"Everyone can leave," Tsukihara said. "Except Himari."
"No."
Her voice was flat and cold.
"None of you are leaving. Whatever he has to say, he says it in front of everyone."
Her father brought his palm down on the table. The crack of it ran through the study like something breaking.
Nobody moved.
Then Igarashi stepped to the door and opened it without a word. He looked at Niel. Please.
Niel had no choice. He walked out. Judi followed, then Kiro. Nobody disobeyed.
The door closed. It was just the two of them.
Tsukihara reached for the glass on the table, lifted the coaster away, and took a slow sip. He let the silence stretch as long as he liked. He did not look at her.
"Sit," he said. The word was cold enough to frost the air.
Himari pulled a chair over herself and sat directly in front of him, looking him straight in the eye.
He set the glass down. "Now speak. What did you want to say?"
"Nothing. You're the one who called me here."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. She had already decided she would not speak first.
He leaned back, more at ease. "Then listen. You receive an allowance."
She nodded.
"Igarashi tells me you haven't touched it since last month. You haven't answered a single call. You haven't contacted your mother."
She nodded again, agreeing with every word.
"And yet you dared to enter that foolish camp."
"It's not foolish."
"Call it what you like. For a daughter of mine, it was a foolish decision, nothing more." He laid his hands flat on the desk. "You will stay here. We remain in Arthford for a month, in the annex, with your family. You have everything you wanted. Now focus on your public image, which you have not yet built. We will soon make your debut in society."
His voice dropped, quieter and more deliberate. "Himari. I know more ways to make you stay."
"What do you mean?" She held his gaze. "And you know very well, I also know more ways to do what I want."
"Well." He picked the glass up again. "You will see tomorrow what awaits you. You may leave."
She stood and left.
The moment the door closed, Igarashi came in.
"She is stubborn," Tsukihara said.
"She is your carbon copy, Your Highness."
A small smile crossed his face, tiny and gone in a second.
Then it was gone, and he asked, "Is everything prepared for tomorrow?"
"Yes," Igarashi said.
Outside, her hands would not stop shaking. She wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her sleeves.
It's okay, Himari. You didn't say anything wrong. You did well.
I'm so tired. I just want to lie down.
Not Aika's room.
Her own room was at the end of the corridor, the one she had almost forgotten existed. She opened the door, switched on the light, and found it exactly as it had always been.
She lay down and pulled the comforter over herself. My head hurts. I want Mumma.
The headache dulled at the edges. She didn't fight the exhaustion. Sleep took her fast.
In the upstairs guest room, Aika closed the door herself. Haru, Sir Vane, and Kiro were already waiting. Later, quietly, so no one else would know, Niel and Judi were called in.
Aika told them there would be a debut. She told them she did not trust it.
Haru was against it at once. "Why now? There's no point to it. It puts her in more danger, not less. You weren't in Cyprus, Aika. You don't know how dangerous this is."
"It wasn't my order," Aika said. "And I can't undo it."
Sir Vane spoke at last. "Ma'am, I take responsibility for Miss Himari's safety. This is why we are here. You have to trust us."
"Then we have no choice," Aika said.
Kiro said he would stay close to Himari. It was about more than her, he added: they also had to find the people behind this, and the ones who had gone missing.
Judi had one demand. "I need Himari."
"You want to use my sister?" Aika's voice sharpened.
"Isn't that the point of all this?" Judi said. "I'm staying. My team is my responsibility. I'll cooperate and use my people and my intelligence. In return, you let me use her. And stop protecting her. She's a human being, not a doll. Let her decide for herself."
"Think what you want. I won't accept it."
"I'm not asking permission. It's her choice, and she chose to cooperate. I've seen her skill, her courage, her humanity."
He left before Aika could answer. Niel said he would cooperate, and followed with Sir Vane.
Only Haru and Aika remained.
"I understand your worry," Haru said quietly. "But it's too late to give her family support now. She has already suffered and survived on her own. Let her choose what she wants. Be a good elder sister. That's the last thing you can do."
A little past midnight.
The bedroom door glided open without a sound, letting in a thin sliver of moonlight from the corridor.
A poised figure slipped inside. Her mother summoned no maid and lit no lamp. She crossed the room with quiet grace and knelt on the carpet beside the bed, her formal skirt pooling around her.
She looked down at Himari. Curled on her side, silver hair spilling across the cushion, the blanket tucked under her chin, she looked small and peaceful in spite of the fever on her skin. There were no walls, no sharp tongue, no fiery defiance. Only a tired girl with her cheek against her hand, her face relaxed in rare, unguarded sleep.
Her mother reached out slowly. Her fingers hesitated an inch above the silver strands before she brushed a loose lock from Himari's forehead.
"Du dummes Kind..." she murmured, a quiet German whisper meant only for the shadows. "How can you look so peaceful when you carry so much fire inside?"
Her gaze moved to the corrupted glow of the Agnès Pact seal, pulsing with an unnatural, destructive heat.
