Carmine opened his eyes when his nose sniffed the delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Mommy was no longer in the bed and Raven was curled up drooling on mommy’s pillow. Slowly, he moved his body away to climb down. 

At the dining room, Ayan was already done making beef and broccoli stir fry, croquettes, steamed rice and fish soup. Carmine walked in small steps seeing her wearing a polka dot apron and her hair tied into a bun. The food was laid neatly on the table.  

“Hungry baby?” She smiled, took off the apron and hugged him up. 

Carmine’s stomach chose this time to growl making his pudgy cheeks flush red.

“Why… Why did you get up?” He asked in his soft voice then reached out his little hands to feel up her forehead. “Not sick?” 

“I’m fine now. Don’t worry, mommy is no longer sick.”

“Will mommy go back being sick?”

Ayan was taken aback. His big blue eyes looked at her wet with unshed tears. 

“No, no, mommy promised not to get sick again. It was because mommy was not good that she became sick~ don’t cry…” 

The little boy pursed his mouth and sucked in his nose. He shouldn’t cry! 

Raven came down still sleepily rubbing his eyes. When he felt that his brother was no longer beside him, he quickly woke up and ran out. His hair is still sticking up like a hook. Ayan put Carmine on a chair then went to hug Raven next. The little boy was still looking lost, she poked his nose and helped him comb his errant black hair with her fingers.

“Awake now, are we?”

“Um~” Raven hid in her neck and wiggled his butt. 

The guards surrounding the house knew that the lady finally woke up after observing the movements inside that morning. Johann came to inform Ayan about Clayton’s mission to avoid misunderstanding from forming in the future. 

She was serving the children’s lunch when he entered. From the door, he already smelled the tantalizing scent of food hooking his appetite but as the lady’s appointed guard, he shouldn’t act presumptuously. Poor Johann could only cry at the corners of his mouth. 

The boys took their napkins and put them on their chest, picked their cutleries obediently and waited for their mother to serve food. Milk has not left Ayan’s side for half a step since she woke up, he was there on top of the counter watching her cook and now he’s on top of the table waiting for his tiny bowl to be filled. 

She watched the three eat their food heartily. The breeze entered the window blowing away the heavy scent of oil replacing it with a refreshing breath of spring. She could not believe that time can fly so fast, her little gentlemen have grown.

Giving birth to them in the middle of summer was one of the greatest joys in her life. Having two little lives with the person she loves was her dream come true. Despite the jealousy and pressure of the monarch, the constant schemes of their enemies, she and Clayton remained steadfast. If not for the person who cast the soul snatching spell she wouldn’t be forced to separate. 

She remembered the structure of the magic circle and the spells written on it. None of those is familiar here in the Ourea continent. She had plenty of suspects in mind but she lacked the necessary evidence to prove them. She cannot judge according to speculation either and let the real culprit escape scot-free. 

Ayan cleared away the brewing thoughts in her head. There is plenty of time for that. Her priority right now is to solve the cause of miasma and the spread of blight. 

The boys played in the yard after bathing and tightly dressing them in warm clothes. 

Johann quietly observed on the side itching to find out the lady’s thoughts now that she is awake. He knew about the big quarrel they had when she first woke up. The lord is really innocent about the issue of adultery. He never had contact with that crazy woman, nor does he even remember her but for some reason, her sudden appearance stimulated and upset the lady creating a huge problem. 

He is determined to help his lord clear out whatever misunderstanding there is. 

“Milady, the servant who did not follow the lord’s order and caused you grief has already been dismissed.” 

Ayan paused, “Did my husband tell you to explain this to me?”

Johann was horrified and quickly denied, "No, no, definitely not. The lord... the lord doesn't know. I'm sorry it was my own idea to--"  

To his surprise, the madam smiled! 

"Go on, I am not mad or anything."

Johann regained his wilting vitality almost immediately. He tapped his chest and prattled on, “The rest who were negligent on their duties have also been let go. Milord plans to hire and train new staff to avoid the same problem with the old servants...” 

No wonder this house feels a little too quiet. 

“If milord is here, he would be glad to see you standing. Alas, an urgent summon came. But don’t worry, the lord said the mission is not dangerous.”

She was amused listening to his chirping and it felt a little too heartless to interrupt him while he desperately try to wash his lord's name clean. Before she knew it, Ayan found out that Clayton did leave a note in the Morrigan manor before leaving but it was neglected and forgotten due to a misunderstanding. She understood the whole story while she was inside the ring so her anger has more or less evaporated.

