Before her cousins arrived, Iris estimated the shortest path to the Lake of Vows through Tania.
In the past, Iris had secretly researched the Pasatus flower.
‘I wanted to help Cedric even just a little back then.’
She couldn’t forget how he had cried holding her hand.
“The method to treat Pasatus is unusual.”
The antidote to the poison of the Pasatus flower was to administer a poisonous herb that over-activates the nervous system.
“There’s no such poisonous herb in the North that can do that without causing other side effects.”
But there was one exception.
“The Elensha flower.”
The Elensha flower from the East contained ingredients that excessively stimulate the nerves when ingested.
And fatefully, that Elensha flower was blooming right now in this Northern land.
“Because Cedric planted it here for me.”
Simply because its pale violet petals reminded him of Iris.
He had no idea his gift would become useful like this.
“Though growing in the North, its potency might differ slightly.”
Still, it was the only way to save Sylvia at this moment.
“Cedric.”
I hope the gift you gave me can save your family.
Rushing by carriage toward the nearby location, Iris ran hastily.
“Ah!”
Her dress hem caught on an unseen branch and tore.
‘Damn.’
She hadn’t brought her sword in her rush.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t matter since she was told her skin was resistant.
Choosing to quickly find the flower and return, Iris climbed the mountain without looking back.
‘Jana and Tania likely realized what happened when they died in the past.’
Al Baizan, possessing terrifying power, was one of the crucial talents.
Especially since they barely survived.
Since both had witnessed Sylvia’s symptoms firsthand, it was highly probable they understood everything.
‘They were all murdered.’
Sylvia, Jana, Tania.
The people important to Cedric had all been killed one by one in secret.
That was why Cedric had been left to mourn alone, unable to clear up the misunderstanding.
Unable to bring the only two children of his bloodline near him.
Wiping away tears roughly, Iris said,
‘Found it.’
At the shimmering lakeside, pale violet flowers fluttered in the breeze.
Iris still didn’t know what illness Sylvia truly had.
It might already be too late.
“But…”
There was still a chance.
If she could cure the symptoms of Pasatus and bring her to a doctor, she might survive.
Could she change Cedric’s future again, as if by miracle?
“Just like Cedric changed my life.”
Tearing the remaining torn hem of her dress, Iris carefully picked the flowers.
‘This should be enough.’
As she tied the cloth’s edge to seal the flowers, a hostile aura prickled her senses.
Thunk!
An arrow embedded in the ground near where she had just been.
“Haha. You deceitful woman.”
“You…”
The one holding a crossbow was Alex Hurtledam, son of Marquis Hurtledam.
‘How…?’
She had thought her deception was flawless.
Alex Hurtledam, son of the marquis.
He sneered coldly down at the nervous Iris as she backed away cautiously.
“That old fool really did fall dead. My plan wasn’t flawed.”
He was the mastermind behind this operation.
He couldn’t believe the marquis had wasted so much effort on that useless orphanage only to abandon it now.
“Such cheap tricks won’t fool me, unlike my dumb father.”
He was certain the grand duchess was hiding the marquis.
So he waited alone, fearing his foolish father would ruin everything.
No wonder she rushed out like this, even trying to find herbs.
“So the grand duchess wasn’t incurable after all?”
“Don’t make me laugh. You’ll die here anyway.”
He waved the crossbow threateningly.
He was toying with Iris all along.
Iris clenched her teeth.
‘The sword.’
It was her fault to assume they wouldn’t chase her and to leave her sword behind.
‘If only there was something around to replace the sword…’
But even moving would invite the crossbow bolts flying toward her.
“You’re quite the beauty, it’s a shame to kill you.”
His disgusted gaze landed on the torn hem of Iris’s dress.
“Tch. Why does it have to be the wife of a royal bloodline?”
Irritated, he rested the crossbow against his shoulder, taking aim.
Iris, too, brought the whistle to her lips, handed by Tania.
“Die!”
But the arrow flew with blinding speed.
Despite the cold dread crawling up her spine, she clenched her teeth, preparing to dodge.
Bang!
A small dagger shot through the air, deflecting the arrow.
Then, with rapid precision, blades were plunged into the ground near Alex’s feet.
“What—what’s this!”
A small figure with sunset-hued hair leapt down from the trees.
