The carriage returned to the Estate, and Luo Xiya pulled Roman down with her.
Elise had been waiting at the door for a while already.
Seeing the two of them step safely out of the carriage, she finally relaxed and stepped forward to greet them.
“Miss, was your journey smooth?”
“It went quite well,” Luo Xiya replied.
Roman, meanwhile, was looking off into the distance, his expression calm.
Elise felt that Roman seemed to have let go of some heavy burden; his whole demeanor was much more relaxed.
“Tired?”
Luo Xiya rubbed Roman’s head and asked.
“Mm… a little.”
Roman stretched out his hand, yawned, and replied.
Luo Xiya then patted him and said, “Then go get some rest. Elise, hmm…”
Elise, unconsciously distracted by Roman’s yawn and manner, snapped back to attention and quickly answered, “I’m here.”
Luo Xiya’s expression turned a bit strange, amused but not making a fuss: “Come to my room for a bit. I’ve been away for half a month, and there are some things I need to explain to you.”
“Yes.”
Elise lowered her head. Calm as she usually was, even she felt too embarrassed to lift her head now, following behind Luo Xiya with slow steps.
Roman dragged himself back to his room.
Throwing himself onto the bed, he closed his eyes as recent memories surged into his mind.
Not long ago, Lin Xuan would often unconsciously look in the mirror.
The reason was simple: Roman and his former self looked far too alike, both in appearance and personality.
Somehow, he always felt that something was off—like the indistinct woman in his Sacred Seal awakening dreams, or the voice that had echoed in his mind at the very beginning.
Although he had gained Roman’s memories, at the same time, the feelings Roman had left behind in his body were subtly influencing him.
For example, his Mother—not being able to let her rest in peace before she died, to find tranquility—was Roman’s greatest regret and last wish before his death.
After today, he clearly felt that several places within his body had been freed, and even the flow of Magic Power had become much smoother.
He could also understand why Luo Xiya acted as she did.
She wanted Roman to be able to devote himself fully to his future life, rather than being held back by past sorrows.
But…
Roman climbed up from the bed and sat down in the chair by the desk.
Supporting his head with both hands, he consciously guided the torrent of memories in his mind, sifting through them for useful information.
At last, Roman finally opened his eyes.
‘His’ Mother had never—not once—mentioned his father’s whereabouts, not even his name.
Whenever such questions arose, she would always brush them off with a pale smile.
Holding a pen, Roman unconsciously doodled on the paper in front of him.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he finally gave up, tossing the pen aside.
Roman then flopped back onto the bed, gazing at the ceiling as he slowly closed his eyes.
Outside the door, Lady Catherine stood holding a stack of organized documents.
Her hand, raised to knock, paused on the door. Sensing Roman’s movements inside, she smiled and shook her head.
She slipped quietly into the room, set the books from her arms down, and carefully flipped through them to make sure the notations inside were correct.
Only then did she turn to look at the sleeping Roman on the bed.
She had to admit, his sleeping posture was terrible—his limbs sprawled out in all directions, as if each had a mind of its own.
Lady Catherine touched Roman’s forehead, then gently pulled the blanket from under him and covered him up.
After smoothing the corners of the blanket, Lady Catherine hesitated for a moment, then reached out and traced a circle on Roman’s forehead.
Points of starlight drifted down, and Roman’s brow relaxed noticeably.
“Sweet dreams, child,” Lady Catherine said with a smile. In the next instant, her figure vanished from the room.
On the second floor of the Estate, she leaned over to look down and could clearly see the Knight Order already stationed within the Territory.
There weren’t many of them, but all were elites among elites, possessing High Rank Magic Power levels and at least Middle Rank Sanctum Empowerment.
Grand Duke Veronica came to stand beside Lady Catherine and said, “We’re leaving tonight.”
“So soon?”
Lady Catherine exclaimed in surprise.
She had thought they’d at least wait until tomorrow to depart.
“We leave tonight, and we’ll arrive just in time tomorrow,” Grand Duke Veronica said casually.
Lady Catherine seemed to think of something, glancing sidelong at Grand Duke Veronica with understanding.
“Indeed, we can’t let Luo Xiya spend another night here.”
After her true intentions were seen through, Grand Duke Veronica’s face turned a bit awkward.
She coughed a few times and said, “You know her better than I do. You should know she can’t control herself now—lost in comfort, how could she focus on business?”
“Remember to be careful on the road,” Lady Catherine nodded, then took something from her bosom and handed it to Veronica.
“This is a Transcendent Item, ‘Shadow Veil’. Its aura-concealing effect is very useful. It should save you some trouble on the road.”
Veronica accepted it with curiosity. The necklace held a crystal-clear jewel, its silvery surface shifting colors constantly.
“As long as you inject a small amount of Magic Power, you can adjust the range of concealment at will. Since you didn’t bring many people, it should be enough.”
Lady Catherine was about to turn and leave when Veronica suddenly called out.
“Catherine.”
“Is there something else?”
“Are you still blaming me for what happened back then?”
“There’s nothing to blame you for. I was just too quick to trust others.”
Hearing Lady Catherine’s cold tone, Veronica gave a bitter smile.
No matter how she tried to explain, it would only sound like excuses.
Their once-mended relationship—why add more resentment?
“At the time, I just thought your talent was far greater than mine. You shouldn’t have wasted your time and energy on such meaningless things…”
Lady Catherine only shook her head.
With her talent back then, she’d had a fair chance of reaching the true Sanctuary, but her heart was knotted with resentment.
That very knot, and the narrowness of her state of mind, had kept her from ever advancing further.
“It’s all in the past. Aren’t I doing just fine now?”
Grand Duke Veronica watched Lady Catherine’s drifting figure disappear.
Recalling all those years of their estranged relationship, she couldn’t help but ask herself—was she really wrong back then?
As dusk fell, Luo Xiya quietly opened Roman’s door, took one last look at his sleeping face, then nodded to Elise standing nearby.
“Miss, please don’t worry.”
“Elise, take care of yourself too.”
Hugging the head maid’s shoulders, Luo Xiya then left with Grand Duke Veronica.
After a while, Lady Catherine in the room looked up at the window. In the distance, beneath the setting sun, figures gradually receded into the distance as time marched on.