A few weeks had passed since Senetta was dropped off.
Most of the children they rescued had been reunited with their families. The child who stayed with a neighbor’s wife turned out to be an orphan, so she adopted him. Rose wished the little one would find happiness. Thinking about the children made Rose’s heart ache with both hope and worry. She pictured them starting new lives with loving families and smiled, but she also worried about those who might not find a home. Raul still had three babies left, and if their relatives didn’t come by tomorrow, they would look for adoptive families. Raul struggled with the way the babies looked at him, sensing they felt abandoned too, even if they didn’t understand it. The former slave women eventually left their children behind and returned to their villages. Each time, Rose and Raul felt the pain of loss, but it also made them more determined to help the children have better futures.
Raul had been acting strangely for a while, but after a few days, he calmed down a bit. Etzel had also arrived, and he continued his daily search for clues to the Great King's whereabouts, examining every possible place and object.
"I think it would be best to ask Lord Karl's fortune teller..."
Rose suggested to Raul after dinner.
"Can you do it?"
"I don't know. But we'll just have to ask. If he can't, I could try to tell his fortune myself... but I don't know anything about the Great King. I have no idea what he looks like, or what he's like."
"Can you tell his fortune based on the Great King I remember?"
"I don't know. I won't know until I try."
"I see."
Raul nodded, sipping his tea.
"Or, if you could tell me about the First Prince who's with the Great King, I think we might be able to find something."
"I can tell you that. I also have a letter from him, so I can show you."
Raul said, holding Rose's hand.
"Has your magical power returned?"
"Somewhat. I haven't used any magic for the past few days, so I think it's building up."
"I see. Whenever you're comfortable with it, that's fine. Just don't push yourself too hard. We'll try our best to find him on our own."
Raul finished his tea and said.
"Yes."
Rose took Raul's hand and placed it against her face. She wanted to cherish those rough, laborious hands.
"Rose..."
"I can search the location of your... Raisa's grave."
Rose said, and Raul looked surprised for a moment.
"That's fine. You don't have to."
"But you're worried, aren't you? I think it would be good to at least make it a proper grave."
"Right now... I don't have the luxury of that."
Raul spoke gently. He knew Rose was worried about Raisa.
"I think the location of Raisa's grave... is important not only to you, but to Lopez as well."
"Rose..."
"And it's important to me, too."
"Why..."
"Because I'm next to the man she loved... emotionally..."
"She's dead now."
"Yeah. But I want to at least say hello."
Raul froze. His hand, which had been touching Rose's face, moved. He stroked her face gently and wiped away her tears.
"You're such a kind-hearted crybaby..."
Raul wiped Rose's tears with his thumb.
"Yeah. I'm quite the crybaby."
"You thought about Raisa that much?"
"Because she was important to you."
"Rose..."
Raul stood up and hugged Rose. He didn't say anything, but Rose somehow understood his feelings.
"I can wait until your magical powers have recovered."
"Okay."
Raul held Rose for a while.
"I feel better now. Thank you."
Raul stood up.
"That's good."
"I'll prepare the bath."
"Don't worry, I'll do it."
"This is my house. It's up to me to do whatever I want, right?"
Raul laughed as he left the room. Alone, Rose cleared the dishes and made milk for the baby, who started to cry. She was feeding the baby when Raul came back to say the bath was ready. Tomorrow, she would have to say goodbye to these babies. Rose felt a little sad, but she knew they would be better off with families who could care for them. It would be best if their real relatives could take them, but people were willing to become foster parents. Many people thought it was wrong to say slave children had no right to live. Even mothers in the neighborhood cried when they learned these children had been sold as slaves. Still, most people felt powerless to help. Since it was legal, speaking out could be dangerous.
"So cute."
Raul looked at the sleeping child and tucked his tiny hand under the blanket.
"Yes."
"Someday... when we have a child..."
"Y-yes."
"Oh, that's still a long way off."
Raul's face flushed. Rose also felt embarrassed, and her face grew hot. After burping the baby, she laid him on the mattress.
"The bath's ready. You can go in first."
"Yes, thank you."
