Judy stopped by the stable before she departed. Goldie, having run earnestly earlier, was taking a well-deserved rest.

The stablekeeper must have doused him because Goldie’s coat was damp and clean, and he was contently chewing on the fodder provided.

Watching her companion, Judy cracked a small smile and then made a request to the stablekeeper.

“Lend me a horse. It’s something I’ve arranged with the Duchess.”

The stablekeeper was not so blind as to not recognize the Ice insignia on Judy’s shoulder.

“Of course. Since you’re already entrusting one horse to us, lending another is no trouble at all.”

Judy nodded and stepped into the stable, with the stablekeeper following to introduce her to the horses.

To Judy, the names and stories of the horses were irrelevant. She just needed one that could endure the run to Naita Forest without tiring.

“This one is called Red Lightning. True to his name, he runs fast but... he tires quickly,” said the stablekeeper.

As he spoke, Judy’s eyes fell on a familiar horse.

A massive black steed, flamboyantly tossing its head to catch her attention.

“...Huh?”

At the sight of that welcome face, Judy immediately made her way over.

...It was Cayden’s horse, Storm.

The stablekeeper approached, looking back and forth between Storm and Judy, his voice taking on a slightly bitter tone.

“This one is—”

“—Storm.”

Judy said the name first. Indeed, in regards to this horse, she could confidently claim to know him far better than the stablekeeper.

“....That’s Cayden’s horse.”

“...Yes, you’re right, Lady. You know him then. So you must know he’s a handful to manage—”

“—I’ll take him.”

Judy gently stroked Storm’s face. Storm, who had been vigorously shaking his head, stopped to savor Judy’s touch.

Storm was always like this. He would playfully bicker and prank with Cayden, but he was always gentle with her.

“...But he’s quite difficult to handle.”

The stablekeeper looked at Judy with genuine concern.

Judy shook her head.

“...I’m more comfortable with him than any other horse.”

And to prove her words were not empty, she lightly grasped and tugged at the reins. Storm obediently followed her lead.

The stablekeeper’s eyes widened at the sight, but Judy had no time to waste.

After expressing her thanks to the stablekeeper, she mounted Storm.

Storm snorted and stamped the ground with his hoof, as if to say he was eager to run now.

Exiting the stable, Judy leaned forward to caress Storm’s neck and face, saying,

“......Storm.”

Storm responded by relaxing his body.

Judy stroked Storm for a long while. As Storm was also a friend of Cayden’s, she needed to be careful in broaching the subject with him.

It was hard for Judy to speak. There might have been those who thought she was fussing unnecessarily over a horse, but to Judy, he was as gentle and true a friend as Goldie had been to her.

After hesitating for some time, Judy finally whispered,

“......Cayden has disappeared. I need help to find him. Can you help me...?”

Storm blew loudly through his nose and then, with a strong puff, resumed stamping the ground.

Taking that as an affirmative, Judy sat upright again.

“.....Let’s go, then.”

Immediately after, Judy gave the reins a firm shake.

****

“Please, Father.”

Daisy persisted today as well, pleading with the Earl of Hexter.

The Earl waved his hand dismissively, his face expressionless.

“...Have I not already said no?”

“Father...it’s only a day’s journey away...Cayden went missing right next door...! You can dispatch some soldiers...!”

Earl Hexter sighed, then his face took on a look of pity.

“.....They’re not saying he’s missing, they’re saying he’s dead.”

“No!!”

Daisy cried out, as if throwing a tantrum. She held back her tears and then spoke.

“....He can’t be dead. At least not like that...!”

Earl Hexter stood up. Embracing his distraught daughter, he spoke softly.

“....I know it’s a bitter pill to swallow. I can’t fathom the shock you’ve received. But a leader can’t afford to be swayed by such personal feelings. As you know, we are struggling with plague and famine. To waste manpower and resources on searching for a dead body—”

Daisy forcefully pushed Earl Hexter away. It was the first time she had ever laid hands on her father.

