her, every breath and sentence that came out of her mouth stuck in his ears.

“Then what did you imagine?”

Sigrun didn’t wait for an answer. He kissed Fiona’s cheek, jawline and her exposed nape. He slowly moved down.

“That you... would eat well, live well and to watch... ah, it tickles...”

He paused for a moment and smiled slowly.

“Watch?”

“...I would just watch you.”

Fiona groaned lightly. Her cheeks were getting redder.

Sigrun smiled, stroking her reddish lips with his thumb.

“You can watch me up close, Fiona.”

A long kiss followed immediately.

Sigrun bit her red lips. As Fiona’s lips parted slightly, something slipped into her mouth and gently stirred.

For a moment, a sound involuntarily escaped through her mouth and she grabbed Sigrun’s collar.

He looked down on her and smiled with satisfaction. It reminded her of an apex predator.

I liked it but it scared me a bit.

Fiona put a hand on the collar around his neck and clumsily tried to untie the tie.

Sigrun flinched for a moment at the feeling around his neck and took Fiona’s hand.

Fiona asked slightly out of breath.

“...what?”

“......”

The tone itself was a great temptation for Sigrun.

Sigrun, who had acquired great patience, responded by kissing each slender finger tenderly.

“...I am trying to go slow.”

Fiona’s eyes curved like crescent moons.

She whispered in a somewhat seductive tone, as if singing.

“Well, it’s okay.”

“......”

There was a silence between the two for a moment.

That was it.

Sigrun didn’t want another second. He bowed his head and bit the end of the ribbon on Fiona’s chest.

And pulled.

The ribbon loosened and the collar around her chest fell open.

Fiona’s eyes widened and she tried to get up but was laid flat again.

“W-wait, Sigrun, I was kidding...!”

Fiona groaned as she resisted in vain.

Sigrun didn’t stop caressing her soft flesh in his mouth.

As time passed, the bedroom filled with hot breaths.

The sheets that had been neatly pressed were now crumpled by their hands and feet.

“Ah... wait... Sigrun... urk.”

Faint groans mixed with soft cries and a soothing voice filled the room for a long time.

In any case, it was clear that Fiona could no longer let out a relaxed laugh that day.

******

“...Fiona, are you okay?”

With a worried voice, Sigrun gently stroked my shoulder.

I slowly opened my eyes and then closed them again.

If you think I will fall for that sympathetic voice, you are mistaken.

“...Sigrun, even if you call me with that voice now, I won’t answer.”

I’m usually weak to Sigrun but I will have to change that from now on.

Sigrun replied calmly.

“It’s because I am truly worried.”

I turned around and looked at Sigrun. Then pushed my finger hard into his chest.

“You know this is your fault right?”

Sigrun had a calm expression.

Hey, don’t make me feel weak.

“Well if it makes you feel better, Abel will probably kill me when he finds out you stayed out.”

I replied sarcastically.

“Let’s hope so.”

To be honest, I had no intention of staying out.

It wasn’t too late when we went to bed so I thought I might be able to leave in the middle of the night.

However, that was just wishful thinking...

I glanced at my shoulders. There were marks all over.

I’ll have to change clothes by myself for a while.

I was too embarrassed to show this to Celine.

Knowing what I was thinking, Sigrun’s face turned slightly red.

It’s strange to be ashamed of the marks you made.

Sigrun pulled the blanket hanging around my chest and turned me around.

I muttered sullenly.

“You did it yesterday and now you are all shy...”

Sigrun let out a shallow sigh.

“As I said, I didn’t know it would be like this.”

I grumbled more.

“Even so, I felt like your dessert yesterday.”

Well, of course, I liked it too, but...

Sigrun gently kissed my cheek to soothe me. I leaned comfortably in his arms. I felt an uneasy feeling.

Hmmm, it felt like we were being watched.

“...I need to get up and wash.”

When they were doing it, it wasn’t that painful because all her senses were heightened but now, she felt pretty sore.

Even her muscles hurt, her body throbbed.

… was this because of lack of exercise?

I vehemently denied it. No, this was definitely Sigrun’s fault for overdoing it.

Sigrun asked, bowing his head and gently kissing my eyes.

“Do you want me to help you to the bathroom?”

If I let him, it felt like there would be a sequel for some reason.

“...no, its okay. I will wait until I can move.”

Sigrun smiled softly.

“Are you going back to Halon mansion tomorrow?”

“Honestly, even if you help me, I feel like I won’t go back until tomorr- kyak!”

Before I could finish, Sigrun picked me up, curled up in the duvet.

This was the second time after yesterday. I slapped him on the shoulder.

“I will only move you, Fiona.”

“I don’t believe you!!”

Even this morning he had whispered to me ‘just a little bit...’.

There was a reason my body was so floppy!

“You might change your mind later and take my soul!”

“You remember everything Fiona but have you forgotten how you were clinging to me and crying.”

Of course, Sigrun paused at first but later realized I wasn’t crying because of pain and then he didn’t stop at all.

Not knowing what to think, Sigrun suddenly smiled.

“If you don’t remember that, do you remember what you said to me yesterday?”

Apparently, in the midst of passion, I spit out various things between moans. Embarrassed, I quickly covered his mouth.

“Don’t say it!”

I was overstimulated so I couldn’t control my tears and words. Both of them couldn’t be helped!

“Of course you looked pretty crying too, Fiona.”

Ahh, he’s not the kind of kid who talks like this!

While I was confused, Sigrun opened the bathroom door.

“Sigren, you just looked like a puppy who sinned against me! Isn't the time for reflection too short?"

“Perhaps but every time I see you I just want to touch you.”

Oh, what a young man who is honest with his desires!

He put his lips to the nape of my neck and whispered.

“...I might regret it, but I mean it.”

This time I thought about it, Sigrun has a bit of a despicable side.

Eventually I hugged him tightly.

At the same time, the bathroom door slammed shut.

******

“My lady, these days-.”

I quickly cut off the approaching Carl.

“Don’t say it.”

“Yes?”

“Never mind...were you going to ask about Sigrun and I?”

Carl shook his head.

“No, I was going to say you look busy these days.”

Surprised, I breathed a sigh of relief.

There were many reasons for this overreaction.

After that day, I only heard from Abel once and the people of the mansion began to look at me with eyes half of interest and half concern.

No one spoke of it directly but the silent atmosphere felt a bit burdensome.

Perhaps he had guessed my circumstances, Carl smiled bitterly.

“It seems that the Duke is bothering you a lot.”

“It’s not the Duke, but Sigrun”

Of course, I was embarrassed to talk to Carl about this topic for a while.

“Anyway, Carl, I am not very busy. Do you have business with me?”

The faint smile that remained on Carl’s face was erased.

“Anything about the Marquis of Erez?”

“...not yet. There are some small things but nothing decisive.”

“I see.”

Carl made a troubled expression. He had always wanted to overthrow the Erez family. That nervous feeling was understandable.

“Carl, as someone who has destroyed a noble family, if I had one thing to say...”

Of course, I meant the Green family, my family.

“There is no family that only has a single bit of dirt. The bigger the family, the more dirt.”

Carl smiled obliquely at my awkward consolation.

Looking at him, I thought of Sigrun for a moment. Or what he cared about, Cain Erez.

At least, Sigrun didn’t seem to want to make trouble for his guard.

Well, Cain Erez himself didn’t seem like a bad person so I understood this sentiment.

‘It would be nice if everyone had a happy ending.’

But I am not a god. I didn’t have the ability to make everyone happy.

I just did my best to protect those I had touched and to compensate them as much as possible.

I bit my lip and hid an anxious smile.

Spoiler: The orphanage + Abel and Sigrun fighting over Fiona

After a while, Fiona returned to normal aristocratic life. Normally nobles got involved with philanthropic activities, but Fiona felt no urge to do this.

However, an opportunity came from Eunice. Eunice was running an orphanage. It was rare for a noble to run such an operation rather than just being involved.

The orphanage was one of the best. Eunice asks Fiona if she can help her. Fiona replies of course.

******

Fiona tells Eunice all she knows about welfare systems. Eunice says Fiona is a genius! But Fiona is just telling her what she knows from her own world.

Eunice admires Fiona but Fiona also admires Eunice for her passion.

Fiona enjoys playing with the children at the orphanage. Usually, she is just surrounded by brooding men – Abel, Sigrun, Carl etc.

A little girl with brown hair in pigtails tells Fiona she wants to become a wizard like her when she grows up. Fiona asks why. The child says so she can find the parents who abandoned her and get revenge. Fiona is shocked by the answer. Fiona thinks about how she did the same to the Green family and says that’s not a bad idea. Eri smiles happily. Eri says adults usually told her not to think like that but she didn’t understand why not. Fiona was the first to agree with her. Fiona says she did the same thing but she didn’t find satisfaction through it. Eri asks why. Fiona says she isn’t sure why. She tells Eri to do what she wants but not to let the anger consume her life. Eri asks what that means. Fiona says she should put her own happiness first.

Everyone asks Fiona how she got along with Eri so well when she was difficult towards everyone else. Eunice has an even higher opinion of Fiona now too.

******

When I entered Abel’s office, I was startled.

Abel was grabbing Sigrun by the neck.

I was so surprised, I couldn’t even say a proper sentence,

“Wait, father, treason!”

No, was it contempt of the imperial family? Anyway, that wasn’t important right now.

My father is holding my lover around the neck!

I hurriedly clung to Abel’s arm.

Fortunately, Abel quickly released Sigrun. Although Sigrun was probably able to shake off Abel, he must have let himself be caught.

“What are you doing?!”

Abel replied distastefully.

“I got annoyed.”

Ah, yes, of course you did...

Unexpectedly, Sigrun, who had a temper to match my adoptive father’s, smiled softly.

“I’m fine, Fiona.”

Contrarily, Sigrun’s mild reaction seemed to offend Abel even more. His eyebrows twitched.

“Yeh yeh, you would be fine with any amount. This brat.”

Ha ha ha, blasphemy against the imperial family and reason, I didn’t know what was going on.

What were they hiding?

The relationship between Abel and Sigrun seemed to be getting worse these days.

To be precise, Sigrun was fine but Abel was the problem.

It was like a dreadful force of having a knife in your mouth.

Well, of course the reason was because he knew what had happened between Sigrun and I recently.

Abel pointed at Sigrun.

“Sigrun, you are banned from Halon mansion.”

Wow, now it was no longer a curfew but a ban!

Then Sigrun smiled.

“There is no nobleman in the world who can stop the imperial family, Duke.”

...Sigrun spoke in a calm manner. It was clear he was trying to irritate Abel more.

I looked at my adoptive father with anxious eyes.

Abel, who I thought would explode, smiled calmly instead.

No, it was a life threatening smile. Scary!

Abel spoke one word at a time.

“I would like you to leave my house right now, your majesty.”

After a moment of silence, Abel exclaimed.

“...no, get out, right now!”

Urgh, these two.

I decided to do the best that I could.

I didn’t think it was truly life threatening – although Abel seemed serious – but it was more like a quarrel between a rich and poor person.

That’s what I thought.

‘...anyway, isn’t this too much?’

I sighed and watched the two of them fighting with my arms crossed for a long time.

“How many times did I warn you not to keep her overnight?”

“I don’t remember any warnings.”

… look at this guy.

I finally opened my mouth.

“Okay, can I talk now?”

“......”

The two childish men stopped wrestling.

Fortunately, both of them were willing to listen to me.

“...that’s right Fiona, what did you come for?”

I unwrapped my arms.

“I’m glad you finally asked.”

Sigrun and Abel slowly began to look at me.

All right, looks like you’ve decided to stop fighting now.

“Father, did you look through the documents I gave you?”

Abel nodded.

“You mean the documents related to the orphanage sponsorship? Yes, I stamped it.”

Sigrun looked at me curiously.

“Sponsoring an orphanage? Fiona, were you interested in something like that?”

“Thanks to Lady Eunice.”

He tilted his head.

“Well it’s a field you’ve never been involved in...”

“First of all, I am a noble lady, I can’t just go around breaking stuff all day, can I?”

Although, I was still looking for something to catch the Crown Prince and his crew with.

But I couldn’t just focus on that all the time, there were other things to do too.

I took a deep breath.

“I’ve been busy investigating the Crown prince.”

Wait, these two were fighting while I was working hard!

I started nagging.

“Keep working father! Stop fighting with Sigrun!”

“......”

“And Sigrun, don’t come to the mansion for a while either.”

At my words, Sigrun put on a very sad expression.

“Why?”

“Father’s efficiency is diminishing because of you.”

Abel openly applauded next to me.

“Right, right. Don’t come because I can’t work.”

He was so childish.

I glared at my adoptive father for a moment and looked at Sigrun again.

“You too Sigrun, get to work.”

“I've already finished everything I need to do.

Really? Impressive. I was envious.

“Then play by yourself. I am busy.”

“......”

Then Sigrun gave me a pitiful look as if I had abandoned him after one night.

