The inside of the waterfall was fairly spacious.
Lennox stared at the opaque black mineral that seemed to absorb light.
Adamantium.
It was harder than steel, yet extremely light, and a rare mineral.
Because only tiny amounts had ever been discovered, it possessed a value beyond comparison even with gold.
The relic is over there.
And indeed, further inside, a relic shaped like a set of scales could be seen.
Whether it was real or fake couldn't be judged by appearance alone, but at least the form matched.
Adamantium and a relic, together.
It was as if a vault worth an astronomical sum had been hidden within the territory of Wonterren.
Yet Lennox could not simply rejoice.
There was a problem—
"So I'll only be acknowledged if I manage to break through this, huh."
The path leading there was blocked by a transparent magical barrier.
Lennox drew his sword and, without hesitation, struck at the barrier.
Clang—!
But only a light, almost pleasant sound rang out; not even the faintest crack appeared in the barrier.
Both the adamantium and the relic were nothing more than pie in the sky.
"Interesting."
Lennox spoke in a flat tone, his expressionless face somehow more frightening because of it.
"In my life, there has never been a problem I couldn't solve with strength."
Clang—!
The barrier remained perfectly intact.
Unyielding, Lennox continued to strike at it again and again.
It seemed it would take longer than he had expected before he could return home.
No, perhaps that's for the better,
since he could organize his thoughts while breaking through the barrier.
Even now, one face coiled like a serpent in Lennox's mind.
Estelle Wonterren.
She won't collapse just because I stepped away for a moment, will she?
Pushing that worry about her into a corner of his mind, Lennox struck at the barrier once more.
Glessia was brimming with confidence.
Since I treated them so harshly yesterday, surely they've lost affection and will want a divorce now!
But the very next day—
Estelle and Durén came looking for her again.
They say you can't spit on a smiling face.
"The soup was really hot yesterday. I cooled this one down for you, so please have it."
"Como! Walk!"
Faced with Estelle's kindness and Durén's boundless energy, Glessia felt her spirit completely drained.
By the time she regained her senses, she found herself once again having a meal with them and then going out for a walk.
This is exhausting…
Collapsing onto her bed, Glessia felt bewildered.
Why was everything the same as yesterday?
Durén was one thing, but… did Estelle really not hate her?
"Como! Dudu dreamed about Como!"
Before she knew it, Durén, refreshed from a nap and brimming with energy, came bursting in—his little arms full of picture books.
And once again, almost without realizing it, Glessia found herself listening to Estelle read fairy tales aloud with Durén at her side.
"This time… how about you read, Lady Glessia?" Estelle suddenly suggested.
"My… my voice isn't very nice."
"I've read several in a row, so my throat's getting sore. Just for a little while, please."
There was no helping it then.
Durén's expectant gaze made it clear he was waiting for the next story.
Awkwardly, Glessia opened one of the books.
"Once upon a time…"
But the letters didn't read properly.
It wasn't her eyesight—she simply couldn't remember how to read them.
Sometimes the words even seemed to ripple like waves before her eyes.
Even as she read, she had no idea what sounds were coming out of her mouth.
Am I even reading this right?
When that thought crossed her mind, she stole a glance at Durén—who was concentrating so hard it looked as if he might tumble right into the pages.
Seeing that face, she simply couldn't bring herself to say she wanted to stop halfway.
Glessia furrowed her brows, doing her utmost to make sense of the letters as she read.
When Estelle and Durén came, it was morning.
When they left, it was night.
The presence of the sun or moon didn't matter.
That was how it was for Glessia.
"Auntie!"
Morning had come again.
She had a light meal of easily digestible food.
Perhaps because she ate slowly, she didn't throw up even once.
And of course, after the meal came the daily walk.
"Do you go out for a walk every day?"
"Yep!"
"Why?"
Glessia asked the question in a flat, expressionless tone.
Going out just to walk felt wasteful to her.
"Isn't it boring, seeing the same scenery every day?"
"The outside is different every day!"
Durén answered energetically, then sniffed the air.
"Today it's water!"
"Water?"
"It smells like water!"
Smiling brightly at his own incomprehensible words, Durén suddenly pointed at a tree.
"Look! A flower bloomed here! Yesterday it was all curled up!"
…Was that so?
She couldn't tell, since she'd never really paid attention to her surroundings.
But after that exchange with Durén, somehow the scenery around her began to catch her eye.
Thud-thud-thud—
"Uh?"
Suddenly, a rain shower poured down.
"Durén!"
"Mom!"
Startled, she froze in place—when Estelle came hurrying over to where they stood.
Estelle took off her outer garment and held it over Durén's head.
"What about you, Mom?"
"Mom's fine. I'll follow behind, so you go in first, Durén."
"Mm!"