She also learned which clients signed the Thorns for escort missions, the rival agencies, Knoll’s dismissal from their former agency and how they joined Clayton. Even the mundane things had not been let go, including the gossip about the mean and wealthy neighbour who wanted to buy Milk! 

“You haven’t had lunch yet, have you?” Ayan asked when he paused. “I’m done feeding the children, I’m just waiting for Schon and Teacher Darius then we will begin.”

“Does Milady need any help?” 

She nodded, “Help me serve the food.” 

Johann jumped to his feet and obediently came to the kitchen while Ayan changed the plates. He didn’t expect that today was his lucky day, to be able to eat the food served by the lady was enough to make him fly with joy. Until now he could still not forget the taste of the food she packed for the lord. Shortly after, the table is ready, just in time when Schon and Old Darius arrive. 

“You are recovering very fast. I have never met someone suffering an overdraft who’s as energetic as you.” Old Darius greeted from the door. 

“Teacher,” Ayan called out respectfully. 

The Grand Magister laughed heartily, “It has been a while, lass.” 

“Lady Rozenberg,” Schon smiled, her hood pulled down revealing a small exquisite face. 

Ayan was blank for a few moments, she knew Schon is good-looking despite wearing the cumbersome headcover but she did not expect that out in the open, his appearance would be too refined and effeminate. Schon has soft light brown hair, tender skin as white as tofu and sleepy green eyes. 

Shock! This visual is simply too blinding.  

“Schon is…”

“Lady Rozenberg, let me re-introduce to you my disciple Lady Latimer. As you know children tested to have abundant mana are directly nurtured by the Holy Temple but Lady Latimer’s case was different because instead of having holy magic as most females do, hers was more inclined to elemental magic. Hence she became a Warlock.”

A rare female Warlock to be precise. 

“Oh…” Ayan nodded in understanding. 

“I hope I did not offend Milady,” Schon said shyly. 

“No, no, no! I should be thankful for your care these past few days instead.” No wonder that husband left her to Schon’s care. He might have known she was a woman beforehand! 

The four of them sat for a meal then indulged in some tea and sweets right after. The house Clayton chose this time has a wide yard planted with several flowering trees. A small pavilion was built at the back where now the boys are playing. 

Johann diligently followed from behind enthusiastically filling her in with her family’s activities during her coma. Later that day, Old Darius called her for a check-up.

“Your mana has stabilized,” he said solemnly after taking her pulse. 

For some reason, the serious tone and the old man’s expression puzzled her so she did not hesitate to ask. 

“Is there something wrong, Teacher?”

Johann and Schon were also curious to know. 

“No, you are perfectly fine. However--” he tried checking again and this time the creases on his forehead became obvious. Ayan suspects she must have contracted some strange illness that the elder was reluctant to reveal. “It seems milady’s magic has improved.”

She patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. 

“You don’t appear too surprised.” Old Darius said. “I assume milady has encountered a fortune during the coma.”

Indeed.  

“Milady, the situation in the capital is currently not good.” He opened up. 

Ayan paused and retracted her hand slowly, “T-Teacher, why are you telling me this? I am a person from another kingdom, let alone gentry.”

He put his hands together on the tabletop and gave her a scrutinizing look. 

“The moment you chose the empire as your new home, you already became one of its people. As for the matter of your title, there is not much to discuss. You were born a noble and will always remain one by virtue of your lineage. Another important reason for me disclosing this matter to you is simply because I believe you have the right to know.”

Schon and Johann silently exchanged glances on the side, feeling that something important was about to be revealed. 

“The new Diviner the Queen introduced has triggered the dormant fighting between factions. Lately, the people under the Empress’s camp are being pressured by them using the Diviner’s influence and there have been talks of abolishing Her Majesty since she fell out of favour.” 

Ayan was taken aback. Falling out of favour?! But the Empress is the Emperor’s, first love! Besides, the infighting within the court will take half a year more to erupt. During this period, shouldn’t the Queen be more careful because of her pregnancy?  

Noticing the slight crack on her expression, Old Darius smiled faintly then went on, “Asturia has no time to deal with politics right now as we are currently trying to repel the attacks from the Dark Continent. The new Diviner must not gain enough allies to influence the officials and citizens and add more chaos.” 

Ayan pinched her fingers gently and tried to prevaricate, “Still I don’t understand why you needed to tell me all these.”  

She had a hunch as to why she was suddenly included in this very sensitive issue but Ayan still wants to leave room for doubt. She just regained consciousness after all. 

As if reading her thoughts, Old Darius took out a transparent crystal ore and pushed it near her with a solemn expression. Schon and Johann became even more silent; they were even very careful with their breaths. 

Ayan held a twitchy smile on her lips. 

“I know milady is very clear on the answer to your question.”

Oh, is that why you took out the appraisal stone and dangled it right in front of me?!

“Say, if I don’t touch it does it mean that I am shirking my responsibilities?” She asked. 

“Not at all, milady.” Old Darius maintained his faint amiable smile. “Every decision depends upon your generosity and it is our honour to receive your guidance. As citizens, we absolutely have no right to impose our personal thoughts on you.

Milady may have doubts about our intentions. Taking up the role may eventually disrupt the ideal life you have planned out for your family and we are aware that what we are asking is a burden. I cannot promise you the same life you originally wanted, but as the Grand Magister of Holy Temple I have a responsibility to seek help.”

There is no doubt that once she received the role, she will be sucked into the whirlpool of power struggle and conspiracy in this empire. 

Wrong. Because she is already in the midst of it. Ayan stopped hedging and looked at the old master in front of her. Gently, she reached for the stone and cupped it in her palms. 

Ayan cleared her thoughts and let her mana flow naturally. In a place invisible to the mortal’s eyes, particles of light softly floated around her as though they had their own life. The scattered magical aura jumped excitedly then suddenly converged into a dense mass until they began to glow visibly. 

Everyone held their breaths as the rush of energy filled and swirled inside the room threatening to burst out. 

The old magister’s beard shook in alarm and he hastily called for a halt. “Stop, stop, stop!”  

Ayan opened her palms and the strong aura wrapping them dissipated quickly. However, the crude-looking appraisal stone that was originally transparent has now turned into a smooth blue orb with a kaleidoscope of colours shining inside. 

Johann’s jaw fell. T-That… What just happened?! Schon was in no better situation. Her heartbeat accelerated at a crazy speed the moment she saw the dense magic particles dance around.  

Unbeknownst to them, the small amount of aura Ayan dispersed not so long ago has escaped the seams and startled the citizens of Arpeggio. From the guards standing outside, the innocent pedestrians minding their own businesses to the farthest part of the territory, all felt the impact of her magic.

A child being harassed by a vengeful wraith in the dark woods avoided a disastrous end and the miasma crawling from the depths of the forests retreated. Clayton, who was currently at a loss as to how to resolve the 5th Order’s contamination, received a report that the soldiers infected recovered. 

He rushed back to the infirmary only to find that men ravaged by blight are now standing healthily. The acrid smell of decay no longer lingered in the air. 

Arpeggio ushered in a new day. 

Back in the house. 

Ayan’s eyes when she turned to them seemed to shine.

“You never cease to amaze me.” The old coot chuckled.

“The miasma sprouting in the empire's territories had to do with the cursed artefacts.” Ayan said after a while, “If we want to save Asturia, it must be recovered and cleansed before the deadline of the barrier comes.”

Prevention is better than cure after all. She can always perform ablution but taking the root of the problem is still the best option. 

Old Darius touched his beard. His action is still as calm as ever as if he had anticipated such an outcome ahead of time. “The problem is, we have no clues where those smuggled artifacts are now at and who owns them.” 

He had done his fair share of collecting and sealing those abominations over his travels but there are a number of them missing. 

“Simple.” Ayan smiled. “From time to time unusual reports are being sent to courthouses and the landlords that people find absolutely hard to solve. If we gather and study those cases, we might find many clues for those missing cursed items.”

“A copy of the original inventory from the Dysi Kingdom has been checked and there are only four of them left,” Schon added helpfully under Prince Reginald’s information. 

Unfortunately, those four are the hardest to find. 

The imperial legion has plenty of elite units that can help investigate those unusual cases. It will not take up so much time as long as no one purposefully hinders it. Schon also agrees that the idea was feasible. Although Teacher is yet to admit Ayan’s identity as the Saint, just based on the level of magic and the importance he put on her words, Schon is already mostly convinced in her heart.

This huge piece of news will not only shock the whole empire but would surely make the fighting between two factions intensify. 

Sybil is slowly showing their claws and fangs now that the Empress’s position is beginning to weaken in the eyes of the public. The enemy’s biggest advantage is that they have already bought the hearts of the masses using their tricks and false kindness. Added to the sudden appearance of Lady Lucia, more and more are beginning to stand on their side rather than the true mother of the empire.