It was Jana.
Lowering her body defensively in front of Iris, Jana’s fierce eyes locked onto Alex.
The sneering Hirteldum prince twisted his face in mockery.
“Oh ho—what do we have here? The old man’s mutt, isn’t it?”
Trying to provoke and unnerve her, but Jana did not flinch.
Instead, she lowered herself even further, studying him carefully.
“Since you didn’t guard the old man and came here instead, maybe you should have gone that way after all?”
Alex chuckled mockingly.
At that moment, Jana’s golden eyes darkened fiercely.
“What... what’s that?”
An orange aura flickered around her.
Iris’s heart tightened. She recognized the phenomenon from decades of observing her family.
‘This is... sword aura.’
The immense spiritual force of Al Baizan exploded outward like a violent storm.
“Ugh!”
Jana’s thrown dagger sliced through the air like a blade of wind, embedding itself deeply into Alex’s knee.
“Aaah!”
He collapsed with a cry, and Jana hurled another dagger, pushing the crossbow far away.
“You wretched fiends!”
Bleeding, Alex shouted as Jana prepared to strike again.
“Look at these pests.”
A disdainful male voice cut through the tension, followed by a slash of sword aura.
“Ah!”
Jana was struck in the waist, flying sideways next to Iris.
More men appeared behind Alex—the collateral nobles from the gallery, all allied and converging here.
One wielding a longsword sneered contemptuously at Jana.
“You misuse sword aura, little beast. That’s how Al Baizan met his end.”
Iris pressed her trembling hands against Jana’s injured waist, using her dress to staunch the bleeding.
Fortunately, the wounds were not too deep.
Jana was no expert knight or mercenary.
‘She’s no match for multiple foes.’
She was more like an assassin skilled in close combat, similar to the late Al Baizan.
‘Her control over sword aura is still raw.’
It was clear she had only just begun to wield it properly.
‘What can I do?’
With Jana here, the whistle Tania gave was useless now.
No one could come to their rescue—despair hung heavy in the air.
‘If only I could seize that sword and turn the tide.’
Silently applying pressure to Jana’s wound, Iris put the whistle to her lips.
‘All I can do is try.’
Having faced death once, Iris understood the resolve that comes with it—one must act without hesitation.
No matter what.
Wheeeeee—!
The sound of a powerful sonic wave filled the forest as a sudden gust swept through.
Startled, the man covering his ears and closing his eyes gasped sharply.
“What nonsense is this now?”
“...”
“You won’t speak, huh? Then you die.”
Iris’s calm, sky-blue eyes narrowed, disapproval clear.
The man scowled, raising his sword high.
Just as he was about to strike down Iris, who held Jana tightly—
Clang!
A fierce, ear-splitting clash echoed as the man was thrown back.
“Yurian.”
Iris’s surprised voice called out, but he gave no reply.
Only his furious, sapphire eyes fixed on their enemies.
Yurian did not wield sword aura. In fact, he didn’t even draw his sword.
Yet not a single enemy could counterattack.
“Ugh!”
He barely parried the flashing blade that surged at him, fueled by rage.
Jana bit down hard in fury.
Behind him were their wounded lord and the child.
In the eyes of the little girl cradled in Iris’s arms, Yurian saw Cedric—the terrified gaze from when he was dragged away by the beasts.
Fueled by wrath, Yurian launched an onslaught against their foes like a storm of blades.
Only when they completely lost their composure did they turn back toward Iris and Jana, panting heavily.
“Ar-are you alright?”
“I’m fine. How…?”
Yurian quietly held out the stone Jana had given her.
A soft sigh escaped from Iris’s lips.
Swallowing once, Yurian stepped back with trembling eyes.
The girl in her arms was crying, her eyes filled with the same fear as her master’s.
Just as Yurian tried to disappear from sight, her cloak was caught by something.
It was Iris.
With a pale, ashen face, she said,
“You saved us.”
“……”
“See? I told you, you’ve grown strong.”
Strong enough to protect someone.
Those words struck a deep chord in Yurian’s heart.
After catching her breath, a smile spread across Iris’s face.
‘Why did Cedric and I build up so many misunderstandings?’
At this moment, Iris finally understood.
“So you don’t have to wear that tortured expression anymore.”
