"What are you doing?"
Lucian’s voice reached my ears, and in the next mont I felt his head rest lightly against my shoulder.
I turned and smiled at him. "Oh—Ena is showing us how rmaid magic is used in gardening."
"She’s a rmaid too?" Thalor frowned, clearly piecing together what he’d overheard earlier.
I nodded enthusiastically. "Mm-hmm. She’s special," I said proudly. "A phoenix and rmaid’s born. Cute, right?"
Before anyone could react, I rushed over and wrapped my arms around Ena’s shoulders.
Ena laughed softly, startled but indulgent. "My lady," she said fondly, "you’re exaggerating."
"I’m not," I replied at once. "You literally make flowers grow better just by touching the soil."
Thalor watched the scene in silence, his gaze lingering on Ena longer than necessary. Not suspicion, more to curiosity. The kind that ca from realizing the world was wider than he had believed.
Lucian humd quietly beside . "I collect rare beings without even trying."
"Are you talking about ?" I squinted at him.
"Well," he said lightly, "you are the only one like you. That’s rare enough." A smile curved on his lips, but before he could say more...
"Since you’re a rmaid," Thalor cut in, his voice low and sharp, "can you sense your own clan?"
His gaze locked onto Ena, intense enough that the air seed to tighten around us.
Ena startled slightly, then straightened, clearly caught off guard by the sudden attention. "Sense... my clan, my lord?" she repeated carefully.
"Yes," Thalor pressed. "Blood. Origin. Anything." His fingers flexed at his side, restless. "If soone carries rmaid blood, there should be an echo. A pull. Even if it’s faint."
Lucian glanced at him, expression unreadable. "You’re pushing."
"I know," Thalor replied without looking away. "That’s because ti doesn’t wait."
Ena hesitated, then shook her head slowly. "I can feel the sea," she admitted. "Tides. Currents. Sotis... mories." She t Thalor’s eyes, apologetic. "But I can’t pinpoint individuals. Not without a bond."
My chest tightened.
Thalor exhaled through his nose, frustration bleeding through his calm. "So it’s not that simple."
"No," Ena said gently. "It never is." She glanced at him, then added, "We are rmaids, not dolphins. We don’t echolocate our own kind just by existing."
That made sense.
"rmaid blood doesn’t automatically recognize rmaid blood," Ena continued. "Especially when it’s mixed, diluted, or hidden. So never awaken to it at all."
Thalor’s jaw tightened.
"So even if soone carries rmaid blood..." he said slowly, "they might never know?"
"Yes," Ena answered honestly. "They wouldn’t know unless soone who knew the truth chose to tell them."
"So even if that person was standing right beside you," Thalor said quietly, "it would still be impossible to tell?" His gaze drifted, unfocused for a mont, before his brows slowly drew together.
I followed the direction of his eyes.
My heart skipped. Vivian was no longer with us.
I turned sharply, just in ti to see her reaching the door leading back into the manor, her steps quick, shoulders stiff, as if she was trying to leave before anyone noticed.
"Vivian—" I called out without thinking.
She paused for half a second. Just one breath. Then she pushed the door open and disappeared inside.
The garden fell into an uneasy silence.
Thalor didn’t move. His expression barely changed, but sothing in his eyes dimd, like a wave pulling back before it crashed.
Auren, who had been silent until now, reached out and tapped the back of Thalor’s hand.
"You’ll find her," he said calmly. "If you could wait thirty years, one more month won’t be that hard, right?"
Thalor turned to him slowly, irritation flashing through his gaze. "And you’re that confident I’ll find her in a month?"
I blinked, completely lost as their exchange ca out of nowhere.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, looking between them. "Is this about his wife?"
Lucian exhaled quietly beside . "It is," he said.
Thalor let out a short, humorless laugh. "Seems like even the sea is tired of making wait," he muttered.
Auren t his eyes, steady and serious. "Or maybe," he said, "it’s finally giving you direction."
The garden fell quiet again.
Lucian suddenly leaned in and whispered sothing into Thalor’s ear, too low for to catch.
"What is it?" I imdiately grabbed Lucian’s arm, refusing to be left out. "I want to know."
Lucian only shook his head with a small smile. "Nothing."
Before I could protest, Thalor suddenly stepped forward and stopped right in front of Ena.
"Please bear with for a few seconds," he said quietly. "I want to test sothing."
Ena blinked, clearly startled by the sudden attention. "I’m sorry, my lord?"
Thalor took a breath.
"I, Thalor Veyra," he said clearly, "wish to annul this marriage—"
The world seed to freeze.
Everyone, including , went completely silent.
Ena, who stood directly in front of him, only blinked again. And again. She looked utterly lost.
Then she suddenly stiffened, her hand flying to her stomach as she crouched down slightly.
"Are you in pain?!" Thalor asked at once.
Lucian and Auren both leaned forward, their expressions sharp with the sa dangerous spark of hope.
Ena lifted her head, looking embarrassed.
"Sorry, my lord—ah, this..." She let out an awkward sigh. "I’ve actually been holding it in since earlier."
She hesitated, cheeks faintly pink. "May I... go to the toilet now?"
Then the tension shattered.
Lucian turned away first, coughing hard into his fist.
Auren closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
And Thalor—
Thalor only stared at her, utterly defeated.
"I see," he muttered.
"Go. Go now..." I urged Ena, pushing her to move before it was too late.
Thalor let out a long, tired sigh before turning around to face the manor. Then he raised his voice, loud and reckless, as if he no longer cared.
"I, Thalor Veyra, wish to annul this marriage with you, Mari—"
"Aaaargh!"
The scream tore through the air. It ca from the second floor.
My head snapped up instantly, my eyes locking onto one window—the guest room.
Vivian’s room.
"Vivian!" I shouted, already running toward the manor.
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