“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

The priests ignored Veronia blocking their path and hurriedly chased after Sikar’s group.

The High Priest had promised a high-ranking priesthood position to whoever retrieved the tome.

Thus, the King’s mother was beneath their notice.

“Stop! Can’t you hear me?! What is this behavior in Princess Veronia’s residence?! I said stop!”

But they paid no heed to Roen’s words. They thought only of the High Priest’s orders and their mission. Thus, they regarded Roen as an obstruction and instead issued a warning.

“If we reach the temple, we intend to report every single one of Lady Roen’s actions. You should prepare yourself accordingly, Lady Roen.”

“Are you threatening me right now?”

“We are advising you to clarify your attitude.”

Even Roen could no longer stop them.

She looked at Veronia with regret, but Veronia had no time to spare glancing at Roen.

Veronia had managed to immobilize two of the priests chasing Jeremi, but she could not possibly bind all of them.

Valije attempted to summon spirits to aid Veronia, but for some reason, he could not focus at all.

Instead, as he tried to exert power, a crushing hunger surged through him, causing him to stagger and collapse right where he stood.

“This… this can’t be…”

Valije could not understand why his body had deteriorated to this state. Even when famished, he had never been so utterly drained of strength.

While Valije sat helplessly collapsed, Veronia walked toward him, exhaling white breath.

“Valije. Are you alright?”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help at all, Veronia.”

“It’s fine. The priests won’t move quickly through these snowy mountains anyway. By then, Jeremi will have escaped. They’ll be safe now.”

“But, what exactly happened, Veronia? Where is Kian? Where is he? I miss Kian… Veronia…”

Veronia could not decide where or how to begin explaining.

To Veronia, Valije was that kind of person—the one who softened her ever-rational, ever-calm heart. The one who made her flinch.

Veronia let out a long sigh.

“Promise me you won’t laugh.”

Valije felt a bad premonition. His pupils trembled violently.

“Why are you acting like this? Did something happen to our Kian? Didn’t you just say he became king? Did someone install him as a puppet monarch?”

“No, it’s not like that. Not at all…”

Veronia paused a little longer, then slowly opened her mouth as she looked at Valije.

“Kian is ten years old now, Valije.”

Valije could not comprehend what she meant. Suddenly ten years old?

“Ten years old? Our Kian is seven—how can he be ten now?”

“Yes. Three years have passed since then.”

“So… I’ve been lying unconscious for those three years… That’s why my legs are weak and I’m this hungry…”

“No, you didn’t lose consciousness. You…”

Veronia’s throat tightened. After taking a deep breath, she continued.

“You died. Three years ago.”

Valije could not believe it.

“Veronia, I can’t make sense of what you’re saying. I died? But I’m alive right here!”

“You survived because Duke Blake risked his life to steal the ancient resurrection scroll from the Grand Temple.”

“Duke Blake risked his life to save me? Why? What does he have to do with me?!”

Veronia’s throat kept tightening, forcing her to cough several times.

“While we couldn’t care for Kian, he adopted our Kian and raised him well. Our Kian grew up strong and cheerful, never lonely, Valije.”

Unable to hold back any longer, Veronia began to cry. Tears also streamed down Valije’s cheeks as he silently listened to her.

“Our Kian… I died leaving our Kian behind… How lonely he must have been. How hard it must have been for him…”

Wiping her flowing tears, Veronia forced a smile.

“Don’t worry. He’s growing up bright and healthy now. I’m so glad to meet you again alive, Valije. I missed you so much…”

Valije felt his heart tear apart as he embraced Veronia.

“I guess I failed to protect Kian. I’m sorry, Veronia. I’m sorry… I’m not worthy as a father…”

“No, you protected Kian with your life. That makes you worthy as Kian’s father. Let’s go meet Kian now. He’ll be overjoyed.”

Veronia and Valije sat down on the white snowfield, embracing each other and weeping.

The place Jeremi led Vika to was Pasium’s hideout, accessible via an invisible magic circle at the end of the Recador River.

“No one will find us here.”

As Jeremi drew upon the invisible magic circle, Vika and the unconscious, collapsed Sikar were simultaneously warped to the hideout.

Pasium’s hideout was a quiet wooden villa nestled beside a forest and a calm stream.

Pasium, hammering wooden planks onto the deck, jumped up in surprise at Jeremi’s sudden warp.

He noticed the collapsed Sikar before him and Vika watching him warily.

