“When... when did you find this place?” Elsa cried out in shock when she saw Suran.

The royal palace was enormous, and countless knights were patrolling it. Even if Suran was capable enough to sneak in, finding the exact hidden chamber where Plamia was imprisoned shouldn't have been easy.

There were many secret chambers in the palace. Every single one had guards. The whole point was to confuse intruders, so no one could tell which room actually held Plamia.

Yet Elsa had never expected Suran to find the right place so quickly, and without a single mistake.

“I got here before you, Miss Elsa. And you were the one who showed me the way,” Suran replied flatly.

“I showed you the way?”

Elsa froze for a second, then suddenly realized it.

“Could it be...?”

“That empty bottle you picked up was the bait I prepared for you.”

Suran spoke as she slowly walked toward Elsa. As she did, she took the magic crystal from her.

“I knew that once you sensed the aura on that empty bottle, you'd definitely come here to kill Plamia. Do you know why I didn't keep asking you where exactly in the palace Plamia was being held?”

“Because there was no need. That would've just wasted my time.”

Suran's voice was calm and unhurried.

“Within a certain range, I can sense its presence. And that empty bottle was the key evidence you used to frame Plamia. There was no way you wouldn't keep it on you.”

“But what you didn't know was that I could also use the aura left on that bottle to confirm its location. Once I had that, your route was as good as exposed.”

“So the moment you entered the palace and headed in a certain direction, you'd already pointed the way for me. You marked out the area and made it easy for me to find this place. I should be thanking you.”

As she spoke, Suran smiled and patted Elsa on the head, as if praising her for a job well done.

Elsa was so furious her teeth ground together. Her eyes looked ready to pop out. But no matter how angry she was, she couldn't resist.

If she moved even a little, she'd start bleeding heavily at once.

“I came here for one reason only. To retrieve this as quickly as possible.”

Suran examined the magic crystal in her hand and muttered to herself.

“I didn't plan on meddling in this mess. It would've just wasted my time. But—”

Her gaze suddenly turned cold.

“I really can't stand betrayal.”

Just as Suran had said, in her clash with Elsa, she had won completely. She had even used Elsa to locate the magic crystal in the shortest time possible. She could've simply taken it and left.

But the moment she thought of Elsa's vile actions, she found it hard to let it go. And since she had happened to run into the princess of Aust, she might as well tell her the truth.

“Your Highness, you've witnessed everything that happened tonight with your own eyes. I'll leave this one to you.”

Suran pointed at Elsa and said to Philoire, “I look forward to you making the truth public. Of course, don't mention me. Just act as if I was never here.”

“I... I will.”

Philoire answered in a low voice. She looked utterly drained.

Clearing Plamia's name should have been something to celebrate. But once she learned the truth, all she felt was anger and regret. She couldn't help worrying that there might be more cases like this within the Holy Flame Order... or even across the entire kingdom.

Suran then glanced at Plamia beside her.

After waking up, Plamia had naturally recognized Suran long ago. But perhaps to protect Philoire, she hadn't spoken to Suran or exposed her identity. She only stared at Suran with a trace of fear in her eyes, while keeping herself poised to shield Philoire at any moment.

“This one... seems to be... one of my followers?”

Suran recalled their first meeting. Plamia had been knocked down by her again and again, yet she always got back up. She had claimed that Shuran was her faith, and that she absolutely couldn't fall so easily.

Thinking back on it now, Plamia had contributed a lot to helping Suran recover her past memories.

Clearing your name this time can count as thanks.

“Well then, you two. Until we meet again.”

The time was about right. Suran still had real business to handle next. After saying that to Plamia and Philoire, she leaped gracefully out the window, light and elegant, and vanished into the thick night in the blink of an eye.

...

Crimson Garden.

A pair of small feet in black stockings, tucked into little leather shoes, idly tapped against the ground now and then. Sitting on a swing, the petite silver-haired girl stared blankly into empty space. In her deep crimson eyes, there was no focus at all.

After a while, a maid appeared behind her and reached out to push her from the back, setting the swing in motion.

Yet the expression on her face didn't change. She only said calmly,

“Night Raven, stop imitating Suran.”

Night Raven, now dressed in a maid outfit, looked at her own hand and muttered, “Was I pushing too hard?”

“That isn't the problem.”

Lyasis stopped the swing and turned back to Night Raven.

“No matter how perfectly you imitate her, I can still tell. You're not Suran. Change out of that maid outfit.”

“But you look so lonely.”

“Change.”

“Yes.”

Demonic energy stirred around Night Raven, and in the blink of an eye, she had changed clothes.

She had thought that putting on a maid outfit and imitating Suran might make Lyasis feel a little better.

But now it seemed to have had the opposite effect.

“Lady Suran went to inspect the battle situation in the south. She's been gone for almost ten days now. Do you really not need me to track her down?” Seeing the silence settle in, Night Raven quickly changed the subject.

“Don't do that.”

Lyasis shook her head. Other than that refusal, she said nothing more.

Night Raven never dared to casually guess at Lyasis's thoughts or question her. She could only nod and answer softly, “Yes.”

“You may leave. Let me be alone,” Lyasis continued.

“But you've barely eaten or rested properly for ten days. Maybe—” Night Raven still tried to persuade her.

“I'll wait for Suran here.”

Lyasis cut her off. Her answer was stubborn and resolute.

Seeing that, Night Raven didn't know what else to say. In the end, she could only let out a sigh and quietly walk away.

Back when Lyasis was still a queen, she had lived in loneliness day after day, always waiting for someone to appear and change her fate.

Later, that person really did appear, and Lyasis used her own methods to make that person hers.

Now their relationship had fallen into crisis. Knowing she was at fault, she let Suran leave. And just like before, she began waiting again.

But the state of mind behind these two waits was worlds apart.

The “someone” she had waited for before had been vague and intangible. Everything had been uncertain, so Lyasis had been able to wait for a very, very long time.

But now, the person she was waiting for had already carved her voice, her face, her every expression deep into Lyasis's heart.

That meant this time, waiting was destined to be torment.

No wonder Night Raven had sighed like that.

She couldn't be sure whether Lyasis would be able to endure it.