“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Demimore asked me with concern before we entered the Grand Duchy.

I turned around curiously, but I didn’t know what to say when he asked me if I was okay.

I wanted to say, “I’m okay, let’s go inside,” but my legs were trembling too much. On the other hand, saying, “I’m not okay, let’s go back for now” didn’t feel right either. I was eager to enter and meet my family.

As I stared blankly, Demimore fiddled with my hair in his right hand and kissed it affectionately.

“Arsene said you could come back anytime if you didn’t feel ready. It’s okay.”

Arsene drew me a map of the route to the Grand Duchy.

When I suggested we go back together, he laughed, saying he didn’t want to get beaten up by the Grand Duke’s people.

I thought he was joking, but Demimore’s expression was more serious than I expected.

The real reason why Arsene didn’t come with me was that if Arsene suddenly appeared at the Grand Duchy with me, the god of death might immediately notice our presence, so we have to be careful.

He assured me that he would investigate the God of Death’s actions before coming to see us.

“I need to appease my family before Arsene comes…….”

Upon hearing my words, Demimore chuckled, wondering if I had been concerned about that all this time.

He looked serious when Arsene said he could be beaten by the people of the Grand Duchy. It’s kind of irritating to be treated like a child.

I jerked my head out of Demimore’s grasp to free my hair.

“If you do that, you’ll only hurt yourself. Be careful, Mary.”

Demimore laughed weakly as he released his grip on my hair. He stroked my hair with careful fingers.

“Your hair is as beautiful as the darkest night, and it would be a shame to lose any of it.”

Demimore stroked my hair carefully a few more times, then took another handful and kissed it.

His voice was so sweet as he spoke, I thought he had chocolate in his throat, and I blushed.

To the point where I think it’s better to go home quickly to run away from this situation.

“Are you going in?”

I stomped forward in an unnatural gesture. Demimore followed right behind me.

His face, which was much higher than mine, made me wonder when he had grown up so much.

Am I the only one being avoided by time? Rex is taller than me now, and Astina, whom I saw last time was much taller than me… I felt unfair for no reason.

“Do you think my father… regained his memories?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I heard that he’s been making an effort. There’s a famous medical doctor on the continent named Cally Brown, and he’s been meeting with him constantly even though he’s retired now.”

Demimore’s words stopped me in my tracks.

“Why are you telling me that now?”

“…because you didn’t ask?”

“Are you kidding?”

“Sorry, I actually forgot, but now that you asked, I remembered.”

As I glared at Demimore, he chuckled and winked. His refreshing smile left me speechless.

Come to think of it, I didn’t even think to ask. I tried to walk forward again, but stopped once more.

“If you don’t want to go, you can go back to…….”

Demimore placed his hand on his left chest and nodded, as if he understood what I was thinking.

Why does he keep insisting on going back? Even when I told Arsene that I would go back and get some laminaicho, he sounded disappointed and said, “We’re already going back?”

His reasoning was that he had only been here for a short time and wanted to stay longer.

Well, it was also understandable that he wanted to see the village where his mother had lived. So, I suppressed my immediate urge to leave and showed him around the village for a day.

But still, he kept insisting on going back, and for some reason, it felt a bit frustrating.

“I wish Arsene had come with us.”

Persuading Arsene was harder than I thought.

Although he agreed to send me back he did not forget to remind me that I was still in danger.

I still don’t know exactly what the God of Death plans to do to me through Tia Bluea. That’s why he tried to protect me in this village.

Before I left, Arsene handed me one of the stones with a spell engraved in it that had been placed around the village.

“Can you give it to me?”

Arsene shrugged his shoulders at my question.

“Maybe it was made for you.”

“By who?”

Arsene simply smiled and evaded the question, but somehow I knew.

Just as the villagers carried the charm with the saint’s image on it, I would carry it as a talisman.

I touched the stone carefully. The surface was smooth.

“But can I carry this around however I want? What if the protection gets messed up if you take one out?”

“It’s okay. You can take that out. As you can see, there’s a bit much here.”

Arsene looked around and I was convinced. Still, I thought I could understand why he made this protection.

After a moment of hesitation, I knelt down and prayed with my hands together in front of him.

To a person who was probably more used to giving prayers than receiving them. To someone who was me, but also, in a way, not me. I promised to defeat the God of Death…

To do that, I have to go back to the Grand Duchy. It was easy to leave, but I don’t know why it’s so hard to go back.

I wonder if they will welcome me. Maybe Tia Bluea is already doing my part.

“You know, Mary.”

“Yes.”

“Seeing as how he’s still doing therapy to retrieve his memories, I’m guessing the Grand Duke wants you back. If he’s happy with his life now, he doesn’t need to retrieve his memories.”

It struck me how grown-up Demimor sounded, as if he knew exactly what I was struggling with, even though I hadn’t told him.

“Miss!”

I returned to the Grand Duchy.

*****

“Master Gilbert and Master Aiden said they’d be right over, and Master Theodore is in Tahata, so it’ll be a while.”

Hestia, who rushed to me when she heard that I had returned, locked me in her arms and refused to let me go.

I had things to say to my father and Lucas right away, but seeing Hestia, who had come running in a hurry, I couldn’t help but want to stay in her embrace for a while.

However, no matter how strong she is, I am now 14 years old and quite tall…

“Let the Miss step on the ground.”

Lucas’ words resonated with me. Whenever I needed to go somewhere, Hestia would carry me in her arms.

But Hestia rubbed her cheek against mine to show that she didn’t want to put me down.

“S, sister?”

At the familiar voice, I squirmed to get out of Hestia’s arms.

Hestia set me down on the floor with a wistful look on her face.

I looked up to see Rex Bluea with tears streaming down his face.

I smiled and opened my arms wide, and Rex, who had been walking slowly, ran to me and hugged me.

He’s a lot bigger than me now, so it’s strange to be held in his arms tightly.

“How have you been?”

“How could I be doing well?”

Rex grumbled, sticking out his lower lip. I tucked my hair behind my ear thinking about how cute he was.

Well, there was no way he’d be okay with me leaving. He seemed even more mischievous than when he was eight years old.

“I heard the prince brought you here”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Did you know where my sister was even then? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh, I didn’t know then. Calm down.”

My eyes narrowed at Demimore and Rex, who seemed to have gotten close by now.

Watching the two of them bicker, I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes. What’s with them? Rex’s growling was unfamiliar, and Demimore trying to soothe him was also strange. What are these two up to?

“Hello?”

As I observed them with a sense of satisfaction, I heard a deep voice from behind.

I saw her with my father earlier, but I didn’t expect her to talk to me like this.

I closed my eyes and clenched my fists once before turning my head to the source of the sound. Tia Bluea was smiling at me… Why is she smiling?

“Oh, it’s been a while.”

“You’re uncharacteristically free, sis, going when you want to go, coming back when you want to come back.”

Her voice was lovely as a lark, but there was bone in her words.

Demimore must have sensed it, because he made a “huh” sound. But she wasn’t wrong.

“So, you just wandered around even when the Grand Duke was sick and here I am protecting him in your place.”