Lucian felt like he was submerged in water.

Instead of the warm and cozy feeling, it felt cold and bitter. Despite the bone-chilling pain, he was prepared to wait. He felt helpless about himself, as he had no choice but to wait for her. Even though he gave up ownership of his own body, he missed her more than that.

Feeling the sensation of the slow descent, he briefly closed his eyes.

Then, he sensed the brilliant light beyond his eyelids.

As he swiftly opened his eyelids, he looked at the place where he had fallen. Although he thought he was submerged in water, he found himself standing on the ground.

He checked his surroundings.

Within a mansion crafted in an unfamiliar style, he moved his steps towards the direction from which the voices were emanating. The resonating voices sounded like a family joyfully chatting. However, Lucian’s gaze didn’t land on where the family’s voices came from but rather on a girl looking in that direction.

Though she appeared worn by the storms of time to be called a girl, her expression was that of a young girl in his eyes.

A girl shunned by her family, just like he was in his younger days.

Lucian stared intently at the familiar-looking girl. Her nose was crinkling, and lips that were bitten as if she was holding back her tears caught his eyes. Despite her different appearance, he could recognize her without a doubt.

How could he not?

He couldn’t help but crookedly smile and slowly approached. Did she think if she changed her appearance that much, he wouldn’t recognize her?

He wanted to ask what she was doing here. Did she worry and long for him?

Eager to ask, he silently approached, grabbing her wrist firmly.

Tilting her head, he saw a mark visible under her hair, just below her ear. Slowly lowering his gaze, Lucian confirmed the spot between her neck and shoulder, feeling a sense of exhilaration at finally discovering it.

Suddenly, his grip tightened. He feared that she might slip away again after he had finally found her.

At that moment, the girl, who had been looking in the other direction, turned her face towards him. As if she already knew of his presence, she brightened up with a radiant smile.

Reflexively, he followed her and gave the same smile.

Suddenly, she hugged him. The warmth of her embrace made a smile bloom on his face involuntarily. It wasn’t a forced smile imitating hers, it was a natural smile.

As he was about to hold her tightly, she leaned her head back and parted her lips as she looked at her… but there was no sound. Although her lips were moving, no sound reached his ears, like a person submerged underwater.

Lucian focused on her lips, wanting to understand what she was trying to convey. No, it wasn’t just about this moment. He wanted to know everything about her.

He wanted to be the only one who knew everything about her and kept it to himself.

As he narrowed his eyes and concentrated on her lips, an illusion crept in as if he could hear a sound.

Luci―.

Luci―.

Staring at her lips, moving at regular intervals, he felt a sensation of being swept away by a rapid whirlpool. Suddenly, he looked at his own hand, which had let her slip away.

Dizzy from the blinding light, he closed his eyes.

Amidst the swirling currents, the voice calling him grew louder and louder.

Luci, I miss you.

Drawn in by her voice, he surrendered to the surging waves, and he, too, mouthed the words.

It’s me.

I miss you so much, Ray…

* * *

Pedro forcefully rode his horse forward until he reached the imperial palace, but he stopped his horse as he saw his son rising through the sky. His son muttered something before vanishing into thin air.

Just after his son disappeared, a massive fireball started raining down from the sky. He realized it was an attack spell seen in history books as he regained his composure after a moment, which felt quite long.

The ground shook.

The startled horse lifted its hooves as Pedro grabbed the reins and forced it to come to his senses fully.

Quickly turning his horse’s head and riding away from the imperial palace, he ran aimlessly. Although he couldn’t know where his son had vanished, he could at least be certain that it wasn’t the imperial palace.

Why did he disappear all of a sudden?

Could it be that he was looking for Rachel? No, hadn’t the one who possessed Lucian’s body vowed to eliminate the Empire?

His usually quick-thinking mind seemed to have turned into stone.

As he hurried towards the city, he noticed the citizens in the streets. Seeing their terrified expressions, he was conflicted. While thinking he had to find his son as soon as possible, he couldn’t leave these confused people like this.

Disliking the Emperor didn’t mean abandoning the Empire.

When he was caught in the dilemma, the ground trembled once again. Suddenly, shabby houses began to collapse easily.

Seeing this, he instinctively moved.

Pedro rushed into the crumbling mansion and rescued the children who were almost trapped inside.

“Previous Duke?”

The patrol guard from the outskirts who was sensing something amiss, spotted Pedro and called out. He quickly issued orders to the patrol.

“Notify all the patrols immediately!”

“Yes, understood.”

Pedro shouted to the citizens gathered around him.

“Everyone, evacuate! Pack your belongings as lightly as possible! Also, if there are children, elderly, or sick individuals, help them!”

With a noble appearance that was unmistakable even at a glance, the citizens who got worried and had come outside to see the situation quickly returned to their homes.

Pedro continued to think about Lucian, but he couldn’t afford to slow down his steps.

The knights of the Duchy were all sent to the estate, so he had to resolve the situation here on his own. Hoping that the patrol guards would arrive quickly, he urged the horse forward. He hoped that all citizens in the capital would know the current situation.

At that moment, someone approached Pedro among the citizens.

“I will help, too.”

Though dressed more like a commoner than a noble, the person’s eyes showed a resolute determination, as if they had undergone training.

“Then, issue an evacuation order to nearby citizens.”

“Yes, understood.”

“I will help, too!”

He watched the people coming forward attentively.

Despite their diverse appearances, their eyes strangely held a similar determination. And undoubtedly, even though they were meeting each other for the first time today, their movements were perfectly synchronized.

A strange sensation arose.

However, such thoughts quickly passed, and Pedro also began to help them assist in evacuating the citizens. The sense he had acquired during this time told him the anxiety that the world might disappear just as the spirit possessing his son’s body had said.

Pedro tightly gripped the reins to the point where the veins on the back of his hand swelled.

He reaffirmed his determination to save Lucian and Rachel at all costs, even if it meant his own death.

* * *

Enzo, who was caught in my magical grip, could no longer use magic. Helpless and motionless, he remained calm.

Watching him, I gestured to summon Damian and Oscar.

“Isn’t it better not to summon them?”

Enzo, still calm, made a nonchalant remark. I took a deeper breath and gestured again. Then, revealing a smile, he showed his teeth.

“It seems like your strength hasn’t fully returned.”

After a short murmur, he cast the spell without turning his head. I stared anxiously at Oscar and Damian. Even though I was worried that he had harmed them in any way, the target of Enzo’s attack was neither of them.

He casually released Elliot, who had been motionless and bound to a table.

“Ha, what is this again?”

Elliot, who was uncomfortable with the fact that he had been freed with Lucian’s help, grumbled as he jumped off the table.

Damian and Oscar simultaneously looked at me.

Dealing with a really smart person who became your enemy was annoying. There was a way to stop them without resorting to direct confrontation.

I sighed and spoke.

“Damian, Oscar. Tie up the Crown Prince first.”

“Ha, you think it’ll be that easy?”

As soon as Elliot was released from his restraints, he dealt with Damian and Oscar with the spirit of darkness. At that moment, Paul, who had been silently observing from behind, drew his bow again.

Elliot, noticing the bow, frowned.

After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly leaped toward me and Enzo. I wasn’t sure whether he was coming toward me, his original target, or trying to attack Enzo with Lucian’s appearance that just made him look bad.

Nevertheless, he rushed towards us.

While Enzo seemed to hint at me to free his magic first, I couldn’t afford to do so since restoring Lucian to his original state was the priority.

In the midst of the confrontation, Elliot approached us.

I tried to gather the strength to use my illusion abilities instead of breathing. At that moment, Enzo gripped the handle of his sword. It felt strange since he had been relying solely on magic until now. Then, without hesitation, he swiftly drew his sword towards Elliot.

The smooth and flawless movements were reminiscent of the ones I often saw when I was young.

“This is…”

Enzo murmured, looking at his hand as if something was wrong, and his hand that held the sword swiftly attacked Elliot without hesitation.

__