...Don’t give me that look! I feel like trash!

I recently made up my mind after seeing Eunice, who was pure and lovely like a real puppy. I had become immune to Sigrun’s charms.

This meant even if he acted like an abandoned puppy, I had already figured out that he was a completely different person.

Perhaps he realized that it wouldn’t work so Sigrun quickly turned his gaze away.

What! You! I was right! He was acting!

Sigrun shrugged it off.

“Then I will just help you with your work.”

“Huh? Are you going to follow me? It's a bit annoying...”

Then Sigrun gave me another pitiful glance, so I decided to shut up.

It seemed sincere this time.

Hearing that Sigrun was going with me, Abel put on an unhappy expression.

He glanced at Sigrun and murmured ’Should I buy some pesticide...’

This man, Sigrun is not a pest!

Seeing Abel getting distracted again without working. I nagged vigorously.

“Quickly get back to work, now!”

******

Of course the donation to the orphanage would be made under House Halon’s name. Abel has a terrible reputation and recently because of his visit to Duke Ernest, there were a lot of rumors flying around.

On the way to the orphanage, they bump into Carl so Fiona takes him along. Sigrun grumbles why Carl is here too.

Fiona has two reasons – one, the more people, the more help and two, she still wants to get to know Carl better. She only tells Sigrun the first reason though.

Carl likes helping out at the orphanage. The workers were scared when they saw Sigrun at first but relaxed when they saw how unconcerned Sigrun was around children.

Fiona is glad to leave the two men with the children so she can talk about the orphanage with Eunice.

“Oh my goodness.” Eunice blushed and smiled.

“I am honored to be given priority over his highness, the Prince.”

The two of them giggled.

Sigrun, however, interrupted them not long after. Something happened at the palace and he had to go. He kisses Fiona on the forehead and says.

“Thank you for understanding. Next time, let’s spend time together slowly.”

Fiona is embarrassed he did this in front of the children!

Of course, the children swarm her with questions after.

She then notices that she can’t see Eri today. Usually, Eri goes to find her first. She wonders where she is.

Spoiler: Eri is kidnapped + confrontation with dark Fiona

Eri kicks a rock. She is unhappy that Fiona came with other people today. Eri doesn’t like men because her biological father was very violent. She thought Fiona was a loner like her because she took her story seriously.

She wants Fiona to herself. She wishes those older brothers that Fiona came with would disappear so Fiona would only care about Eri. Eri shakes her head and decides to go back.

At that moment, someone grabs her arm. She is kidnapped by some men. She is taken to another man. The man kills the kidnappers and a shadowy figure appears behind him.

The man is Bill Curtis. He says that she is going to be absorbed.

Eri blinks in fright.

******

A child gives Fiona a note saying it was from a strange man.

The note says:

“If you want to see the child alive, come alone to the abandoned building in the South by 2:15.”

Fiona crumples the note and immediately knows Eri has been kidnapped.

The time is 20 minutes away. She has no time to wait for help.

She thinks the Crown prince would probably target Sigrun first, maybe that’s why he was called away?

But she needs to save Eri right now.

Fiona tells Carl to go to Halon mansion to get support. He tells her to wait – it is obviously a trap.

Carl decides to go with Fiona and send someone else to get help. Fiona doesn’t want Carl to go. If it is a trap then it’s better if only she dies not both of them. Additionally, Eri got kidnapped because of Fiona, not Carl. Carl says he can’t let her go alone even more if she is planning to die alone.

Fiona says he doesn’t need to risk his life for her, who he doesn’t really care about. Carl stiffens, Fiona is really good at being kind yet cold at the same time. Carl says by that logic, she shouldn’t care if he goes or not since she doesn’t care about him. Fiona says she does care about him! Carl hesitates and now gets why Sigrun is so jealous.

Carl ends up heading off first anyway and Fiona chases after.

******

Bill was furious when he saw Fiona wasn’t alone as this was one of his conditions.

Fiona asks where Eri is and Bill avoids the question. Fiona grabs Bill and threatens that when she is through with him he will be begging for death. Bill struggles to keep a relaxed mask on.

******

The darkness appears. Fiona tells Carl to interrogate Bill to find out where Eri is while she faces the darkness.

Fiona wants to distract the darkness, it could kill them all in an instant if it wanted to.

“Fiona, do you want to kill me?”

[…...]

“Is that what you want? Is that why you are working with them?”

She replied briefly.

[Because they wanted me.]

“Both the Crown prince and Bill, they are using you for your power.”

[That’s okay.]

“So you helped them kidnap the child?”

[…...]

When I felt we were far enough from Carl, I approached her slowly.

“... did you erase my memory because they ordered it?”

Fiona looked at me silently.

[How did it come back?]

There was no object but I could understand.

Why were you able to get your memories back?

“Because you can’t forget something precious so easily.”

Sigrun, Abel, Celine etc... the memories that I had of them made up who I was. I am me because of them.

Hearing my words, she opened her mouth with a look of confusion.

[Why didn’t you lose anything? Do you have everything? How could that be? What the hell, why, why...]

She continued like an abandoned child, desperate.

[---you don’t look back?]

At those words, my heart seemed to thump and fall. Was she talking to me? Or someone else? Or was it a rhetorical question?

In my memory, I remembered my mother who had abandoned Fiona. She never looked back.

I didn’t look back until the very end and in the end I found my own happiness.

Fiona glanced at me.

[I still have nothing. He has everything and you haven’t changed.]

And then she moved slowly.

[All of this will never change.]

I could hear a faint anger rising slowly from her voice. Feeling threatened, I slowly drew on my magic.

“Fiona, Eri has nothing to do with this.”

The area around us started to burn. It wasn’t my fire.

I stared straight ahead at Fiona and continued.

“This child was abandoned by her parents too, she was lonely. That was all.”

[I know, she was similar. So I buried her so she wouldn’t be like me.]

Buried? I looked around. In the ground?

I barely swallowed.

“...Where is Eri?”

[It’s a pity to be like me.]

For the first time, I couldn’t fully understand her thoughts.

I felt I was missing something and unconsciously raised my voice.

“I’m sorry but just because we are in a similar situation doesn’t mean our futures will be the same!”

In an instant, Fiona quickly approached me and started choking me.

“Ugh-!”

‘She must be angry.’

Contrary to her appearance, the power was hard to imagine.

I tried to hit her with my magic but to no avail.

If her existence was the sea then my magical powers were like a stream leading to the sea.

Fiona whispered in a sing-song voice.

[He will be lonely because of you. Soon you will feel the same as me. You will be like me.]

I retorted although I was being strangled.

“That... isn’t true... you can... find... happiness...”

In the end, it is up to you to decide which path to take.

Just because you are not happy now in the present doesn’t mean you wil be unhappy forever.

I believed that Eri could find the right path on her own.

“---How about you put my fiancee down right now?”

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard as a sword slashed through the arm that was strangling me.

Her arm dispersed like black smoke and I fell to the ground.

“---Ahk!”

I gasped for air and barely returned to my senses.

“Lady Fiona, are you okay?!”

The person who hurriedly approached me was Eunice.

I looked at my surroundings.

Sigrun was wielding his sword.

“Sigrun, Eunice? How did you get here?”

Eunice responded bravely.

“Reinforcements!”

She used her power to make Sigrun’s sword pierce through the darkness.

“Hey you.”

Sigrun continued, blocking me and Eunice to protect us.

“You always shout angrily at Fiona but you actually hate me the most.”

What is he talking about?

I didn’t understand what Sigrun was talking about as he confronted the darkness.

“So if you have complaints, just tell me directly.”

[…...]

I cleared my throat and opened my mouth.

“...ahg, Sigrun, wait.”

Sigrun looked back towards me and retreated to my side.

He seemed to have noticed I had something to say to her.

“...Fiona.”

I felt her looking at me.

“What I said earlier wasn’t just for Eri.”

Recalling Fiona’s life, I whispered with sincerity.

“I believe you can change too.”

I looked straight at her.

“I am not asking you to forgive me. I just want you to find happiness.”

[...It’s too late.]

A muttering was heard, like a lost child.

[I am neither Fiona or anything. I can’t be anything, there is nothing of value anymore...]

She quietly looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering.

[But, as you said, she might still have a chance.]

Fiona then looked at Sigrun.

Then again, she spat out the words she muttered the other day.

[Why only you?]

That was the last time.

The woman who was trying to kill me disappeared slowly.

I stared blankly at where Fiona was.

I don’t think she forgave me but I hoped she understood what I meant.

******

I went straight to Bill Curtis.

Fiona asks Carl if Bill had told her where Eri was yet and he says no.

Fiona notices Bill has some burn marks on his body from where Carl tortured him. Sigrun says he will get the information but Fiona grabs Carl’s knife and cuts the burn wounds.

“Bill Curtis, remember what I promised earlier? Please tell me where Eri is.”

“Urgh...”

I looked down at him with cold eyes.

“Sorry but I tend to keep my word. You motherf*cker.”

******

A couple of hours later soldiers are scouring the woods for Eri.

They had literally buried here in a chest.

Fiona holds Eri who is unconscious. She starts CPR on Eri who is blue from the cold.

Eri is revived.

Eri starts crying when she realizes who the warm person holding her was.

Raindrops fall down Fiona’s long silver eyelashes.

It was a day where rain fell heavily without warning.

 

OMG thank you so much!
I was going to fangirling over how Sigrun & Fiona finally did it, but Abel's reaction knowing their deed is more interesting. Also funnier. LMAO. I love Abel so much!

 

This spoiler thread is so blessed! Thanks so much for all the translations. I love the moments with Abel.

 

THE REST OF BOOK 5!!! Damn what a rollercoaster. I actually cried while translating.

Spoiler: Carl's back story + Sigrun's jealousy

Carl couldn’t remember his father but he remembered his mother and aunt very well. They were very close sisters so when his aunt, Calia, became pregnant with the emperor’s child, his mother was her greatest supporter and helped her escaped. Sigrun, Carl and their mothers were on the run for a long time and Sigruna and Carl became good friends. Although it was difficult, they were happy. However, in the end, Carl’s mother was killed and he was separated from Sigrun and his aunt. Carl didn’t blame his aunt though.

Carl became an orphan on the streets and lived a harsh life. He tried not to blame or hate anyone because his mother always told him to be kind to others. However, unfortunately, Carl had a pretty face. One night, a man ripped his clothes and Carl retaliated. He killed a man several times his size. From then on, no one bothered him anymore.

A man then approaches him and tells him not to get hung up on just one human life. Although the opposite of what his mother taught him, Carl went with the man who he called Master. Carl’s master taught him how to assassinate, how to deal with information, making and selling drugs, blackmail, money laundering and how to get away with murder.

Carl gradually became insensitive to everything and didn’t miss Sigrun or his aunt anymore. Only one thing was left – his anger towards those who killed his mother.

After he grew up, he met Sigrun again who was with the nobles of the north. Carl secretly made contact with him. He learned that Sigrun was in love with a girl which surprised Carl. The two of them couldn’t go back to how they were anymore.

Sigrun only had one request of Carl – to not get close to Fiona. Hearing Sigrun say that made Carl want to do the opposite. Carl convinced Sigrun not to tell Fiona about their relationship and Carl even inflated the rumors himself. He thought Fiona would break up with Sigrun because he doesn’t think much of love but she didn’t. Fiona still considered Sigrun precious and Sigrun would smile like a child in front of her.

Carl felt jealous of Sigrun who was able to smile so innocently again. He also wanted Fiona to disappear.

******

Carl admits to Fiona that he had wanted to kill her from before she told him about her “involvement” with his mother’s death. Fiona is taken aback – so this is why Sigrun told her to stay away from Carl. However, Carl gradually got to know Fiona and didn’t want to kill her anymore. Fiona is shocked at first and becomes wary of Carl.

Fiona decides to still trust Carl anyway. Carl moves over to Fiona and kisses her on the cheek.

It is at this moment that Sigrun suddenly approaches them. Carl laughs at Fiona and runs away. Fiona is left to deal with Sigrun who is approaching with killing intent.

******

I was very upset, so I protested to Sigrun.

“Carl is a bad guy!”

“Yeah, I know. You should have done some background research too, Fiona.”

“I didn’t know he was that bad!”

“Then you should’ve listened when I told you not to get close to him.”

“Sigrun, put me down!”

Sigrun had draped Fiona over his shoulder like a potato sack.

Sigrun replied sarcastically to my protests.

“You cheat on me with my cousin?”

Hey, why do you say it so dramatically?!

“I have more to say! Did you encourage it?”

“Me? With Carl? Are you kidding me?”

“By the way, how did you get in when father has banned you from Halon Mansion?”

“I have my ways.”

In a nutshell, it means that our prince has invaded this peasant family illegally.

“...but where are we going right now?”

“Your. Room.”

I tried to stay civil.

“Ahaha, the reason must be to just gently drop me down on my bed, right?”

