Night had fallen thick over the forest, the air humming faintly with insectsong.
Livia stood at the edge of the hunter's lodge for some time, eyes locked on the direction Jim had vanished. She didn't move. She didn't call anyone. Her heart was a tidal surge of thoughts, but her expression remained unreadable.
Only after she was certain Jim was far—truly gone, with not even a possibility of surveillance—did she finally lift her hand.
"Back to the castle."
Red frowned. He clearly didn't like it, but still led the others away in silence. He knew Livia wasn't the kind of heiress who needed protection anymore.
Once back at the castle, Livia remained on edge. She climbed the tower and opened the mirror array hidden in the inner chamber, scanning for any suspicious eyes before she finally exhaled deeply. Then she unlocked her communicator and sent a coded message—short and sharp, intelligible only to her and Adrian.
Not long after, a faint knock came from the hidden corridor.
"It's me," Adrian's voice drifted in like a whisper on the wind.
The door opened. Adrian stepped into the dim light, Elise close behind him. Their shadows flickered on the stone wall under the low lantern glow.
Livia rushed forward, speaking quickly, anxiety barely masked:
"Well? Did you—did you get it?"
Adrian looked exhausted, but there was a trace of mischief beneath it. He sighed with theatrical regret:
"Ugh… we were too late. I think someone else got there first…"
Livia's heart dropped. She nearly grabbed his collar in alarm.
But Adrian raised an eyebrow and slowly unwrapped a bundle tucked in his coat. A relic emerged—cold metal, worn by time—the base of the Holy Grail. The air stilled. The weight of its presence was tangible.
"Kidding. We got it," he said, grinning.
Livia stood stunned for a beat, torn between outrage and relief. She exhaled hard.
"You little brat… You scared me to death."
"Sorry," Adrian muttered, his voice quieter now, his smile fading.
Livia reached out to touch the grail's base—but Adrian gently stopped her.
She looked up, puzzled.
"What is it?"
His expression had shifted. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke, voice low, like unearthing something buried deep.
"Sis… I need to be honest with you. The first time I held it… I—"
He paused, swallowing.
"For a moment, I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to bring it back."
His fists clenched. His gaze flickered.
"I thought about hiding it. Keeping it for myself. I don't even know where that thought came from—but it rooted in my mind like a whisper. I almost lost control."
Beside him, Elise gently touched his back, giving silent encouragement.
"If it weren't for Elise… I might've done something really stupid."
Livia fell silent.
Emma's words echoed in her memory—spoken in that deep forest so long ago:
"How do you know you won't be swayed by the Grail?"
Now she understood—Emma hadn't been being dramatic. It was a real warning.
She stepped forward, took Adrian's hand, and for once her voice was soft, almost tender.
"That wasn't you. That was the Grail's power. Not everyone can resist it. It's not just a sacred relic—it's a trial. A temptation. A demon."
She looked up at him, gaze steady.
"The fact that you could admit this means you already won. That is your real strength."
Adrian stood there frozen, as if a long-standing knot inside him had finally loosened. All his buried shame, his self-doubt, his silent fear—had somewhere to go at last.
"Thank you, sis," he whispered, eyes glinting faintly.
The tension in the room finally eased. Livia smirked slightly, then teased:
"See? That's why it's important to marry a good woman."
She glanced at Elise,
"If it weren't for her, I'd probably be out shopping for a new brother."
Adrian's mouth twitched. For a moment, he had no comeback.
Elise just smiled faintly, saying nothing—but her gaze was firm, unwavering.
Livia turned her attention back to the grail's base. It glinted faintly, not just with metal, but with the weight of temptation. Of stories untold. Of danger yet to come.
She drew in a breath.
Everything—was only just beginning.