Dawn Welcoming the Passing Night

In the middle of the night, unbelievable news broke out at Kaintreche Castle, the main castle of the Liard family, turning the household upside down.

Dver ran out of his bedroom in his bare feet upon hearing the sudden news that his wife and son had been attacked by assassins. He almost fainted when he saw his wife lying on the bed with severe injuries, but he barely managed to endure it.

Fortunately, the family’s healers and Kyle rushed in, extracted the poison, and devoted themselves to treatment throughout the night, reducing their sleep. Thanks to them, they were able to overcome the dangerous crisis, but that didn’t make last night’s events disappear.

“I’m sorry, Father. It’s because of me that Mother…”

“How many times are you going to apologize? I told you it’s not your fault, so don’t worry about it.”

“Still…”

“Enough. Roxanne is my beloved wife, but you are also my cherished son. I’m fine with just you opening your eyes.”

Dver listened to his son’s apology for what felt like the hundredth time, and he lowered his eyes, trying not to show his grief.

If Roxanne had really suffered some misfortune, he would be soaking the carpet with tears by now, but fortunately, her life was safe, so he could breathe a sigh of relief.

Moreover, after hearing that Kyle had also inhaled poison while protecting the two people he was with, he realized that Kyle had done his best in his own way, and he became proud of his son.

“Lord, how should we inform the first young master…?”

Soon after, the head butler, Heitz, approached and asked.

Hasel had left the castle since early morning yesterday due to a sudden schedule.

“Let him know. But tell him that his mother is safe, so there’s no need to rush back.”

“Yes.”

In most families, they would naturally tell him to come back immediately and stay by his mother’s side since she had suffered such a major accident, but Dver was a man with a cool head for judging situations.

Even if Hasel came back right away, there was nothing he could do, and he didn’t want to bother his son, who had left the castle for a rare schedule only a day ago.

“Sylvia, please go back to your room and rest. It’s enough for me and my father to be by Mother’s side.”

Meanwhile, Kyle was concerned that even Sylvia, who had no connection to the family, had been guarding Roxanne’s side all night, so he said that.

If possible, Dver also wanted to go back and rest, but he didn’t say it because he wondered how he could have such a thought when his in-laws were in such a state.

However, despite his suggestion, Sylvia was stubborn.

“It’s okay. Kyle hasn’t even closed his eyes all night because he was working hard on the treatment. I’ll stay by Mother’s side, so go and rest for a while.”

“No. Even if we’ve overcome the dangerous crisis, we don’t know what might happen…”

“Then I’ll stay by her side too. I think I’ll only feel relieved if I see Mother open her eyes before I go back.”

“…Do as you please.”

Kyle nodded with a bitter smile, thinking that she was the most stubborn person he had ever seen.

Even though his attitude seemed like this on the outside, he was grateful for Sylvia’s thoughtfulness.

It was she who changed the bandages stained with blood and flesh several times without showing any displeasure, and took care of Roxanne with utmost devotion, even replacing the towels soaked in cold water.

“By the way, Kyle, what about the remaining one of the assassins from yesterday…?”

In the meantime, Sylvia suddenly remembered one of the assassins who survived the incident last night and cautiously asked the question.

At that moment, a frost-like coldness settled in Kyle’s eyes, but it quickly dissipated in an instant.

“I’ll take care of it myself. Let’s focus on Mother’s recovery now.”

“…Yes.”

It was an explicit change of topic without any explanation, but Sylvia could quickly infer Kyle’s course of action upon hearing this.

He must be thinking of extracting information from him, whether through torture or whatever.

Even though the other party was an evil person, she didn’t want Kyle to dirty his own hands by doing such dirty work, but she couldn’t think of an excuse to stop him.

No, maybe trying to stop him now is hypocrisy itself.

She could only hope that he wouldn’t be tainted by darkness.

“Eung…”

“……!”

“Roxanne!”

“Mother!”

How much time passed like an eternity?

Roxanne’s expression, who had been peacefully closing her eyes as if she had fallen into a deep sleep, slightly distorted, and when a groan flowed from her mouth, joy spread across the faces of everyone in the room.

Eventually, Roxanne, who was tossing and turning due to the pain felt in her chest, barely opened her eyes, and she wore a blank expression as she looked at the scene unfolding before her eyes.

The memories of last night flashed by.

