Hera made an excuse to replace Mrs. Oz's weekly shopping trip to the city in order to meet that woman. Surprisingly, that woman agreed to meet her at the time and location she specified. Since at that time, everyone would be too busy around the mansion to follow her around.

The sound of the bell above the door rang when Hera pushed the door of the book café lightly with two brown bags in both of her arms. She shifted her gaze around the empty café until her eyes narrowed at the secluded table among the bookshelves in the very far corner of the café.

There was no doubt as to why there was no one in the café; not even a single worker could be seen in the dimly lit café. The café was closed from the outside, but only Hera knew that the woman had reserved the entire place just for them to meet.

A woman in a black translucent face veil raised her hand towards Hera, rose up gracefully, and spread her hands widely towards her. “Hera, darling, how are you?” She drew Hera into her arms and embraced her tightly without waiting for the girl to greet her.

Hera was nearly overwhelmed by the perfume scent of that woman. Her face frowned with so much disgust. She always hated that intoxicating smell of her perfume.

“You know, I never liked the smell of your perfume.” Hera wrinkled her nose in contempt and delicately pushed that woman off her body.

“Oh... Darling. Don't be so cold like that to me. We haven't seen each other in two years.” That woman studied Hera silently, a smirk on her face visible even if it was slightly disguised under her black face veil. “After all these years, you should have trust in me. You didn't even inform me that you had finally decided to leave that place.” Her tone was melancholy with a trace of delight for Hera.

Hera put on her best fake smile. She sat in front of that woman after she had taken her seat first. “How could I trust you, madam? After how you fooled me back then, you deceived a little girl who knew nothing about how cruel the outside world was.” She circled her finger around the rim of the cup of black coffee that that woman had ordered for her.

“Are you still bothered by what happened many years ago? Dearest, you are aware of what you did to Ume, right?”

“The girl who had been sent by your husband to spy on my mother? She deserved it. I don't know why he didn't call her back after mom died many years ago.”

“Why are you asking about that, honey?” That woman chuckled and reached out her hand and pulled a strand of Hera's hair. “Because you resemble your mother so much. That's why. He wants to watch you slowly grow up and…”

Hera gritted her teeth, not letting that woman finish her words. “That lustful, disgusting old bastard.”

“Oh my goodness, honey... Don't curse that dead man like that.” That woman's eyes squinted, seemingly looking mournful, but the triumphant smile on her face said otherwise.

Hera eventually raised the cup to her lips and took a slow sip. “Don't act like that; you were the happiest when he died. You must be glad that he is no longer controlling you... Still, you continue his vile business.”

Hera's sarcasm elicited a snicker from that woman. “He used my family heritance in the first place. I simply take back what was rightfully mine. By the way... Hera, why did you attend the Sixon's event? That's very unlike you.”

That woman leaned forward, legs crossed, she tilted her head with her arms crossed on the table. Full of curiosity.

“A Masquerade event. Why should I refuse to attend such an event if no one will know who I am?”

“You are right, no one knows who you are. However, you are now well-known as the new Lady Greene. You must have received a lot of letters.”

“I burned them all.”

“... So, tell me, what are you doing these days? How long do you intend to stay with your grandmother? Why don't you take my offer into consideration?”

Hera's finger stopped circling the rim of her cup. That cursed offer. Like hell, Hera would accept it again in this life or in any life she was given by fate.

“Madam, I think the noble lifestyle was unsuitable for me.” Hera forced a small smile on her face. “There's just too much drama and everything for my simple self.”

After finishing her lavender tea, she placed the cup down with a subtle clink. That woman straightened her back and adjusted her face veil. “Oh, honey, I don't think you are that simple. I've been reading the reports about you, we even met twice before. I know what you're keeping from the rest of the world. Isn't that one of the reasons you killed Ume?”

“...”

“You have so much control over that body of yours... so why let…”

“Madam Crow, don't cross the line with your words.” The sound of the cup pounding on the table was loud. A splash of warm coffee hit Hera's hand, staining her sleeve. Hera's eyes were filled with warnings and hostility toward that woman. “We have already spoken about it.”