Rose stood up, gathered up the dirty laundry, and carried it outside. However, on the way, she met Ali and handed him the box of diapers. When Rose returned to her room after the bath, Ali and Raul were still in the nursery, talking. They suddenly stopped talking when Rose noticed them. Raul then headed to the bathroom without saying a word.
The next day arrived, bringing a new set of decisions.
By lunchtime the next day, the remaining children's relatives still had not shown up. As planned, Rose helped start the search for foster parents. Adoption was also possible, and several couples applied. After Torihite's rigorous screening, the children were adopted by a selected couple. Ali burst into tears as the children were handed over. Having cared for them so long, it was clear Ali had become attached. Rose felt lonely, but she believed the children would be happy with their new family.
With the children taken care of, Rose had some free time. After mixing some potions and doing a little shopping, she went to see Karl. She would ask his fortune teller if he could predict the location of the Great King.
"Unfortunately, the fortune teller couldn't see them."
Karl shook his head, frustrated.
"They tried that before, but it seemed to have been repelled by the magic, and the fortune teller was severely injured."
"Really?"
"Yes. It's apparently wrapped in a special magic... we call it a fortune teller reversal."
"I've never heard of a fortune teller reversal before."
"It's a dangerous technique."
Karl looked at Rose with regret as he said this.
"I wish we could nullify that..."
"It would be great if the magic that nullifies the magic of the town of Senetta worked."
"Yeah. But we can't do anything if we don't know where it is."
"Yes."
Rose thought deeply.
"I don't know anything about the Great King. Not his name, not what he looks like, nothing."
"How did you read my fortune?"
"I heard Lord Karl's name from Torihite and saw it reflected in the mirror."
"Would you like to try the same method to find the Great King? I know his name. However, as I said earlier, the fortune teller's reversal technique is risky. If you think it won't work, please stop reading immediately."
"What is the Great King's name?"
"Torgazar Pragna."
"What's the name of the First Prince?"
"Ehelzar Pragna."
"Thank you."
Rose nodded.
"Are you serious?"
"It's a last resort. For now, I want to believe in Raul and the others' efforts until the end."
"I see."
Rose stared at Karl.
"Lord Karl."
"Yes?"
"I think so, too."
"What do you mean?"
"If I had met you sooner, I wouldn't have to suffer so much."
Rose smiled, and Karl looked a little confused.
"You too?"
"Yes. The war might end sooner."
"That's true."
"But this is also divine guidance, isn't it?"
Rose looked into Karl's eyes. Karl was looking straight at Rose.
"I'll do my best. I'll tell the King's fortune this afternoon."
Rose took Karl's hand.
"Thanks for telling me."
"No."
"See you later."
Rose left Karl and headed to where Ali was waiting.
After finishing her afternoon medical service and chatting briefly with the medics, Rose returned to Raul's house and freshened up. Rose and Ali tidied up the living room and prepared for the fortune-telling. They also set out a mirror and a lamp, and were ready.
"Rose!"
Raul hurried back on horseback and entered the living room, where Rose was. Karl was behind him.
"Welcome back."
"Stop telling my fortune. Lord Dalskmaine told me it was dangerous."
"It'll be fine. My magical powers have returned, and I feel like I can do it now."
"We haven't given up yet. We'll definitely find the Great King's whereabouts."
"If we take too long, the false King will gather his strength."
"We won't lose to the false King."
"You're underestimating the false King. He's a dangerous man."
"I know."
"He's gained the power of immortality, so he's not an easy opponent to defeat."
"I know that, too."
Raul said, grabbing Rose's shoulders with both hands.
"If we don't rescue the Great King as soon as possible, it will be too late. So trust me, I'll definitely find him."
Rose looked straight at Raul.
"Rose, why are you going to such lengths... why are you risking your life so much for us?"
"I've said it many times before, but it's because I want to grant your wish. I love you all, and that's why I want to grant your wish."
"Rose..."
"It'll be okay, trust me. I'll definitely find it."
Rose smiled and kissed Raoul on the cheek. Raul, confused, sat nearby. Outside, Torihite, Gordon, and the others rushed in on horseback. Karl signaled to Torihite to sit next to Raul and watched quietly.
"Raul, do you have the letter from the First Prince?"
"Yes, I do."
"Can I borrow it?"
"Okay."
Raul took a letter out of his bag. It was an old-looking letter, written in beautiful handwriting.
