anwhile, at the Pluto Ducal House in the human realm.
Several days had passed since the prayer ritual dedicated to Ammas had concluded.
The event had granted the holy knights an extended leave, during which teor, who had been staying at the estate, prepared to return to the Holy Palace.
He busied himself packing his belongings and maintaining his weapons.
Yet, even as he focused on the task, a particular mory lingered in his mind.
"Crescent, what are you doing here?"
"I requested her as a personal guard. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Crescent. After all, wasn’t she like a sister to you, teor?"
It had happened on the day of the prayer ritual.
The mont he found Crescent in the sa room as Sienna was still fresh in his mory.
Even though he had apologized to her, the thought wouldn’t leave him.
He felt as though his actions had dragged Crescent into sothing she shouldn’t have had to endure.
She wasn’t soone any noble could casually summon as a guard.
Though Crescent herself may not have cared, teor couldn’t help feeling weighed down. But he quickly shook his head.
...Enough. What does it matter to ? She’s the Demon King’s daughter, after all.
As a holy knight, he wasn’t like the others.
She was of the Demon King’s bloodline.
There was no reason for him to dwell on it any longer.
Just as he resolved to put the matter aside, a knock ca at the door.
Looking up to see who it was, the door opened to reveal his mother.
He paused what he was doing and greeted her.
"Mother."
"tty, what were you up to?" Lady Rearwin Pluto asked with a bright smile, scanning the room.
The sight of his packed bags and weapons laid out indicated he was preparing to return to the Holy Palace.
Her expression turned knowing, and she smiled again.
"Ah, so you’re leaving this evening. Before you go, could you stop by sowhere for ?"
"Sowhere? If it’s necessary, I’ll go," teor replied nonchalantly.
He didn’t think much of it. His mother wouldn’t ask him to go sowhere without reason, so he figured it would be a quick errand.
His easy agreent brought a pleased expression to Rearwin’s face.
"Oh, thank you, dear. You see, today is quite a special day for young ladies preparing for marriage."
"...Marriage?"
A sudden sense of foreboding crept over teor.
Young ladies preparing for marriage—could she an Sienna?
"Sienna is having her wedding dress fitted today. Do you know how long we’ve waited for this day? I would’ve liked to attend, but I think it would an more to her if you went instead."
"...."
His unease had been spot on.
He had no desire to see Sienna at the mont, especially after the incident with Crescent.
But Sienna was, after all, his fiancée. It wasn’t sothing he could refuse.
Rearwin gently wrapped her arm around teor’s.
"Go have so tea with Sienna. It’ll make her so happy. You won’t see her often once you’re married, so surely you can manage that much?"
"...Understood," teor replied reluctantly, nodding.
Thinking back, he realized he owed Sienna an apology as well. His behavior that day hadn’t been ideal.
His agreent brought a look of delight to his mother’s face.
With a deep sigh, teor boarded the carriage.
Sienna resided at the Tudor Ducal House’s northern estate. The Tudor family’s main residence was in the capital, but Sienna had been living in the northern estate for several years.
teor’s sudden appearance at the estate startled the servants, who hadn’t expected his visit.
"Where is Lady Tudor?" he asked calmly.
"Ah, the young lady is in the second-floor drawing room, having tea with guests. I’ll go inform her of your arrival imdiately!"
"No need. Interrupting her guests would be impolite. I’ll wait until their conversation is over."
"Y-Yes, but—"
"Shall I wait in the first-floor drawing room?" teor gestured toward the room he was familiar with, having visited before.
The servants hesitated but eventually nodded, unable to persuade him otherwise.
Guests? Had she already tried on the dress?
teor recalled hearing from his mother that Sienna often spent ti with noblewon her age in the north.
It seed they had co to visit today as well.
Settling onto a sofa in the first-floor drawing room, teor was soon served tea by the staff. He sipped his tea and skimd the newspaper to pass the ti.
But a strange thought suddenly struck him.
Setting his teacup down, he fell into deep contemplation.
Why had Sienna suddenly wanted to see Crescent that day? Was it truly just to ask her to serve as a guard?
Sienna’s aristocratic and capricious behavior unsettled him.
For so reason, the incident refused to leave his mind.
After wrestling with the thought for a while, he folded the newspaper and stood.
Sienna would be on the second floor.
Leaving the first-floor drawing room, he ascended the central staircase. Halfway up, he heard the sound of laughter from above.
It seed the conversation in the second-floor drawing room was lively and cheerful.
Approaching the door from which the voices emanated, he raised his hand to knock.
"By the way, didn’t you say you’d be eting Lady Crescent recently? How did that go?"
"...."
teor froze mid-motion.
Crescent’s na rang clearly in his ears.
"Was it nice seeing her again after so long?"
"It must have been. Lady Sienna and Lady Crescent could’ve been sisters, couldn’t they?"
"They almost beca sisters in a far more complicated way. Just imagine—Lady Sienna and Lady Crescent both in love with the sa man. It’s dizzying to think about."
"Ha ha."
The laughter was soft but didn’t last long. The mood turned somber.
Sienna sighed faintly before speaking.
"Though it’s been years, I still hope it was all just rumors. If it were true, many in the Pluto family would be deeply pained."
"Truly, it would be like repaying kindness with betrayal. How could anyone fall for the son of their stepmother?"
"Thankfully, the Pluto family severed ties with her. If they hadn’t, Lady Sienna could’ve been in serious trouble. Lady Crescent may be a fine knight, but considering what she did to Lady Sienna…"
"Pardon? What happened?"
"Oh my, you don’t know, Lady Rozanne?"
"It’s not a story worth revisiting. It’s hardly pleasant to hear," soone interjected.
Sienna’s expression darkened.
The other young ladies around her looked at her with sympathetic eyes.
Beneath the table, Sienna clenched her hands tightly.
She was still preoccupied with what had happened a few days ago.
"How dare you…"
"How dare you assign Crescent as your personal guard?"
Sienna had tried so hard to win teor’s favor, yet all she received were words of reproach.
All because of Crescent.
Who even was that woman?
Was it true?
Was the rumor from when Crescent had been disowned actually true—that teor had feelings for her, forcing the Pluto family to cut ties?
At first, Sienna couldn’t believe it.
True or not, the idea was deeply unpleasant.
A fiancé harboring feelings for another woman—especially a woman who had once been considered his legal sibling—was damaging to Sienna’s honor.
So, she had spread a different rumor.
That Crescent hadn’t been disowned because of teor’s feelings for her, but because Crescent had feelings for teor.
Since then, the original rumor had disappeared.
That had been four years ago.
In all that ti, teor had shown Sienna no interest beyond fulfilling his obligations as her fiancé with cold professionalism.
Year after year, Sienna grew more anxious.
What if the rumor from four years ago wasn’t a lie?
What if teor truly loved Crescent?
Desperate for clarity, she had devised a plan.
She arranged for herself, Crescent, and teor to et in the sa place.
If they were in the sa room, she thought, their gazes and attitudes toward each other would reveal the truth.
And she had found her answer.
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