“Yes, I will be resting with you too.”

Ugh, doesn’t that sound a bit lewd?

“Are we really taking a rest?”

“No way.”

How is this trespasser so arrogant?

Now, I am mad!

“Sigrun, it’s the middle of the day!”

“Its okay, we will do it until night.”

‘Oh my god, what is he saying.’

“I’ll tell you I don’t want to see your shadow like last time!”

I remembered when I thought Carl was a woman and the things I had said to him.

Sigrun grinned.

“No, I won’t. Besides, I don’t want your shadow to be alone.”

Uwak, I blushed at Sigrun’s unexpected words. I remembered what happened last time.

“Hey, let’s have good thoughts at least during the day!”

“I do have good thoughts, Fiona.”

After walking for a while, we finally arrived at my room.

As promised, Sigrun carefully laid me down on the bed.

Of course, that wasn’t all.

“Wait, the sun hasn’t se... mmf.”

He grabbed my chin and kissed me. The words I was about to say were swallowed and sucked up by his lips.

“Mmmm...”

It was a very urgent kiss unlike usual.

I rolled my eyes as we kissed.

Is he really mad?

Perhaps he noticed what I was thinking. Sigrun parted his lips for a moment.

“You should focus on me, Fiona.”

As if in protest, he lowered his head and lightly nipped on my collarbone.

I shrugged my shoulder involuntarily. It tickled.

‘No, I need to focus.’

I was about to be swept up in the moment without realizing.

First of all, we needed to talk.

“Wait, Sigrun, I don’t have any special feelings for Carl. Besides, the reason for wanting to be close to him wasn’t-”

“I know, of course, that’s not the reason.”

He hesitated, then spoke slowly.

“...it’s just because of your kindness and your underlying guilt.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“If you know then why are you showing such an anxious attitude...”

What was there to worry about.

“Because knowing why and being jealous are too different things.”

Sigrun tucked my hair behind my ear with a gentle hand.

“Besides, he is a lonely guy too.”

“Huh?”

What does that mean? If you’re lonely you would want to be with me?

When I opened my eyes, Sigrun smiled.

“What I mean is, even if you don’t, Carl might.”

“You mean he will want to be with me because he is lonely?”

“Yes, you have that kind of power, a comforting heart. When you’re by my side, I feel warm.”

Is that how Sigrun felt when he was with me? My heart swelled.

“Do you think that’s how Carl feels too?”

“Yes, more than that... you make me feel like I want you all to myself.”

“I don’t think I’m that great...”

“It’s not like that. You have no idea what effect you have on me, who was alone, or how comforting it is to have someone like you by my side.”

Then Sigrun hugged me tight, as if I was going to disappear at any moment.

“And sadly Fiona, there are a lot of people who are alone in this world...”

“......”

That sounded so sad.

I quietly patted him on the back.

Sigrun whispered softly.

“But you are the only one in this world.”

He kissed my cheek like a feather.

“So, I won’t lose you to anyone.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Sigrun closed his eyes and rested his forehead on mine.

I felt his warmth.

That was solid proof that he was by my side.

“Who knows, I am not sure about that.”

… don’t you have any trust in me?

Suddenly, I felt a surge of need.

I kissed his lips.

After a brief pause, he responded more enthusiastically than me.

After opening my mouth to breathe for a moment, I soon realized one thing.

“Ah, contraception.”

Then Sigrun, thought about it for a moment and opened the chest of drawers next to my bed.

“......”

Surprisingly, there was a contraceptive drug.

Wait, I don’t remember putting it there?

“Sigrun, did you put that there?”

I laughed bitterly.

“No way. Maybe it was Celine who treats you like a granddaughter. I opened it just in case.”

In my head I could hear Celine’s playful voice ‘Oh hoho, miss. You should use contraception and enjoy.’. I smiled softly.

Is this the warm care of the elderly?

‘How embarrassing!’

Celine is a hundred times more mature than Abel, she must have predicted such a situation.

As I struggled on the bed in embarrassment, Sigrun took the lid off and drank it.

Then he slowly began to take off his shirt. It slowly revealed his body.

I looked at his muscles and stroked them involuntarily.

Sigrun blinked, staring at me, smiled and then kissed me again.

“......”

When I came back to my senses, my dress had been pulled down to my chest.

I stroked his collarbone and the rough scars.

“It's ugly.”

I answered firmly.

“Not at all.”

“......”

I could feel Sigrun, who stayed silent, stroking me with his long fingers.

My heart was pounding louder and louder. I breathed heavily.

With things at this point, there was no time to be embarrassed.

“...Fiona, are you okay?”

“y-yeh...”

Breathing in, I replied slowly, and he lightly supported my waist with his arm.

I looked up at him.

As he stretched out his arms, Sigrun gently lowered his body.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and closed my eyes.

Faces flashed behind my eyelids. Sigrun was right. There were many lonely people in the world.

‘But I hope that at least the man I love doesn’t feel lonely.’

“Fiona, I love you.”

“...me too.”

Longing for my wish to be true, I hugged Sigrun tightly.

******

After the incident with Carl, Fiona decided to keep her distance. Carl had become more polite yet cheeky as well.

Fiona goes to visit Eri. Eri is doing well. Carl even bakes and sends her cookies. Eri can tell Fiona wants to ask her something and Fiona checks if she is okay first.

Fiona asks Eri if she noticed anything while she was taken. Eri tells her that they said they were going to absorb her.

Fiona deduces that the dark Fiona and Crown Prince are gathering sacrifices to gain more power.

******

They gather for a meeting.

Abel asks why Carl is there and Carl says Fiona has forgiven him but Abel is still unhappy. Fiona says they need Carl’s help. Carl is useful in collecting information.

Sigrun has been very quiet and Fiona asks him what he thinks. He just agrees with Fiona.

They need to gather as much information as possible. Who else is working with the Crown prince and the Marquis of Erez? In order to do this they need Carl’s skills. Sigrun orders Carl to go collect information.

Carl goes up to Fiona and puts her hand on his forehead as if swearing an oath of allegiance to her.

“I will do my best, miss.”

Although Sigrun gave the order, Carl had replied to Fiona. Sigrun’s eyes flashed. The temperature in the room dropped 2 degrees in an instant.

The two cousins immediately started fighting. Fiona hid behind Abel and Abel guided her out.

“Fiona, just enjoy watching the two of them play.”

I let out a dry laugh.

“Ahaha...”

I wish I could, father.

Spoiler: The child doll case + Return of cross-dressing Carl + Carl's confession

They are at a ball. Fiona and Sigrun are dancing while Carl is being social. He is dressed as a woman again.

Carl’s new identity is ‘Mia Yen’. A young girl from a small noble family in the north. She entered the capital’s social circle with help from the Duke of Halon. Fiona was worried he would be recognized but he looks completely different.

Fiona asks why Carl has to collect information as a woman again. Sigrun kisses Fiona’s cheek at the question. Obviously because men are weaker against a pretty face.

Fiona asks Carl how he is doing and Sigrun stands between them asking if Lady Yen had found out anything interesting.

Carl says they should ask Cain Erez for more information but Sigrun is reluctant. Fiona thinks it might be worth a try.

Carl and Sigrun go to dance. Livia asks Fiona who that young lady is. Livia is outraged for Fiona. She calms her down.

Fiona takes Livia to have a chat with her. She asks if there has been any interesting news. Livia says some noblewomen have been having regular meetings but she doesn’t know why. Fiona asks Livia if she is in any trouble as the Crown prince’s reputation has improved again. Livia says she is fine but she hopes Fiona will do something about it. Fiona says she is on it.

Livia asks if Fiona is really okay (about Sigrun dancing with another girl) and Fiona. Livia makes a joke.

“If you want the property of the Duke of Priscilla, you can always come to me.”

Livia smiles and winks at Fiona.

Fiona is speechless. Livia just implied that the two of THEM get married.

Fiona smiles and shakes her head.

******

Carl and Fiona sift through the information they gathered.

Sigrun asks what Enoch and the darkness would do with the sacrifices. Fiona replies they would be able to create multiple dead lands at once. They need Eunice’s help to deal with dead lands.

Fiona is reluctant to ask Eunice for help since Eunice is living her own life.

They both note that Fiona seems to really care about Eunice. Fiona thinks that is because she was the original female lead but she can’t say anything because it would upset Sigrun.

Fiona decides to investigate the meetings Livia told her about with the help of young lady ‘Mia Yen’. Sigrun isn’t happy about that though. Fiona hugs Sigrun to try to comfort him. Sigrun kisses Fiona.

******

Carl and Fiona do their best to get into their meeting but it isn’t easy.

They go to Gonther to ask for his help.

Fiona’s plan is:

To hire some mercenaries who will disguise themselves as road robbers. Then she wants them to pretend to raid a carriage, after which, Fiona will show up and rescue them.

Gonther replies that they are mercenaries not actors! Gonther is also worried that Fiona might accidently kill his mercenaries.

Gonther wonder’s if it was Abel’s idea because he feels the plan is a bit extreme.

Gonther reluctantly accepts as Fiona will pay any amount he asks.

******

Instead of Carl, Sigrun goes with Fiona. Carl apparently plans to go seduce Cain Erez.

The target for the plan is Count Stear and his wife.

Their carriage gets attacked right on cue. Fiona gives Sigrun the cue and they jump out. Fiona notices one of the mercenaries is actually Gonther himself. Gonther attacks Sigrun.

Fiona notices the Count and Countess watching out of the carriage. She shouts out for them not to worry and she will protect them. They recognize her.

Fiona drops a small lightning bolt nearby and the pavement breaks. A mercenary is on the ground nearby with a bluish face – he wasn’t acting. Fiona apologizes inwardly. The mercenaries scatter as Fiona approaches. There are more mercenaries than Fiona expected.

It turns out that a real band of robbers had also appeared and wanted to raid the carriage!

Gonther and Sigrun are STILL fighting. When they all realize another band of robbers has appeared, they turn on them and Fiona gets to unleash her magic.

******

Fiona is exhausted at home. Carl knocks on her door and asks how her plan went.

Fiona replies that something unexpected happened and asks Carl how he went with Cain Erez.

Carl smiles saying he has a date set up. Poor Cain.

Carl says they should go eat out for lunch but Fiona doesn’t want to since there are lots of nobles about and they might annoy her. However, she looks at Carl who looks a bit pale. He had lost a lot of weight to dress up as a woman again. Fiona decides they will go eat Carl’s favorite food.

******

Fiona feels food tastes better when you eat with a friend.

Fiona asks Carl what he likes to eat. Carl has never been asked this before or thought about it so he doesn’t really know. He doesn’t have a favorite place to eat either.

Fiona asks what his favorite color is. He doesn’t have one.

Fiona asks what his favorite number is. He doesn’t have one.

Fiona puts her hand on his cheek and sighs. She asks him if he’s ever thought about what he likes or what makes him happy.

Talking to Carl like this reminds Fiona of Sigrun when he was younger.

Fionar ealizes she can’t leave Carl alone because he reminds her so much of Sigrun when he was younger.

Fiona drags Carl out to the market. She won’t give up until he finds something he likes.

“Let’s go.”

******

They eat a sandwich with meat and sauce. Fiona think it is very delicious. Carl thinks it is tasty too. She then makes him eat a fruit skewer. Carl asks Fiona if she took Sigrun out like this before. She replies that she did in Halon a lot.

Fiona keeps buying stuff for Carl to eat. He asks if she is trying to gain weight.

They eat some pudding and Fiona gives Carl homework – he has to find the answer to her question. Carl laments getting homework at his age. Fiona is very persistent. Carl says she is acting like his mother and laughs.

Carl asks Fiona how she can be so compassionate after living the life she has lived. Fiona says if she didn’t know him she wouldn’t care as much. She wants the people close to her to be happy. She asks if Carl wants to be alone, if so, she will respect his wishes. Carl slowly shakes his head. No, that’s not what he wants.

Fiona smiles and says she will check his homework in a month.

******

Sigrun and Cain are sparring. Sigrun warns Cain not to get caught up with a woman and Cain thinks he is a hypocrite for saying that. Cain wonders how Sigrun knows he has a date. Cain asks Sigrun if he is jealous that he is dating Mia.

Sigrun stops him and tells him to just think about it.

Cain is convinced that Sigrun is two-timing on Fiona. Cain tells Sigrun that he is sincere about Mia.

Sigrun says just take his advice and Cain runs away saying he is off duty.

Sigrun angrily kicks some stones on the floor.

******

Fiona tells Carl that Cain Erez is a good guy so not to be too hard on him.

Carl goes out in disguise as Mia to meet Cain.

Fiona looks at the information they gathered – noble families have been adopting orphaned children. She wonders if it is related to the Crown prince somehow. Fiona goes to bed early that day.

The next day, she runs into Carl. She asks Carl if he gained anything. Carl says no. Fiona is glad that Cain doesn’t seem involved. She asks if they should investigate Marquis Erez some more.