Rose closed her eyes and prayed. She sang the Song of Wish with all her heart, activating her third eye. Her entire body began to glow, and she felt a surge of power.
"Ehelzar Pragna, let me see your reflection."
Rose touched the mirror.
Snap!
It bounced off something.
"No. You can't reject me. I won't forgive you for that."
Rose felt heat on her forehead. The Dragon God's crest on her forehead began to glow.
Rose sang the Song of Wish again and touched the letter and the mirror. But something felt strange, she thought. She could feel his presence. She could, but something was still enveloping her, preventing her from seeing clearly.
"Raul, you had Raisa's pendant in your bag, right?"
"Yeah. But I don't think it's related."
"I'm still not sure, but could you lend it to me?"
"Yeah."
Raul handed Raisa's pendant from his bag. The moment he touched it, it felt very cold.
"No. This pendant doesn't belong to Raisa."
Somehow, Rose knew this. But she needed to know more, so she sang the Song of Sorrow, asking the Dark Dragon for help. Rose thought that since the Dark Dragon controlled darkness, he could guide her in a fortune teller. Even though he was dead, a Dragon was still a Dragon. His presence is scattered throughout the world. She believed that he would surely respond to Rose's call.
After she finished singing the Song of Sorrow, a black aura appeared, enveloping Rose's body. It felt so warm and endearing, Rose thought.
"Althea, guide me."
As Rose prayed, she felt the Dark Dragon's love. She closed her eyes and found herself in a place she had never known.
'I've missed you.'
Before her eyes, she could see Raisa, a beautiful woman. She could see Raisa embracing a man other than Raul in this house. Rose wondered if, despite being Raul's wife, she loved that man.
Rose struggled with the question of whether to tell Raul the truth.
Who was he anyway?
What kind of relationship did she have with that man?
And what about her relationship with the Great King?
Rose concentrated again. Her eyes were fixed on Raisa. Raisa and the stranger embraced and shared a passionate kiss. The scene shifted to Raisa's bedroom, where the man was performing some kind of spell on her body as she slept. He put... something inside her. He magically implanted a glowing orb into Raisa's chest. Rose wasn't very familiar with the spell, so she asked the Dark Dragon, who sent some information into Rose's head.
What Rose saw changed again. Several men entered the room and took the sleeping Raisa somewhere. It was likely at this point that Raul fell into their hands. With the Great King missing, Raul panicked and headed for the Palace, where he was captured by them. And while she didn't want to believe it, his wife was somehow connected to the men who kidnapped the Great King.
The Dark Dragon then took her to another location. There, she saw a woman drinking tea. It was undoubtedly Raisa.
"Is she alive?"
Rose asked without thinking, and the Dark Dragon nodded. The place he showed her was unfamiliar to Rose. But now she knew. The answers to all her mysteries lay there.
"If I go there... the answers will be there, right?"
Dark Dragon nodded again. If he, who controlled darkness, answered like that, then there was no doubt about it.
"Thank you, Althea."
Dark Dragon smiled and embraced her gently. Everything about him was precious... even in death, he continued to treat Rose with kindness.
After Dark Dragon disappeared, Rose opened her eyes and touched the mirror. She needed to tell Raul only what was important, so as not to say anything unnecessary.
"The Dark Dragon showed me the truth."
Rose spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. Raul and the others listened quietly.
"First, I tried to predict the whereabouts of the First Prince, who was by the Great King's side."
Rose spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully.
"But it was repelled... and it was just as Lord Karl said. The First Prince and the Great King are enveloped in a special magic."
Rose stared at Karl.
"But I still wanted to know, so I asked the ruler of darkness, the Dark Dragon, for help. Then Raisa came to mind. With that pendant, I was able to see what happened that day."
Rose picked up the pendant and placed it in her palm.
"This pendant did not belong to Raisa. I think it probably belongs to someone who approached Raisa, but I am not sure who it belongs to. I saw what appears to be a crest. Do you know it?"
Rose handed it to Torihite. Torihite looked at the pendant before giving it to Karl.
"It's the crest of the Soltedamere family."
Karl answered without hesitation. Karl returned the pendant to Rose.
"Raul, Raisa is alive."
