Amelia Sauron, Elizabeth’s mother, was born the eldest daughter of the Taura knightly house. The Taura house was one of the many knightly houses in the Sauron Duchy, and Amelia’s father, Orson, was an ordinary knight, notable only for his seriousness.

Unlike the Bearheart house, which had only Iris, the Taura house had two children: Amelia and her older brother. And because Amelia lacked any exceptional combat talent, she was raised as an ordinary noble daughter.

A knight’s court rank was indeed noble, but their houses held no lands. Their primary income came from the lord they served. Thus, most knights struggled to maintain large mansions and servants to handle household chores.

George Bearheart, the former head of the Bearheart house, was known as a hero in the Sauron Duchy, and lived a far more luxurious life than a less wealthy baron. But knights serving poor nobles in remote regions might even have to work the fields alongside the farmers.

The Taura knightly house served the Sauron house, so they could afford several servants, but not enough for a truly refined noble lifestyle. Therefore, when Amelia came of age, she was sent to serve the Sauron house at their residence. This was not unusual for a knight’s daughter in the Orbaume Kingdom.

Having one’s daughter serve the lord as a servant was beneficial for the lord, as it allowed them to hire a girl of respectable lineage and maintain the loyalty of their knights. It was also beneficial for the knights, as a noble’s maid was a desirable status, leading to favorable marriages.

Amelia Taura’s life as an average knight’s daughter took an unexpected turn after entering the Sauron house’s service, and Bahnrust Sauron, the head of the house at the time, set his sights on her.

Elizabeth was in her mother’s hospital room. Her mother smiled as she spoke, appearing energetic.

“Is that so? That’s wonderful. Your new friend seems quite interesting,” she said.

Her energetic appearance was likely due to her long hospitalization. She was somewhat thinner and paler than when Elizabeth was younger, but there was no apparent distress in her expression or voice.

“He’s more than just interesting. The things he can do are extraordinary. He follows me around school like a duckling, but for some reason, he joins the teachers during training. He sings strange songs, and he has these unusual, beautiful women with him, whom he insists are his familiars,” said Elizabeth.

“A duckling?” Elizabeth’s mother giggled. “Imagining it, it seems rather endearing.”

“…No, Mother. It’s quite a spectacle. His adopted sister and his familiars accompany him as well.”

“That’s the little sister who towers over this room, right? You have quite a few new friends, Eli. As your mother, I’m very happy.”

The hospital room provided for Amelia was a private room for nobles, even larger than Earl Reamsand’s detached mansion… the hut where Elizabeth and Mahelia currently resided.

It featured a high-quality bed and carpet, a closet, a dresser, a table, chairs, and even a tea set. The teapot was a magical item, instantly heating any water poured into it.

The windows were made of expensive glass… but were barred with iron.

“Mahelia, you should sit down as well,” Amelia said to the attendant girl behind Elizabeth, gesturing to the empty chair next to Elizabeth. The room had four chairs in total. “I want to hear all about school from you too.”

“Madam, I—” Mahelia began.

“You’re family too. Just the three of us here, so it’s fine, isn’t it?” said Amelia, reaching for the teapot.

“Madam!” Mahelia protested.

“It’s alright. I’m quite adept at pouring tea,” Amelia said.

“Mahelia, do as Mother asks. It’s hard to talk while standing,” said Elizabeth.

Mahelia was the daughter of an attendant in the Taura knightly house, not the Sauron house. Therefore, she had been raised alongside Elizabeth like sisters, even before the Sauron house formally acknowledged Elizabeth.

Mahelia sighed. “Very well.”

She sat down, and Amelia’s smile widened as she poured tea into an empty cup.

Four cups now stood on the table, each in front of a chair, steam rising from them.

“Vandalieu-sama is smaller than Elizabeth-sama, but the teachers rely on him. And he is very good at cooking,” said Mahelia.

“Come to think of it, the grilled skewers you brought last time were made by him, weren’t they?” said Amelia.

