It wasn't the best of places, not the worst either.

When her parents were alive, she also lived in a place like this.

The house belonged to a member of the Circle, a term used for people belonging in the high society here in the empire. If Ayan was here, she would recognize this as similar to the ton in Regency England. 

Here in Asturia Empire peerage and reputation is everything but currently not for Miss Lucia who is standing in the most inconspicuous corner of the drawing-room watching her betters play cards and sip wine. It was evening now and her legs were already cramped from standing for too long. It wasn't until another parlour-maid came for a shift of duty that she finally had her break.

Lucia hurriedly went behind the house to escape from people's eyes. 

The resentment and humiliation she felt churned viciously inside her. What better way to vent it is to run into the woods, screaming her lungs out and kick some tree. But still, those are not enough.

How could she end up here all of a sudden? It was all thanks to those greedy relatives of hers. The untimely accident of her parents left her orphaned all of a sudden with no house and no properties. Everything was taken away by the court to pay for the debts of her father. She was suddenly homeless and alone, it was her uncle and aunt from her father's side who came to rescue her out of destitution.

Just when she thought it would be a reprieve, she was already knee-deep into the trap. 

To escape her fate of being sold, she had to hide her origin and lower her head to seek asylum from people who might be able to foster her. Fortunately, she stumbled on luck. Lucia found out that the course of her life is already set. All the hardships are only at the beginning and her life will turn for the better as her destiny foretold.

It wasn't that she wasn't willing to experience hardships, this, after all, involves her safety but the exact place she wanted to be is not under the stairs but above the stairs! When the lord sent the people he trusted out of the damn place she decisively followed as well because there wasn't anything sentimental to look back to in Lattice, the poor backwater kingdom she grew up into. 

But she did not expect that her companions would drop her in this county instead of bringing her in Ava, the imperial capital of Asturia. She had served the lord wholeheartedly from the moment she stepped into the manor, how could she accept being thrown out here when she should be with them waiting for his return.

No. She's very unconvinced. 

Lucia ran back to the room she shared with other maids. From under her bed, she pulled out her valise and took out an old weathered book. It was because of this that she was able to escape and meet the lord. She held it tightly to her chest and made a firm decision. 

 

"Ayan wake up!" Coco called. 

Ayan laboriously forced her eyelids to crack open. She was very tired from all that running and staying up late.

"I'm still alive?" She groaned, kneading her temple.

"Otherwise you want to become food for those monsters?"

Ayan looked at the familiar surroundings of the fairy ring and groaned, "You finally showed up. I was almost eaten."

"I'm sorry." The little fairy boy was immediately contrite. "I was asleep while nourishing the tree."

You're a fairy, not a chicken! Ayan complained.   

She rolled on her side intending to get some last-minute shut-eye but the dampness and the musty smell of the soil pulled her back to wakefulness. Coco did not even remember to move her inside the house.

She feels so unloved. 

"What happened was an accident. The demons from the Dark Continent managed to slip through the cracks of the barrier made by the Holy Temple. The wolves that chased you yesterday were called Furies."

"Wait a minute," she said. "Aren't Diviners supposed to know when these things will come and then perform ablution rituals to keep monsters from spreading?"

"Yes, but the Holy Temple only has a few Diviner candidates and their powers are still unstable. That is why ablution rituals had little effect."

That is a big problem indeed. No wonder kingdoms like Lattice were so overjoyed to have their Diviners rather than rely on the Holy Temple's prediction. After all, having your very own radar is not the same as borrowing others', right? Speaking of the Holy Temple, their influence goes far back before the founding of many territories. They are in charge of defending the land against the demons of the Dark Continent and their doctrine serves as spiritual nourishment to the masses. 

Ayan’s impression of them is unlike those greedy and malevolent factions depicted in many books. Here, the Holy Temple devotes their energy into keeping the peace and harmony. After all, if it weren’t for their teachings, society itself would be even more chaotic. Unfortunately, the seedlings the temple nourishes grew weaker and weaker as years passed. Those who awaken with talents refuse to come to the temple and receive doctrines as well. 

Kingdoms with their Diviner have risen in status recently, even at the verge of overtaking old empires. Perhaps it was also because of the weakening of the barrier they set that the temple's prestige slowly dwindled over the years. 

"Say, what is the status of Asturia Empire ahead?" 

Coco flew on top of a carnation flower. "An old and powerful empire like Asturia won't easily go down, but the lack of talented warlocks and precious Diviners will push it to the cusp once the kingdoms surrounding it begin to develop."

A pack of hyenas after all can bring down a lion. Not good, just when they decided to settle in the Asturia Empire after this mess.

"Tell me honestly, the story is not yet finished with us walking away, correct?"

Maybe it has not even started. The silly story she read on the day of her crossing was just bait. Who knew what the truth was?

Coco bit his little lips guiltily. 

"Well?" She urged.

"The Prince's Beloved Golden Saintess is only a prequel."

Ayan snorted. She knew it. Her villain self was such a great character it had to be recycled. After receiving every detail of the next volume, Ayan remained calm. But hell, her teeth itch so much!  

The second volume is a lot more nauseating than the first one. It did not help that all these are still in ink right now and not yet the reality, but the thought that their life is going to develop into this pattern if she neglects to correct it made her so mad she wanted to punch a tree.  

"Mother!"

"Mom~my!"

