The mandrake medicine that Estelle had taken was originally meant for Glessia.
So, naturally, she thought Lennox must have been the one to inform her.
'But apparently not.'
"He must have forgotten because he's been so busy lately."
Pippin tried desperately to defend Lennox.
Although it didn't convince Estelle in the slightest.
"What exactly is Lady Glessia suffering from?"
At the very least, Estelle could tell it was due to malnutrition.
She even suspected whether the meals were being poorly prepared.
"Her body is extremely frail."
Frail?
Estelle's gaze naturally shifted toward the broken kitchen door.
"She also seems to struggle with both anorexia and binge eating."
"Yes. Ever since a certain incident, she spends more time asleep than awake, so she hasn't been able to eat properly."
"..."
"Normally, she only eats once every three or four months, but since coming outside like this is such a rare occurrence, I wasn't able to inform you in advance, madam. I apologize."
"What? Say that again."
"I'm sorry."
"No, I wasn't asking you to apologize—I meant, did you just say she eats only once every three or four months?"
"Yes. She doesn't even drink water."
"If she were an ordinary human, she wouldn't still be alive…"
Glessia's condition was far more severe than Estelle had imagined.
"No way."
Estelle, shaken by the revelation, felt as though puzzle pieces were finally clicking into place.
"You mean to say, the reason you didn't find it strange that Lady Glessia could survive three months without food is because she's a Durén? But His Grace knew all along that her condition wasn't normal!"
"Lady Glessia's refusal to eat is less an illness, and more something she chose of her own will…"
"Pippin."
"Yes, madam."
"Be quiet."
At Estelle's words, Pippin made a gesture as if zipping his lips shut.
"If His Grace doesn't return by tomorrow morning, then I'll go see Lady Glessia myself."
Huh?
Pippin's mouth fell open.
"In the end, it's because of me that she's been left clinging to false hope. I think it's only right to let her know the truth as soon as possible."
"..."
"Pippin. You can speak now."
"Whew… Lady Glessia is usually asleep, so you may not be able to speak with her."
"That's fine. For now, it's already late—we should get some rest. Thank you for your hard work at this late hour, Pippin."
After parting ways with Pippin, Estelle's pace slowed.
'I feel like I'm missing something.'
She had only seen Glessia twice, but there was something about her that weighed on Estelle's mind.
To resolve that lingering doubt, Estelle changed direction.
The place she arrived at was the detached house where she had stayed for a while.
And then—
'I swore I'd never pick this up again…'
Flash.
A blade gleamed in Estelle's hand.
Glessia never doubted that she was a fortunate person.
She had grown up in a harmonious household, showered with her parents' love, never lacking for anything.
Even though the younger brother who had been so adorable as a baby started to develop a crush on her as he grew older, it wasn't much of a problem.
[Glessia! You mustn't hit your little brother.]
[He was asking for it first.]
[No, sister, you hit me firs—…]
[What?]
When Glessia asked back sharply, the young Lennox, intimidated, immediately shook his head.
[… N-no, nothing.]
From that day onward, Glessia learned a trick.
Whenever Lennox played pranks or tried to be sly, she would grab him by the collar and drag him into her room.
[Si-sister!]
[Quiet.]
She locked the door and turned on the sound machine.
The volume was set to maximum,and stately classical music filled the room.
Keeping time with the music, Glessia punished Lennox with a pillow—until the pillowcase burst and feathers went flying.
After that, her younger brother would always become obedient.
And with the music playing, there was no risk of their mother overhearing, so everything worked out perfectly.
They were happy days.
[Mom! I'm definitely going to marry a man just like Dad!]
One day, Glessia shouted it out loud.
Having grown up watching her father's devotion to her mother, it was the very first wish Glessia had ever yearned for in her life.
[Do you think that's easy? I searched for more than a hundred years before I finally found him.]
[I'm not like you, Mom.]
[Even though most of our ancestors never formed an Imprint?]
[Of course! I'm far better than them!]
Young Glessia shot back boldly.
The Imprint was the mercy granted by the gods so that the people of Winteren could endure centuries of suffering.
