Episode 40
A stifling silence hung in the air.
In the oppressive stillness that pressed down on their shoulders, the twins stole glances at each other. Cheshire, who was usually carried around in the twins’ arms, stood on the ground for once, her small feet planted firmly. Before the two children and the toddler sat Belzeon, his expression as cold as frost. His face was so icy it seemed to radiate a chill.
Belzeon had been waiting when they returned home from the underworld. He had said he’d be out all day and wouldn’t return until the next morning, but somehow, perhaps having heard some news, he’d come back early. The moment he arrived, he summoned the three of them to his study. And now, he stood them there in silence, saying nothing.
While the twins were busy gauging his mood, Cheshire’s mind was a tangle of thoughts. *How does Zahar know the twins?* She tried to make sense of the incomprehensible situation, but it was impossible. The more she thought, the more question marks piled up in her head.
Then, Belzeon’s low voice broke the silence, calling their names. “Karuha, Ishuel.”
At the sound of their names, the twins snapped to attention, responding in unison.
“Yes.”
“Yes, big brother.”
Belzeon let out a long sigh. A short question followed.
“What were you thinking?”
Ishuel answered quickly. “Well, we were shopping for clothes and hats for the banquet…”
“And you thought it was fine to take this little one along?” Belzeon’s tone was sharp.
Karuha nudged Ishuel with his elbow, then replied cautiously, watching Belzeon’s reaction. “We were confident we could keep her safe.”
“That’s not the issue,” Belzeon said, exhaling another weary sigh. He paused, considering how to explain it at the twins’ level, then spoke again. “…She’s an ordinary child. You should have been more careful.”
The boys, with their wholly red eyes, turned to look at the toddler with her pink eyes, standing alone. Cheshire blinked, standing still as a statue.
Belzeon added in a murmur, “She’s not a Basilian.”
His words ushered in a subtle, different kind of silence. The twins froze, their eyes wide, as if they’d never imagined he’d say such a thing. Cheshire felt a strange pang. She understood what Belzeon meant, but it still stung. They’d grown somewhat attached, looking out for each other in their own way. But they were not family—not truly. Their relationship was undefined, hovering in an ambiguous space.
Caught in a swirl of complex emotions, Cheshire looked up at Belzeon. The moment their eyes met, she realized. *…Oh.*
*He’s planning to send me away before the banquet.*
Belzeon would send her out of the house. He didn’t want the Basilian family to commit an irreversible act. It was the most rational, logical, and utterly sensible decision.
Her gaze, fixed on Belzeon, slowly drifted downward until it settled on the floor. She stared at her tiny feet, barely half the size of an adult’s palm. Walking on her own felt foreign now—she’d grown so used to being carried in someone’s arms. When had she become so accustomed to living like a helpless child?
Cheshire pressed her lips together tightly. She could feel the weight of their gazes on the back of her head—Belzeon and the twins watching her—but she didn’t look up. She just stared at her feet. Her mind felt numb, as if doused with cold water.
She couldn’t stay in the Basilian household forever. She’d always planned to leave before the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly anyway. *So why did I assume I’d attend the banquet with them?* She’d been acting as if she were truly part of the Basilian family. Looking back, everything she’d done seemed utterly absurd. Approaching Count Rudin as a sorceress to cast a spell, going out to buy clothes and hats for the Basilians to wear at the banquet…
Cheshire thought of the many reasons behind her actions, but no matter what she came up with, she knew they were just excuses. *Was I really playing at being part of a family?*
The situation even suggested the Basilians might have experimented on fairies. Knowing this, why had she let herself indulge in such soft, sentimental thoughts? She couldn’t understand the flow of her own mind.
A faint, bitter smile crossed her lips.
“I’ll send you away from the Basilian household before the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly,” Belzeon had once said. “So don’t get too attached.”
Back then, she’d brushed it off, thinking *he* was the one getting attached. But now, here she was, acting like a fool while Belzeon remained coldly rational.
*I’m worse than a child. I need to reflect.* Before the banquet, she’d finish investigating the Basilian family. And when Belzeon sent her away, she could slip off quietly with Hata. That would be the most peaceful and rational course.
“Ha…”
Back in her bedroom, Cheshire climbed onto the toddler-sized footstool and flopped onto the bed. Spreading her short limbs wide, she stared at the ceiling. She’d refused the twins’ offer to escort her and returned to her room with a servant’s help. Hata hadn’t returned yet, so the room was quiet.
Lying alone in the silent room, Cheshire wrinkled her nose. Her mood remained sour. She pouted, then sat up. Unable to sleep, she felt the need to do *something*. Sliding off the bed, she toddled toward the window.
“…!”
Cheshire’s eyes widened. The shadow at her feet writhed. The bulging, squirming shadow surged upward. She tilted her head back to follow it. A man emerged, cutting through the darkness. Sweeping back his disheveled black hair, he flashed a sly smile with his sharp, narrowed eyes.
“Cheshire.”
Kierne reached out and scooped her up in one swift motion. Holding her close, he asked tenderly, “What’s my little girl been up to?”
His languid red eyes fixed on her. Cheshire hesitated, unable to answer right away. As she wavered, Kierne narrowed his eyes further and tapped her nose lightly with his finger. “Why the long face? Did big brother scold you a lot?”
He seemed to already know why she’d been scolded. Cheshire answered quickly, “No, it’s not that.”
“Was the outing no fun, then?”
“That’s not it either.”
“Hmm.” Kierne smiled softly. Still holding her, he spun in a slow circle. The hem of his coat flared out. The scent of the outside clung to him, tinged with the faint smell of blood. This man, who might have killed someone out there, became a doting father in front of Cheshire.
“Since big brother did the scolding, shall I take on the role of comforting you?” Kierne whispered with a grin. “Want to go look at flowers with Daddy?”
Without waiting for an answer, he whisked her away. Darkness surged, swallowing her vision in pitch black. When her sight cleared, a vast rose garden stretched before her. Thousands of roses, of every variety, filled the air with their heavy fragrance. Simply standing there, the scent seemed to seep into her entire body. To maintain a garden with so many distinct rose varieties—each with unique petals and forms—would require dozens of gardeners working year-round, meticulously pruning and tending.
This was no ordinary noble’s garden. It was more valuable than a fortune in gold. Showing off this extravagant rose garden as if it were a shiny new toy, Kierne asked, “Pretty nice, huh?”
Cheshire, still dazed, stammered, “Where… where are we?”
“Oh,” Kierne replied, and his answer nearly made her faint. “The Imperial Palace garden.”