‘I clearly took a dagger to the chest back then…’

She remembers reflexively throwing herself to take the dagger because she thought her son was in danger, but since her memory is faint after that, it seems she lost consciousness on the spot.

After barely succeeding in recalling her memories, she observed the familiar ceiling and familiar faces one by one, and she soon sensed that she had not arrived in the afterlife.

If she had closed her eyes as they were, she might have had the face to see her son at the very end, but in some ways, she also felt it was a pity.

“Honey, are you awake? Do you recognize me?”

“…How could I not recognize you? Honestly.”

Soon after, Dver rushed to his wife’s side and asked in an excited voice, and Roxanne smiled bitterly and nodded.

Her husband doesn’t raise his voice this much, so she thought he must have been very worried about her.

He’s always been a warm person on the inside, even if he looks cold on the outside, so it’s only natural.

Soon, when Dver moved his body to the side, his son’s face, which had been hidden behind him, was clearly revealed.

Roxanne carefully parted her lips as she looked at Kyle, who was making an expression filled with mixed emotions, as if he didn’t know what to say.

“Are you okay, Kyle?”

“……”

Just hearing one word, Kyle felt as if a dagger had flown and pierced his chest.

This was because there was too much of a disconnect between the woman named Roxanne that he knew and the ‘mother’ lying in front of him.

Even though her own life was in a critical situation until just now, the fact that she asked about her son’s condition as soon as she opened her eyes was too foreign.

“…Why, did you do that?”

Eventually, Kyle, unable to withstand the sense of incongruity, opened his mouth, and the words that came out of it were awkward as the first words to convey to his mother, who had safely opened her eyes.

However, everyone in this place could infer the meaning contained in those words, so no one questioned it.

Roxanne also quickly noticed the meaning contained in those words and only smiled faintly.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”

“…You’re too late.”

“Yes, I’m late. Too late.”

She knew. She knew that just with this one action, with just an apology conveyed through words, it was far from enough to soothe the wounds she had given him.

Nevertheless, since this was the only thing she could convey, Roxanne only looked at Kyle, constantly putting the words “I’m sorry” on her lips.

And soon, Kyle’s hand, which seemed like it would never reach, gently overlapped Roxanne’s hand.

“…That’s enough for now. When Mother gets up safely later, please tell me again then.”

“Ah…”

How warm that warmth was, how gentle that heart was, how painful those words were.

Eventually, Roxanne, unable to withstand the surge of emotions, overlapped her son’s hand on her hand and shed tears.

“I’m sorry, Kyle… I’m sorry…”

Kyle, unable to face that sight, turned his head, and at the end of his gaze, he saw the dawn slowly rising between the mountain ridges.

＊＊＊

With the stone statue erected in the center as the head, a woman was sitting in front of the torch that faintly illuminated the surroundings.

Because of the backlight, her face was not clearly visible, but the person bowing in front of her was not even thinking of looking up at her face and was only trembling.

“…You failed?”

“Yes, yes… Apostle-nim. I have nothing to say.”

“…Was the information I received wrong?”

“N-no, that’s not it. The information was accurate, but it seems the enemy also noticed our movements. The resistance was also stronger than expected…”

“……”

Tok. Tok. Tok.

The woman, who was tapping the armrest of the chair at regular intervals, quietly looked down at the man bowing in front of her.

To think that she didn’t get the desired results even after investing as many as eight Watchers, this was unexpected.

Above all, she had thoroughly grasped the structure of the castle through a reliable informant, and even devised countermeasures against the barrier, and invested manpower for sure, but the results were this lousy.

“…Is he coming? I want to directly ask him about the responsibility for this result.”

“H-he said he’ll arrive soon.”

“…Okay, go out for now. I hope you’ll handle things more reliably next time.”

“T-thank you for your mercy…! Thank you, Apostle-nim!”

The man, who had been bowing deeply, hurriedly got up from his seat when the woman’s eviction order fell, and left the detached room without looking back.

He was just lucky enough to save his life today. There will be no next chance.

With that fact crammed into his head, he shouted, “Run for your life!” and quickly headed to his room.

Meanwhile, the woman, left alone in the detached room, stared blankly at the door where the man had left, then reached out to the table next to her.

Kaang─!

“…Oh dear.”

However, she closed her eyes tightly, expressing her disappointment at the broken glass before her hand could even reach it.

She just needs to get it again anyway.

Tools are supposed to be like that.