Wishing for a gentle fate, up in the sky.

The return of Ryle and the others to Faro Village found them quietly observing the village from a distance, noticing it had changed just a little.

After the verdict, returning to the village so close to the forest had met with considerable resistance—but the curse’s effects hadn’t been severe, and they still worked alongside Tiots, helping in the forge as before.

More pressing, though, was how deeply worried the forge master had been, since Ryle had told him she’d be taking a few days off.

Tiots had told her the man was a distant cousin of her mother, and Ryle had been utterly stunned upon hearing it.

When the man was introduced to her right there in front of her, she’d nearly gasped, eyes wide open.

“I heard the story from Tets. I’m really glad you’re safe.”

“Father…?”

“I should’ve said something sooner… I was scared something might’ve happened to you, and I couldn’t bring myself to speak.”

When I told them I was taking time off to transfer to Tenbarr, they thought I was hiding out because the knights had come to the village.

The old man—always shouting, all muscle—who usually just barked orders, was actually flustered, genuinely worried about me.

I heard he’d been strict with me, saying he couldn’t afford to let emotion get in the way—no matter what happened to us, he’d made himself promise not to turn back, just in case I got hurt. I couldn’t hide how I felt about that.

“I thought… I had no family left.”

“…I shouldn’t have said it, but your grandmother was born here. Like me, distant cousins are scattered all over this village.”

“…………”

“You’re welcome here, no need to hold back. Just—don’t go into the woods now. Something’s off with the animals.”

“Ah, that’s….”

I nearly started explaining, but Tiots stopped me mid-sentence.

Tiots just shook her head, silent. That was that. No talking.

"Thank you for your concern."

"Ah, yeah. You’re staying for dinner at my place today. Okay?"

"Y-yes."

Ryul was thrown off by her father’s sudden casualness.

***

Ryul couldn’t quite believe what had just happened, her feet moving on the path home, but her mind still frozen in disbelief.

Tiots bowed her head to her.

"I’m sorry I couldn’t say anything."

"No, it’s fine. I’m just… surprised. I didn’t expect to find family ties so close, outside bloodlines."

"The master herself asked for it."

"Loire…?"

"Still, I’m amazed you accepted me, with my blond hair."

Ryul asked the question so simply, and Tiots explained.

"In this village, ancestral echoes are common. My father’s hair is blond too."

"Wait—what?!"

The blacksmith’s old man’s bald. Ryul had never seen hair on him before, and was utterly stunned—then got a perfectly serious reply: "Fire tends to catch on hair, you know."

"O-oh. Right. Yeah!"

"What’s on your mind?"

"Aah, no, I thought—"

Seeing Ryul fumble, it seemed Isabella had assumed the worst.

It’d been a while since Ryul had seen Isabella’s laugh—warm, easy, the kind that made the whole room feel lighter.

Ryul had thought the gold hair was hard to live with here—maybe people shaved on purpose to hide from stares. For a moment, Ryul even wondered if she should shave her own head too, her face going a little pale. But Isabella, blissfully unaware, had misread the situation.

Ryul noticed the mistake, let out a tiny sigh—and realized, strangely, her shoulders had just relaxed. Like some invisible weight had finally dropped.

Being looked down on just for having gold hair? Not at all. That was what mattered most.

I guess I’d been tensing up all this time, nerves on edge from the suspicious air around me lately.

For the first time in ages, I actually felt like laughing.

Now I finally understood Tiots’ gesture, stopping me from speaking about the forest.

If the older brother finds out about me… that old man’ll be scrambling to hide me right away.

“…Did I really do the right thing by telling him?”

“It’s just a matter of time, really.”

“…Will my older brother come after my head?”

That unease still hasn’t faded.

If he attacks this village, I don’t know what I’d do.

What I need to protect. What matters.

What would Duran be doing now, after losing all that?

Lost in thoughts like that, circling the same worries, Tiots suddenly twitched.

Seemed like Lore had sent her a mental message.

“W-what…?”

“Tiots? What’s wrong?”

They say speaking it aloud makes it real—but now Ryle was pale, heart hammering. Could it really be true? Had Duran’s location been exposed… and was he actually coming here?

“…Lady Elen?”

“Elen?”

Ryle blinked, stunned. Was it that white cat—the one said to be Lore’s sister? Then Lore murmured, “Lady Elen’s currently in Helgner…”

“…I thought Elen was a spirit of the church. Is that not true?”

“She’s made a pact with Helgner’s king… there’s a scandal about it.”

“Huh?”

Durran and Elen? A pact?

Ryle had no idea how the hell that had happened after that incident. Nothing made sense.

＊＊＊

Lore came back from a massive fight, fuming.

“Why’s my sister making a pact with Duran in *my* country?!”

Ryle couldn’t help but smile wryly at Lore’s furious pouting.

