Carius Superion, the very one who had unleashed his anger, was equally ill at ease in his heart.
"…."
With a fierce scowl etched across his face, he gazed upon the neatly arranged interior of the cottage.
Perseus had safely ascended to the imperial throne, and his nephews were also safe. It was now time to gradually return to his territory.
His visit here today was to bid farewell to his sister.
Emperor Perseus had informed him of this location for his sake, as he had to depart once again on a long journey.
After all, Elizabeth had been on good terms with him, her younger brother, before her death.
"Sister…."
Carius's face crumpled uncontrollably. Before long, tears streamed from his distorted eyes.
The fact that they had failed to protect Elizabeth from Radios was a painful wound and a source of shame for everyone in the Superion family.
Carius, too, carried deep guilt in his heart.
He soon swallowed his pain and wiped away his tears. Then he recalled the young girl he had seen earlier.
That child was, from the start, a presence entirely unwelcome to him as a Superion, but he had felt a particularly peculiar sense of discomfort.
'It's because of those green eyes.'
The cause of his discomfort was surely that the child had the same eyes as his sister. Of all people, the man who had fallen in love with Princess Iris also had eyes similar in color to his sister's.
Though he had snapped at her momentarily, he also felt a subtle guilt that perhaps he had been too harsh.
'Worried over nothing….'
Just like the discomfort, this emotion too was clearly due to those green eyes.
However, the robe that child had been wearing, which was clearly well-worn, her terribly thin frame, her gaunt face—such things grated on his nerves.
'Is no one looking after her? Well….'
She was like a thorn in Emperor Perseus's side.
Unless he had lost his mind, there was no way anyone would step forward to care for a child who couldn't possibly curry favor with the newly crowned Emperor Perseus.
'That child's fate is truly twisted.'
If not for the fact that she was Princess Iris's daughter, hers would have been a pitiful life.
He recalled the meeting he had attended that morning.
The reason he had immediately recognized the child's identity upon seeing her was also because of the court meeting he had attended today.
At the meeting, that very child had come up for discussion.
The ministers had debated how to dispose of the child, and the contents were so wretched and sordid that merely hearing them was irritating.
'Even so, she is of the imperial bloodline, yet they're trying to send that young child to become a second wife to nobles who have rendered service.'
Emperor Perseus had commanded that the child's name not even be mentioned for the time being, saying he didn't want to hear it…
'In the end, she'll be disposed of using one of the methods discussed today.'
Such was the wretched life of an imperial heir with no one to rely on.
And Carius had a mission to ensure that his two remaining nephews would not meet a fate like that child's.
'Who's worrying about whom… damn it.'
Carius cursed low under his breath and exited the cottage.
Now vengeance for his dead sister was complete.
The only traces of Elizabeth remaining in the Superion family were Cedric and Damian.
For the sake of the dead Elizabeth, he had to safely protect his two nephews.
With all traces of his tears cleanly erased, he made his way to bid farewell to his nephews as a kindly uncle.
And someone standing in the distance had been watching Carius heading toward his residence.
The man had been standing in that place for quite some time.
"…."
Naturally, he had witnessed Rellia fleeing from the cottage as if running away.
With his brow deeply furrowed, he began walking in a certain direction.
It was the direction of the small tower where Rellia resided.