Carl puts Fiona’s hand on his forehead again – like before. Fiona is nervous that Sigrun will see it again.

Carl just smiles.

“It’s my very own expression of love, my lady.”

******

Fiona goes to Countess Stear’s gathering with Carl disguised as Mia.

They make conversation. Carl and Fiona talk about how they want to learn the capital’s fashion since they are both from the North. They ask Countess Stear if there’s anything fun to do as well since they have been bored lately.

Countess Stears thinks for a moment and says she will tell them about a new hobby that aristocrats have been getting into lately.

******

The Countess takes them to an old mansion. It turns out to be the abandoned Green family mansion. It looked shabby on the outside but very different on the inside. There were a lot of children inside.

The nobles were treating the children like “dolls”. They competed in who could decorate their “dolls” the most beautifully. Some of the children are starving so they could wear tighter clothes. It was a classic case of child abuse.

Carl grabs Fiona’s hand and tells her to be patient. Fiona does her best not to show her disgust. Carl asks how they can get a doll as well. The Countess says she can introduce them to a broker.

They use the fact that they don’t have a “doll” yet to justify leaving.

Carl reminds Fiona to be patient. She clenches her fists so tightly that her nails dig into ther palms.

“I know.”
******

They had intended to find out more about the Crown Prince and the sacrifices for the darkness but found something else instead. There might be a chance that the Crown prince is involved in the trafficking of the children.

Fiona thinks about Carl’s pretty face and how he might have experienced something similar as a child.

******

Fiona tells Sigrun about their findings and he says they should prepare for a raid. They have to be careful as they might start holding the children as hostages if they felt threatened.

Sigrun tells Fiona that he has noticed she has been worried about Carl a lot more recently. She doesn’t deny it and tells him it’s because Carl reminds her a lot of Sigrun when he was younger. SHe just wants everyone to be happy.

Sigrun laughs, this is just how Fiona is. Fiona encourages Sigrun to be friends with Carl too so she doesn’t have to worry as much. Sigrun says he will try.

Fiona is glad she has a lover that listens to her although he doesn’t always do what she asks.

******

They proceed with their plan of getting Fiona and Carl to go in with Sigrun waiting outside with others.

They meet the brokers. They lead them to the children and they pretend to choose one. They pretend to be reluctant and the broker explains that it is handled like an adoption so they won’t be caught.

The children are all kept in cages but fortunately look healthy. There are quite a few of them. Fiona asks if any records are kept. The man says of course not and explains he has been doing this for many years. This means he is experienced and must have a back up plan if something happens. However, even though he said no, he probably had a secret ledger just in case.

Fiona can’t stand it anymore and starts moving her magic.

“Everyone, attack!”

******

The knights waiting outside all came barging in, fighting the mercenaries hired by the broker.

The broker makes a run for it. Carl chases after him telling Fiona to stay to protect the children. Fiona notices that Carl is pale and sweating as he runs away. She is worried about him and at this moment she sees Sir Cain. She asks him to protect the children. Cain shouts that Sigrun had ordered him to stay with Fiona but she runs off after Carl.

What she worried about had happened. The broker had grabbed Carl around the neck and Carl’s dagger was on the floor. Carl’s face was swollen and red. Fiona couldn’t use her magic as the two of them were too close.

Fiona takes off the high heels she is wearing and uses them as a weapon. She hits the man with the heel and he staggers back. Fiona is furious. She throws some lightning and the broker falls and gets knocked out. She orders the knights to arrest them all.

She goes to Carl and asks if he is okay. He was curled up in fetus position and could barely breathe.

She tries to soothe him by rubbing his back. Fiona wonders if the sight of the broker reminded him of some horrific childhood trauma.

Carl’s eyes are out of focus. Fiona puts her hands around his cheeks and whispers.

“Can you see me Carl? You are not alone.”

Fiona stares into Carl’s violet eyes.

“Nothing will happen to you. You are safe.”

Carl gradually regained his composure and looked into Fiona’s eyes.

“...Miss?”

“Yes, I am here.”

Fiona rubs his cold hands.

“Are you okay now?”

“......”

“Everything went as planned. Your face is swollen, we should apply something cold later -”

Carl hugged Fiona tightly.

“Wait, Carl.”

Fiona resists but doesn’t want to hurt Carl who might be injured.

‘Does it look like two women hugging each other?’ Fiona wonders.

Fiona feels embarrassed.

“Carl, I know you’re shocked but we are not alone. When you come to your sense later, you’d be pretty embarrassed about this too, right?”

Carl laughs.

“... I don’t think I will regret it.”

“But I think I will regret it a little...”

Fiona was become more desperate because Sigrun was walking their way.

‘Why does my fiance always show up at the wrong time!’

“Carl...? If you have calmed down, can you let me go...”

The face of my approaching lover was becoming more terrifying.

“I’m sorry.”

Fortunately, Carl calmed down and let me go. Of course, it was already too late.

Sigrun and Cain, who came with him, saw us.

“Lady Mia Yen?”

Kane asked.

“Fiona.”

Of course, this was Sigrun.

“......”

I was reluctant to look at Sigrun’s face.

******

From Cain’s point of view he is witnessing a tense love triangle between Fiona, Mia and Sigrun. He thought that Sigrun was engaged to Fiona but liked Mia as well and now he just witnessed those two hugging each other desperately. Cain grew inreasingly confused as he thought about it. Wouldn’t it actually be a love square since he had dated Mia as well?

Seeing Cain’s confused face. Carl grins at him and greets him

“To answer the Lord’s question, the triangle is correct.”

“Yes? So do you really care about his majesty, Sigrun?”

Carl and Sigrun both have a difficult look on their faces but Cain doesn’t notice.

“It’s not his majesty, it’s Lady Fiona.”

Carl grabs Fiona’s hand.

Sigrun frowns and Cain has a headache.

“Hold on, didn’t you go on a date with me”

“Yes.”

Carl smiles and continues.

“You’re my former date so I will tell you something as a basic courtesy.”

Carl starts to undress and Cain turns screaming.

Cain slowly looks again and immediately regrets it.

‘Where is the girl I dated...?’

Beyond confusion, Cain Erez’s spirit flew away somewhere.

******

After a moment Cain regains his senses and wants to hit Carl.

Sigrun pats him on the shoulder and tells him to go find the broker’s book but Cain won’t be distracted that easily.

He asks what the relationship between them is. Sigrun replies that he is cousins with Carl. Cain asks Carl if he approached him on purpose.

Carl admits he was investigating his family. Cain doesn’t know what's going on with anything so Carl tells him to ask his father.

Sigrun grabs Cain and drags him away and orders him to find the ledger.

Fiona isn’t sure what just happened – did she just get confessed to? Fiona tells herself surely he just meant as a friend.

Carl says they better talk about it later but Fiona wants to know now.

“Don’t be so anxious, lady.”

Carl quietly kissed the back of Fiona’s hand.

“Because I have no intention of making trouble for you.”

“Okay...”

“Instead, please ask me what I promised you last time.”

“What promise?”

Fiona asked curiously and Carl laughed.

“You said you would ask me what I fell in love with after a month.”

“......?!”

Oh, the homework that I had set for Carl!

Somehow, she had dug her own grave. She had a headache.

Carl looked at Fiona and just smiled.

Spoiler: Sigrun proposes marriage + Fiona decides what to do about Carl

There were no ledgers inside the location they had raided but Fiona physically convinced the broker to tell her where it was. It was in his house. Sigrun sent some soldiers to the house to get it as well as free some children that were at his house.

The children are terrified of the adults. Fiona says “let’s go home” but they ask her where that is? The broker had approached them offering a home and family as well.

Fiona says she can’t promise they will have a family or home but she won’t abandon them.

She makes eye contact with each child and tells them she will protect each one. A child starts crying from starvation. Fiona thinks of her own childhood.

Fiona hugs each child. Some of the children cry. Some of the Knights are moved to tears.

Cain Erez sniffles and leans on Sigrun.

“Don’t lean on me”

“......”

Sigrun watches Fiona – the woman he loves the most in the world. Sigrun has a terrible feeling that Fiona will sacrifice herself for others one day. He has always had anxiety over this.

Sigrun thinks how he would risk his life to stop her because his life would have no meaning without her.

Fiona beckons. Sigrun walks over to her.

******

After everything was settled, Fiona goes to find Sigrun.

Fiona immediately says she had nothing to do with anything because she is afraid Sigrun is mad about Carl. However, Sigrun seems calm. Fiona thinks this is weird, she would be mad if anything woman confessed to Sigrun in front of her.

“Carl probably... was expressing his friendship?”

“I hope so too.”

“Sigrun, don’t just laugh, say something...”

It was more frightening that he wasn’t jealous like usual.

Sigrun pulled me towards him and kissed my forehead lightly.

“Don’t worry, Fiona. I am not angry. I was just thinking about something.”

“What?”

I looked at Sigrun with a puzzled look.

“Wondering what I am thinking?”

I nodded vigorously.

“Of course!”

It was a big deal if he was thinking of breaking up or leaving.

“......”

Sigrun tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled.

He whispered in my ear.

“I was thinking that we should get married.”

******

Fiona, Abel and Carl were having breakfast as usual in the Halon Mansion. However, one thing was different. Fiona Halon was in a daze.

Abel asks if she is okay. Fiona is so out of it, she doesn’t even hear. She just mechanically spoons food into her mouth.

Both Abel and Carl look at her concerned.

Abel asks if it is because of Sigrun and if she wants him to teach him a lesson. Fiona replies no, it’s nothing, father.

Of course, she had a lot on her mind – Carl had made a confession-like statement and Sigrun had suggested they get married. She wonders if Carl would give up once she marries Sigrun. She felt sorry for both the men at this thought. Although she loves Sigrun and always wants to be with him, she doesn’t want to marry him for such a trivial reason.

“Father, Sigrun said we should get married.”

Puk!

The sound of Abel’s fork stabbing a tomato echoed through the dining hall.

“...I see.”

‘Did I just say that out loud.’

When Fiona saw Abel’s reaction, she immediately regretted it.

My adoptive father asked in a cruel tone.

“Then should I prepare for a wedding, or should I prepare to get rid of Sigrun?”

… why are these the only choices!

“Why would you kill Sigrun!?”

“This is what I will do if Sigrun is forcing you to get married.”

Abel pretended to slice his throat with his fork.

Fiona shook her head.

“No, he isn’t forcing me!”

Abel had a sad expression on his face and asked with a clenched jaw.

“Then what are you worrying about? You two are already engaged.”

Yes, there was no need to panic about marriage.

“That...nevermind. It’s nothing.”

“Don’t give me such a boring answer. Tell me if you have any problems. Is Sigrun the problem?”

His conclusion was always ‘Sigrun is the problem’.

In the end, Fiona once again denied it.

“That’s not it, I just want to prepare for the wedding a little slower.”

I want to sort out my relationship with Carl and deal with the darkness first.

Abel asked what the problem was.

“Then you should tell that to Sigrun. If he doesn’t like it, tell me.”

It was really a simple answer.

Fiona looked at her adoptive father with a strangely envious gaze.

“I wish I could live like father.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“If you live with such simple thoughts, you will never die from -”

“Are you saying that your father lives simply and ignorantly?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

As revenge, Abel palced a pile of eggs and bacon on Fiona’s plate.

“I can’t eat this much!”

He ignored her.

“Eat more. Eat a lot and grow taller.”

“I am already fully grown!”

“You are as small as a mouse.”

I can’t get any bigger than this...

Seeing Fiona grumbling like that, Abel immediately turned his gaze to the other side.

“......”

Carl bowed his head with a stiff face.

The moment he saw this, Abel grasped the circumstances of this hellish triangle.

‘Now what are you going to do?’

However, it is a concern that my daughter is too popular.

Abel, who looked at Fiona and Carl alternately, continued eating with a troubled face.

******

The broker’s secret ledger was finally found. Fiona and Carl went to look at it. Naturally, both Sigrun and Cain were there as well.

Sigrun threatens this might be the end for the Erez family. Cain is nervous. He had asked his father and his father had just told him that he didn’t need to know. They looked through every page of the ledger. There was no trace of the Erez family or Crown Prince on the ledger.

Sigrun, Fiona and Carl are all a little disappointed, but Cain is relieved. Cain asks again what Carl had meant about asking his father and he just tells him to ask his father again. Carl leaves.

Sigrun tells Cain to take the ledger and arrest the nobles involved. Cain has still been calling Carl, Mia, so he asks Sigrun what Carl’s name is. Cain asks why Carl doesn’t like him very much but Sigrun just smiles bitterly. He couldn’t just tell him that his father was the reason his mother and aunt died.

Sigrun wraps his arms around Fiona’s shoulder and guides her out.

Cain, who is left alone, sadly goes through the ledger.

******

Dark Fiona is currently in the Erez family basement. She is absorbing the vitality of some death-row inmates.

