On the dining table, everyone was gathered, including Erwin.
On the left of the Patriarch sat his eldest son, and on the right sat his wife.
Beside William were Emma and then Fiona, while Erwin took his seat next to his sister.
Across from them, beside Aleda, sat Lavender with her father next to her.
"I am delighted to hear that, Sir Carter," Hern said with a warm smile. "Your investnt in the fishery departnt would finally give the small fishern scattered across the eastern sea soone to rely on."
William raised a brow. "You’re getting into trading now? Isn’t your job as Count already exhausting enough?"
Aleda narrowed her eyes at William for questioning the Count, but the man only laughed. "What’s the harm in trying sothing new? And honestly, with the drop in cri, I finally have room to explore other fields."
William shrugged. "Just try not to empty the vault."
Emma smiled and shook her head. They really were far more relaxed with each other than she had imagined.
Count Carter was infamous — ruthless, strict, unforgiving.
Yet with his family, he seed like a completely different person.
"By the way, Emma. What does your family do?" Lavender’s voice held a polite curiosity, but her eyes glead with sothing else as the attention shifted to Emma.
The silver-haired girl glanced at William, uncertain, before replying softly, "My father is an inventor." It wasn’t a lie... but it wasn’t the full truth either.
She wasn’t sure if the Count knew her father’s actual status, so she chose the safest answer.
The Master of the East Wind was indeed a great inventor.
"I wonder if your family knows you’re dating William," Lavender said while rolling a pea across her plate with her spoon.
Hern’s expression tightened at his daughter’s tone, but before he could intervene, Emma replied, "He knows. And he accepted our relationship."
Lavender smiled. "Of course he would. Who wouldn’t want their daughter married to a Count’s son?"
"Lavender." William’s deep voice cut through the room like a blade.
The pink-haired girl froze.
His gaze darkened. "Stop disrespecting soone’s parents."
Lavender’s eyes widened in shock. "I... I’m sorry. I didn’t an to sound rude." She turned toward Emma and bowed her head. "Please forgive if I offended you."
Emma sensed the forced sincerity beneath that apology, but she still answered calmly, "It’s alright, Lavender. I don’t mind."
A tense silence settled over the hall, broken only when the Patriarch spoke again.
"Well, shall we eat? What’s on the nu today, dear?"
Aleda smiled gently. "Lavender prepared most of the dishes. At her age, I could barely chop vegetables, and she made all of this in just an hour."
Lavender’s cheeks ward as she lifted the lid of a pot. "I even made gratin for you. Your favourite, William."
For the first ti, Emma felt a small sting.
Lavender knew every little thing William liked, while she—despite dating him—felt lost when she tried to cook for him.
The truth was simple: Emma didn’t know much about William’s preferences at all.
William humd. "My taste has changed recently." He reached for a sandwich on the table. "Lately, I’ve started liking this."
Emma froze, her eyes widening.
Out of all the dishes served, the only thing she had prepared were those sandwiches.
And he...
"Ah, this reminds of the old days," the Count said as he took one for himself.
Aleda tilted her head. "What do you an, dear?"
Carter smiled. "When I worked in the military, I always wanted a proper al with both at and bread. But we couldn’t carry much, so I used to make these all the ti."
Aleda humd softly, then picked up a sandwich as well, curious about what her husband had survived on back then.
Fiona followed her mother and took one too.
Hern chuckled. "I’ve never tried this before. If no one minds, I’ll take the last one." He picked it up with an eager smile, and one by one, everyone began eating the sandwiches.
In monts, all the effort Lavender had poured into the kitchen seed overshadowed.
The first to speak after taking a single bite was Carter. "This brings back mories... it’s delicious. Lavender, you just made my day."
Lavender’s fingers tightened beneath the table. Her voice ca out stiff. "That... wasn’t made by ."
Carter blinked, confused, just as Emma spoke up.
"I made them. I rembered William liked it when I made it before, so..."
Carter raised his brows, pleasantly surprised. "This tastes far better than what I used to make. And I can tell you added a special dressing, didn’t you?"
Emma nodded lightly. "Yes, just a mix of herbs, sauce, and a few spices."
Aleda smiled in approval. "You balanced the flavours beautifully, Emma. Share the recipe with later, alright?"
Emma nodded with a gentle smile. "Of course."
Across the table, sothing inside Lavender tightened.
This mont—this praise, this attention—was supposed to be hers.
She had cooked everything. She had planned everything.
Yet the spotlight had drifted right past her and landed squarely on Emma.
"Lavender?" Fiona asked softly as she noticed the girl pushing back her chair.
The pink-haired girl forced a small smile. "I’m... not feeling well. Please continue without ."
Before anyone could react, she turned and walked away, her steps brisk and clipped.
Emma watched her leave from a distance, a quiet sigh slipping out.
*Crying babies who can’t accept the smallest loss...*
Well, this was good for her..
Let her leave. Emma preferred her far away from William anyway.
....
Sowhere far from the County, deep along a forest path, a carriage lay overturned.
Bodies were scattered around it—so groaning, so unconscious, so barely clinging to awareness.
The forest itself was unnaturally quiet. Every nearby beast had fled.
Because in the center of the trees stood a being whose presence alone resembled that of an apex predator.
"Haa... haa..."
And before that predator stood his prey.
Kevin staggered, gripping his sword with both trembling hands. Blood slid down the side of his face, warm and blinding. His arms shook violently, and the blade he held was chipped, dented, and barely intact.
He could hardly stay upright after the last exchange.
Compared to him, his opponent looked untouched.
Calm. Steady. Unbothered.
As if Kevin had survived a life-or-death struggle...
while the other man had simply enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the woods.
Whether it was the twisted aura leaking off him or the sickly pallor of his skin, there was no doubt—he was a corrupted human.
But even among the corrupted, his presence was wrong.
Dangerous. Familiar in a way Kevin hated.
It felt eerily close to what he had faced against that ranked Devil on Island Delta.
No... even that Devil had a weakness.
This man, however, was simply toying with him.
"I really didn’t want to drag this out," the corrupted man said, voice lazy and almost bored. "But I’m feeling restless today. So why don’t you try stopping one more ti before I kill your friends?"
Kevin flinched.
This bastard.
Kevin gritted his teeth and lunged.
His boots tore through the dirt as he swung with everything he had left—every ounce of strength, every shred of resolve. The corrupted human didn’t even bother to dodge. He tilted his head slightly, letting the broken blade whistle past him.
Kevin twisted, slashing again. And again.
Each strike t nothing.
Every movent was read, anticipated, dismissed.
The corrupted man sighed. "Still predictable."
Kevin roared and brought his sword down in a desperate overhead arc. A casual flick of two fingers stopped the blade cold. The impact jolted Kevin’s entire arm, nearly dislocating his wrist. Before he could recover, a kick slamd into his ribs, sending him skidding across the forest floor, coughing blood.
His vision blurred. His knees trembled.
Think... think... I need sothing—
The corrupted human stepped forward, smiling thinly. "Is that it? Then I’ll start with the girl unconscious behind the carriage—"
Kevin’s eyes widened in panic. That instant of pure fear lit a spark.
A warmth.
A glow.
The sunlight within him stirred.
He forced himself upright, thrust his hand forward, and shouted with the last of his breath—
"Solar Flare!"
Light erupted from his palm, raw and blinding—pure midday brilliance condensed into a single burst. The forest lit up as if the sun had dropped between the trees.
For the first ti, the corrupted human flinched.
His smile vanished.
He raised an arm to shield his eyes, stumbling a step back.
Kevin’s heart pounded. It worked.
A ray of hope surged through him.
He gathered what little aether he had left, channeling it into his blade. The battered sword glead with golden light as he charged forward, screaming—
"Solar—!"
A hand closed around his throat.
The light on his sword flickered. Died.
The corrupted man leaned in, irritation flickering in his dead eyes. "Annoying trick... but that’s all it is. A trick."
°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Please a drop comnt.
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