"What's wrong?"

Celia touched the butterfly birthmark on her neck, puzzled by Lena’s reaction. She felt nothing unusual.

Lena snapped back to reality, one hand pressed to her chest. Her breath came fast, her voice trembling in a way only she could sense.

"May I take a closer look? I’m… curious."

Celia didn’t refuse. Under the bright hallway lights, Lena saw the black butterfly clearly. Its vibrant wings spread boldly across pale skin, delicate patterns tracing its edges—a hint of dark allure against her neck.

"So beautiful…" Lena murmured, lost in thought.

This birthmark was identical to her daughter’s.

The same name might be coincidence. But the same mark, in the same place? This girl was almost certainly her child.

Lena’s heart hammered against her ribs. Her gaze grew complex—guilt, tenderness, and a probing confusion.

*How had Celia lived without her? How much had she suffered? Had anyone hurt her?*

*Why was the Demon Race princess raised as a human noble? Why did she want to become a Hero?*

Countless questions flooded her mind. She realized she knew almost nothing about Celia, despite being her landlord. She’d only ever seen her as a tenant passing through.

"Celia," Lena said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice steadier now. "After all this time, I still don’t know which noble house you belong to."

"Fiona."

"Fiona? That’s one of the great houses!" Lena covered her mouth in shock.

Celia puffed her chest out slightly, a proud smile tugging at her lips. The Fiona Clan was one of Roshi Empire’s three great noble houses. Everyone in the empire knew their name. Their power made even the imperial throne uneasy. Rumor said they could dethrone an emperor who crossed them. Celia rarely flaunted her lineage—but seeing her landlord stunned by it? That felt… nice.

Lena had known Celia’s family was influential, but not *this* powerful.

"Then why," she asked carefully, "would the Fiona heiress rent a room from me? Your family could buy all of Vedona if they wished."

"I ran away," Celia blurted. "Remember? My family didn’t approve of me becoming a Hero. So I slipped out."

Lena’s chest tightened. "Slipped out? That’s dangerous! Especially for a noble lady like you. Factions hostile to the Fionas—"

"I know, I know." Celia waved her off, reminded oddly of her family’s fussy maids. She crossed her arms, a stubborn edge in her voice. "It wasn’t really ‘slipping out.’ They must have allowed it. How could they miss a second-tier nobody like me escaping?"

"Besides, Aul tracked me to Vedona the moment I arrived. They probably think I’m just going through a rebellious phase. Hmph."

"Aul?" Lena caught the name.

"Yeah. The family steward. A nosy, stubborn old man with a cleaning obsession." Celia’s lips twisted, her polished ladylike manners forgotten. From her expression, Lena guessed Aul was likely the one opposing Celia’s Hero ambitions—or at least clashing with her fiercely.

"And your parents?" Lena pressed gently, her voice low. "Do they oppose you too?"

Celia froze. Her shoulders slumped, the light in her eyes dimming.

"I’ve never met them. I don’t know where they are… or what happened. Aul’s always managed the clan."

A night breeze slipped through the window. The towel-clad girl shivered slightly.

Guilt crashed over Lena. She pulled Celia into a warm embrace.

"...I’m sorry."

"Don’t apologize, Miss Lena. I’m used to it. It’s fine."

"You’ve been so strong. You must have endured so much."

"Eh, I’m the Fiona heiress. What hardship could I face?" Celia nuzzled against Lena’s soft chest, breathing in her floral scent. Then she gently pushed away.

"Lena, thank you for taking me in. Tomorrow—"

"Stay one more day," Lena interrupted softly. "Wait until Isa and the others return. They’ll miss you too. After this… who knows when we’ll meet again?"

Celia hesitated, thinking of her teammates. But under Lena’s pleading gaze, she relented.

"...Okay."

They exchanged goodnights and parted. Lena closed the hallway window, grabbed a random book from her study, and retreated to her room. From a drawer, she took a ring-shaped mana communicator. Its pale blue projection lit her face as she typed:

*[Sharin, can you find a Hero instructor for Celia?]*

Now that she knew Celia was her daughter, she couldn’t let her leave Vedona. She’d make up for every moment of lost motherhood.

The communicator flickered.

*Sharin: [After all this time, the first thing you ask is about Celia? My heart is broken.]*

Lena sighed. The poised, glasses-wearing president of the Heroes Guild was utterly different in private—playful, shameless, utterly lacking in decorum. Lena knew exactly how to handle her. She typed back:

*[How have you been lately?]*

*Sharin: [Fine. Monsters have been quiet. Not much work. I—]*

The messages poured in. Lena scrolled past them all. When the flickering slowed, she sent her request again:

*[Can you find an instructor for Celia?]*

*Sharin: […You really don’t care about me at all, do you, Miss Rena.]*

*Sharin: [I can’t. After learning Celia’s identity, no Hero in the Guild dares to train her team…]*

*Sharin: [I want to keep her here more than you do. With her talent, she could become legendary. But no one in Vedona will defy the Fiona Clan…]*

Lena typed swiftly:

*[So if someone *does* agree to train her team… she’ll stay?]*

*Sharin: [Theoretically, yes. But it’s impossible. Vedona is just a small town…]*

*[Understood.]*

Lena closed the communicator. She didn’t read Sharin’s reply.