Durén dashed off toward the estate.
Glessia could only watch as Durén quickly disappeared into the distance, when Estelle beckoned to her.
"Lady Glessia, you should run too!"
But when Glessia just stood there blankly, Estelle finally lost patience and grabbed her wrist.
"Hurry! You'll catch a cold if you stay like that."
Glessia flinched.
If she wanted to, she could have easily shaken off that hand.
Yet she let herself be pulled along.
Whoosh—
The rain came down harder and harder.
Running together with Estelle through the downpour, the damp air filled her lungs.
The streams of rain that struck her body were biting cold—
and the sound of it lashing the earth was deafening.
Glessia heard and felt it all.
Then, not far ahead, she spotted Durén standing alone in the rain.
"Durén! Mom told you to go on ahead."
Even though Estelle had covered him with her outer garment, it hadn't protected him completely.
As Estelle spoke with worry, Durén beamed brightly.
"I was waiting!"
He had dashed off first, but when Estelle didn't follow, he had only been hopping anxiously in place.
"Let's hurry inside."
"Mm!"
They quickened their steps, but by the time they entered the house, all three of them were soaked through.
Shiver—
Durén shook himself dry.
The water splattered everywhere, showering both Estelle and Glessia.
"Ah!"
Durén hadn't meant it, so he was startled.
"You've got so much energy, even a cold would run away from you. Look at this—your splash reached higher than your own height!"
Estelle poked at his cheeks and laughed out loud.
"Hehe. Dudu's super strong!"
Durén thought he would be scolded, but instead, it felt like he was being praised—so he laughed along with Estelle.
Though they were all soaked to the skin, the room filled with warm, cheerful laughter.
"You're cold, right? Let's wash up with warm water and change into cozy clothes."
"Mm!"
"Ah, that's right—Lady Glessia, you too, quickly… Lady Glessia?"
Glessia was watching them as if they were part of another scene entirely.
Their figures wavered before her eyes, as though submerged beneath the sea.
"Why… why are you being kind to me?"
It wasn't the rain blurring her vision.
"..."
"To someone like me… why…?"
Tears streamed down her cheeks—tears that hadn't come even when she lost the one she loved, or when she lost the child who was never born.
It was as if her tear ducts had finally broken; she could not stop.
As though vomiting out all the grief she had held back that day, Glessia wept like a child, sobbing uncontrollably.
Durén tilted his head as he watched her cry as if she might stop breathing.
"Why would you ask something like that?"
Not understanding her at all, Durén looked up at her with clear, innocent eyes.
"Auntie, you're family with Dudu, aren't you?"
The people around Durén were always kind to him too. But Durén never asked why.
To him, they were all family—and family naturally cherished one another.
"Uhhp—"
Glessia tried desperately to swallow back her tears, but in the end, another sob burst out.
Startled, Durén began to pat her.
Since the difference in their height was so great, it was difficult to reach her back, so he ended up patting her leg instead.
"It's okay, it's okay."
His voice, reassuring just like Estelle's had once been to him, soothed her.
But the more he comforted her, the louder her sobbing became.
Uh… Mom, what do I do?
Durén turned to Estelle with a flustered expression.
Estelle, too, was taken aback.
She gently stroked Durén's round little head, speaking calmly.
"For now, why don't you go wash up, Durén?"
"Mm!"
Yet Glessia's sorrowful cries did not stop, and before long, the servants began gathering one by one.
Estelle, motioning for them to stay back, entrusted Durén to them first.
"Lady Glessia, you should wash as well. If the rainwater just dries on you, it'll feel unpleasant, won't it?"
She wanted to say it didn't matter—that bathing was a bother—that they shouldn't concern themselves with her.
But all that came out instead were more sobs.
In the end, unable to say anything, Glessia hiccupped through her tears and barely managed to make her way to the bath to wash herself.
"Lady Glessia."
Only after she had spent a long time crying in the tub and finally calmed down did she find Estelle waiting for her.
When Glessia finished her bath, Estelle quietly offered her a cup filled with cocoa.
Glessia didn't particularly want to drink it.
But, just like the rose she had been handed before, she couldn't brush it aside—because if she did, the cocoa would surely spill and scald Estelle.
All Glessia wanted was to protect Estelle.
She had tried to keep her distance for that very reason, but she didn't want Estelle to be harmed because of it.
As she accepted the cup, the sweet aroma teased her nose. The sensation of her deadened senses being awakened felt almost unpleasant.
"Durén is asleep now. He worried a lot about you, but after washing up, he just passed right out."
Glessia didn't take a single sip.
With her head bowed, staring only at the cup, she heard Estelle's voice continue.
"You asked me why I was kind to you, didn't you?"
"..."
"I took the mandrake medicine that was originally meant for you. That's why I'm doing this."
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