"Serenity," Nn said softly, brushing away the tear that slipped down Eliza''s cheek, "don''t grieve for someone who never loved you. He''s not worth it."
That one sentence struck straight to the heart.
"You''re right," Eliza whispered, taking a deep breath and forcing the sorrow back down. "He never was."
"Don''t let it bring you down,” Mki added gently. “You may no longer be part of the Stonor family, but you are a Padi. You carry Caroline''s blood-you belong to us."
"Don''t let it bring you down,” Mki added gently. “You may no longer be part of the Stonor family, but you are a Padi. You carry Caroline''s blood-you belong to us."
It was the truth. And with the pain now spoken aloud, Mki''s heart began to lift. For years, he had thought the Padi family line had ended, but now-with her return-the family had hope again.
"You''re right, Mki,” Eliza said. "I may have left the Stonor family behind, but the Padi family... that''s still mine."
She hadn''t felt a deep connection with her mother''s side when she was young- her maternal rtives had fallen early, and the bond had faded. But now, something had shifted. There was a strange but certain sense of belonging taking root in her chest.
"I''m Caroline''s daughter. Of course I''m a Padi."
She smiled. “Besides, Mr. Stonor already erased my name from the Stonor family registry. If I''m going to be listed anywhere, it''ll be in yours."
"Yes! Yes, we have a family tree-we do!" Mki''s eyes lit up. "Back then, Mr. Padi knew the path ahead would be dangerous, so he left behind some heirlooms just in case. When the family fell, I brought them here to keep them safe. I never had a chance to give them to Caroline-but now that you''re back, they''re yours. Come on, I''ll show you."
He turned to lead the way, but then suddenly paused and looked toward Nn. "Your Highness, would you mind waiting here? This is a family matter-Eliza and I will be right back."
Nn gave a small nod. He had no objections-this was Padi business, after all, and it wasn''t his ce to intrude.
That one sentence made Nn straighten where he stood.
Mki turned back and studied Nn for a long moment, then nodded slightly.
"You don''t have to worry," Nn said quietly. "I''m not Gabriel. And I never will be." His voice was steady, but his heart was a storm. She trusted him-and he would be worthy of that trust. He smiled. "Besides, I can give Serenity more than he ever could."
Eliza froze for a split second. She looked up at Nn, then muttered awkwardly, "You don''t have to give me anything."
After all, they were just friends. Trusted friends, sure-but still friends. And she
should probably start watching her boundaries a bit more.
Dense as ever, shepletely missed the meaning behind his words.
But Mki wasn''t so oblivious.
His sharp eyes widened slightly, and after a moment''s pause, he walked straight over to Nn. "Forgive me for asking, but... may I have your full name?"
"Nn Bet," he said, tone serious and direct.
Mki blinked, then gasped. "Wait-you mean the Bet family? You''re that prince from the royal line?"
Nn lifted an eyebrow. "That''s right."
He hadn''t expected anyone to still remember. After all, the Bet family was wiped out when he was just an infant. He''d grown up alone-thest surviving heir.
Mki burst outughing. "What a twist of fate! After all these years, the Padi and Bet families are connected again."
Nn tilted his head slightly. "Connected? What do you mean?"
+83)
He was too young when his family fell to remember much about their history. But
it was clear that Mki knew things even he didn''t.
"Of course," Mki said, his voice warm with nostalgia. "Your mother and Caroline were the closest of friends in their youth. The Bet and Padi families were deeply bonded because of them. They visited each other often, and their friendship was well-known."
At that, Eliza and Nn exchanged a nce.
1
Mki continued with a chuckle, "In fact, before either of you were born, the two women even made a little pact-to betroth their future children. If one had a boy and the other a girl, they''d be matched from birth. There''s even a token to seal the agreement."
Nn nearly burst outughing.
''Are you kidding me?'' A childhood betrothal with Eliza? The Padis had one daughter. The Bets had one son. It could only mean them.
He barely managed to contain himself. It was almost ridiculous how giddy he felt- like a lovesick teenager. He hadn''t felt this out of control since... well, ever.
"So... this token," Nn said, clearing his throat, trying to soundposed while discreetly pressing a fist to his lips. "Is it still around?"
Eliza lookedpletely bewildered. "Wait-why are you asking about that?" She stared at Nn, eyes wide with suspicion. Something about this felt extremely weird.
Before Mki could dig the hole any deeper, Eliza quickly cut him off. "Alright, that''s enough about long-forgotten arrangements. I''m a nun now-whatever childhood betrothal there was, it doesn''t apply to me and Nn. It''s... not appropriate."
"Oh-right, right," Mki quickly backpedaled. "My old brain''s not what it used to be. Forget I said anything."
Nn took a deep breath. And choked on it.
As Eliza pulled Mki away with the speed of someone fleeing a crime scene, Nn followed behind, eyes back, the fire in his chest still smoldering.
fixed
on
her
With that revtion hanging between them, Mki''s attitude toward Nn noticeably softened.
He led them out of Vonalo Vige and into a nearby wooded hillside. After pushing through a thick patch of weeds nearly waist-high, he revealed the entrance to a hidden stone cave.
"It''s down here," he said, climbing into the darkness without hesitation.
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Eliza and Nn followed close behind.
From the outside, the cave had looked modest-but once inside, Eliza realized it
was surprisingly vast. The air we heary with dust, the silence long and undisturbed.
Clearly, no one had stepped foot here for many years.
Mki opened a concealed stone door, and within it, a secret chamber came into view-lined with heirlooms, nexty arranged, waiting for their rightful heir.