It bound one man and one woman for life, allowing them to share each other's pain—and even to give part of their lifespan to the other.
It was the sacred rite of finding one's one and only partner.
And once formed, an Imprint could never be broken.
I'll find my one true partner!
If anyone asked Glessia who she respected most, she would answer without hesitation: her mother.
And she wanted to become someone far greater than her mother.
In her childhood, she had no doubt her dream would come true.
[Are you insane?]
At least, until the truth came out—that her father had been secretly committing adultery with another woman.
[Darkness lies right beneath the lamp, they say. Sneaking around in the very hut where the children play all the time?]
[Unlike you, I'm just an ordinary human! My feelings can fade!]
That day was the first time Glessia ever saw her father raise his voice.
He had never once frowned in front of her mother before, so it shocked her.
But what was even more shocking was…
[You can get sick of the food you've always eaten, and if something new comes along, you might be drawn to it. Why can't you understand me?]
[Are you an animal, comparing people to food like that?]
[You're not even human.]
[…]
[You're a demon. Disgusting—growing older and older, yet never aging a day…]
This was her father's true feelings.
There was no such thing as eternal love.
He demanded a divorce, but naturally, it was refused.
When her father suddenly died, Glessia briefly hoped that her mother might regain her strength.
But instead, having lost her partner, her mother only grew weaker and weaker.
For with an Imprint, one shared in a partner's suffering. The agony of death was no exception.
The reason so many Winteren never formed an Imprint was because the grief of losing a partner was too overwhelming.
So overwhelming it could destroy them.
[Mother.]
[…]
[Mother…]
Her mother slowly withered away.
She had walked the same path as their ancestors who had once formed Imprints.
Leaving her bedridden mother behind, Glessia—now acting head of the family—found her resolve hardening.
I don't need a partner in my life. I'll live just fine on my own.
All she had to do was take good care of her hapless younger brother, who seemed too gullible not to be swindled.
He's blood, so at least he won't betray me.
Glessia swore to herself she would never give her heart to anyone again.
And then—she met that man.
[My name is Jeremy. I have come to Winteren, called by God, to pursue my training. I look forward to your guidance.]
Since a mere fledgling, just barely an adult, had suddenly taken on the role of family head, the temple seemed to doubt Glessia's qualifications.
So they sent Jeremy as a watcher.
He looks soft. Hopefully he'll just stay quiet and leave without causing trouble.
Glessia spoke with him a few times, shared a few meals.
They went on a few walks, and held hands a few times.
The longer he stayed, the more naturally they grew closer.
[Lady Glessia, I admire you.]
It was Jeremy, the priest, who first confessed.
Glessia knew he was a sincere and upright man. But the resentment she still harbored toward priests kept her rejecting him.
At last, worn down by his steady devotion, she made a proposal—pretending to give in.
[There will be no Imprint, and no wedding ceremony. Legally, we'll still be strangers. Even so, do you still want to be with me?]
It was a kind of test.
Even she thought it was unreasonably unfair, so she expected him to give up.
But—
[The presence or absence of an Imprint is not the measure of love's depth, is it? In fact, it's a relief—this way I won't become a burden to you, Lady Glessia.]
[…]
[No matter what happens, my love for you will never change.]
Though he could not even become her Winteren consort, he abandoned his priesthood.
A man of deep faith had turned his back on the temple to choose her.
In that moment, Glessia truly believed herself to be the luckiest person alive.
[Jeremy!]
She had been so elated that just the sight of a monster made her burst into giggles—enough that people nicknamed her "the crazy woman" for a time. That was how giddy her days had become.
That day as well, after hastily washing up from subjugating monsters, she ran straight to him.
I missed you.
The words rose all the way to her throat.
Eager to see him, she pulled him into her arms without hesitation.
But something was wrong.
He collapsed limply against her.
[Jeremy?]
Jeremy was dead.
A hollow, empty death—so sudden he hadn't even let out a scream.
The cause was demonic energy.
Because she hadn't washed thoroughly, the small trace of it left beneath her fingernails had been enough.
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