“Yes. He is far better at cooking than we are. I can’t recall how many times I had to stop Elizabeth-sama from making her own lunches to compete with him,” Mahelia said.

“Mahelia! That’s because Vandalieu wins hearts through his cooking… Don’t mention such unnecessary things!” said Elizabeth.

Amelia seemed to enjoy their conversation. She turned towards the empty chair beside her.

“It’s good that you two are having fun. Isn’t it, dear?” Amelia said.

The person Amelia called “dear” was not present. No one sat in the chair, and the filled cup before it grew cold without a drinker.

Amelia giggled. “You are right. Not being as good a cook as someone else is nothing to worry about. Eli has many other wonderful qualities, after all.”

Though the chair was empty, Amelia saw him there—her “husband,” seated and enjoying their conversation.

“Thank you, Father,” said Elizabeth.

She and Mahelia could not see him. No one could, except Amelia.

Amelia Sauron’s mind was afflicted with an illness.

Initially, she suffered nightmares and, occasionally, visual and auditory hallucinations. She knew they were not real.

Upon learning of this, Dratze Reamsand urged her hospitalization at a specialized facility… this hospital.

No effective treatment for her mental illness existed, and specialists were rare. When her illness emerged, the Sauron house was embroiled in a succession struggle. Perhaps fearing the implications for her if Rudel and his advisors learned of her condition, Amelia secretly sought treatment at this hospital, as suggested by Dratze.

Elizabeth was only able to visit Amelia at the hospital because the succession struggle had ended, and her condition was no longer a secret.

By then, Amelia’s “husband” resided entirely within her mind, invisible and unheard by anyone but her.

Elizabeth did not know if that “husband” was Bahnrust Sauron. But she believed it was not.

“But Mother, you’re a good cook too, aren’t you?” Elizabeth said.

“I wouldn’t say I’m exceptionally good. Your father praises my cooking, but… well, I suppose. You always say how delicious it is when I cook, don’t you, dear?” said Amelia.

Elizabeth couldn’t imagine Bahnrust ever tasting her mother’s gentle smile and cooking. He was a powerful noble, with a large kitchen and skilled cooks at his mansion.

“But you are right, Madam. My lady is better at dancing, it seems. About half a month ago, she observed Vandalieu-sama’s dancing,” said Mahelia, referring to an event before the party at Duke Alcrem’s villa.

Because the dances of Orbaume’s high society were beyond even Kanako’s expertise, Vandalieu, despite possessing the “Dancing” Skill, was unsure, so he had Elizabeth check for any flaws in his performance.

“Perhaps because he is the child of an honorary noble, he has not received dancing lessons,” said Amelia. “But Eli, you weren’t very good at it either, were you?”

“That’s in the past! I’ve received lessons and can dance now,” Elizabeth retorted.

“Is that so? How splendid. I’ve always been terrible at dancing, too,” said Amelia. “Yes, I stepped on your foot at that party, didn’t I, dear? But I’m relieved to hear you’ve improved. I suppose I must thank Earl Reamsand for that.”

Despite this, Amelia had never attended a party with Bahnrust. She was a maid; dancing with a duke was out of the question.

Amelia often recounted other memories with her “husband,” but none could be real given her relationship with Bahnrust Sauron.

That’s why Elizabeth and Mahelia believed Amelia’s visions were not hallucinations of Duke Bahnrust Sauron, but her idealized image of a husband.

In other words, Bahnrust was not Amelia’s ideal husband… nor her beloved.

Elizabeth and Mahelia had never heard Amelia speak poorly of Bahnrust. When young, Elizabeth asked her mother about Bahnrust, and she replied that he was an admirable duke and lord. But she never described him as a husband… or a father.

When young, Elizabeth had no doubt her father was a noble and loving father.

But this changed when she reached puberty and saw Earl Dratze Reamsand’s true intentions in his gaze.

“Yes, you’re right. I’ll convey our gratitude to the earl myself,” said Elizabeth.

