Maria’s words spread like wildfire.

"The Lord has saved us every time… yet… yet we dared to blame him! We have committed great sins!"

"I am ashamed of myself."

"But, who knows the Chieftess wasn’t exaggerating?"

"Shut that bastard down! Another word from him, and we are feeding him to the beasts!"

"I apologize! I was just… stating a possibility! I do not doubt our Lord’s capabilities!"

…

The group led by Karen to pursue Mordret began dissolving. Maria’s heartfelt emotions captured the hearts of others within no time. Karen’s supporters began respecting Mordret and joined his followers. Although not everyone changed their opinions, now, nobody dared to speak against Mordret and his actions. Karen’s disappearance helped Mordret’s opposition to remain calm; after all, what could a bunch of villagers without a leader do? They were powerless. However, other events transpired due to Maria’s abrupt appearance.

"Did you notice?"

"What?"

"Chieftess Maria… She was wearing the Lord’s servant’s dress."

"The hell? Are you a pervert or what?"

"N-no! I just noticed it… The Lord’s servant’s dress has a unique pattern! And since the Chieftess’s ample bosom cannot fit in the small– No, I mean, Chieftess wore that same dress."

"That doesn’t help at all… You are indeed a pervert."

"I am a tailor! A tailor! Hey, wait! Where are you going?!"

"Sam is a pervert! Listen, oh villagers!"

The people had indeed noticed the Chieftess’s new attire. Eliza’s gown was distinctive, making her stand out in the village.

"The Chieftess was… in the camp, right?"

"Yeah, I heard the same from her daughter… So, how did she come so fast to the Lord’s mansion?"

"Fool! That just means she was at the Lord’s mansion! Didn't you notice her gown? She was wearing one similar to the Lord’s servant."

"Does that mean…? There’s something going on between the Lord and the Chieftess?"

"Watch your mouth, you dog!"

"Hieek! I didn’t mean it that way… gulp I mean, just imagine, won't it be great?"

"What?"

"A child that has the Chieftess’ beauty and the Lord’s strength!"

"... Sam has lost his mind as well! Oh, villagers!"

"S-stop! No! Don’t punch me! Not in the guts!"

…

A saying persisted: A whispered word becomes an echoed sentence as it traverses the village. Though no one dared to vocalize it, rumors of the Chieftess and Mordret’s marriage circulated in many corners.

Maria was just 38… She was still relatively young. Acknowledging her beauty and sharp mind, many embraced the idea that it could bolster the village’s strength. But, well, that was a tale for another time.

…

However, someone remained oblivious to this wildfire. That someone was at Maria’s house.

"M-mother! Please, speak to me! I-I-" Rebecca implored as she knocked on the door of her mother’s room. Tears continued to stream down her face. But to her dismay, Maria did not respond.

"Brother! Brother, please! Please do something! Mother hasn’t spoken since then! She hasn’t even eaten anything!" Rebecca cried, yet Jon did not answer her plea.

It wasn't that he didn't want to; he simply couldn't. His actions had not only tarnished their reputation but had also besmirched the honor of the person who had repeatedly saved their lives.

Not like he didn't want to, but he couldn’t.

He was frustrated as he gazed at the closed door of their mother’s room. ‘I am ashamed of myself,’ he thought, his heart burdened by guilt. Biting his lips, Jon strode forward, gathering his sword and spear.

"Rebecca… Tell mother that her son will never forget his promise to father, ever again… and I won't return before the beast raid's end. Either alive or dead." Jon's words left Rebecca shaken as he departed, an unsettling aura accompanying his departure.

"Brother! Wait! Where are you going?! Mother! Mother, come out! Look, brother is leaving! Mother, please come out!" Rebecca's pleas fell on deaf ears, unable to sway either of them.

Neither Jon halted his stride, nor did Maria yield to the urge to open the door. While Rebecca was an adult, she remained sheltered from the brutal world beyond. The world beyond the peaceful village wasn't as serene, the outside not as comforting as the walls of her house, nor as secure as her bed.

The fight for survival was a grim reality, and those ignorant of it faced a dire fate. As the Chieftess's daughter and the sister of the village's most formidable warrior, Rebecca enjoyed privileges wherever she went. 'Jon, the son of Chieftess Maria…' It was then that she comprehended Mordret's choice of words. In truth, he hadn't even noticed her existence.

'Was that his intention?' Amidst tangled thoughts and unwiped tears, Rebecca mused.

'Did he mean that I am nobody without my mother's name?' Reflecting, she found Mordret's insight unassailable.

This revelation fueled her sorrow, a deep wellspring of emotion within her.

"Mother… you always said the Lord’s words and actions carry deeper meaning than what's apparent. I'm sorry for not realizing it," Rebecca sobbed, but Maria remained resolute in her silence.

For Rebecca, a scolding or even a shouted reprimand from Maria would have been preferable to this cold silence. But Maria chose neither option. Nothing at all. A void of words that isolated both Jon and Rebecca, leaving the latter utterly flustered.

The silence bore down like a heavy weight, excruciating and stifling.

"Mother… Please, say something." The house echoed with Rebecca's plea, yet the same oppressive silence persisted.

Rebecca couldn't fault Mordret either; the deed was done, and guilt weighed on her as well.

'What should I do?' Clutching her hair in frustration, Rebecca found herself without an answer except for one: a sincere apology to the Lord.

This time, an apology untarnished by pretense.

…

A resounding thud filled the air as I attempted to move, only to find myself ensnared in the dark room's confines.

Unforeseen.

Betrayal, presented in this manner, was beyond any anticipation. A fool, I chastised myself, for extending trust so blindly. I should've seen through his façade.

"Mffm!" My vocalizations dissolved into the room's silence, swallowed without a trace.

'Will escape be mine? And if the villagers were privy to my actions, what would their reaction be? The most dreaded response would undoubtedly come from the mother-in-law.' Tension coiled around me, an unrelenting grip that left even my tears desiccated on my cheeks.

Yelling proved futile, a fruitless endeavor.

Trapped, with no glimmer of escape.

I should have grasped this reality sooner.

But now, it was too late.

The specter of doom loomed ever nearer.