Three days passed without a single word from the Marquis.
I didn't know if that was a good omen or a bad one. In my world—the world I still couldn't remember—silence like this usually meant the enemy was preparing. Not retreating.
On the fourth morning, I was jolted awake by a commotion coming from downstairs.
I rose from the bed, the Count's diary still tucked safely beneath my pillow. I touched it briefly—confirming it was still there—before hurrying out.
In the hallway, I nearly collided with Sera. The thirteen-year-old girl was gasping for air, her face as white as a sheet.
"Mother! Quick! In the dining hall!"
I didn't waste time asking questions. I moved.
The dining hall was already crowded when I arrived.
Kael stood by the window, his back rigid with tension. Vina sat in a chair, her hand covering her mouth. Reno leaned against the wall, his expression darker than usual. Liam and Liana stood in a corner, clutching each other's hands.
And on the dining table lay something that had no business being there.
A crow. Dead.
Its wings were shattered. Its neck was twisted at a grotesque angle. And tied to its leg was a small scrap of parchment.
"It happened this morning," Kael said without turning around. His voice was cold, but I could hear the faint tremor beneath it. "Someone threw it through the window. The glass cracked."
I looked at the window on the far side of the room. The glass was spider-webbed with cracks, though it hadn't shattered completely. It was enough to shove a dead bird through.
I approached the table and stared at the crow. Its eyes were open—glassy, vacant, staring up at the ceiling.
I have seen something like this before.
The thought surfaced unbidden. I didn't know when or where, but my instincts recognized this.
This wasn't just a threat. It was a message: We can get in whenever we want. We can touch anything you hold dear.
I untied the parchment from the crow's leg and unfurled it.
The handwriting was neat, written in black ink.
"Two weeks is too long. Marquis Vellon demands an answer sooner."
"Three days. At the Varen Village Harvest Festival. We will speak there."
"Do not think of running. We know where your children play."
I read that last line twice.
We know where your children play.
I turned my head, looking at Liana and Liam still huddled in the corner. Liana stared at me with terror-filled eyes. Liam... Liam was staring at the crow with furrowed brows, as if memorizing every gruesome detail.
"They're watching us," Reno said softly. "They know where the children play. That means they've already been spying on this castle."
"For how long?" Vina asked, her voice trembling.
"Who knows." Reno looked at me. "But they know our weakness."
The children.
I folded the parchment and tucked it away.
"Kael," I said.
He turned. His eyes were bloodshot—not from crying, but from pure, unadulterated rage.
"Take up your sword. Starting today, you will train yourself. I don't care how tired you are. I don't care if you think you can't. You will learn to protect your siblings."
Kael stared at me, then gave a single, firm nod.
"Reno."
Reno arched an eyebrow.
"You said you wanted to find out who I was. Now is the time. Find out everything you can about Marquis Vellon. Who works for him. Who hates him. Who owes him. I don't care how you do it."
Reno gave a thin, sharp smirk. "Finally, you've given me a task that's actually interesting."
"Vina."
Vina straightened her posture.
"The library. Keep searching. But this time, don't just look for info on the Marquis. Look for information on the Count. His past. Anyone who might have once been his ally."
Vina nodded. Her eyes were still moist, but she didn't let a single tear fall.
I looked at Sera. She was still standing near the door, pale and shaken.
"Sera."
She flinched. "Y-yes, Mother?"
"You are the quietest among them. That is your strength. From now on, I want you to listen. Every servant's conversation. Every whisper in the corridors. Anything suspicious. Can you do that?"
Sera hesitated, then nodded. "I... I can."
Finally, I looked at Liam and Liana.
Nine-year-old twins. One with a permanent scowl, the other with eyes full of fear.
"Liam. Liana."
They approached. Liana still held her brother's hand tightly.
"What do you want us to do, Mother?" Liam asked. His voice was flat, but I could see his small hands clenched into fists.
"You two... stay safe. Do not go anywhere alone. Stay together at all times. If you see anything suspicious, run to Kael or me. Do you understand?"
Liana nodded quickly. Liam nodded more slowly.
"I can help," Liam said suddenly.
Everyone turned to him.
"I... I notice things. People don't realize it; they think I'm just a kid." He looked at me. "Like Sera. I can listen. I can remember."
I looked at him. A nine-year-old with eyes that seemed far too old for his age.
"Very well," I said. "But do not take risks. Information is useless if you're dead."
Liam nodded.
That night, sleep eluded me.
I stood before my bedroom window, staring out at the darkened castle grounds. A crescent moon hung low in the sky, and shadows danced between the trees.
We know where your children play.
The sentence looped in my mind. Not because I was afraid, but because it awakened something deep within me.
I have received a threat like this before.
And I remembered what I did to the person who sent it.
In the corner of my vision, the blue screen flickered to life.
[ SOUL GUIDE SYSTEM – SLEEP MODE ]
[ Data Recovery: 8% ]
[ Memory Fragment Detected: "Threats Against the Family". ]
[ Description: ██████ Someone once threatened those under your protection. You found them. You ██████. ]
[ Query: Continue recovery? ]
I stared at the screen. I found them. And I... what? Killed them? Destroyed them?
My fingers curled into a fist.
"Not now," I whispered. But this time, my voice wasn't as certain as before.
The screen didn't vanish.
[ Warning: Repeated delays may lead to System instability. ]
[ Recommendation: Perform partial recovery. ]
I frowned. System instability?
"Partial?" I asked softly.
[ Yes. The System can unlock one small fragment without accessing the full data set. Risk: Minimal. Benefit: Instinctive understanding. ]
I hesitated. But then I thought of the children. Six children who were now dependent on me. A Marquis who threatened them. Time was running out.
"Open it," I said. "Just one fragment."
The screen blinked.
[ Processing... ]
[ Fragment Selected: "Response to the Threatener". ]
[ Unlocking... ]
And then—
I saw it.
A dark room. The smell of tobacco and iron. A man kneeling before me, his hands bound. His face was a mask of blood.
"You thought you could threaten my family?" The voice—my voice—was low and chilling. "You thought you could touch my children?"
The man sobbed. "Mercy... I didn't know... I was only told to..."
"Who told you?"
He whispered a name. I couldn't hear it clearly. But I saw what I did next.
I nodded to someone in the corner of the room. Someone invisible in the shadows.
"Ensure he never threatens anyone ever again."
The man screamed, but the sound was abruptly cut short.
I turned and walked out. I didn't look back.
I snapped back to reality.
My breath was hitched. Cold sweat beaded on my temples. My hands were shaking.
I... I once did that.
I had once destroyed someone who dared to threaten those I protected.
I was...
The blue screen appeared again.
[ Data Recovery: 9% ]
[ Fragment "Response to the Threatener" stored. ]
[ Full Description: You were a leader. You protected. And you never—never—allowed a threat to go unanswered. ]
I stared at the screen for a long time. Then, slowly, my hands stopped trembling.
Marquis Vellon. You think you can threaten my family?
You have no idea who I am.
And to be honest... neither do I.
But I'm going to find out. And once I do...
I stared at my reflection in the window. Sea-blue hair. Sea-blue eyes. But behind them lay something much darker. Something that had only just begun to wake up.
You will regret ever sending that crow.