No matter how much dark Fiona absorbs, she isn’t satisfied. She is still lonely.

The two men thought she was cooperating with them but they misunderstood. The two of them were dreaming of becoming heroes by spreading and ending the darkness but the darkness had plans of its own – it would never stop spreading.

Dark Fiona stumbles down the halls begging for someone to end her loneliness.

She realizes she wants to be loved but no one has ever loved her.

Then if she can’t have love, she wants all the hatred and anger in the world. Then everyone will remember her. Existing is better than nothing.

She looks up at the moonlight, black tears slowly gather in the corner of her eyes.

Eventually dawn came.

******

Carl flashes back to when he was a child. He was caught and used as a doll when he was young. He was whipped when he didn’t make the correct posture.

When he was confronting the broker all his memories and emotions from that time flooded back and engulfed his body. There was a loud ringing in his ears and his body became covered in sweat.

When Fiona gave the attack order, Carl immediately chased after the broker who had run away. However, he was caught instead. In an instant, one memory came back to mind. The man who tried to rip his clothes off when he was young.

Carl had killed that man but the pain from his first murder had been buried deep inside him.

His body betrayed him and he couldn’t muster any power.

Suddenly, Fiona appeared and stabbed the man with the heel of her shoe. Seeing this, Carl wanted to smile.

Her voice calmed him down and Carl hugged her without realizing. Holding her felt so reassuring that he almost kissed her as well. He wanted to kiss those lips that whispered those gentle words and dig into her sweetly smelling nape and bite it.

He broke out of the delusion when he felt Fiona stiffen in his arms.

From that day on, Carl unconsciously began to follow Fiona with his eyes. Every time he saw her, she became more beautiful- her silver hair that moved softly with the wind and shone like moonlight. Her eyes were more beautiful than roses. Her voice sounded like an angel was singing. When she was near him, he would smile.

It was a very serious condition.

It was then that Carl had no choice but to admit it.

He had fallen in love.

******

A few weeks passed by after capturing the nobles in the ledger. Fiona has been living relatively peacefully but well, it hasn’t all been peaceful.

“My lady, would you like to try this? Come on, say ah and open your mouth.”

“......”

“Shut up, Carl. Get away from Fiona right now.”

How did I get in this situation?

I honestly don’t know.

For a moment, I lookd at Sigrun and Carl.

‘Can they never be friends?’

Of course, the reason they were fighting was me.

Carl had become more proactive around Fiona. Although she had two beautiful men vying for her affections, she couldn’t say she was happy.

‘What should I do...’

Fiona was the one who had told Carl to find something that he liked.

‘But I didn’t mean you should like me.’

It would be three more days until the day Fiona had promised to ask Carl.

Marriage talks with Sigrun had also been put on hold. The situation was very messed up.

‘This can’t go on.’

I had turned into a rare piece of rubbish with two beautiful people on both sides.

Firstly, I ate the pudding on the spoon that Carl held out.

“Oh...”

Carl put on a bewildered expression.

Oh, he asked me to do it, but I guess he didn’t expect me to actually do it.

‘Seems like the men around me feel embarrassed when I reciprocate.’

I didn’t understand.

I swallowed the pudding and took turns looking at the two men.

“Carl, I’m sorry but let’s stop tea time here. I have something to talk to Sigrun about.”

“I...understand.”

Carl, who barely regained his composure, nodded his head.

After watching Carl leave, I took Sigrun to my room.

Sigrun, who followed me without complaint, looked at me curiously.

“Fiona, what do you want to talk about?”

Better to take care of him first.

I spoke candidly.

“Sigrun, I made a promise with Carl a while ago.”

“Promise?”

“After a month, Carl would tell me what he liked. Food or things... stuff like that.”

“......”

As I continued, his expression grew darker with each word.

“- that was the reason but now there are three more days until the promised date.”

“And?”

I looked into his eyes and responded.

“So I am going to spend the next three days with Carl... I am letting you know in advance.”

Sigrun approached.

As I looked up, our eyes met.

He asked in a low voice.

“...Are you going to leave me for Carl?”

“No!”

I didn’t know he would ask this.

I quickly shook my head.

“Absolutely not.”

“Then?”

“Rather than that, I want to give Carl space to make up his mind.”

I know that Carl likes me.

Of course, I cannot accept his feelings.

Also, Carl is well aware of the fact that he will be rejected.

I person as savvy as him wouldn’t not know.

Thinking that far, I took a deep breath.

“I want to be good friends with Carl. I actually tried.”

“But Carl has come to like you.”

“Correct and I know it will be difficult for me to remain friends with him after rejecting his confession.”

“......”

I explained the situation as objectively as possible.

“Carl will lose his only friend and the woman he loves in three days.”

As I said, it was a cruel fact for Carl.

But since I already have Sigrun, this was unavoidable.

“Sigrun, I know that Carl is clumsy in life so I want to give him time to make up his mind.”

“The next 3 days?”

“Yes.”

This will be the best and last consideration I can give Carl.

“I swear I won’t do anything to offend you. Also, if you tell me not to, I won’t.”

“Fiona”

Sigrun gently stroked my cheek.

“...truthfully, I also want Carl to be happy. He encountered a lot of trouble after meeting me.”

He smiled bitterly.

“So I know this is good for Carl. Yes, he needs some room to clear his mind. He is clumsy in many ways.”

“......”

Sigrun rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes.

We were almost close enough for our eyelashes to touch.

“All of it, I understand it, but I am still jealous.”

“Sigrun...”

I could feel his trembling breath.

“But do what you want. For Carl... he needs more time with you.”

I gently stroked his cheeks and muttered.

“... thank you, Sigrun.”

“But promise me that you will come back to me.”

“I swear.”

I closed my eyes with our foreheads pressed together.

“Sigrun, wherever you are, I will surely return to you.”

“......”

He gently caressed me as if he were handling glass and hugged me tightly.

I whispered into Sigrun’s ear.

“Oh, and let’s start preparing for our wedding now.”

As if my words had relieved the tension, Sigrun let out a short laugh.

“Say that first next time, Fiona.”

“Actually, I was waiting for the right time but you’re so serious – ahk!”

Sigrun lifted me and hugged me.

He held me in a princess hold and I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck.

When our eyes met, Sigrun’s blue-grey eyes were brighter than usual.

“I was waiting for an answer all this time. I thought you had forgotten because you didn’t say anything.”

I hope I am not crazy enough to forget to marry you.

“Father has been too intense and paying attention...”

I still remember Abel stabbing that tomato with his fork.

“I thought you wouldn’t marry me until you dealt with the darkness.”

Well, I was thinking about that too.

I kissed his cheek.

“No matter what happens in the future, Sigrun, I will get through it together with you.”

So I thought it would be good to get married.

“Well, I mean, you know...”

It’s a bit embarrassing to say this again. My cheeks heated up.

“I just love you so much.”

Sigrun smiled as he gently laid me on the bed.

His body slowly cast a shadow over me.

Forehead, eyes, nose, mouth... one by one he left a gentle kiss.

Spoiler: Carl and Fiona + Marquis Erez f*cked up

“......”

I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

I was wearing a dress that covered my neck.

Sigrun had made marks much higher than usual.

‘It’s barely covered...’

This was clearly Sigrun holding a grudge.

I had to talk to Carl, so he left a mark like this. Fiona wonders whether Sigrun is worried about whether Abel will see it.

Carl knocks on the door and Fiona tells him to enter.

Carl looks at Fiona and tilts his head with a smile.

“Aren’t you hot?”

I flinched.

S-surely, he didn’t notice?

“Yes... for some reason, my throat is sore today.”

Whether he believed my weird excuse or not, he changed the subject with ease.

“Lady, are you free today?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Good, there is a festival in the capital today...”

Carl continued speaking with a pretty smile.

“So why don’t you come play with me?”

It’s coming.

The quick-witted Carl must already know what I was thinking.

“Okay, Carl.”

Rather than a person being asked on a date, I responded militantly.

“Let’s go play!”

******

When Carl asked me out on a date, I was a little confident because Carl doesn’t have any friends. However, my confidence quickly disappeared.

“Carl... why are you so good at this. Have you had a lot of girlfriends?”

I asked, taking a cup of juice from Carl.

Carl smiled brightly at my question and only exercised his right to remain silent.

Well, they do say to never judge a book by its cover.

“True, it is your private life so it must be hard to say...”

Carl grinned at my murmuring.

“There are people who taught me many things.”

“Who?”

He replied softly.

“I don’t know their real name, but I called them Master.”

Looking at Carl’s face, I wondered if I should ask more but it seemed like they were good memories.

“He was a really bad person. He taught me a lot of bad things.”

Now I was worried! Was it good or bad?

“That... can I ask about it?”

“Sure.”

He replied lightly.

“What did your master teach you?”

“From pickpocketing to fighting, and how you can skillfully defraud your opponent.”

Wait, he was such a bad person.

I saw Carl’s face.

Rarely did he have an expression of reminiscing about long-lost memories.

I was relieved to see that face.

“Thankfully... you weren’t alone the whole time.”

He smiled awkwardly.

“Hey, is that the only impression you have after listening to me now?”

“Well, I thought he was a bad person too.”

Then I looked up at him and smiled.

“But the fact that you weren’t alone is more important.”

Suddenly, Carl’s face hardened as he looked down at me.

“......”

He immediately turned his head away.

‘Did my words offend you?’

Confused, I pulled on his cuff.

“Carl? Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head and waved his hand.

“No, not at all, miss.”

It was a tone that was mixed with embarrassment. But no expression.

‘Are you mad?!’

I quickly moved and stood in front of him.

“Ah...”

When I saw Carl’s face, I was startled.

“Carl, why are you blushing?”

Then he covered his face with both hands, shamefully.

“That’s why I said not to look...”

“I thought you were angry.”

Still covering his face, he murmured.

“I can’t be mad at you. Just looking at you makes me smile. I am in big trouble...”

Ugh, even I am a little embarrassed to hear this.

“R-really?!’

When he calmed down, Carl put his hands down.

“You may not know but I am more serious than you realize.”

“What?”

“I am a little love-sick.”

For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I heard right, and Carl smiled beautifully.

I made this beautiful person love sick?!

I could imagine Carl making someone else love sick but not the other way around!

Perhaps reading my thoughts, Carl opened his mouth.

“The young lady must have broken a lot of hearts before.”

It looks like the knife is stuck in the bean pod. (*means that someone is blinded by love and doesn’t see any flaws in the other person).

I told him the truth.

“I... the first person to confess to me was Sigrun.”

No one else had ever approached her before.

“Wasn’t that because everyone was afraid of his majesty and the duke?”

“Surely not...”

Rather, I was more surprised that Carl had fallen for me.

I looked up at him and asked.

“Carl, why do you like me?”

He put on a troubled smile.

“Are you asking such a question in this situation?”

“Sorry if I didn’t read the atmosphere correctly...”

It might be a harsh question but I wondered if Carl loved me more than I realized.

“If you like me a lot-.”

“Shhh, miss.”

Carl quickly pressed his index finger on my lips.

“I still have two days left.”

“......”

“Didn’t you have a long conversation with His Majesty to give me some time?”

So Carl had noticed.

I bowed my head.

He whispered softly as he fiddled with the collar wrapped around my neck.

“You already talked to his majesty for a long time... please don’t push me away already.”

Instantly, my face heated up.

‘The condition of my neck, you must have noticed!’

Next time I see Sigrun I have to be firm.

Then Carl dropped his hand and spoke in a fresh tone, unlike before.

“Come on, let’s take a look around, miss.”

I felt like I would be caught by Carl if we kept going.

I felt worried when I thought about the rejection.

******

“M-mar-riage preparationnnn?”

Abel spit out a strange sentence in my room.

“Why are you doing this again? I told you last time.”

My stepfather lamented.

“It breaks my heart for this father to say that he has to prepare.”

He was clearly sulking.

I glanced at him gently.

“Are you kidding me?

“I am sincere. It hasn’t been long since you become my formal adoptive daughter, now you are leaving this father, don’t you have any loyalty?”

Ugh, I was sorry to hear that.

“And what if Sigrun ascends to the throne?”

It was a valid question.

I nodded.

“... Oh yeah.”

It was a problem I had forgotten about since I had been so busy these days.

Abel was stunned at my reaction.

“You are the only young lady who isn’t excited about maybe becoming the Empress.”

After all, it was a position that young girls were anxious to get.

‘No, but this is serious.’

“Father, would I be a good Empress?”

Abel laughed.

“You are more suited to be an Emperor, not an Empress.”

“Really?”

Damn, then there was another problem too.

“After Sigrun becomes Emperor, he would have to have concubines other than the Empress, how would you deal with that?”

I replied seriously.

“...I would get rid of them all.”

Polygamy.

It was absolutely unacceptable.

Abel made a look.

“Right? So don’t you think breaking up would be the right answer?”

“Yes you... no! Why is the story going there all of a sudden!”

