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※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Part 7. The Serpent’s Shadow

Startled, Edith’s eyes flew open wide as she muttered, as if denying reality.

“That’s impossible… Was the Young Duke of Blackford a twin?”

Wearing a rather grave expression, as if confronting a shocking truth, Edith whispered to herself. Hidden behind that angelic smile, she hadn’t considered the possibility at all, but a nobleman with black hair and blue eyes wasn’t common.

Thinking about it now, their appearances were eerily similar. She began to suspect he might be the young duke’s brother or a relative.

‘As long as he’s not the young duke himself, it doesn’t matter. And he was incredibly angelic, the complete opposite of that devilish young duke…’

In the first place, in this over-the-top, cliché-ridden B-grade game, stories about anyone other than the Saintess and her immediate circle rarely appeared. Edith’s suspicion solidified into certainty.

“If not, I can just check the character info window next time we meet.”

With the nagging doubt finally resolved, Edith turned her gaze back out the carriage window.

* * *

Days passed, and after returning to the estate, Edith was puzzled that no one inquired about her whereabouts, but upon hearing, it seemed a message had been sent from the palace.

With a sense of relief, she entered her room, opened a drawer, took out some stationery, and began writing a letter to Serenity.

To uphold her resolve to thoroughly ignore the Crown Prince’s warning, Edith began earnestly writing to Serenity every day, starting from the very day she returned from the palace.

Serenity, seemingly touched by Edith’s letters, would reply with two letters for every one she received.

“A letter from Edith! I’m so happy!”

Upon receiving a letter, Serenity would hold it to her chest in her room, spin around happily, and smile brightly.

Until now, she had been dispirited, wondering if she had made Edith uncomfortable, and hadn’t even dared to make contact.

It was understandable. While Serenity called her ‘Edith’ comfortably, Edith still addressed her formally as ‘Miss Langor.’

Even during the last visit to the estate, Edith hadn’t spoken about herself and only talked about the prince she’d just met before suddenly claiming to feel unwell and disappearing until Serenity left.

Serenity had held back, fearing Edith’s seemingly rejecting behavior might not be a misunderstanding.

“It’s a relief! She doesn’t dislike me after all…”

That Edith was now writing to her every day filled Serenity with nothing but happiness.

Then, when Edith showed interest in the temple Serenity visited regularly and asked if she could accompany her, Serenity, of course, sent back an affirmative reply.

* * *

Flying in through Edith’s now-familiar window, Kaidros ran a hand through his vivid, disheveled red hair. For him, it had surely been a mere instant, yet it felt like an eternity—her image swirling incessantly in his chest, leaving him strangely nostalgic.

He approached the bed, hoping to see the face that unsettled his mind. Yet, the person in question, despite it being well past noon, seemed to have no intention of waking from her deep slumber.

“Hmm, I return after so long, and she’s still asleep. Her heart must be much more at peace now.”

He mused aloud, though his words carried a hint of feigned complaint. He had wanted to see himself reflected clearly in those eyes, hazy and soft like a misty dawn. But his expression was filled with a satisfied smile.

He sat by her bedside and traced a finger along her now soft, fuller cheek, trying to soothe this vexing feeling. Still unsatisfied, he lifted a lock of her hair, cool to the touch like the night sky, and brought it to his lips.

Her hair, once unkempt when he first saw her, was now as soft as fine silk, likely tended to by the maids.

“At first, I thought she was just a human who piqued my interest…”

Her unattractively thin frame, coarse hair, and pale skin—features hardly befitting a noble lady—had continuously drawn his attention. Lured by the nostalgic energy she emanated, he had lingered by her side, tending to her in small ways.

But the day he found her lovable, he confronted an inner desire he hadn’t known existed. The catharsis he felt then, like opening Pandora’s box, seemed to still hold sway over him.

Since then, he often found himself wanting to touch her, acting out of character, mostly through his hands.

He couldn’t forget the sensation of brushing her soft cheek and lips under the pretext of removing a cookie crumb when that mere human knight, tainted by her energy, had provoked him.

Nor could he forget the warmth and scent of her when he pulled her close by the shoulder to prove her innocence from the stolen ruby brooch accusation. It felt as if it still lingered beside him.

“I truly want to devour her in one bite.”

He knew. He knew exactly what this emotion was.