When Sikar left the house, he mentioned that Hersia would come today, and at first, I was simply happy—but it wasn’t just that.

Because Hersia couldn’t make the decision herself, she asked me to decide together with her how to deal with Shalin once she arrived, so I couldn’t take it lightly.

“Hersia! How long has it been?! Where on earth have you been?!”

It had truly been ages since I last saw Hersia. Of course, part of it was because I’d been too busy to reach out, but Hersia herself had also been unreachable.

“Oh, Marquis told me to go into hiding, so I’ve been staying at Jeremi’s house. He said I might get caught in the political storm, so I wasn’t allowed to contact anyone.”

So Reidox had protected Hersia for Aaron’s sake.

I smiled at his thoughtful and wise judgment. I tightly grasped Hersia’s hands, whom I hadn’t seen in so long.

“You did really well, Hersia. Truly well done.”

But it seemed those words couldn’t comfort her. She reddened around the eyes, looking sorrowful.

“I heard everything yesterday. Aaron told me that today, His Highness Gillian’s… no, Gillian’s execution date will be decided. He also said the Duke’s youngest son has become the new king.”

“You were very surprised, weren’t you?”

“Yes…”

Hersia held her breath as if recalling that moment, then finally spoke.

“The Marquis asked me whether I was willing to abandon my family and marry Aaron. I said yes. Then suddenly, he ordered me to resign from my position as Lady Dienne’s handmaiden. When I told the Duke, he instructed me to obey the Marquis.”

“So you immediately went to stay at Jeremi’s house.”

“Yes. He told me if I wanted to live, I mustn’t move an inch from Jeremi’s house. Back then, I didn’t understand what he meant. But now I think I get it—he did it to prevent me from becoming entangled in Gillian’s affairs.”

Even though she survived thanks to that, her heart couldn’t be entirely at ease.

“Gillian’s matter is unavoidable, but the Mobiat family will be safe.”

“Really? Even though I was Lady Dienne’s handmaiden?”

“If anyone suspects you, both the Duke and the Marquis will resolve it. They’ll also make it clear there’s no connection whatsoever between you and the Mobiat family.”

Hersia sighed deeply, sounding frustrated. Genealogically speaking, Gillian was the son of Hersia’s maternal uncle.

No matter how distant their relationship, it couldn’t feel good—especially since his execution date would be decided today.

“Hersia, I don’t know if this will comfort you, but Gillian intended to sell you to Count Hamel. Had he not lost the throne, he would have exploited you somehow, using the excuse that you’re his cousin.”

“True, Gillian was certainly capable of that. But I never wished for him to die.”

“This didn’t happen because anyone wanted you dead. It’s simply the fate of royalty who failed to hold the throne. You understand that, don’t you?”

She didn’t answer, only nodding. I worried she might start endlessly blaming herself again.

“Now you must hold the wedding with Aaron. Oh, and we must also address Shalin’s crime.”

Since Hersia knew nothing about Shalin’s actions, she asked me as if confused.

“What about Shalin?”

“Shalin once fed you a poisonous flower.”

“What?”

She sounded so shocked her voice rang painfully in my ears.

“You mean she fed me that?!”

“But don’t worry. When you visited the Duke’s residence previously, we already administered the antidote.”

Hersia still looked incredulous.

“Are you sure it was really Shalin? She was always so kind to me… why…?”

“It was under Dienne’s orders—she had no choice. So please don’t take it too hard.”

“But can I really be the one to pass judgment on this matter?”

“Yes. The Duke will ask you, Hersia, how you wish her to be punished.”

Hersia’s hands trembled slightly. She gripped her teacup tightly with shaking fingers.

To think someone she believed was good had poisoned her—how shocked her gentle heart must have been.

Even someone less sensitive would be startled if told someone had poisoned them.

“I never dreamed such a thing had happened.”

“But it’s a confirmed fact. So you must decide firmly.”

“Must I really be the one to do it?”

“Yes. They entrusted the judgment to you, the victim. The Marquis asked you to decide, saying he’d base the final punishment on your decision.”

Hersia looked at me, surprised—as if astonished that even the seemingly kind Marquis had such a cold side.

“The Marquis?”

“Yes. Now that the Marquis has become Chancellor, he holds the authority.”

“I… I find it hard to make such a decision… What do you think I should do, Duchess?”

“I consider it attempted murder. So, in my opinion, confiscate all of Shalin’s assets and exile her to the North.”

“That severe?”

“Her life won’t be taken—that alone should be something to be grateful for.”

But true to her gentle nature, Hersia was still troubled even by that.

“Hersia, just as criminals are naturally imprisoned, this is merely a natural punishment. At least her life will be spared.”

Hersia looked deeply conflicted. Punishing someone she once held dear couldn’t be easy.

“I don’t know what’s right.”

“What’s certain is that you’re not doing anything wrong.”

Hersia sighed as if pondering, then looked at me with sad eyes.

“I’ll follow your will, Duchess.”

“Nonsense!”

Sikar gripped his sword tightly, ready to behead Gillian on the spot, but Gillian only smiled calmly.

“You know as well as I do—all those black-eyed people appear wearing strange clothes.”

Unfortunately, that wasn’t nonsense. Sikar acknowledged that Gillian clearly knew about the black-eyed people.

“Disappeared? Then explain that in detail.”

“I’m explaining it right now—pay attention and listen carefully.”

Gillian slowly retraced his memories.

“I combed through Recador like hunting for lice, searching for Veronia’s child. Then I noticed a black-eyed person. Black-eyed people… it’s rare to see such eyes in Recador, so I sent spies. They found no home, no family—nothing. So I imprisoned them here.”

“Then where is that black-eyed person now?”

“Didn’t I just say? They vanished. Completely, as if teleported by magic. But there was no trace of any magic circle.”

Sikar nodded as if understanding.

“Looks like someone summoned them. You really know how to exaggerate trivial things.”

“Do you think I’ve only seen black-eyed people once?”

“You mean you saw more?”

“While searching Recador for Kian, I encountered more than one or two.”

That was enough to pique Sikar’s interest.

Until now, Sikar had assumed Gillian was obsessed with finding Easterners, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case—he’d merely stumbled upon them while searching for Kian.

Sikar decided he needed to hear more.

“Go on.”

“I captured every black-eyed person I saw. But then—the second one I captured suddenly disappeared one day. Not like smoke vanishing. It was as if they were instantly erased from this place.”

“Really? That’s quite an amazing trick.”

“Usually, when people disappear, some phenomenon occurs. When you vanished with Pasium recently, there was an explosion. When wizards teleport, magic circle traces remain. Even when summoned, summoning circles appear. But in this case—it just vanished, incredibly, like a mirage. Have you ever seen someone disappear right before your eyes like that?”

Sikar didn’t answer; he only frowned and bit his lip.

“They must possess some ability even more astonishing than wizards.”

“No, it wasn’t ability or skill. It was a principle. They disappear when certain conditions are met.”

Sikar’s heart dropped heavily. Disappear instantly when certain conditions are met?!

“What absurd nonsense is this?!”

Sikar’s voice, grinding his teeth, carried heavy weight.

Gillian now looked more relaxed, as if sensing control had shifted to him.

“And I know those conditions. If you don’t believe me, just wait and see—your wife will vanish completely one day too. Forever from this world. Quite a spectacle, don’t you think?”

By saying “this world,” Gillian implied he also knew of other worlds.

“Once someone vanishes, they never return. If you don’t believe me, search that room. You’ll find objects used by the black-eyed people.”

Sikar immediately searched the adjacent room. There he found a cellphone—identical in shape to those from Yura’s world, though powered off.

“One of the common items seen among those who came here. They all carried those useless-looking square flat objects. But since their shapes vary slightly, I thought they might be identity tags.”

“You fool. That’s not an identity tag—it’s like a wizard’s crystal orb.”

“What? That square flat thing is a crystal orb?!”

“Enough of that nonsense. So you’re saying the black-eyed people know how to prevent themselves from vanishing in this world—is that right?”

Gillian now seemed satisfied, as if finally understood. He smiled approvingly.

“Yes. Spare my life, and I’ll tell you how. All I want is a quiet villa in the forest.”

“You still want to live, even in this state?”

“I only sought the throne because I wanted to live—just as you lot did. And I’m merely the loser of that survival struggle. Spare me. Otherwise, your wife vanishes. If you want to feel the emptiness of her disappearance, go ahead and kill me.”

Sikar wasn’t one to easily believe Gillian’s words, but circumstantially, there was no evidence proving him wrong.

“How can I believe you?”

“If you don’t believe me, capture some black-eyed people. Your wife has been lucky enough to endure so far—but she’ll vanish soon.”

Gillian looked quite pleased, as if he’d just landed an uppercut on someone he disliked.

“You know it won’t be easy to save the life of a traitor like you, right?”

“I’m royalty—if you exert enough influence, you can save me. If I’m executed, stir public opinion by claiming the king coldly killed his own blood relative—it could be resolved simply. Don’t you agree?”

“Cowardly bastard.”

“As I said, I just want to live.”

“Even trash like you values your own life. What’s your real reason for wanting to live?”

“Reason? There’s no such thing. People naturally want to live. I just want to breathe and live my life. Spare me. Spare me so your wife won’t vanish! If you don’t save me, your wife will disappear from this world forever!”