Rose explained carefully. She showed him her reflection in the mirror. Raul stared at the mirror in disbelief. Torihite also stared at him with a stern gaze.
"But..."
Raul was at a loss for words. Raisa's reflection in the mirror looked incredibly beautiful and healthy.
"The location... look, it's this town. I'm not sure which town it is, but... if you go there, you'll find her."
Rose pointed to the town reflected in the mirror.
"That area... I think it's a town north of Renetta."
Gordon answered.
"Renetia, right?"
Torihite nodded.
"Do you know it?"
"Yes. It's a villa area for aristocrats."
"It's famous, then."
Rose said, and Torihite nodded. Raul still couldn't believe it, but Gordon knew what it meant. He patted Raul on the shoulder without saying a word.
"Captain, you won't get lost, right?"
Gordon's words brought Raul back to his senses.
"Yes. I know."
Rose could see the anger in Raul's eyes. No one knows how he felt about Raisa for the past ten years, but, understandably, he would be angry at being deceived.
"Please don't tell Lopez about this, if possible."
Rose looked at Torihite's face and pleaded. Indeed, there was no telling what Lopez would do if he found out his sister was still alive.
"I intend to do so. Is that okay, Lord Lau?"
Torihite asked Raul, and Raul nodded, staring into the mirror again.
"So, does this mean that Raisa has a relationship with Soltedamere?"
"I think so... I'm not sure, but I think they're quite close. I think the excuse that he assaulted Raisa was probably just a way to make you suffer. The truth is, no man other than the man who owned the pendant had ever touched Raisa."
Rose sensed Raul's pride and chose her words carefully.
"I see."
Raul said in a low voice. But she could feel his vibrations... he was furious.
"So, what is the relationship between Soltedamere, Raisa, and the Great King?"
Gordon asked.
"Soltedamere conspired with the false King to seal the Great King in another dimension. What he sealed him in was a glowing orb about the size of an egg."
"Where is that?"
Raul asked after Rose explained.
"This is hard to say, but... I'll tell you the truth."
Rose stared at Raul's face.
"You mean Raisa knows?"
"Whether she knows... I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
Raul looked confused. Torihite touched Raul's shoulder to calm him down.
"Please... tell me."
Raul asked Rose with a desperate face. Rose touched the mirror, erasing the image of Raisa.
"The place where the Great King and the First Prince are sealed... is inside Raisa's chest. That magic can put things inside the body, but there's no way to release it. That's what the Dark Dragon told me."
"So..."
"In other words, unless I cut Raisa, I can't save the Great King."
Raul was speechless. Even if Raisa betrayed him, she was the sister of Raul's best friend, Lopez. Lopez helped Raul and supported the Revolutionary Army. He was an important ally. Killing the sister of such an ally would be a betrayal of Lopez.
"I'm sorry..."
Rose looked at Raul and apologized. She had to tell him a painful truth. She realized that this was exactly what they meant when they said that some people are happier in ignorance.
"It's okay... Thank you for telling me."
Raul's face still showed the shock. Rose finished her fortune-telling and put her tools away. However, having used up so much magical power, Rose staggered. Karl quickly supported her and carried her to the bedroom.
"Thank you, Lord Karl."
"No."
Ali came, took Rose's temperature, cast a healing spell, and gave her a healing potion and some warm water to drink.
"Now that the children are gone, you'll be able to sleep soundly tonight."
"Thank you, Ali."
"You're welcome."
Ali said with a smile.
"Leave Lord Lau to us. Lady Rose, get some rest."
Karl said gently, covering her with a blanket.
"Yes. Thank you."
Ali and Karl left the room and shut the door. Rose thought she could faintly hear Raul and the others talking. Torihite and Raul were discussing what was to come. They were discussing things like Raul's determination to kill his wife.
"Commander!"
A loud voice came from outside. It was Tobia's voice. He sounded hurried.
"What's going on?"
Rose heard Raul's voice.
"I've got a letter from the false King!"
"What?!"
"He said, ‘Stop beating around the bush and hand Rose over to me... I'll take you down in Meranta with 300,000 men’..."
Rose heard Tobia's voice clearly. The false King, Galbazar, had gathered his forces. And he issued a challenge to Raul.
...A battle for Rose...