It was such a natural flow that I almost unintentionally agreed with it!

Abel clicked his tongue lightly as if it was a pity.

After all, he often acted like a child.

“This and that are completely different matters!”

“Then what are you going to do about Carl? Isn’t he courting you?”

What do you mean courting me? Can’t you use a different expression?

Thinking of Carl, I sighed.

“...I will take care of it.”

As usual, the extreme Abel pretended to slit his throat.

“If he bothers you, will you handle it?”

I shook my head.

“That will never happen...”

“Tell me if you need my help.”

Well, I don’t think I would ever need father’s extreme method.

Either way, Abel patted my head.

“Fiona, I am always on your side.”

In any case, my foster father was always like this, I couldn’t hate him.

“No matter how warm-hearted my father is, I will prepare for the wedding.”

“...Tch.”

Abel clicked his tongue again.

I shrugged my shoulders.

It really felt like I was dealing with a child sometimes.

******

Recently, the emperor had gotten very ill. He called for Sigrun and Enoch.

Enoch arrived first. Enoch asks the Emperor about bringing the Empress back but emperor says he has the Queen by his side. The Queen is Arya’s mother.

Sigrun enters after and apologizes for being late. Enoch tells Sigrun off for being slow like a slug.

The Emperor announces that he will start sharing his duties with the two of them. Enoch says he can handle it alone but the Emperor asks Sigrun what he thinks. Of course, Sigrun doesn’t want any of the duties or the throne. He just wants to spend time with Fiona. He instead recommends that Princess Arya help.

Sigrun tells the emperor that Arya is smart and young but has a lot of potential. He further adds that since her mother had taken such care of the emperor, Arya was raised by someone who was very attentive and cared for others.

Arya would owe Sigrun after today. She was smart and could take it from there.

The emperor agrees and decides that Enoch and Arya will help take care of duties while Sigrun continues to focus on the defense of the capital.

******

Sigrun informs Halon of the current state in the Imperial palace.

Abel is mad at this. Abel had worked hard to make Sigrun the emperor.

Sigrun reminds Abel that the point wasn’t to put him on the throne per se but to put someone capable on the throne. Abel had predicted that Enoch would destroy the empire if he became Emperor.

Abel asks why he thinks Arya will be a better choice. Sigrun replies as a starter, she actually wants the throne whereas he does not.

Abel asks what he wants to do in the future then. Sigrun just says he wants to be Fiona’s husband.

Fiona, who was listening quietly, interrupts them.

“Excuse me... I hope you don’t forget that I am still here.”

Carl cut in as well.

“Me too.”

Fiona calms Abel down.

Fiona hints that the emperor is likely to die soon. Carl and Sigrun both think the emperor should die a painful death rather than peacefully surrounded by his children. They make Fiona anxious.

Sigrun however doesn’t want to risk anything because he doesn’t want to make Fiona suffer. Carl understands as well. He doesn’t want Fiona to get hurt either.

Fiona listens anxiously. Tomorrow is the promised deadline with Carl.

******

The relationship between Cain and Marquis Erez was getting worse. Cain had moved to a separate mansion and visited sparingly.

Today, Cain returned home after a long time but the atmosphere in the mansion was strange.

The grass in the garden was all dried up and dead, there was a gloomy energy around the mansion as well. Normally, staff would have jumped out and greeted him but not today.

Cain walked around calling out names until he noticed a strange smell that led him to the basement.

It was like a scene from hell. Bodies were everywhere and a bone powder filled the air.

“Father, what have you done...?”

******

Fiona fiddled with her dragon orb earrings. She was nervous as she was about to see Carl.

Seeing Carl approach, he smiled as brightly as possible to not show nervousness.

“Hello Carl”

“Hello miss”

“Where shall we go today?”

“Well.”

Carl skillfully escorted me. I hadn’t asked whether he had had many girlfriends for no reason.

“Is there anywhere you want to go?”

“Let’s go wherever you want to.”

Unexpectedly, the initiative of the date was passed to me.

“......”

I was troubled.

‘What do we do.’

After today, it might become awkward with Carl.

I wanted to give him a good memory at least.

‘Would this be the best place to make Carl happy?’

I established a ‘plan to please Carl’ plan in my head.

******

The street festival was still ongoing so that’s where they go. They stop at a stall where you throw daggers to win prizes.

“Carl, have you ever done that before?”

I liked it.

Besides, I’m not proud of it but I am pretty good at it. This was because I took Sigrun to the festival in Halon a lot.

Of course, when I couldn’t win the prize I wanted, Sigrun won it for me.

First, I asked confidently.

“Is there anything you want?”

Carl laughed briefly.

“Then I want that teddy bear.”

A teddy bear? Do you like bears?

With that in mind, I paid the shopkeeper and received my toy dagger.

“Okay, I’ll get it!’

Of course, I answered this nicely but the result...

Was not cool.

While trying to hit the teddy bear, I missed and ended up getting the rabbit doll nearby.

I saw a sullen cute bunny doll.

‘Rabbits are cute but...’

Carl wanted the bear so I decided to try another time.

Then, Carl stepped up.

“This time, I will do it, miss.”

“This is harder than it looks...”

But a few minutes later, I immediately regretted what I said.

He got the teddy bear in one try.

“Wow...”

He even accurately hit the teddy bear’s forehead.

Seriously?!

Carl still had three toy daggers left.

“is there anything you want?”

“Then the hamster doll?”

A small hamster doll was smiling.

It was smaller than the bear so it would be harder to hit.

“But it looks difficult, if it’s too har-”

Pak!

Before I could finish my sentence, the smiling doll was hit in the forehead and fell.

“... you’re good.”

He replied humble.

“Because daggers are my specialty.”

So in a nutshell, I had worried needlessly...

Anyway, I thought the store owner might cry if we won more than this so I decided to omit the rest.

Carl picked up the rabbit doll I hit.

“Because my lady got this for me.”

He talked really well.

We gave the hamster doll to a cute kid passing by.

It was time to eat so I thought about what Carl would like.

“...Is there anything you want to eat?”

Carl smiled at me as if I was cute.

“I decided last time so you should decide this time.”

Well well, he’s given the initiative to me a lot to day.

‘Okay, then I will decide.’

I thought about what food Carl might like. I couldn’t think of anything special.

“Then food from my home... not the same but we can eat something similar?”

Of course, my hometown as Fiona Halon was the capital. But my soul was different, it had a separate hometown?

Even though my expression might have been questioned, Carl replied obediently.

“Okay.”

For this reason, I took Carl to a restaurant in an alley. Unlike other restaurants, there were many kinds of spicy and salty food.

The taste wasn’t identical but it was quite nostalgic.

Seeing me accustomed to ordering, Carl asked curiously.

“How did you know about this place?”

“Gonther told me before.”

This restaurant was often visited by mercenaries. I recognised some of them here but they just sat quietly in a corner.

“Bon appetite”

After a while the food came out.

“Carl, by the way, it might be a little spicy.”

“That’s okay.”

Ignoring my warning, he ate well.

‘He’s surprisingly good with spicy food.’

Of course, I also enjoyed it.

However, as I ate, a bitter feeling sat in the corner of my heart.

It had tasted delicious a while ago.

******

As I left the restaurant, I bought herbal wine that I had made myself.

The sun set and our surroundings became dark.

They returned to the mansion as it had become night time. Fiona recklessly takes Carl to the kitchen. It was empty as the workers had already gone home.

She took out two cups.

“Let’s drink!”

Carl laughed as I waved the bottle.

“That drink must have a higher alcohol content than I thought. Are you sure you won’t get drunk in front of me?”

It might be dangerous, Carl muttered languidly.

I responded confidently.

“Is Carl drunk in front of me?”

“Is it possible? All right, let’s drink.”

Carl accepted my challenge.

We poured drinks and clinked our glasses.

Come to think of it, I had promised myself that I would never drink again in the past.

‘Well, whatever.’

I drank the bitter drink.

Oh, it was more delicious than I thought.

I decided to forget the promises of the past.

After drinking a few cups in a row, I got drunk.

Suddenly I remember old food.

“I need snacks.”

“Yes?”

“Dalgona... I’m drunk so let’s eat dalgona.” (*it’s like honeycomb)

“Miss?”

Carl panicked as I jumped up.

All you need to make dalgona is a ladle, baking soda and sugar.

“Miss, that’s salt.”

“Oh, I got the wrong one.”

I laughed. Hehehehe.

Carl sighed.

“My lady, you are drunk.”

“Ah, I got drunk...”

Funnily enough, I remembered how to make dalgona very clearly.

I used to do it often with my mum when I was young.

Pour sugar into the ladle, melt it gently over a fire and add a little baking soda.

After pouring the thick brown liquid, you take out a cookie mold and stamp a picture on it. We made rabbits.

“Come on, Carl, eat it! It's a sweet snack.”

He received the dalgona with a curious face.

“Thank you, but...”

Carl took my drink.

“Stop drinking now. If you drink too much, I don’t think you can handle it.”

It was too much, really.

I frowned and tried to grab the glass but it was all in vain.

In the end I sat down at a small table in the kitchen and chewed only dalgona.

Seeing this, Carl grinned and sat down next to me.

“Now the day is over.”

“So...”

“I think I can understand Sigrun’s feelings now. This must be why it took him so many years to confess.”

“Me?”

Carl put a jacket over my shoulders and said.

“You don’t have the talent to set the mood.”

No, really. Everyone says they can’t get the mood just by looking at me!

As soon as I received this familiar criticism, I started to feel more drunk.

“I’ll take you to your room, miss.”

He took my arm as he guided me.

To get to my room from the kitchen, we had to go through a long hallway.

When I smelled the cold wind coming through the window in the hallway, the intoxication slowly disappeared.

Staring blankly at the round moon through the windows I asked.

“...Carl, did you have fun today?

He turned slowly. His purple eyes were clear.

“Yes, it was a lot of fun.”

I pushed off the jacket Carl put around my shoulders.

I asked him the question I had wondered about all day.

“Today, why did you entrust everything to me?”

I was genuinely curious.

It seemed like he had done it on purpose.

“This way you would be preoccupied with ways to entertain me all day long.”

“Well of course but...”

Carl laughed softly.

“Did you think about Sigrun at all with me today?”

“No, I was thinking about where to go with Carl-”

Ah, then I realized what Carl meant.

“Did you realize?”

Carl gently stroked my hair.

“Until now, I was the only one in your head.”

I nodded slowly.

“...You’re right.”

“You were just thinking about how to please me and make me happy. It was very lovely.”

He grabbed a handful of my hair and kissed it.

“So at least for today you were completely mine.”

His possessive eyes stared at me.

“I have decided to be content with that.”

“......”

“I took but one day in my lady’s life.”

The more I listened to him, the sadder I felt.

What a sad unrequited love, Carl.

‘You idiot.’

Tears welled up in my eyes without me realizing.

“Don’t cry, miss. If you cry, I will think I am mistaken.”

“......”

Carl whispered as he carefully wiped my tears.

“Now, the promised time has come, miss.”

He looked at me with a sad and beautiful smile.

“Ask me what, or who, I fell in love with.”

A soft kiss touched my forehead and a soft whisper entered my ear.

“I will be happy to answer.”

“......”

I opened my mouth slowly.

Spoiler: Enoch meets his end + Fiona gets fitted for her dress+Fiona recruits Eunice's help

The next day, Carl left Halon mansion.

After seeing his home devastated, Cain took a vacation to find his father. Before he left, someone familiar approached him.

“...Carl?” (with honorifics)

Carl tells Cain to just call him without honorifics. Cain asks why he was here, was he sent by Sigrun? Carl says no, he knows where Marquis Erez is, he will take him to him.

Marquis Erez had fled to an abandoned mansion. Marquis Erez is terrified, the darkness had attacked everyone. He and the Crown prince had created a monster.

The Darkness wasn’t satisfied with just the inmates, she started to swallow others in the mansion. The Marquis had run away.

Cain asks if the CP knows yet and the marquis replies no. The Marquis had thought the darkness only wanted revenge on Fiona but it actually wants revenge on the whole world.

Cain asks the Marquis if he knows Carl but the marquis shrugs his shoulders and looks away.

“He is the one who killed my mother and aunt by the order of the Empress.”

“......”

Cain who had many surprises today, was at a loss for words.

“Wait, then why are you so hostile to me?”

“Isn’t it natural for the son of my enemy?”

Cain suddenly understands why Sigrun was suspicious of him.

Cain asks Carl if he is going to kill the two of them but Carl doesn’t know because Fiona has changed him.

Carl says he won’t kill them but the Marquis needs to take responsibility for what he did.

Cain and Carl decide to work together.

******

A famous designer shows up at Halon mansion. Sigrun brings an army of maids and tailors with him to pamper Fiona.

Sigrun says he’s been jealous and he needed to use his power to pamper Fiona.

Abel even drops by and tells them to take care of Fiona.

They help her take a bath and then take her measurements for her wedding dress.

