There was no time to know what had taken place. Everything happened in an instant.

Someone in front of me pulled out a sword like a thunderbolt, swung it, and the dark shadow, which was hit directly, scattered like fog, screaming.

I blinked my eyes. The mysterious knight elegantly sheathed his sword and looked back at me.

I couldn’t see him well due to the man who was standing in the dark.

However, the moment he opened his mouth and muttered to himself······.

“How can that kind of thing appear here······?”

I became more terrified than before.

Thump, thump, thump!

My heart was beating wildly. Like it was about to jump out of my rib cage at any moment.

He asked me as he looked around.

“Are you all right?”

I couldn’t answer.

He approached me as if trying to verify my identity.

I slowly stepped back. I felt like I was going to collapse. That voice······.

“I asked if you were all right.”

For the past seven years, it was a voice that I have never forgotten for even a single moment.

‘There is no mistake.’

The person in front of me right now.

It was him. Calix.

Thud······.

I thought I heard something fall on the floor as I stood in my place frozen stiff.

Step, step······.

As the distance between the two of us gradually narrowed, I quickly bowed down and hid my face. It was by good fortune that I came out wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

The moment he was about to take another step.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the light of the streetlamps turned brightly. I was so frightened that I quickly turned my back.

After that, I didn’t take my time thinking about anything else. I ran frantically down the street.

It seemed to be the first time I had run so desperately like this since the train station incident seven years ago.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to follow. Upon finally arriving in front of the Osborne store, I stood there for a moment, trying to catch my breath.

“Haah, haah······.”

As soon as I calmed down a little, I opened the door and went inside. The Osborne father and son were still working. And I still can’t see Alice around.

I went up the stairs making the sound of my footsteps as lightly as possible. That’s when I realized. I dropped Letizia’s birthday present on the street.

“Ah······.”

At that moment, I lost all my strength. My whole body felt drained out of energy.

After sitting down on the stairs for a while, I finally managed to return to the room. Letizia was still asleep. Tears welled up when I saw my child’s face.

“I’m sorry, Letty······.”

I wanted to see your happy face. The carousel music box that I intend to give her as a birthday present was something that Letty had long wanted.

Nevertheless, she said that she shouldn’t ask for purchase because her mother doesn’t have money, and Uncle Will isn’t her birth father. She never complained about it even once.

She’s such a good daughter. I felt so sad and sorry that tears streamed down my eyes out of guilt.

I sat in the chair next to the bed and lowered my head. My head was filled with anguish, and my mind was cluttered with anxiety.

‘What should I do now?’

I can’t believe Calix came all the way here to Canelo. This place was so far east that it was called the edge of the world.

And geographically aside, I never imagined that he would have been looking for me for seven years.

‘······or perhaps his reason for coming is not me?’

It could also be for sightseeing or work.

However, he wasn’t the type of person who would go sightseeing on these outskirts.

My gut feeling was telling me he had come to find me.

‘I ran away all of a sudden, so he must be suspicious······. Thankfully, I don’t think he has seen my face. But then I dropped the toy box·······.’

He might accidentally pick it up, check the label, and visit Harold.

It will take about 30 minutes to get information from Harold and get to the Osborne store.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. About 15 minutes have passed since I returned to the store, so now I only have about 10 minutes left to spare.

‘If we plan to run away, this is the only time.’

I can just contact Alice later. The Osborne’s could hide me, but it was clear that the house would be searched. Then we’ll be apprehended in no time.

‘If we get caught, the Osborne father and son might also be embroiled with our problems and get harmed.’

I can’t understand what Calix was thinking, chasing this far.

Does he still have any feelings left for me? Even though it’s already been seven years?

But Sia was supposed to be beside him now.

I shook my head. I don’t want to get my hopes up that he might still have any affections for me.

I don’t want to go back to being Laure Ecree, who tried not to love him, but was troubled by the desire to do so·······.

‘And there are people here who have been like a family to us.’

Will always wanted to have a family.

But unless they adopt a child at an orphanage, it’s impossible for the Osborne’s to have a new family member.

When Sean passes away, William will become alone.

Somewhere out there, there should be a kind-hearted woman who would want to marry him. However······ that kind of person wouldn’t be ordinary.

Even if he adopts a child, he has no confidence raising them, Will said.

Regardless, I cannot erase the fact that I was helped by him, even if he himself was having those kinds of problems.

I can’t repay Will’s kindness towards me, but I still wanted to live together with them and be a part of their happy little family.

“Furthermore, haah······.”

It’s been seven years.

I thought we’d never come across each other again in this lifetime······.

“Seven minutes left·····.”

Suddenly, the people of Ecree Marquis, who would be in the capital, came to mind. When I think about my father and brother in this life, I always felt peculiar.

It was strange to see the characters I first met in the book become my family.

Still, the family was family.

I always wished they were doing well.