Yurian’s eyes widened.
Soon after, Iris, looking exhausted, released Yurian’s hand and fainted.
The young man watching over them had his eyes redden as past memories overlapped.
‘I thought I was worthless.’
He had believed his very existence was a burden due to his incompetence.
Because back then, he couldn’t save the boy. Because he could do nothing.
But in the end, Yurian was able to save the person who would walk the future with that boy.
‘I saved them.’
A single tear traced down Yurian’s cheek.
After wandering lost for so long,
At last, he had found a reason to live.
Waiting for Iris, who had returned carried by Jana, was Tran’s chief physician, Yul.
“My goodness, what is the meaning of this?”
Though overwhelmed by the sudden arrival of two patients, she was one of the rare healers who had passed through Sylvia’s needle-eye standards.
Quickly preparing the bed, she completed her examination.
When she saw the herbs Iris had brought, she couldn’t hide her surprise.
“How did she even know about this?”
Perhaps Iris had a deep interest in medicinal arts.
Though a physician, Yul was also a scholar of medicine, and her heart pounded at the sight of a kindred spirit after a long time.
But saving the patient took precedence over academic curiosity.
Before Sylvia fully succumbed to the poison of Pasatus, Yul prepared an antidote.
“Ugh...”
The first to awaken was Iris, followed by Jana.
“Ugh—”
Jana tried to rise but collapsed again, pain stabbing her waist.
“Jana, are you alive?”
“I think so.”
At Iris’s voice, Jana turned sharply—alive indeed.
Her eyes were heavy with strain.
If not for the wound, she would have leapt up to embrace Iris immediately.
“Have you regained consciousness?”
Yul approached and greeted them.
“I am Yul, Tran’s chief healer.”
Though a stranger, she seemed deeply moved.
But Iris had something more urgent to confirm.
“Is the matriarch...?”
“Yes, she just woke up. Would you like to see her?”
“That would be good.”
As Iris rose, Jana grasped her robe.
Without a word, Iris carefully lifted her, mindful not to reopen the wound.
Opening the door to the chamber, they found Sylvia slowly sitting up from her bed.
Fortunately, her expression was calmer than when she had fainted, and her vision seemed restored.
“My lady!”
Iris’s earlier injuries seemed mild compared to Sylvia’s current state.
But the pain made her curl up again.
“Good heavens, Jana, are you alright?”
“Who do you think’s speaking!”
Jana snapped, her throat uninjured but her voice fierce.
Tears spilled from her tightly held-back eyes.
“I-I was just so afraid something would happen to my lady...”
Covered in tears, Jana’s remorse weighed heavily on Sylvia, who could only remain silent.
Yul, who had followed, also snapped.
“That’s exactly what I mean! What on earth is happening?”
“Yul, but...”
“No buts! My lady almost died!”
Yul’s outburst echoed exactly what Iris had feared.
Sylvia had endured her illness through sheer willpower alone.
If only a little more time had passed...
“It was a curable disease, yet it became irreversible.”
Sylvia smiled bitterly at the truth.
“But becoming addicted to Pasatus was unacceptable.”
She knew well how deeply narcotics could shatter one’s mind.
Since Violet’s passing, she had done whatever was necessary to complete her preparations.
“I am not yet ready to pass the Tran territory to Cedric.”
At that, Iris covered her mouth, thinking,
‘So all these preparations were to carefully hand things over to Cedric without drawing Ludwig’s ire?’
Sylvia pressed her tired fingers to her brow.
“I hadn’t been ready until now, but since I’m returning to the divine realm soon, I thought now was the right time.”
Sylvia still occasionally dreamed of the emperor dragging Cedric to hell, like Violet and the former crown prince.
‘Is it because he’s my younger brother’s son that he watches over him?’
‘I trust the count is wise.’
Ludwig also sternly warned her against embracing Cedric, for his safety—until that boy could protect himself fully.
Sylvia’s role was to bear her pain silently and keep all secrets.
“Well... but while I’m still alive, was it all useless effort?”
“Please don’t say that.”
Iris spoke urgently.
How could she convey this? Cedric needed more than titles or land.
‘He needs you more than anything.’
Before the reincarnation and now—always so.
Just as she prepared to speak her final, unspoken plea—
Chapter 91