"Aren't you going to tell your brother about this?" Duke Keene asked.

His tone was mild and a hint of affection was mixed into it.

​​

"Allan wouldn't be pleased that I'm still alive."

Cabel looked at Evelyn who said it like it was the natural reaction of her brother. Duke Keene was left speechless for a while before he started to speak to her.

"Evelyn, that's not true… your brother regrets the things that he has done. I also regret everything that I've done ever since your mother died. Give your brother a second chance, like what you did to me."

Personally, Duke Keene knew that his children aren't close like what siblings usually are. He knew that his family wasn't like what it used to be when Monica, his wife, were still alive.

He knows that they have a lot of mistakes that they've made to Evelyn. However, if what Evelyn said were true that they were influenced by black mana and that their memories of that day were manipulated then he thought that this would be a good chance to make things right.

Furthermore, now that Duke Keene knows that his daughter was alive, he would want Evelyn to think that she still has a family, it might be too late for them to act like one however, he still wants to give it a try, to be a complete family.

"I'll think about it." Evelyn replied.

She knows that most of the things that they've done were influenced by the black mana still, the things that have already been done and said by them were etched to her very core.

It's the kind of scar that won't heal with just an ointment or as the time passes by.

Evelyn smiled a little. And she bid him goodbye. She has done what she needed to confirm.

Cabel, who was also about to jump in the balcony after Evelyn stops as he heard Duke Keene speak.

"Duke Cabel, I won't ask why you are with my daughter. I just want one request…"

Cabel brows shot high at Duke Keene's words. It was news to him that Duke Keene would request something from him. He waited for Duke Keene to finish his words.

"I'll be leaving my daughter in your care… I don't have the guts to act like a father to her because of what I did but I would be grateful if you could help Evelyn when she needs it. I'll pay you back for everything…"

"You don't need to tell me that Duke… That's what I intended to do from the very start."

Duke Keene looked at the open window before he sat in his chair and faced the desk. The sun was up and his butler Jede entered the office and saw the broken vase, the sword on the floor and the dagger on the table as well as Duke Keene whose forehead was leaning on his hand.

The office that was always neat was a mess. The window that leads to the balcony were also open.

Jede stares at his silent master for a while. Duke Keene didn't even hear his butler knock or walk to his side.

"Your Grace? Did you sleep here?"

The voice wakes Duke Keene from his deep thoughts. He then stared at the space and spoke at his butler with a tone that was dead serious.

"I need to change some things in the capital. Call Ivo and Shiek, I have something that they need to do."

***

After Evelyn and Cabel came back to the mansion, the break of dawn was painting the night sky.

Rummaging through her stuff in her cabinet, she managed to find the video communication device that Silvester gave to her.

"What are you doing?" Cabel asked as Evelyn started to place the crystal like sphere in the coffee table.

She sat in front of it, whereas Cabel sat across from her.

"I'm going to call my cousin… Now that Elise made her move, I won't let her get away with it."

Evelyn actually tried to push things and avoided crowded places that Saint Elise might do her temple duties, however that changed when her brother came with Elise in her shop.

"The plan was to lay low and slowly expose the things that they've done to the people. But now, I don't care. They tried to kill me again? That's their last strike to get me…"

The crystal ball twinkled in red and connected to Silvester.

"Sorry Sil, did I wake you up?

"Eve? It's fine… What's up? Did something happen?"

Cabel folded his arm as he saw Silevester's face across the communication device. He can see that Silvester is still in his bed and must have been woken up by Evelyn.

"I'll be needing the Grimoire that you have."

Silvester went silent as Evelyn frankly spoke about what she needed. Her sunset eyes were looking at him through the screen with resolute and determination.

He sighs.

"Fine, I'll go there… I also need to visit the Temple of Light. They've been sending me letters about establishing their temple in the Perspiru Kingdom."

"Is that so? That would be great!"

Thuk!

They ended the call after they exchanged information.

"Duke Cabel, you should go to the room that you've been staying in before. The maids will come into my room at any moment."

Cabel followed Evelyn with his crimson eyes as she walked to her desk.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"You've been planning this the whole time?"

Evelyn brushed her ombre hair. And leaned her back at the puffy chair.

"I've made the plan ever since I got my memories back. When I get new information, the plan in my head needs revision until the last minute, I need to think if the plan would work."

"Your memories… so, you remember how we first met?"

"Are you talking about our childhood?"

"So, you remember…"

Evelyn smiled a little while her vision was still seeing the white ceiling. However, Cabel isn't finished with her sentence.

"Then, why did you act like you still don't remember? And why do you… Why do you want to exclude me from everything?"

Evelyn stares at him.

"I just don't see why I needed to include you with all this… you've already suffered enough with your family's circumstances. I don't think that I should still burden you with mine."

"You still haven't changed...when it comes to facing a problem, you always want to do everything alone until you can't do it anymore."

Evelyn fell silent. It's because Cabel have strike a nerve that she can't found a rebuttal to it.

"You have us, Eve. You have me… you're not alone."

Cabel walk to her desk and slowly leaned to level Evelyn's line of sight.

"I can kill anyone if that's what you want. If you need revenge, I'll do it on your behalf and if you want to turn this Kingdom that killed you mother, I can burn this down to ashes. Just don't keep it to yourself. Promise me…"

He slowly kissed her forehead while Evelyn nodded. Cabel walk out of the door without looking at Evelyn. He already saw her flushed face which he found adorable.

***

The assassin that let Evelyn go has arrived in the temple of light in the Capital of Levingstone.

Nine remembered what Evelyn told him.

"Let them think that I'm a frail lady and needed a long time to recuperate. I'll give you this piece of cloth that was soaked in blood. Let them think that you gravely injure me."

"Whose blood is this?"

"...."

Evelyn didn't reply that time and Nine immediately knew that it wasn't her blood but his subordinate that accompanied him for this mission.

He kneeled in front of Saint Elise and Pope Nelson in the secret chamber in the temple of Light where a lot of the meetings were held commencing their nationwide plan.

"Why are you the only one that came back? What about the other one?" Elise asked.

"He was killed by a patrol knight that was stationed in the mansion." Nine answered.

"Tsk! How stupid!" Pope Nelson mumbled.

Elise ignored the pope and continued to look at the knight who was still dressed as an assassin.

"So, tell me what happened to your mission, knight Nine?" Elise asked with glee and expectant eyes.

That's right, Nine is one of the temples of Light knights. However, the people in power at the temple use them as tools to kill people who are in their way.

He was sick of this kind of treatment and the evil deeds that these people commit while they shake the hands of the commoners and make themselves pure and justice in front of them.

"The woman that you have spoken of was taken care of. She's gravely injured as I stab her with a poisonous knife before the others notice the attack."

"So, you're saying that you don't know if she's dead right now or still breathing?"

Nine kneeled lowered.

"She's definitely leading to her death, your holiness… Her body won't manage to hold on as the poison was strong…"

"Where's your evidence?"