Fiona asks why she is the only one going through this.

Sigrun is punishing her for thinking of another man.

Fiona wonders if Carl is okay. Is he eating well?

******

They finish taking her measurements and deciding on the fabrics.

The designers all leave and Sigrun and Fiona are left alone.

Fiona puts a white flower on Sigrun’s head. It suited him.

“Don’t worry about Carl.”

“Why?”

“He isn’t a child with no home and no money. Don’t worry, he has a stronger foundation now.”

“I’m worried about whether he is eating well...”

Sigrun was dumbfounded.

“Why are you worried about that?”

I was serious.

“It’s important for people to eat well.”

Someone knocked on the door.

“My lady, the Duke is calling. There are guests.”

It was Celine’s voice.

They go to Abel’s office.

Cain and Marquis Erez are there.

Marquis Erez tells them the whole story.

Abel banged his desk.

“Death sentence inmates? You use them?”

“Father, calm down.”

To be honest, once Abel got angry, it scared me too.

Abel growled at my words.

“So, Marquis Erez, you are asking for help now things have gone wrong and most of the people in your family are dead.”

The Marquis trembled before Abel.

“I-I didn’t think it would turn out like this...”

My stepfather sarcastically retorted.

“Yeah, of course you didn’t know. If you had known, you wouldn’t have done it.”

Sigrun stood between Abel and the Marquis and asked.

“So, where is the darkness now?”

“I-I don’t know. The Crown Prince might know...”

They consider sending soldiers but the darkness would be too large now.

Fiona says there’s no need to rush. They know the darkness’ goal now. First thing they have to do is protect Eunice.

******

Fiona tells Eunice about the darkness. Eunice isn’t sure she is strong enough to defeat it. Fiona spaces out. In the original novel, the darkness was defeated since it was in her body.

Fiona says she isn’t sure either. She gives Eunice time to think about what she wants to do.

Sigrun approaches Fiona after Eunice leaves. Sigrun asks Fiona why Eunice is so strong. Fiona tells Sigrun that Eunice was his fated partner.

Sigrun is a bit upset. Fiona asks Sigrun if he really feels nothing when he sees her and he denies it. He says its more like Eunice is Fiona’s fated one instead.

He says Fiona is the prettiest in his eyes.

Sigrun says they should go see her dress. Fiona says he should dress up in rainbow colors and Sigrun says he will if that’s what she wants. Fiona immediately regrets making that joke.

They start thinking about a wedding date.

Fiona tells Sigrun she is looking forward to the wedding and Sigrun laughs happily.

Fiona hides the deep guilt inside. She hasn’t told him that the last strategy to defeat the darkness is for her to take it into her body and die with it.

******

Eunice of course agrees to help.

The Marquis of Erez promises to testify against the Crown prince as well to atone for his actions.

Fiona still can’t figure out what the darkness wants though.

Fiona asks Sigrun what he would do if he were Fiona. He says he would hate her enough to kill her and Fiona asks what else. He says maybe he would think that if he can’t have her then no one else can.

Sigrun tells her to stop worrying about and just marry him and they will live happily ever after.

Fiona ignores him and thinks about dark Fiona again. She comes to a realisation that maybe Fiona has a heart that wants to be loved by her?

As Fiona ponders, she rubs her cheek against Sigrun’s shoulder.

******

While Enoch is visiting the Emperor, Sigrun barges in with imperial knights and arrests Enoch. He explains the charges against him and the witness – Marquis Erez.

The emperor is furious at Enoch. Sigrun tells the Emperor it’s his fault Enoch is like this and he confesses to the Emperor he has no interest in taking the throne.

Before he leaves, he whispers to the emperor that he will die soon.

"When you die and meet my mother, I hope you get down on your knees and apologize.”

After that, Sigrun left without hesitation.

******

Enoch is arrested and is screaming at the guards. He tells Dark Fiona to just kill everyone. He doesn’t realize the darkness is weirder than usual.

Enoch vomits blood. The darkness killed him.

‘I still want to be loved.’

I don’t want to be forgotten.

I do not hate being hated.

[So you have to kill them all.]

Now it was time to drink all the wrath and hatred of the world, to never be forgotten.

Spoiler: The final showdown

All the grass in the Imperial Palace withered away and died.

Fiona knows it is the darkness. She tells Abel to go get Eunice.

“Let’s lure the darkness to a place where there are no people.”

Fiona feels the darkness will follow her.

Sigrun asks Fiona to run away if it gets too dangerous.

Fiona lies to him and says she will run away with him, that she won’t leave him.

If she wanted to save the most lives, there was only one way to do that.

******

They go to an uninhabited forest to lure the darkness.

Fiona tells Eunice to run away if it seems impossible. Eunice smiles and says she is fine. She saved Fiona last time after all!

Fiona asks Abel if he needs to be there and he complains that they treat him like an old man already.

Fiona hugs Sigrun and tells him she wants him to be happy always.

He replies “Me too, Fiona.” and kisses her forehead.

Fiona lets go and starts moving her magic to lure dark Fiona.

‘Fiona, come here.’

I cherish you.

So, don’t suffer alone anymore.

******

Fiona could feel the darkness approaching. Unbeknownst to the others, she had no intention of fighting it at all. She understood how much dark Fiona wanted the love of others. The sorrow, and the pain of her loneliness.

“Lady Fiona, step back!”

Black waves circled them.

Eunice shouted in a clear voice.

“I’ll open the way, step back!”

The darkness got closer to me and the people behind me.

If this continued, the fight would undoubtedly begin. ‘Like the original ending.’

But who am I?

‘The original author who seduced the male protagonist!’

The whole story was already different. I couldn’t let it end like the original.

“Fiona...?”

Contrary to the original plan, Sigrun called out to me when he saw that I wasn’t moving.

I ignored his voice.

It was time to start my own plan.

I lifted my hands and moved my magic. The earth rose and a great barrier of earth and rock formed between me and the others.

The wall also separated Sigrun from me.

“Damn it, Fiona! What is this!”

Bang! Crack!

I heard the sound of the huge wall breaking.

Indeed, his power was not normal.

“I’m sorry, Sigrun.”

I said over the wall.

It was probably loud enough for his sensitive ears.

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t think of any other way.”

“...what are you talking about?!”

“You’ll see.”

I shouted at Eunice who was trying to protect me still.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this, Lady Eunice! I don’t want you to get hurt!”

“Don’t say that, come back!”

“Fiona!”

Abel’s cry was also heard.

I laughed at the voice.

“Father, I love you!”

Truthfully, I didn’t bring everyone here for a fight. I just wanted to say goodbye.

‘They would have never let me follow this stupid plan if I had told them.’

I took a step forward.

“You said you would never leave me!”

I stopped at Sigrun’s voice. My heart ached at the sound of his desperate cry.

I shouted back.

“I’m sorry Sigrun! That was a lie! The worst lie of my life!”

“Fiona!”

Please don’t call out for me like that because it’s weakening my resolve.

“But I was serious! I will come back to you!”

“......”

I shouted at the wall with all my might.

“No matter what happens, even if it kills me, I will definitely return to you!”

Thud! Thud! Crash!

Instead of answering, I heard the desperate sounds of the earth wall being broken down.

I built walls even higher and thicker, so they would never be able to reach me.

It was a very thick and lonely wall.

“......”

Eventually, I faced the darkness.

I recited her name.

“Fiona.”

[...why, alone?]

“I came to see you.”

[I hate you.]

“I know, I’ve always wanted to meet you.”

Dark energy spread around me.

When I met her like this, in front of me, I felt suffocated.

Still, without losing my smile, I approached her.

“Do you want to kill people?”

She murmured like a child at my question.

[I don’t want to be forgotten.]

“I won’t forget you.”

She tilted her head slowly.

[Do you love me?]

“Yes.”

[Why, why was I abandoned?]

“I’m sorry.”

[What do you value the most?]

“......”

Fiona stared at me with empty black eye sockets.

[More than him?]

I decided to be honest with her.

There was no point in telling lies.

“No, the one I love the most is Sigrun. That doesn’t change.”

[…...]

Fiona’s face slowly distorted at my words.

It was bizarre.

It was hard to call it a ‘human’ shape anymore.

A humming voice was heard.

[Why did you come to me then?]

“......”

[In the end, you’re going to throw me away just like the original story. I’m going to get rid of all of it]

It was a terrible and miserable appearance.

[I don’t believe you]

The black body hung unsightly.

Just looking at it incited fear.

I wondered why Fiona became like this.

How did she know the original story in advance?

‘The original Fiona ended up with a tormented soul in the dark.’

Was it because of that ending?

If so, it must have been very painful.

“That won’t change. My first love is definitely Sigrun, However,”

I bowed down and hugged the melting dark figure.

Darkness slowly eroded my body.

It was hard to resist moving away.

I started sweating profusely and felt dizzy.

I whispered, enduring the pain.

“I will never leave you alone.”

As if angry, the contorted body suddenly stopped.

“I will be by your side.”

[Sob, sob]

“So now, in the darkness, you don’t have to shout to see yourself. I will not let you suffer forever.”

[…...]

The black energy that crawled through my body swallowed me up.

There was only darkness.

Spoiler: Dark Fiona's story + A peek into the future :)

Lying in pitch-black darkness, I reached out my hand.

I didn’t touch anything or see anything.

I tried to speak out loud.

“...Am I dead?”

‘It’s dark.’

I shook my head and a rattling sound echoed near my ear. I was still wearing the dragon orb earrings.

The earrings started shining and my surroundings were illuminated by the orbs of light.

The light pointed her in a direction. She remembered Clemente Eduard. The dragon had told Fiona she might need the orb one day.

Clemente’s wisdom was illuminating the way for Fiona.

After walking for a while, she didn’t know how long or far she had walked. She heard a faint whimpering sound.

“A child?”

In the darkness, a little girl whimpered.

“...who?”

The child raised its head and I was startled to see the girl’s face.

She was around six or seven years old with silvery hair and red eyes.

“Fiona...?”

It was none other than a young Fiona.

“...who are you sister?”

I glanced at the shining orb in the palm of my hand.

I wondered if this Fiona knew the answers to my questions.

“Hello, Fiona.”

I bent down and made eye contact with the child.

I wiped her tears and whispered to her softly.

“I came all the way here to meet you.”

“......!”

Fiona, who was crying in the dark, stopped crying and looked at me with startled rabbit eyes.

******

I took the young Fiona’s hand.

“Lets talk, shall we?”

The child nodded, puzzled by the warmth.

“Why were you crying?”

“I don’t have a mother.”

“Where have you been?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then why are you here?”

Young Fiona hesitated and replied.

“I don’t know where else to go...”

“Where do you want to go?”

“I’m not sure.”

Well, that was a difficult question. I asked a different one.

“What happened, Fiona?”

“......”

She looked up at me and said.

“A lot of things.”

“What things?”

Fiona tapped the empty floor with her toe.

“It’s dark out here and something keeps chasing me so I ran away.”

I asked softly.

“Do you remember anything?”

The girl looked at me and tilted her head.

“I guess, maybe, I don’t know. Sister, is that light?”

Fiona pointed to the earring I was holding.

“Yes, it is. My friend gave it to me.”

“Can I see it?”

I hesitated for a moment.

The light on the earring flickered as if telling me to do it.

‘Are you going to give it to Fiona?’

An orb that tells the truth, possessed by a wise dragon.

If this fell into the hands of young Fiona, would she remember anything?

“Can you open your palms?”

At my words, Fiona meekly spread her hands out.

I gently grabbed the little hand and placed the earring on it.

The orb began to shine brighter.

A wave of light seemed to overflow from her tiny hand.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

Fiona looked at me with an expressionless face and nodded slowly.

“...I can.”

And beyond the light, something began to appear.

******

There was a story.

A story about a woman and a man who met and became happy.

There was another woman in the story.

A woman who dreamed of happiness but ended up being unhappy.

Each time the first chapter of the story unfolded, the darkness whispered to her.

[Don’t you want that too?]

Even with her dreams twisted, she always hoped for love but eventually died.

That was the end.

Then it repeated.

An unreasonable life in which someone is always loved and some else is always hated.

But the woman did not even know that such a thing was repeating.

She just kept suffering.

Then one day, as always, the woman had another unfortunate ending.

The soul suffered from the existence of darkness.

Without knowing that she had been subjected to this thousands of times, her soul gradually wore out each time.

Until one day she realized the truth.

She was repeating the same life.

This was the beginning of another story.

The woman continued to search for her wish to come true.

A being who will break the rules set in this world and love her.

After realizing the truth, it wasn’t difficult to obtain another soul.

She finally found one.

That’s right, the designer of her world.

She could have hated the designer, but the woman did not.

With her soul locked in the darkness, she called out to the designer with her old body, hoping to be loved.

But that wish did not come true.

The designer found someone else in the world to love.

The woman was so sad that she cried for several days.