That woman was taken back for a moment before clicking her tongue. “You are always sensitive when we talk about that. I just wanted to let you know that my offer will not end, so you can always find me if you have trouble.”

Hera once believed that women would be the best possible way for her to escape, and she once eagerly accepted her offer to go with her since she simply wanted to get out of that mansion and forget about her so-called family. But Hera didn't realize what kind of future she would face when she was with that woman.

That woman would never let go of those who knew too much about her and what she was capable of, and Hera happened to know as much about her as she did about Hera.

Hera wanted to live a normal life again after realizing that the woman's business was too much for her to do and witness. However, that woman would never allow Hera to leave, and she had to learn this the hard way.

With that, in order to live a normal life far away from this kingdom, and lives in a small town in another land, which she still needs to consider due to the existence of Emma and Freya. Hera would never, ever become entangled in that woman's business again, at least not directly. She still needs to help Heiza with capturing her eventually.

Let the law punish her when she is unable to do so.

Hera, too, drank the last of her coffee. “I'll keep that in mind.”

That woman continued their conversation with a pleasant smile on her face, even though she knew Hera would not like it. “So... what kind of reason did you give them to let you out alone? Rowan told me about the extra knight and maid on your side, I never thought that man would change his attitude suddenly toward you.”

Hera was pensive. That woman didn't say anything about the orphanage or Emma. It could mean two things: Rowan never said anything about that, or she would never want to get into trouble with the Heiza family.

However, if it was the second, that means that woman might have something to force Hera to do anything she wants her to do by using them.

Hera lowered her head and clasped her fists on her thighs. Her eyes gleamed with a complicated expression.

That woman watched all Hera's actions with interest in her eyes. After Ume's death, there was no one on Hera's side to tell her anything about that girl for years, until two years ago. But there has been a significant change in Hera's demeanor, which has piqued her interest in getting to know her more.

What did Hera mean to her? At first, she was merely a child, whom her husband shamelessly observed through Ume until his death.

She was well aware that her husband was a pervert who was constantly envious of other men's lives and families, but the surveillance of a child, whose deceased mother was his perfect woman, was wrong on so many levels.

Of course, she had no idea that Hera existed for years until Ume made a mistake in sending her letter of report, which she may have believed was done on purpose for whatever reason.

With that, she looks through all of the reports that mysteriously appeared in her room, due to someone, and reads about the little girl's life. By the time her husband died, she knew Hera far better than her so-called family, and the fate that connected them together.

A part of that girl reminded her of herself, particularly their neglected childhood, and she even ended up being sold to her husband and trapped in a loveless marriage with an abusive and manipulative bastard of a spouse.

She was relieved that her son bore no resemblance to his father. At the very least, she had her son. Hera, on the other hand, has no one, not even her grandmother, who did not do anything when she was cast out.

That led her to wonder why Hera decided to live with her grandmother after finally getting out of that place rather than seek her.

“... I'll have to go now. If there's nothing else you'd like to talk about with me, I'll excuse myself.”

That woman had already guessed that Hera did not want to talk about that man. She did, however, attempt to elicit Hera's reaction to the subject. And that girl's reaction satisfied her. There was no way Hera would want to be with her so-called family, no matter how much they had changed.

“Alright. You know how to reach your own aunt, don't you? Please consider my offer, Rara, darling.”

Today's conversation vaguely mentioned the offer that the woman wanted her to consider. That woman didn't even bring up the subject to which Hera had already prepared an answer.

They parted ways without saying anything further and no questions were answered.

Hera went out of the book café without looking back, holding two shopping bags in both her hands, gnashing her teeth at that woman's last sentences.

That woman knew everything about her, even things Zane hadn't figured out despite spending many lifetimes with her. And Hera was displeased with that fact.

And she hoped that the secret would die with her and that no one would find out about it.

Hera's eyes grew frosty when she remembered she couldn't find those papers anywhere in the library. Someone must have gotten their hand on those important papers of hers, and she might know who it was.

Another person will know her secret by just looking at those papers.

Hera was lost in her own thoughts, not realizing for a while that her steps had been blocked by someone, until she heard a voice that made her look up, and her eyes went dull at the man who was whistling lewdly at her.

“You are real... I never thought you were real…”