His eyes widened as if asking what was happening. Jeremi could guess what question Pasium wanted to ask just from his expression.

“Ah. I came to ask a favor. I’d like you to hide these people here for a while.”

Pasium nodded vigorously, as if to say not to worry.

Yet Vika still gripped his sword, eyeing Pasium warily, while Jeremi showed his open palm to reassure him.

“Don’t worry, Lord Vika. Pasium, whose cage was destroyed, has lost all memories—and naturally, that much of his power too. He has reverted to his long-ago innocent and cheerful self, so he’ll be very friendly toward you, Lord Vika.”

But Vika, who did not easily trust people, did not fully lower his guard.

“We’ll see.”

Once the Duke awakens, they could uncover Pasium’s true nature; until then, cautious observation without rash attacks would suffice.

Pasium prepared a place for Sikar to lie down. Though his wounds had been treated, Sikar remained unconscious, lying motionless like a corpse.

“Foolish man.”

Vika could not understand Sikar’s foolishness—having saved his adopted son’s biological father, yet becoming nearly corpse-like himself.

“Jeremi. Just in case—is there any way you could wake Sikar up once more, like you did earlier?”

Jeremi, leaning back in a chair as if finally catching his breath and sipping water, opened his mouth as if exasperated.

“Lord Vika, if I attempt that again with my current stamina, I might be the one needing a funeral first.”

“Hmm. I see. Then don’t do it. Just don’t. Who’s forcing you?”

“I thank you for your generous magnanimity, Lord Vika.”

Ignoring Jeremi’s sluggish words, Vika leaned back comfortably against the chair.

It was a rare moment of rest.

“Duchess! Thank you so much for coming to my wedding!”

Hersia was a bride dazzlingly beautiful.

Yet, it was regrettable that Roen and Jeremi could not attend.

And what saddened me even more was that, though I had received a proposal the same day as Hersia, Sikar was not by my side.

Perhaps sensing my loneliness, Kian accompanied me.

Because of that, even nobles who had previously ignored the invitation now hurried to attend Hersia’s wedding.

If Sikar were here, would I be holding his hand and attending this wedding right now?

At that thought, my eyes reddened once again.

Embarrassingly, Kian always seemed to catch me at just the right moment, looking at me and gently wiping away my tears.

“Mother…”

The wedding was neither overly grand nor overly modest.

As planned, Reidox officiated. He concluded the ceremony calmly and composedly, as if he specialized in weddings.

Amidst the blessings of the guests, the wedding ended successfully. Given Hersia’s many past hardships, she was deeply moved simply by the ceremony concluding without incident.

After the wedding, Hersia boarded a flower-decorated carriage with Aaron and waved to the guests. Hersia’s bright, cheerful smile was beautiful.

Kian and I also waved both hands toward Hersia.

“Will our King also go on a honeymoon like that someday?”

I said it thinking of Kian’s future, but Kian’s face flushed red. When I looked, Lucy had come to stand beside us.

Ah, that’s why Kian blushed.

“Welcome, Lucy.”

“Greetings, Duchess.”

Lucy seemed to have matured considerably since I last saw her. Now, the dignity of a future queen was gradually becoming visible in her.

Lucy bowed calmly.

“I regret Duke’s passing, Duchess. Since the funeral was held in secret, I couldn’t pay my respects in person, but I shall always pray for his soul and mourn him.”

Sikar should have seen Lucy matured like this…

Feeling my eyes begin to redden again, I quickly blinked before Kian noticed.

Then Durion approached me.

“Princess Veronia has arrived.”

‘Veronia? What is Veronia doing at Hersia’s wedding?’

I adjusted my voice slightly and asked,

“Where is Her Highness now?”

“She has already arrived.”

As I stood to go to Veronia, she walked in first. For some reason, her expression today seemed especially gentle.

“It’s been a while, Duchess Blake.”

“Oh, you’ve arrived, Your Highness.”

Beside Veronia stood a man I did not recognize, but I paid him little mind.

But I felt Kian’s hand trembling. And at Kian’s next words, my own hand trembled in surprise.

“Dad?”

“Dad?”

Kian stared ahead, as if unable to believe it.

“M, Mother… th, this is strange.”

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

“I, I see my f, father. V, Valije Tahigon! I see my real father!”

V, Valije? Valije Tahigon?! Valije is alive?!

What on earth is going on?!

I was utterly bewildered.