I got up from my seat and then quietly began packing. For now, I need to take Letty with me and leave this place. We need to hide somewhere—afterward ······.

What to do next.

Our future looks bleary. My heart constricted. Can we come back here again? Can we still be family with Will and Sean?

After confirming that I’m not here, Calix might go back.

However, the investigation would reveal one or two suspicious things, and he would definitely not miss it.

He’ll probably leave his men behind.

And if we come back and the man’s eye catches us, that will be the end of it.

‘We need to get out of here as soon as possible.’

Let’s think about the present for now. Let’s swiftly pack up our bags, wake Letty up, and tell the Osborne’s a brief account of the situation······.

Go outside, grab a carriage, and then head anywhere.

‘We won’t be able to go that far because of Letty. There’s no choice but to go to the nearest place from here, which is Brooks.’

Brooks was a coastal village near Canelo. There are a few inns worth staying at, and I’ve been there once before, so we don’t have to wander the streets.

‘Let’s wait for Alice there.’

Once she realizes something has happened, she will undoubtedly come to find me in a hurry.

After I finished packing our luggage, I closed the entrance of the bag firmly. Then I approached the bed and gently woke Letty up.

Abruptly woken, the child whined in a hazy voice.

“Uum, moomm······. The angels in my dreams······.”

“Letty, let’s talk about the angels next time, okay?”

“Why~?”

My heart throbbed as I watched Letty blink her sleepy eyes. I suddenly bit my lips in fear of tears coming out.

She’s at the age where she should be having a lot of fun, and I can’t believe I’m making her live a life like a refugee. I couldn’t help hating myself for lacking as a mother.

I cleared my throat and said.

“You’re going on a short trip with mom.”

“Trip~?”

“Yes. But we’re going to Brooks first, we’ve been there before, do you remember?”

“Ah! Yes! The beach with beautiful pebbles!”

As I comically spoke to her, trying my best to hide and suppress my raging emotions, Letty smiled broadly, immediately liking the idea.

“You’ll go ahead with mom first, spend the night there, and when Aunt Alice comes, let’s go see the beach together, is that okay?”

“Yes, ~! Mom, can I pick up some pebbles, too?”

“All right, but it’ll be heavy, so don’t pick up too much.”

“Okay! I really like the pebbles over there because they sparkle so prettily!”

“To your mom, our Letty is even more pretty.”

I hugged Letty tightly. Then Letty worrilessly smiled brightly.

I want to protect this smile. Since Letty is my happiness, I wished we could continue living contentedly in this place······.

But I never knew that the ruined peace could taste this bitter.

“Let’s go, my daughter.”

“Yes!”

I put the straps of my bag on my shoulder and held Letty. Letty yawned as if she was still sleepy.

I left the room, patting the child on her back. Just in case, I went down the stairs carefully, when I heard a voice downstairs.

“······please take your leave.”

“Everything I’ve told you is the truth. My wife······.”

The door leading from the corridor to the store was slightly open. To get out of the back door, I had to pass through it.

I signaled Letty to be quiet, and then I walked slowly and quietly.

Swish, swish······.

Only the low sound of the hem of my dress brushing against the floor could be heard.

“You should tell us who you are first. And your reason for discourteousness at this late hour.”

“······I’m afraid it will scare you if you learned who I am.”

‘······!’

My footsteps froze at the newly heard voice from the door. With my whole hardened body, I peeked through the gap.

Will and Sean stood side by side, confronting someone.

And of course, that someone is······.

“Did you just call her Osborne? You guys are ready to take responsibility for what you just said yourself, right?”

Calix, it was him.

My heart was pounding, and I couldn’t calm down. I struggled to keep myself from collapsing on the ground. My legs were shaking as I pushed myself to relax. No, please. We have to get out of here!

“I don’t know if the rumors have spread all the way here to these outskirts, but I’ve been out of my mind for a long time.”

“Who the hell are you to do this to a good citizen?”

“You guys are the type of human beings I can easily take care of silently without even the rats or birds knowing.”

I bit my lips tightly as I slowly moved my trembling legs. And at that very moment-

Flap!

Was it because I was too scared? My feet twisted, and I fell backward.

I hugged Letty tightly in my arms as I fell down. When I opened my eyes and checked, thank goodness, the child seemed to be unharmed.

“M-Mom.”

Letty said in a quivering voice.

“Mom, your nose is bleeding!”

“Argh·····.”

I felt so dizzy that the images in front of me kept on spinning. Perhaps it was due to stress. My head was ringing, and I think my vision was slowly becoming dark.

I tried to get back on my feet, catching my breath. I’m sure we’re discovered. There was a sound of falling, and Letty’s voice could also be heard·····.

We’d be caught.

We have to run away, right now!

But the moment I instinctively looked over the door·····.

My gaze met a set of penetrating blues eyes.