No, she probably cried in the dark for longer than that. Maybe a few years.

She finally gave up on finding someone to love her.

Instead, she decided to hate and kill those who abandoned her.

To end this recurring painful life by destroying everything.

“......”

Here she was.

The figure of Fiona who met the same ending repeatedly.

“A lot happened to me”.

My sight returned. I opened my eyes.

In the dark, young Fiona looked at me.

She no longer had the look of a child, instead she had a calm face.

“Now it will all be over. Your sacrifice won’t stop it.”

“...Liar.”

Unlike before, the child had a cynical expression.

“Do you think I am joking?”

“No.”

That wasn’t what I meant. I spoke carefully.

“I meant that you were lying about giving up on being loved.”

“......”

“Now I know who you are and why you are here.”

The dragon orb also showed me the truth.

“You are the soul of Fiona.”

It was so small and young but I could see it clearly.

“A tough, pure piece that has remained after being worn out thosands of times by the dark.”

“... no. I am nothing.”

“That’s not right.”

Faint tears welled up in Fiona’s red eyes.

A hostile gaze was fixed on me.

“No, I couldn’t be anything to anyone. No one cared about me!”

Everything Fiona had done made sense to me now.

She wasn’t trying to hurt me.

She was begging me to see her pain, to notice her bleeding wounds.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize! Nothing will change.”

“No, this is an apology for not noticing earlier.”

I put one knee on the ground and looked at the child with tears in her eyes.

“I wish we had met sooner, do you?”

“...he stole you. I will kill them.”

The ‘he’ here was clearly Sigrun.

“Don’t do that.”

“Why? Because you love him the most in this world?”

“No.”

I said frankly.

“Fiona, making someone unhappy doesn’t bring you happiness.”

“......”

She tilted her head and I wiped her tears again.

“If you make Sigrun suffer, do you think you will find happiness by making him unhappy?”

“...at least I won’t be sad.”

I asked with a soft smile.

“I’ll change the question. Do you think you will be happy if he is unhappy? If that’s the case, then fine...”

“......”

Fiona didn’t answer.

I thought I knew a little bit about her.

Fiona had a kinder and more pure heart than anyone else.

Seeing her like that, I spat out the only words I could think of.

“I will do anything to make you happy. So can you tell me what to do?”

“...liar. You will go back to him.”

“No, I am serious. I will stay here with you.”

The child quietly lowered his head.

“Why now?”

Tears dripped down.

“Only now after I gave up on everything... you say this...”

I hugged Fiona quietly.

The little body trembled. She slowly rested her forehead on my shoulder.

I felt my clothes become wet with tears.

I whispered softly.

“Fiona, what do you want?”

“...take me out of here.”

She cried and spat out her last wish.

“I hate being alone...”

******

There was a white dress lying in an empty room in Halon mansion.

The owner of the room never came back but the housemaids always cleaned this room first.

“......”

Sigrun leaned against the doorway and glanced at the pure white dress.

Nearly a month had passed since Fiona disappeared.

The side facing the darkness was blocked by a very large wall.

For the first few days, Sigrun frantically smashed at the wall.

When he finally got through the wall... there was nothing there.

No body, no trace of her death. He almost went crazy.

Despite this, Sigrun was unable to give up hope. He came here every day and waited for her, looking at the empty room.

Traces of Fiona were all over the room. A bitter feeling rose up.

“Please, come back...”

Without Fiona, his life was meaningless.

It was a life that breathed Fiona.

Her clear laugh, red face and soft scent.

He remembered it all clearly.

Bang!

Sigrun punched the wall with his fist. He felt the pain.

The world was getting harder and harder to bear without her.

“Please come back before I go crazy, Fiona.”

Sigrun murmured and eventually left the room.

The only thing left in the room was the dress.

The finished pure white wedding dress waited for its owner.

******

Fiona and dark Fiona try to figure out a way for them both to leave. OG Fiona and the darkness have become one so if the darkness dies so does OG Fiona.

OG Fiona decides to let Fiona leave with a part of her. She gives Fiona her heart – her first wish that is still untained – to be loved.

Fiona doesn’t want to abandon her but OG Fiona says she isn’t - she is taking her heart with her.

Dark Fiona puts a small round light into Fiona’s palm. It’s the only pure part of OG Fiona left.

Fiona cries for OG Fiona. Why is she the only one who has to pay the price? Darkness smiles at Fiona and they hug.

Dark Fiona tells Fiona that she isn’t leaving her, she is taking her with her.

Fiona grabs the dragon orb.

“...Good bye.”

“Bye.”

Fiona bit her lip.

“I love you.”

“......”

The darkness widened her eyes in surprise and slowly smiled widely.

“I love you too!”

The darkness didn’t feel as lonely as before anymore.

“Okay. Let’s finish everything now.”

Thus, the dark space began to slowly crumble.

******

In the future, a baby will be born to a couple.

A girl with silver hair like moonlight and red eyes like roses.

“... I hear it a lot, that you look a lot like your mother but it’s really the same.”

The child’s father looked at his newborn daughter and whispered.

“No, she doesn’t look like me at all.”

With a small smile, the child’s mother replied.

“Then?”

“She resembles ‘her’.”

“Aha.”

The child’s father chuckled playfully and lightly pressed the baby’s cheek.

“It wasn’t the birth of my daughter but the birth of a lover.”

“Don’t be jealous!”

The couple joked around for a while and burst into sweet laughter.

For a while, there was a pleasant sound of laughter in the room.

The baby slept soundly and in peace, realizing that the first wish she had so long ago had come true.

“......”

This hasn’t happened yet but it was a story that was to begin some day.

Spoiler: Epilogue!

Carl entered Sigrun’s room and stopped.

The room was a mess.

Of course, there was only one person brave enough to disturb the prince.

Carl look at Sigrun who was leaning against a wall.

“Can’t you calm down?”

Sigrun shook his head angrily.

“I am calm.”

“Do you hear yourself? Look at this room. You are exuding killing intent to anyone who comes close.”

“......”

Sigrun didn’t deny his words as they were true.

Carl sighed.

He had recently returned to Halon mansion.

Although he had been rejected by Fiona, he wanted to make sure she was safe.

Carl stood with his arms crossed.

“When she comes back, she might be disappointed.”

“......”

“Actually, I hope she is disappointed, then maybe I will have a chance.”

At those words, Sigrun rubbed his face roughly.

“Bastard.”

“That’s right.”

“You behave like a gentle sheep in front of Fiona.”

Carl laughed and smirked.

“Isn’t that the basics of being respectful to the person you are courting?”

“Damn it...”

“Stop swearing at me and get up. The maids are so scared they can’t even clean the room.”

“When did you start nagging so much.”

“I don’t want her to be disappointed when she comes back. I want her to see a smiling face if possible.”

“Damn it.”

Sigrun muttered while covering his face with both hands.

“I think I’m going crazy...”

Those words were not to his cousin.

Carl understood well the meaning of the absence of a subject. ‘Without her.’

Carl felt the same way.

Although it was burdensome, he wanted to see her happy at least.

“So am I.”

“......”

“Now come to your senses.”

Finally, Sigrun sighed and stood up.

******

Princess Arya is decided to be the heir to the throne. Sigrun renounces his claim to the throne. There’s no point without Fiona.

Abel watched Sigrun complete his work like an empty doll.

It has been 4 months since Fiona disappeared.

Abel missed her as well. There was a hole in his chest that couldn’t be filled. He had never felt like that before in his life.

‘I must be a more romantic person than I thought’ Abel smiled bitterly.

Sigrun wasn’t the only one who couldn’t let go.

Abel turned the doorknob of Fiona’s room. Someone was inside.

Abel reached for his sword as he opened the door.

“Who’s there?”

“Ah...”

Abel couldn’t believe his eyes when he opened the door.

“Fi...ona?”

His dear adopted daughter, Fiona, stood there with a surprised expression.

Abel wiped his eyes violently.

“Is this a dream.”

Fiona laughed.

“It’s strange that my cold father would say something like that.”

Let's stay calm. Abel rubbed his eyes again, just in case.

“Is this real?”

“Well.. It's been so long since I went missing-”

Abel hugged Fiona tightly.

He stroked her hair vigorously to make sure it was real.

Just as Fiona was about to complain, Abel said in a trembling voice.

“Late.. You are so late... I was so worried I thought I was going to die.”

“......”

Fiona felt sorry for her adopted father and hugged him back.

“How could you just turn so harshly and leave?”

Fiona whispered.

“... I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? You know you aren’t allowed to stay out overnight.”

“Um, that’s a bit.”

“Ungrateful! You still show no remorse.”

Even though he was joking with me, Abel’s hand trembled slightly.

Fiona wrapped her hands around Abel’s and smiled brightly.

“I’m back, father!”

******



Sigrun walked through the garden.

Red flowers bloomed.

The weather was getting colder so they weren’t roses.

He didn’t know much about flowers but he knew this because Fiona told him.

“This flower blooms in winter. Aren’t you curious?”

He was not interested in flowers, but he was always interested in what Fiona had to say.

“Sigrun, did you know? Each flower has a meaning.”

Her voice sounded like a bird’s song.

“The meaning of this flower is ‘waiting’ and.”

She licked her lips and whispered.

“It also means ‘I love you more than anything.’”

The girl who smiled softly was more beautiful than anyone else – she was the woman he loved the most.

When are you coming back?

How long can I stay sane for?

“Sigrun...”

He thought it was an auditory hallucination at first and didn’t turn around.

A voice continued to call his name.

“Sigrun.”

Am I still hallucinating? He didn’t look back.

“Are you mad?”

Someone approached him from behind.

Slowly, Sigrun questioned himself. Am I dreaming?

“I’m here.”

A trembling voice said behnd him.

“I’m sorry I’m late...”

Sigrun turned around slowly.

A woman was standing there.

A womanw ith silver hair like moonlight and red eyes like the flowers he was holding.

She looked up at him with slightly wet eyes.

“I’m here to keep my promise to come back to you.”

Sigrun’s hand trembled.

He wanted to reach out and touch her but was afraid she would disappear.

She hugged him first.

Sigrun licked his lips.

“Fi...ona?”

He slowly put his hands on her shoulders.

She didn’t disappear.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

Her voice whispered. It was real.

“......”

Fiona quickly said.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know how much time had passed. You may not want to see me-”

In an instant, her mouth was covered.

He bit her lips and explored her mouth with his tongue aggressively.

She felt her breath being swallowed up.

“Uh, ha...”

Fiona, who could barely stand, shuddered.

She took a deep breath and uttered his name.

“Sigrun...?”

He stroked his lover’s flushed cheeks and pressed their foreheads together.

“Is it really you?”

There was terror in his eyes.

Fiona barely responded.

“Yes... sorry I’m late...”

“You are late.”

Eventually, Fiona looked at him.

“Are you mad?”

“Yes, I am.”

“......”

Fiona felt nervous at those words.

Sigrun kissed her forehead, eyelids, cheek and jaw.

Everywhere he touched felt hot.

“But as soon as I saw your face, it all went away.”

He smiled bitterly.

“I thought I was going crazy from missing you, Fiona.”

“... me too.”

Fiona wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I missed you so much.”

Then she kissed his lips.

“Sigrun, I love you.”

“......”

“Now I really swear, I will never leave you again.”

Seeing him frozen in surprise, Fiona laughed.

“So, let’s get married now!”

Damn, I’m going crazy.

Sigrun grunted hard.

“You are too late. Do you know how long ago your dress was finished?”

“Oh, I just saw it in my room. It’s so beautiful!”

Sigrun hugged her gently and smiled at her as she widened her eyes.

“This time, I won’t let you go again.”

Fiona laughed and hugged him.

The two held each other for a long time, confirming each other’s existence with their body temperatures.

Red petal scattered in the wind around them.

As they whispered to each other, their voices quietly echoed in the garden.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The sweet and gentle whispers of the newly reunited lovers continued for a long time in the garden.

The two of them found happiness.

There was nothing in the world to envy.

Nevertheless, their story wasn’t over yet. It was just the beginning of a new one.



FIN.

It's been a wild journey friends! Thanks for joining me

 

Ufffffff thank you so much for your hard work till now. Thank you for summarizing the whole story for us. Damn this book was one roller coaster. Carl's confession, Fiona's sacrifice, Dark fiona's story and her first wish, fiona's 'I love you' to the real fiona, and her reunion with Abel and Siegren. All of it made me cry.
I love this story and it's going to remain one of my favorite for a long time!! Thank you!!!!!

 

Hi! First of all tysm! It has been such a fun journey! Also, i wanted to know is there any side story yet?

 

Someone else said there is but they aren't in the books so I don't have access to them unfortunately

Hopefully someone else can give us spoilers for those!

 

So in the end did Fiona ever call Abel Father?

 

Yes, at the end of book 3 she calleds Abel father for the first time. She calls him father a lot after that

 

OMG! Im so happy, can’t wait to see his face in manhwa. Thank you so much!