“Even so, my lord cannot approach Duran.”

‘S-so it is…!’

“Lady Elen has expressed desire to assist Duran in your absence, my lord.”

‘Why’s that—!’

Ryle stepped between Lore and Tiots, calming her down with patient murmurs.

“…If Elen and your brother have made a pact… the people of this country will be shocked, won’t they? What’ll happen now?”

“Lady Elen revealed her identity as your sister, and even the churchfolk have been persuaded.”

“Why…?”

I’d been wondering why Elen was so fixated on Duran—then it clicked.

I remembered her crying when asking for forgiveness, saying it was her fault Duran had become twisted.

“Guilt… is that it?”

“Possibly.”

“So spirits really will make a pact over guilt?”

"Isn't that right? When spirits make a pact with humans, it's because their souls are drawn to one another, really."

I heard Tiots used to have a pact with Luel’s mother, too.

Even Tiots had a distant look, as if remembering that moment.

Why, why is my country being taken over by the church!? Despite all her talk, my elder sister’s been letting those church folk off too easily!

When I asked Lore why she disliked the church folk, Ruel was surprised.

"Does Lore hate Elen?"

What’s this sudden outburst! You don’t actually hate your elder sister, your other half, do you? But that’s a whole different matter entirely!

Lyle hoisted Lore up with a flick, her fur standing on end from excitement, her whiskers twitching.

I reckon...

'W-what... is this...?'

I think Elen made time for me and Lore to be together.

“What… is this…?”

“Since Elen has condemned your brother, he can’t get near Lore. That leaves him only three options: bring me back, leave me be, or kill me.”

“Huh…?”

“Luckily, there’s Claha, so leaving me be is possible… but if the people find out the spirit’s gone from a nation that’s walked beside spirits all along? They won’t stay silent. They’ll demand answers—press your brother hard.”

“True enough…”

Tioets nodded gravely. Ryle nodded too.

“If your brother intends to bring Lore back, he’ll come looking for me. But as long as he’s around, Lore won’t be able to come to the kingdom. So… he’ll probably choose to kill me and hand the throne to Claha.”

“Why?! Why interfere with me and Ryle?!”

Rage flared in Lore’s voice. Ryle gently stroked Lore’s head, calming her.

I think Elen must’ve acted first, to make sure things didn’t turn out that way.

“Elen-sama…?”

‘Sister-sama? What on earth is going on!?’

Lore’s voice cracked with shock—she was too stunned by Elen’s choice to partner with Duran to think straight.

Seeing Lore’s confusion, Ryle somehow found calm.

“Trying to reclaim Lore, the symbol of the nation—natural for a king. But Elen saw it coming and judged him. I think my brother’s completely cornered now.”

The scream Duran had let out in that forest—how he’d said he’d admired Lore-sama all along—kept echoing in Ryle’s ears.

Duran screaming he’d been rejected by Lore.

If Elen hadn’t been searching for the ancestor king’s soul, that scream might’ve been mine.

“I get it. I really do.”

‘Ryle…?’

"I understand, because I love Lore the way I do. I’m grateful for Elen’s kindness—she worried about her brother, and that’s something I can truly appreciate."

Smiling at Lore, Ryle’s words seemed to hit home. Lore, realizing she’d twisted Duran’s heart with her own actions, fell silent, unable to speak further.

"Elen helped your brother."

'Is that... really true?'

"Otherwise, how could the contract even be made? I don’t fully understand it, but..."

Ryle, who hadn’t made the contract, couldn’t grasp the feeling.

But Theo and Lore, who had, suddenly looked startled—like they’d just noticed something.

'But... but Sister was cruel! She just decided I was ill, told the people I couldn’t come out for a while, and sent me here as her replacement—without asking me at all!'

"Aha-ha-ha!"

'Ryle! This isn’t funny!'

"Isn't that fine? I’d be happy if E're just kept an eye on your brother while she’s here?"

"Wh-why would you say that!?"

"Didn’t Lore declare she’s not going back to the country for a while? Then she’s stuck with me, right?"

"…………!!"

Lyle said that, and Lore suddenly went all twitchy.

"W-what is this… out of nowhere… saying you want to be with me like this…!?"

"Yeah. I wanna monopolize Lore."

"!!"

The fur was pitch black—impossible to tell—but Lyle was pretty sure Lore was blushing furiously.

"W-what’s this!? What’s going on!? What’s this all about!?"

Lore flailed wildly, then suddenly sprang from Lyle’s arms with a *poom*—and Lyle just laughed.

"Seriously, you’re such a villain."

Tio'ts beside him just shook his head, smirking.

Lyle vaguely thought, well, I’m probably not in any danger of being killed now.

Looking up at the clear sky, Lyle silently wished for Elen and Duran’s futures to be peaceful.