When Bahnrust first met Elizabeth’s mother, he was already married with concubines, and Rudel and other children had been born. Crucially, he was in his late forties. It was difficult to believe Amelia, barely fifteen, could have genuinely fallen for Bahnrust, who was old enough to be her father.

And Elizabeth’s mother did not become a concubine; she was a secret lover. Their relationship could not be public, and when she became pregnant, she was returned to her family, and Elizabeth was raised in secret. Amelia received gifts and support from Bahnrust, but this did not compensate for the hardships.

Furthermore, Elizabeth later learned that Bahnrust had fathered other illegitimate children before her. This solidified her conclusion that Bahnrust was a womanizer.

Perhaps because Elizabeth was a girl, she was formally acknowledged by the Sauron house, unlike her older half-brother Raymond Paris. But this was not a happy event for her mother.

If Bahnrust had made Elizabeth’s mother one of his wives from the start, she could have safely escaped the Sauron Duchy with ample protection.

If Bahnrust hadn’t acknowledged Elizabeth as his daughter and Amelia as her mother, they would have remained a knight’s daughter and child, the Amid Empire wouldn’t have pursued them so relentlessly, and Elizabeth’s grandfather and Mahelia’s mother might have escaped safely.

In reality, Bahnrust acknowledged Elizabeth as his daughter just days before the Amid Empire’s invasion, but insufficient guards were prepared for her and her mother. Most guards were allocated to his legitimate and concubine children, like Rudel.

Amelia and Elizabeth were protected only by a handful of soldiers, Elizabeth’s retired grandfather, and the Taura house’s servants.

When they fled the Sauron Duchy, the Amid Empire sent many pursuers to capture Elizabeth, a daughter of Duke Sauron. Elizabeth’s grandfather and Mahelia’s mother died protecting them from these pursuers.

Elizabeth believed her mother’s illness stemmed from the mental scars of this tragedy, something she could not forgive.

That’s why she could not accept being treated as an illegitimate Sauron daughter. As long as she was, her mother had no hope.

She understood they would not have fled the Sauron Duchy if the Amid Empire hadn’t invaded, and the Amid Empire’s army had taken her grandfather and Mahelia’s mother. But the Amid Empire had been an enemy since the Orbaume Kingdom’s founding. It was natural for the two nations to fight.

Elizabeth’s blame and bitterness were directed at Bahnrust, her father, for failing to protect his family.

“I’ve discussed many things, but it seems I’ve finally overcome a developmental hurdle, thanks to Vandalieu. Mahelia, Zona, and the others have also grown stronger, and our school grades should improve,” said Elizabeth.

“I’m glad to hear that. You’re a good girl, Eli, but you never complain, so I was worried you might be struggling. But don’t overdo it, alright? We’re just happy you’re safe.” said Amelia.

A hospital staff member entered the room.

“Excuse me. It’s time for your medicine,” he said.

He pushed a cart with a pitcher of water and medicine on a small plate.

“Oh dear, already?” said Amelia. “Could we please have a little more time—”

“Mother, it’s alright. We can visit again later. Don’t worry,” said Elizabeth.

“But…”

Persuading her mother, Elizabeth and Mahelia left the room. Since their special training with Vandalieu, they earned income selling monster materials, no longer needing to work secretly at night. They had more free time to visit Amelia.

“Still… Do you think he’s noticed?” Elizabeth wondered.

Was Vandalieu deliberately choosing edible monsters, knowing Elizabeth and Mahelia sold materials at the Adventurer’s Guild?

“Who knows? He seems thoughtful despite his nonchalant demeanor, but he might not be thinking at all,” said Mahelia.

Either was possible.

The next day, Vandalieu would join Elizabeth’s party. Meorilith and Randolf weren’t the only ones discussing this.

Elizabeth’s four followers—Macht Hamilton, the tall spearman; Yuzef Catalonis, the bespectacled mage; Taurus Zetts, the plump shield-bearer; and Zona, the Dwarf axe-user—were doing the same.

“…What shall we do? Tomorrow marks a month since his enrollment, and we still know nothing about him,” said Macht.