The Earl, looking bewildered, stumbled and sank into a chair.Even as she saw her father’s state, Daisy’s eyes swirled with anger.

“....How can you say it’s needless...?”

“.........”

“Cayden was to be a part of our family! He was supposed to be my husband! How can you treat someone who was to become so important to our house in such a way!”

Earl Hexter concealed the surprise and hurt on his face. He then laid out the facts for Daisy.

“All that was true when Cayden was alive.”

“.....Father...!”

“Accept it. Stop talking about the future. What could have been, what should have been... it’s all meaningless now. Cayden didn’t marry you, and now that he’s dead, he’s a stranger to us.”

Daisy’s eyes darted around as if she could barely contain her rage, looking for something to break. Earl Hexter quickly continued.

“Besides...! Even if we do nothing, the forest where he was attacked is full of soldiers. The Pryster troops are searching the place. Well...indeed. Seeing that, even though he was exiled... I realize Cayden wasn’t entirely unrelated to Pryster. Had he lived... marrying you would have been no issue.”

Earl Hexter rose once more, this time grasping Daisy’s shoulders.

“I know this sounds cold, but you need to calm down. Think of our people, our lands, rather than this man Cayden... Sending soldiers now won’t help. We have our own crises to attend to. People are dying from disease right this moment, where do we have the resources to spare elsewhere?”

“......”

“Right now, Prysters can’t accept that he’s dead, that’s all, but they will come to terms with the reality soon enough. They’ve even found the body. I can’t understand what more they’re looking for. The body was found clutching his sword, what else—”

“—Please, stop..!”

Daisy covered her ears. She couldn’t bear to listen any longer.

The bandit attack.

The death of Cayden.

The body found...

Each piece of news was unbearable. Perhaps she was being unreasonable, just as her father said. Maybe she wasn’t thinking clearly due to the shock. She just couldn’t let go of him, gone so suddenly.

But there was another reason she felt this way.

He had promised he would return. He had held her and promised to come back to her. Even if he left the Academy, even if things went awry with the twins, he had promised to return.

She was so confused about what to believe. Whether to trust the information from Benthrock or to trust Cayden’s promise.

In the end, Daisy turned away broken. She knew continuing this conversation with her father would only leave her more hurt and distressed.

She loathed her own helplessness. How could she call herself his betrothed? She couldn’t even help him in danger. While Cayden had helped her before they were betrothed, sharing food with the people of her lands when they were in need.

And today, again, she retreated in agony.

****

Helen was striving to stabilize her shaken family, facing a crisis not seen in ten years.

A decade ago, the former head of the family, James Pryster, and his wife passed away, thrusting Liana Pryster back into the political realm, and necessitating the adoption of a boy named Cayden to support the deeply affected twins.

The family had been notably unstable then.

But fortunately, bringing Cayden into the family proved to be the right decision, as they regained their footing within a year.

The twins grew around Cayden like vines climbing a sturdy stick, becoming beautiful, strong, and resilient.

Helen took pride in the twins and Cayden, who had become the face of their house.

But mere days ago, Cayden left the family. Helen felt the shock deeply, having supported and spent time with the young man, but she tried not to show it.

After all, others took the departure harder than she did.

The twins, who should have learned to stand on their own, crumbled with Cayden’s departure. It was unclear if they were not yet strong enough or if they had never prepared to stand alone, believing Cayden would never leave.

Or perhaps, beyond all metaphors, Cayden had simply become too vital to their lives.

They deteriorated rapidly.

Helen knew that Asena, the family head, had exiled Cayden in a fit of rage. Without asking, it was clear the twins still needed Cayden.

Yet that wasn’t the end.

Within just ten days of his departure...

...came the news of his death.

Many servants were struck with grief, shedding tears over the news.

Some expressed anger, others wept, and still, others were in denial.

Even Helen, when she reminisced about her times with Cayden in secret, wiped away tears.

After meeting with Lord Benthrock and hearing the details, she had to accept, albeit unwillingly, that Cayden was gone.

