The next day, Selen and the duke were seated in his office. She had just given him a report of her discussion with Noah. She had said nothing about the fact that Noah knew she had been a saint in her previous life, nor about her return through time. The North was known to be extremely superstitious when it came to the saint. The duke might be ready to destroy the temple in order to preserve Clover, but she did not know how he would react if he learned what truly lay behind the temple's polished facade.
"So according to you, his story about being a prince is credible? Who's to say he isn't simply a spy for the temple or the emperor? As far as I know, the guild he claims to lead is responsible for at least half of the assassinations carried out by nobles in the empire."
The fact that the duke only knew part of the story indeed made it difficult to believe. Selen herself was convinced of Noah's story because he remembered his past life.
"I know it's difficult to believe, but I myself know someone capable of seeing through time. Besides, the Seraphild guild is an asset we cannot ignore in the battle we are about to wage."
"I rather have the impression that you decided all this on your own without consulting me. I understand that the guild would be extremely useful for our plans, but blindly believing the words of a man like him is beyond reason."
"I do not blindly believe his story. Whether he is an ally or an enemy, he claims to share the same enemies as us. So it is better to keep an eye on him while benefiting from what he has to offer."
The duke ran a hand through his hair before sinking back into his chair. He seemed to be studying her carefully.
"I rather have the impression that you know more than you are willing to admit."
Selen did not allow his sharp tone to unsettle her.
"That is true, but I have never hidden it. What I can guarantee is that none of the information I omitted will hinder our current plan."
The duke sealed the letter he had been writing and tied it to the leg of a bird, which then flew out through the open window.
"In any case, I know I will learn nothing more from you, so I will put aside my doubts for now. We do not have time to tear each other apart while our enemies are surely planning their next move."
Selen knew he would come to that conclusion. With the destruction of their heretic factory and the capture of everyone still alive inside, the temple must have certainly understood what their next move would be.
"I sent the coded instructions to Leonard—the duke's advisor. He will put everything in place before our arrival."
Selen was about to reply when a suspicious noise behind the door caught her attention. She materialized a sword just as the duke opened the door in a split second.
"I only came to tell you that lunch is ready," Rose said, looking surprised to see her brother's sword hanging just in front of her nose.
Selen had thought it was one of the rats Noah had placed in the house. She would have liked to kill one or two and send them back to him.
"We'll be right there," the duke said as he sheathed his sword.
At the table, the silence was heavy with unspoken words. Selen could feel Rose's frustration at the way her brother kept her out of things. From what she had understood, the brother and sister had worked together to solve the mystery surrounding the heretics. The duke had told her that Rose was capable of distinguishing between the heretics who were merely corpses reanimated by dark magic and those who had simply been brainwashed.
"We're leaving. Our departure is tomorrow at dawn," the duke said after finishing his meal.
Rose placed her glass loudly on the table.
"So this is how it will always be now? I will always be the last one to know?"
"Yes, if that is the only way to keep you alive."
"You think you are doing me a favor by pushing me aside like this? I thought we were supposed to avenge our father and brother together. What has changed?"
Selen wished she could disappear underground. Family conflicts were always uncomfortable to witness when they were not your own.
"What has changed is that because of your stubbornness you nearly died. I no longer want you involved in this matter. What would be best for you is to continue being a doctor—or get married. Your choice."
"That marriage nonsense again. I don't want to marry or…"
She seemed to choke back a sob.
"What I want is for mother to become the person we barely knew again, for father to still be here, and for—"
"That's enough," the duke almost shouted. "Open your eyes. All that remains now is you and me, and whether you like it or not, I will protect you—even from yourself."
He stormed out of the dining room. Selen sighed as she turned to her dessert.
"You think I should stay out of it too?" Rose asked her.
Selen took the time to savor the bite she was chewing in order to think about her answer.
"I think you are lucky to have a brother who goes that far for you. Someone you can rely on if you need to. Someone who will always stand by your side. That is rare."
Compared to her own family, the duke's family of only three members was a thousand times better.
Rose seemed taken aback by her words. Selen wondered if she had given an answer that was far too deep. After all, she was only a stranger to them.
"You're right. I should be grateful," Rose said, looking away. "It's just that I feel like he carries a burden on his shoulders that will eventually crush him. I just want to help him as best I can. I want to be useful to him. Right now I feel more like a thorn in his side than anything else."
"And I think the opposite. The reason he wants you safe is because you are the only person who allows him to move forward. As long as he knows you are happy, he will always be able to carry that burden."
Selen had understood all of this during their journey. The day the duke believed she would betray him and flee, it was his sister's life he feared for—not his own.
"You're right. In the end I was only thinking about myself," Rose said, her cheeks wet with tears.
Selen thought it would be best to cool the tension between the brother and sister before their departure.
"What if we went out tonight? From what I've heard, there's always a reason to celebrate in a city like this. You could take the opportunity to talk to your brother."
"You're right," Rose said, standing up. "I'll talk to him and take the opportunity to apologize."
She took with her the dessert the duke had not touched, and Selen enjoyed the restored calm to finish hers.
That evening they went to the heart of the city. As Selen had predicted, a celebration was taking place there, and couples had formed a multitude of dancers around a fountain. They spun around it, bathed in the music of small performers who had gathered that evening to earn a little money.
Rose and the duke joined the dancers swirling around the fountain while Selen sat on a bench watching the festivities. For the first time since she had awakened, she allowed herself to think about Erica. Her story and everything it represented went far beyond anything she could have imagined. Could Layla truly be blamed for all the misfortune that had struck her and Erica? Who was responsible? Who was innocent?
"Miss, please buy my roses?" asked a small boy dressed in rags.
Selen glanced at the flowers the boy was holding out to her. They looked fresh and gave off a heady fragrance.
"How much are they? I'll take them all."
"All of them?" the boy asked, his eyes wide.
"Yes, all of them."
"Ten silver coins… or even seven…"
She could see he was beginning to panic. He had certainly not expected to sell so many flowers in one evening.
"What if I bought you a good meal and also gave you seven silver coins?"
Rose later found her sitting with two bouquets of roses on her lap.
"I didn't know you liked flowers so much," she said with a laugh.
"Me neither," Selen replied, holding them tightly against her.
Ironically, the roses that evening were not deep red but pale pink.
The next day, as they were on their way back, they stopped on a hill overlooking the sea at Selen's request. When they reached the top, she took out a shovel and dug a large hole, which she then filled with stones before covering it again. The wind blew fiercely, and as she gazed at the sea in the distance she wondered whether Erica would have liked the view.
"For Erica," Rose read when she came to see what she was doing.
Selen had carved the words into a large rock using magic, turning it into a gravestone.
"Who is that?" Rose asked.
Selen placed the roses she had carefully kept from the previous night upon the stone. After a long moment of silence, she finally seemed to hear Rose's question.
"A friend," she replied, standing up, ready to continue the journey.