The voices of the children called her attention. It was early morning now outside the fairy ring, but thinking of those two walking out of the cave frightened her so much she got out without looking at Coco. 

"Here!" She called back. "I'm alright. Do not move, I'm coming."

Mist floated up and below the treeline wetting the grass and leaves around where she appeared. Ayan rushed back to the source of the sound and broke out from the bushes on the other side of the stream. She dreaded to think that if she came a little slower the boys might come across an accident. 

Raven was the first to see her, "Mother!"

Ayan wadded her way in the knee-length water towards them. The boys ran quickly, plunged into her arms and began a chorus of crying.   

"Oh, darlings, I'm back. We are okay." she coaxed softly. "The wolves are gone now and will not be coming back."

 

When Clayton clasped the sword, he felt endless energy pouring onto him, filling the long dried up veins. The steady current circulated vigorously nourishing his neglected body and repairing the old injuries. Suddenly, he felt like his soul had been plucked out and thrown to the void where it was stretched and twisted undergoing several processes of tempering. All his senses heightened. It went on a long time from hours to days and even years. 

It felt endless.

His incorporeal form travelled the vastness of the universe witnessing multiple changes. 

In that one moment, he was brought under a giant tree. Suspended below it are several big and small planets held by a thread of energy connected to the tree’s body. Clayton floated near it. In there he was shown bits and pieces of the past years of their lives. It took a long time before the ordeal finished. He sweated and endured the collision of power given by the artefact, fusing to the ones he accumulated over the years of fighting. When he surfaced from the seemingly endless ordeal, he was greeted by three pairs of eyes. 

"Father?"

"Daddy is finally awake!"

"Are you… You are back!" Ayan exclaimed, relieved. 

Clayton was puzzled, "Is something the matter…?"

Why do they react like so?

"You haven't moved for a week." 

Her answer startled him. He looked at them again and found the confirmation in their eyes. A week was too long. He just touched the sword without any thought. He could not believe he left his family to their own devices for that long! 

Seeing the changes in his expression, Ayan hurried to assure him. 

"We are doing quite well." Ayan said with a smile. 

The incident that happened in the past few days did not have to be revealed to him and she had a nice talk about it with the twins. Her marathon with the wolves need not be mentioned, absolutely. Things are going to proceed smoothly now, isn't it?

Clayton's troubled heart settled. He looked at the children's radiant expressions, knowing that they were indeed not harmed, he let go of his worries. He admits that although his lady is a little clumsy, she did a good job of looking after them and nursing them back to health.

Look at them all soft and plump again.  

And then there is her, Ayan. There was a huge change in her.  

"What are you looking at?" She frowned trying to cover up her embarrassment. 

Clayton quickly took his eyes off and lowered his sight to his lap. Was it his illusion or did she grow thinner? The rounded jawline and chin because of fat are now sharp and delicate. Her pale complexion resumed its healthy pinkish blush. 

Perhaps the lady is finally… 

The silence in the cave was growing until Ayan spoke. 

"You have to get up and take a bath. It's been a while since you last washed." 

There goes his fantasy. Aside from her jawline, the lady's mouth also became sharp, unfortunately. 

Clayton resisted the urge to sniff himself. As a knight who had been facing invaders in the borders, he did not develop the typical squeamish and fastidious habit of a high born dandy. Battles erupt intermittently and there is almost no time to pay attention to outward appearances but he wasn't a sloppy chap anyhow. Did she dislike him for not bathing?

The answer was, "Although we are in the middle of nowhere, we shouldn't neglect hygiene. Don't you think so, milord?"

Clayton felt the tips of his ears grew hot even more so when he saw her unabashed foolish grin. It then came to him that she was taking great pleasure in teasing him. Hurriedly, he groped for the walls to follow the order. Ayan gave him the toiletries reserved for him and new clothes. 

"Did these come from the ring too?"

She nodded. 

His eyes went to the grey shirt, a black trench coat and a pair of denim pants. He was curious about the texture but he was even more curious why she has these men's apparel hidden. Did they have owners? If yes, then who? Apparently he got so absorbed in his thoughts that it prompted Ayan's attention. 

"These are new."

Clayton nodded absently and touched the clothes. The seams were clean and uniform; they were even more refined than the ones made by the royal textile bureau or any skilled tailor. Buttons are made of metal with engravings.

"Dolce and—"

"Oh... that, that's the name of the tailor." She lied straight-faced. She bought these clothes for her big brother. Fortunately, she bought a lot in an attempt to overhaul her elder's dreary wardrobe. 

Who knew she wouldn't be able to give to him? Reminded of her big brother, her eyes watered. 

"Thank you." Clayton said, piercing her bubble of sadness. 

"You should go ahead." 

Clayton did as told. When he first took a step, the familiar piercing pain on his ankle was no longer so severe. In his second step, he felt that his balance was much better than before. Even his back and shoulders do not feel as heavy. He couldn't help looking back at her. 

"Are you alright?" She asked. 

Ayan was watching him take jerky steps forward when their eyes clashed. 

"Yes, quite so." 

She smiled brightly, making him hot in the face for some reason. Clayton withdrew his eyes as quickly as he could. 

Ayan: Weird guy.

She cleaned up his bed, sent the dirty laundry to wash in space and took out a new one. She was so busy she wasn't aware that the person outside is currently experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions.