While steadily moving her feet, Aeli tilted her head and smacked her lips.

Alright, fine.

Even if she was curious, no one would answer her anyway, so questions were a luxury for a ghost.

‘Besides, Adi will have to go to the temple soon too.’

The opportunity will come by the end of this year at the latest.

Although it’s hard to understand why the Mason family stood by idly until the child ended up in this situation.

Once a child turns five, according to imperial law, all children, regardless of social status, must visit the temple to receive a blessing.

In other words, it means they can go outside the mansion.

‘Unless there’s a major problem preventing them from going to the temple, it’s a procedure that must be followed no matter what, so even Lutis can’t do anything about it.’

This obsession was even stronger in the closed-off aristocratic society.

The prevailing opinion was that if someone couldn’t even go to receive a blessing, there must be something wrong with them.

From minor health issues to major concerns about intelligence, people gossiped, so no one broke this rule to avoid suspicion.

− When the time comes, I should either teach him about the hidden account…

Or create an excuse to move the child to the Mason family.

At least Mari was a trustworthy ally, so she would be of help.

‘The problem is that I’m a ghost, so even if I make plans, can I actually carry them out?’

Well… whatever the outcome, there’s no harm in being healthy, so regular walks might be necessary?

Stop.

“…”

− …?

While continuing these thoughts and heading towards Mari with the child, it happened.

Aeli suddenly gripped her skirt tightly and lowered her gaze.

− Adi?

It was because of the small figure that had suddenly stopped walking.

As she lowered her head to face him, she noticed that the child’s gaze was directed elsewhere.

Aeli moved her eyes to follow the child’s gaze.

She caught sight of a few servants who had been busy going back and forth between the main building and the annex for the past few days.

‘What’s this…?’

Just as she was about to open her mouth in this puzzling situation.

“Lia.”

− Oh, yes?

“… I don’t want to eat candy anymore.”

− What do you mean all of a sud-, oh…

Before she could finish speaking, the child turned around and quickly climbed the stairs, disappearing.

Aeli, who came to her senses a beat late, was left standing alone in the long corridor.

‘The child… wasn’t the type to cut off others’ words and leave like this, was he?’

The current situation was utterly perplexing.

It was then that Aeli, who had been racking her brains to figure out what was going on, paused.

Until just last week, the child hadn’t shown any particular reaction to the servants, let alone any interest.

He would just pass by them as if they were paintings on the wall.

If that’s the case, it means the cause must have been recent, but as far as she knew, there was nothing unusual except for the visit to the main building.

Since she had been by the child’s side all day, the chances of something happening without her knowledge were…

‘Practically non-existent, I’d say.’

Aeli calmly organized her thoughts in her mind. Well, she wasn’t exactly calm, but she tried anyway.

What was the cause?

Would he run away in such fear just because he visited the main building?

The child wasn’t that sensitive.

Then why did the servants go to the main building?

‘… For mansion maintenance, of course.’

What was the reason for that maintenance?

As she eliminated possibilities, there was only one left in the end.

− … Lutis.

Aeli quietly let out a deep sigh and rubbed her forehead.

− … I made a mistake.

No matter how mature he seemed, Adi was still just a four-year-old child.

Of course, it wouldn’t be okay for his only father to return after nearly three years of confining him to the annex and not even showing his face.

There was no way he could be alright. Pretending to be fine doesn’t make it truly fine.

It might be a hasty conclusion, but her instinct was clear.

Whatever the reason, Lutis was somehow connected to the child’s unusual behavior.

Now that she knew this, she could no longer postpone what she had been putting off.

− …

Recalling the rarely distorted face the child made just before turning his back, Aeli thought.

It seemed she would have to go see Lutis tonight after all.

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Though she tried to remain composed, it was impossible not to keep an eye on the child consciously or unconsciously.

Aeli followed the child who had first headed to the attic room, and upon entering, she found him already sitting in the desk chair, staring at the flower pot, rolling her eyes.

Then Mari brought food, and shortly after the child finished his meal, he chatted briefly with Mari.

It was only about three or four hours after the sun had set and darkness had fallen that the child began to yawn.

When he was tired, she coaxed and persuaded him to wash up, saying they should go to sleep for the day, and it didn’t take long for him to fall into a deep slumber.

And then.

… Now is the time.

− He won’t wake up, right…?

Aeli, who had quietly stepped out of the room lest the child wake up, let out the breath she had been holding.

There was no need to go this far since there would be no sound unless she deliberately made noise to draw attention, but it was a matter of feeling.

Ever since she had once secretly tried to run away while the child was asleep and witnessed the roof show that made her already stopped heart stop again, Aeli needed to be meticulous.

‘Let’s see just how grand the things you’re doing are, abandoning your rabbit-like child.’

Aeli ground her teeth and headed towards the main building.

Being a ghost meant she didn’t have to walk, so she could arrive instantly if she wanted to.

− Oh, but… what if he’s sleeping?

Aeli, who had quickly entered the main building, stopped as she was about to look around the places where Lutis might be.

Due to her troubled mind and the anger that had built up over time, she had only thought about going to find Lutis and hadn’t considered the important factor of time.

‘… He usually goes to bed at 10 o’clock, doesn’t he?’

What kind of person was Lutis? He was one of the few Sword Masters in the empire, and not only that, but he was also the Captain of the Imperial Knights and held the title of Duke.

It was only natural that he would have an unimaginable amount of work.

It was a wonder how he managed to handle all that work while still maintaining his bedtime.

− But the current time is…

Aeli’s mouth clamped shut as she recalled the time she had checked before leaving the attic room.

Worried that the child might wake up in the middle, she had waited about two more hours to make sure he was completely asleep before leaving.

… It was already well past midnight.

‘Am I really going to just look at his sleeping face and come back? Seriously?’

Does this even make sense?

It was at that moment, as she was wandering around the empty first floor of the mansion where everyone except the night guards had gone to sleep at this late hour.

Thump, thump.

The sound of footsteps echoing in the corridor came from far away.

Aeli turned her head towards the sound and her eyes widened. It was a familiar face.

‘So… it was Lord Montero, probably.’

Siren Montero. The second son of the Montero Count family, one of Rattliff’s vassals.

Born with dark teal hair and lemon-colored eyes, which could be considered the symbol of the family, he had reportedly given up his right of succession early on, claiming he had no intention of threatening the line of succession.

To whom? To Lutis.

And currently, he was the captain of the Rattliff family’s knights… huh?

‘The knights’ quarters are on the opposite side from here.’

Aeli’s eyes suddenly gleamed as she watched the knight captain, who seemed deeply troubled about something, quickly climbing the stairs.

That direction was clearly where Aeli and Lutis’s bedroom and office were located.

Unless the knight captain had suddenly gone mad and was about to barge into Lutis’s bedroom at this hour, his destination was as good as decided.

Aeli hurriedly followed the knight captain. Somehow, she had a feeling they were looking for the same person.

− If he’s not there, I’ll just look for him alone again.

Anyway, it was a rather novel experience to be able to talk alone in close proximity to a trained knight without being detected.

How many seconds had they walked down the long corridor?

Due to his quick pace, the knight captain stopped sooner than expected, and his location was, of course, in front of a very familiar door.

“I’m coming in.”

Aeli’s eyes widened as he knocked and then opened the door without waiting for a response.

She couldn’t help but be surprised, vaguely remembering the knight captain’s character of strictly adhering to the chain of command.

Entering in bewilderment at this unprecedented behavior, Aeli doubted her own eyes.

‘… What kind of state is this?’

Aeli’s jaw dropped, doubly shocked at the sight of her husband that soon came into view.

‘Do they starve him on the battlefield?’

His appearance had noticeably changed since she last saw him, his face gaunt from weight loss, with dark circles deeply set under his sharply honed eyes.

Aeli, who had momentarily stepped back at the killing intent that seemed to be seeping out uncontrollably, was shocked.

It wasn’t just his appearance, but the ensuing conversation with the knight captain that contributed greatly to her shock.

“This can’t go on any longer. Let’s stop here for today and go to bed, sir.”

“Get out.”

Lutis frowned as if he had a headache and opened his mouth.

“Who gave you permission to enter?”

“I know you wouldn’t have given permission even if I had waited. I came as a representative of everyone who’s worried, so please don’t take out your anger on me.”

“Disobeying orders is grounds for immediate execution. Do you have two lives, my lord?”

“Yes, that might have been true a few days ago, but we’re not on the battlefield now, so immediate execution is impossible. You know that too, Your Grace.”

Aeli drew in a sharp breath as Lutis mumbled profanities while rubbing his forehead with a tired expression.

Wait, so the man in front of her now… was this really her husband?

Where had that upright young man gone, the one who smiled brightly and smelled like sun-dried bedding on a sunny day, despite his large build?

Was this cold-blooded man in his place, looking as if he wouldn’t bleed even if pricked with a needle, or if he did, only blue blood would flow beneath his skin?

“I may not be able to kill you immediately, but I can still punish you. You’re confined for a week starting today. Eat nothing but water and bread. Sleep is also prohibited.”

“Even if I must leave, I need to hear a definitive answer before I go. Please go to bed now, sir.”

Even to Aeli, who didn’t know much about military law, this punishment seemed unreasonable.

Her mind, frozen in shock at the behavior and words so different from the Lutis she knew, refused to process it properly.

As if this wasn’t the first time such a situation had occurred, the knight captain continued without batting an eye. Aeli blinked rapidly at the words that it had been over a month since anyone had seen him sleep.

“While it might be understandable on the battlefield given the circumstances, there’s a problem with continuing like this after returning. Your Grace, you need rest now, and as your vassal, it’s my duty to be concerned about my lord’s well-being.”

“Hah…”

“… I understand that you’re struggling because of your wife, but it’s been 4 years already. Even for a Sword Master, any more than this is truly danger—”

Swoosh—

It was just as Lord Montero was speaking heatedly.

Something quickly cut through the air with a sound, and a mysterious object passed through Aeli’s body.

Straining to turn her creaking neck to check, she saw that the quill pen that had been in Lutis’s hand until just now was stuck in the wall.

So, he had just used force against someone who was worried about him?

And this was coming from the person who had said that those with power should not wield it recklessly and should have a sense of responsibility?

− …

The quill pen he had thrown grazed the cheek of the person in front of him, leaving a thin, line-like wound.

While fixated on something that she wasn’t sure was human or monster, Aeli simply couldn’t understand what this situation was all about.

“I told you to get out. Don’t make me say it three times.”

She really couldn’t comprehend it at all.

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