Her expression tightened. It was not cold. It was a deep, silent resolve. She closed her eyes, drew a breath, and pressed her fingertips over the mark.
A faint crimson thread of mana flared between them. Her mother winced, jaw clenched, as she drew the burning, toxic heat out of Himari's body and into her own core, taking on the burden her daughter had carried alone for so long. Himari stirred and let out a soft exhale as the fever lifted from her chest, sinking into a deeper, pain-free sleep.
Her mother's hand drifted upward until her fingertips touched the small bandage at Himari's temple, a souvenir of that mountain. Her breath hitched. Her eyes traced the thick white bandages around Himari's hands.
Every scar, every burn, every strip of gauze was a silent tally of what her daughter had survived.
How much are you suffering?
The thought rose raw and unbidden. For all the stoic perfection she demanded, for all the cold pride of the Tsukihara name, the sight of her bruised and bound child cut deeper than any blade.
A single tear gathered at the corner of her eye, trembled on her lashes, and slipped down her cheek. She did not wipe it away.
She bowed her head and pressed her forehead against the edge of the mattress. She squeezed her eyes shut, took a long, shaky breath, and laid her warm palm over the burning mark.
"Ich vergebe mir nie..." she whispered into the blanket, her voice breaking just enough for the night to hear. I will never forgive myself.
The crimson mana flared, quiet and agonizing, as she pulled the venomous heat from Himari's skin into her own veins, so her daughter could finally rest.
When the last of it flowed into her palms, her chest heaved. Nausea and weakness blurred her vision, and her knees almost gave way. She caught herself on the mattress and swallowed a harsh cough so she would not disturb her daughter's breathing.
A tall silhouette stepped out of the shadows by the door.
Darian stood in the dim moonlight, arms crossed, cold eyes on his wife's trembling form. Neither had known he had been standing there the whole time.
"Eleanor." His voice was a low, cutting whisper. "You know this is only temporary. The seal will regenerate in a few days. You are draining your own mana for a fleeting delay."
She rose slowly, hands shaking faintly inside her silk sleeves, and met his icy gaze with a quiet defiance he rarely saw from her.
"I cannot sit and watch her in this much pain," she said, steadier now despite her pale face. "If it gives her even a few days of peace, long enough to breathe and stand and face what comes next, then I will do it. Again and again."
Darian said nothing.
She turned back to the bed and adjusted the blanket one last time. She stood over her daughter for a lingering moment, watching her breathe. The fever was gone, replaced by a calm, restful quiet.
She gave Himari's head one small, gentle pat. The tight, cold line of her lips softened into a faint, melancholy smile.
"My little lioness..." she whispered.
Without a sound, she withdrew her hand, smoothed her gown, and slipped into the corridor, closing the door with a barely audible click.
Darian followed her out. Candlelight carved his silhouette against the dark mahogany of the hall.
Her face locked back into that immaculate, unreadable mask. The warmth of a minute ago vanished without a trace. She slid her hands deep into her sleeves to hide the violent tremble in her wrists.
"Why spend it, then?" Darian asked quietly. "If you know it will not last."
"Because her debut is tonight," she said, smooth and measured and empty of feeling. "I will not have her stumbling into the grand hall looking half-dead, giving other families reason to gossip that we do not take proper care of our own daughter."
Darian let out a cold, dry breath, a sarcastic chuckle that barely reached his eyes. He leaned against the doorframe and studied her.
"Is that so? How fascinating. I never thought the woman who was so vehemently against showing her off would be so eager for her debut."
He straightened and smoothed his coat.
"But fine. If it preserves the family's standing, have it your way. Just see that she is presentable and ready on time."
He turned and walked away down the silent corridor.
Eleanor stood alone in the dark, pressing her sleeves tight over her cold, aching wrists, where the dark mana still throbbed beneath her skin.
When Himari opened her eyes, the weight that had crushed her chest for days was gone.
She sat up slowly, braced for the fever and the throb of the seal. Nothing came. Her skin was cool, her head clear, her shoulders light. She flexed her fingers and took a deep breath.
How?
Pale morning light spilled through the tall windows. Along the sofa lay four or five gowns, arranged in cold precision: silk, lace, heavy embroidery.
The debut was tonight.
Everything felt like it was moving too fast, being forced into the light and pressed into a mold she had never asked for. She dragged a hand over her face and went to wash up.
When she came back, a line of maids waited by the vanity with trunks of jewelry, pins, and cosmetics. For the first time since she had arrived, she saw their faces. Until now every servant had kept their eyes on the floor, as if her presence were contagious. Now they bowed together.
"Good morning, Lady Himari."
"Don't call me that. Just Himari."
They nodded, but the stiffness in their shoulders said that nobody would break protocol under Darian's roof.
"What's first?"
The lead maid cleared her throat. "Madam asks that you come down for breakfast. Everyone is waiting."
"Fine. I'll be out in a second. You can go."
She headed for the wardrobe to find her usual clothes, and the maids panicked.
"Madam has already sent a dress for today! She ordered us to stay and help you dress."
Himari looked at them, flat and unimpressed. "Only one of you stays. Decide among yourselves."