“…First, is it alright to continue as we have? I know we concluded it was, but things have changed,” said Taurus.

“…You’re right. What shall we do? Earl Reamsand is acting strangely too,” said Yuzef.

When Elizabeth and Mahelia sought party members at the Hero Preparatory School, these four joined, hoping to exploit them.

After the party formed, Earl Reamsand took an interest, making them something like spies.

“You trust that old man? I definitely don’t,” said Zona, popping a piece of candy.

It was understandable that Macht and the others became spies for Earl Reamsand. Their families were viscounts or below, unable to match Earl Reamsand’s wealth or position.

Letters from Earl Reamsand, expressing hope for continued relations, were effectively orders.

Of course, they hadn’t intended to disobey. In exchange, the earl promised employment as privately-employed knights or mages.

Born later than siblings, they faced the prospect of commoner status if they couldn’t marry or find noble employment. They desperately sought acceptance at the Hero Preparatory School to avoid that.

Becoming adventurers was temporary commoner status, but accomplishments could lead to noble employment… and perhaps nobility.

But the Hero Preparatory School was challenging. Their current abilities weren’t enough for practical training, and graduation was uncertain.

Earl Reamsand’s offer was like a spider’s thread in hell… though they lacked the courage to defy him, given their families’ service.

They only provided the earl with readily available information. They hadn’t been ordered to do anything dangerous or morally questionable, like directly harming Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth tried to recruit Alex, they were ordered to subtly interfere, but it wasn’t necessary as Alex declined.

But now, a year later, Vandalieu had appeared, and Macht and the others had new orders—to gather information about Vandalieu.

Initially enthusiastic, their desire had waned.

“You don’t trust the earl?” Macht asked.

“Of course not. There are plenty of stories of people being betrayed by verbal promises,” said Zona.

She was from a noble family, but her circumstances were complex. On paper, she was adopted, but her adoptive father was her biological father.

He’d lavished money on a Dwarf prostitute, who became pregnant, forcing him to arrange her marriage to a servant. Her daughter’s talent led to her adoption and entrance exam to the Hero Preparatory School.

That was Zona’s story.

“Incidentally, I’m not a spy for the earl either,” Zona added.

Macht and the others gasped. She was right.

Earl Reamsand made the same offer to Zona, but her adoptive father ordered her compliance. She hadn’t given an answer, and hadn’t acted.

“That’s a deceptive way to put it!” Taurus shouted.

“So if anything happens, you’re planning to cozy up to Elizabeth-sama on your own?!” said Macht.

“Yeah, and I’m going to sell you out too, of course,” said Zona.

“You’re so sneaky,” said Yuzef.

Despite the criticism, Zona looked unmotivated. “Leaving that aside, what are we going to do?” she asked.

“What are we going to do? About Elizabeth-sama, you mean?” said Macht.

“Umm… Can’t we just keep doing what we’ve been doing?” said Yuzef.

The four didn’t harbor ill will towards Elizabeth. Initially, they sought her abilities and benefits, but a year of shared experience had fostered some emotional connection. She was kind and helpful.

They continued to provide information to Earl Reamsand, believing it wouldn’t lead to a bad future for her.

They didn’t know Earl Reamsand’s objective, but sensed he didn’t want her to excel and become a powerful adventurer.

They suspected the earl intended to arrange a marriage of convenience. Most noble houses preferred women for such arrangements.

Zona, Macht, and the others didn’t consider this bad. They believed it would benefit Elizabeth to avoid unwise actions against Rudel.

If Elizabeth aimed for adventurer status and nobility, they might support her. If the earl aimed to make her a concubine, they might ally with her.

Becoming a concubine to a much older man with a wife and other concubines wasn’t a good prospect.

But the meaning of “keep doing what we’ve been doing” had changed.

“At this rate… Graduation looks possible, not just for Elizabeth-sama, but for us too,” said Taurus.

“Yeah. Thanks to Vandalieu,” said Yuzef.