Keirsey and Asena, however, could not come to terms with it.

At her age, Helen knew death was no stranger. Many she loved had passed, some in ways more shocking than others.

James Pryster’s death was significant. If she could recover from that, she could recover from this.

...But this time... it hurt more deeply.

Helen had watched the young man named Cayden grow up, and it saddened her that he had left the world just as he was coming into full bloom as a person.

Knowing how much the twins loved him, the thought of their pain tore at her heart just as fiercely.

Keirsey’s cries of late were proof of that.

...They were otherworldly. Her wails were a cacophony of grief.

Just hearing them made it seem like tears would involuntarily follow, as if one could faintly grasp the immense pain she was drowning in.

And then there was Asena.

A woman who rarely showed her feelings.Her stoicism made Helen even more worried.

Unlike Keirsey, who could express her anguish, Asena suppressed hers within, a ticking bomb of unvoiced despair.

Then, the inevitable happened.

Helen caught sight of Asena poised to leave this world, perched precariously on the edge of a window, one leg dangling.

She managed to intervene this time, lucky to dissuade her.

But if Asena attempted suicide again... could she be stopped?

“.....Sigh...”

If this had been the end, maybe Helen could have mustered the strength to carry on.

She was struggling to hold it together, but now, even she was growing weary.

......Especially since Liana Pryster had collapsed as well.

As her long-served master collapsed, Helen felt as if she were being dragged down with her.

Unknowingly, Helen had been relying on Liana.

Liana Pryster and her husband, Aiden Pryster, had led the Pryster family through its golden age.

The respect built during those times had not dimmed.

But even the strong Liana had collapsed from the grief of losing Cayden, leaving Helen feeling utterly powerless.

She couldn’t imagine anything she could do.

All she could manage was to maintain order among the distraught servants.

Yet now, she found herself hoping for a miracle.

She knew it was an impossible dream... but she couldn’t help but hope.

“.....Lord Cayden..”

She wished for his return.

Though she believed he was no longer of this world, a sliver of hope led Lawrence to search for him in the Naita Forest.

Even Judy Ice, his friend and the daughter of a rival house, had gone in search of him.

...She prayed for a miraculous survival.

Because if not... truly, the Pryster family might fall apart this time.

She had felt it since the incident a decade ago.

External forces were not to be feared. There was no reason for fear.

The real fear was the rot from within, the self-destruction.

That was the true enemy to beware of.

And now, Helen knew they were crumbling from the inside.

Cayden had to return.

“Madame Helen, the head maid..!”

A maid rushed to her, calling out. Helen, hiding her weary expression, turned to greet her.

“...What’s wrong?”

“...It’s Keirsey... Miss Keirsey is acting strangely...! You should come quickly..!”

Helen felt her heart drop. She nodded and hastened her steps.

As her worry for Keirsey grew, so did her pace.

Entering Keirsey’s room, she found numerous servants surrounding her bed.

Keirsey looked frail. Her once-lustrous silver hair had lost its shine, and her cute smile was nowhere to be seen. The vitality and sparkle in her eyes had faded.

Other than that, nothing seemed amiss. Helen made her way through the servants to Keirsey.

“...Lady Keirsey?”

“.....Ah...”

The moment Keirsey spoke, Helen was struck by an odd sensation.

“...Miss Keirsey, are you in pain anywhere?”

Helen asked, following up.

Keirsey shook her head, then tried to speak.

“....Ah.....uh....ah...”

“.....Yes?”

“.....Uh.....oo....uh..”

Helen’s brow furrowed deeply as her heart started to race.magic

Eventually, Max, who was by Keirsey’s side, explained.

“...She understands everything we say. But... but she can’t speak.”

“...What?”

“...I’m not a doctor, but... it could be aphasia...”

Helen looked back at Keirsey.

Keirsey was trying to speak... no, she was weakly mumbling.

“.....uh...oh...opp....”

--- End Of The Chapter ---

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