She slipped into the bathroom and locked the door.
When she came out, only the head maid remained, silent and stern. The woman reached into her apron pocket and held out her palm.
A gold chain bracelet, set with deep amber stones.
Himari knew it at once. Her aunt's gift, stolen weeks ago. How? Who found it? Why does she have it? The head maid's stony face said she would not get a single answer. Himari took it with a short nod and fastened the clasp.
A soft pulse of magic ran over her skin. The silver in her hair dissolved into rich brown, and her crimson eyes warmed to a clear honey color.
She looked at her reflection: light-green top, wide-leg denim, brown hair, a tired and conflicted face. She had her real look back, and no idea who to thank.
"Where's my mother?"
"In the courtyard, Lady Himari."
"Aika? Rin?"
"With His Highness."
"Igarashi?"
"Attending to the guests."
The guests. Himari gritted her teeth. Every servant kept reminding her they were hers, as if the whole political mess were hers to carry.
She walked out fast.
"Lady Himari, wait! Madam chose a dress for you! Those are not the clothes Madam chose!"
She didn't look back.
Downstairs was chaos: servants dragging silk banners, polishing chandeliers, arranging flowers for the debut. She ignored it all. She was almost happy. She wanted to show Igarashi her face and tell him she had something back.
She shoved open the double doors.
"Igarashi, you won't believe—"
The words died.
The table was full and every face had turned to her. Kiro, Niel, Sir Vane, Judi, Haru, Liliana, Tyler, Leo. Igarashi stood near Sir Vane, mid-instruction to a maid.
Silence.
She stood in wide-leg jeans and a casual green top, brown-haired and honey-eyed, as if she had wandered in from a library on the morning of her own debut.
"Excuse me," she blurted, face burning.
She yanked the doors shut with a BANG and leaned against them, staring at the ceiling, heart hammering.
Wait. The maid said the family was outside. That was only my guests.
She closed her eyes and took one slow breath, then another. She straightened her shoulders, smoothed her shirt, and lifted her chin. Whatever had been on her face folded away so cleanly that no one would have guessed it had been there.
She pushed the doors open again.
"Good morning, everyone."
Her voice was calm and warm. She stepped in with the easy grace of someone born to walk into rooms. It was the royal in her, the one she worked so hard to hide, and she didn't even notice she was doing it.
"Excuse us. Please enjoy your breakfast."
She caught the corner of Igarashi's sleeve and tugged it, slowly, the way she had as a child. He followed her to the side of the room.
"Madam," he whispered, "what happened? And what is that look?"
She smiled, her eyes catching the light. "How do I look?" She held out her wrist.
He saw the bracelet. "Oh my goodness. You found it?"
"No. The head maid gave it to me. I don't know how it got to Mother."
"May I see, Madam?"
He turned her wrist under the light. "This is not yours. It belonged to your late grandmother. Your mother's mother."
She looked at it properly for the first time. He was right. It was nearly identical, but hers had held eight gems, and this one had a ninth, tiny, tucked beside the clasp.
Who sends a daughter her dead mother's bracelet?
She said nothing. Igarashi watched her face, and said nothing either.
"After so long, Madam," he said at last, "I have finally seen the real you." Then the butler returned. "Come. You had no dinner last night. What would you like?"
"Just coffee."
She took the one empty chair without noticing it was beside Niel. Across from her, Tyler's arm was still bandaged, almost healed now that the healers had worked on it.
"How are you feeling?" she asked him.
"Better," he said, smiling.
"He's fit and fine," Leo added. Then, squinting at her: "So how did you change your look? Where's the witch look gone?"
For a second he forgot she was no longer just the Arthford girl he could tease. She was a princess, in her own house. Every servant in the room turned toward him at the word witch, and the clink of cutlery stopped.
Himari only smiled. "It's an illusion bracelet, Leo. Handy. Though I liked the other look. It made people so honest."
Leo went quiet and ate with great focus.
Niel leaned toward her. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. All good."
"Would you mind changing chairs?" she asked him. "I need to talk to Kiro."
The look on Niel's face was brutal. Kiro didn't seem to care. "Sure," Niel said, and rose.
She took the seat beside Kiro, so that she sat between the two of them.
"Kiro," she said quietly, "can I ask a small favor?" Then, quickly: "Could you stay with me today?"
He looked at her, confused, but nodded. "Of course."
"Is your grandfather coming?"
"Well, yes."
"Last night, you said you and Niel wanted to talk to me."
He glanced around the room, at the maids along the wall. "Later," he said. "Not here."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
She finished her coffee and stood, ready to slip away.
"At least show us around, Himari," Leo said. "You're just leaving us here?"
Liliana pinched him. "You're all eating," Himari said. "I thought it better not to disturb you. But sure, why not."
She hadn't noticed that nearly everyone had stood up to follow.
"What do you want to see?"
"Your house," Leo said. "What else?"
She started telling them about the place, but she was almost as new to it as they were. Most of what she said, she was quietly asking Igarashi.