Do Flowers Bloom in the Fallen Land?

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“That wouldn’t be necessary,” Seira shook her head, “It’s not something that would require two to carry anyway.”

Rejecting the youngest one’s offer, Seira walked to the main building. The sunset was slowly falling, and the scene of everyone preparing dinner warmed her heart.

‘It would have been nice if Aven was with us.’

The twin sisters told Seira he wasn’t in the mansion. He seemed to have gone out of town for personal errands, and Lucy and Meilin couldn’t go with him since they had a lot of work to deal with at the moment.

On the contrary, Seira was slightly surprised that the twin sisters knew more of Aven’s daily activities than she did. Maybe they were much closer than she initially guessed.

‘It’s none of my business, but…’

If he was going to meet another Omega, she wanted Aven to choose someone close to Askan. But Seira wasn’t happy still, so her selfishness seemed to be helpless.

“He can’t just take care of me forever,” she told herself.

Having eaten so badly, had Nathan Askan’s spirit been tied tightly to the duchy? Without even thinking of finding his body, Seira stubbornly clung to her dead father, and acted like a child.

The same was true to her feelings for Aven. Because she felt like he was part of the family, and no one should be left. She’d be unwilling to accept that Aven would bring another Omega as his companion, and get tied to a family that had nothing to do with her.

Seira looked around as she descended to the main building’s basement with only a small candlestick. She tried to shake off her melancholic mood and tried to pick a suitable liquor. The storage used to be full in the past but was now empty. At least this was due to Aven filling up every winter during the knight’s break.

‘Beer would be better, right?’

Putting the candlestick down on the floor, Seira approached an oak barrel containing beer.

‘I should just take out one and have it refilled if it wouldn’t be enough.’

As she was about to lift the oak barrel, the room suddenly turned dark.

There was no way that wind would have leaked in, but the candle went out. A wave of familiar mana soon hit Seira.

“Aven…?”

Among those she knew, Aven was the only one who could jump over space through shadows. Although it was quite strange that the color of his mana was different from usual, Seira didn’t bother to ask.

Was there anyone else besides Aven who could enter the basement of the Askan mansion unnoticed, where skilled knights were roaming around?

Seira was confused why Aven did this without saying much of a hello, but she trusted him more than anyone else. She never worried that he might do anything that would harm her.

‘I’m glad he came early.’

Seira felt well in an instant, thinking Aven would help her take out the oak barrel, and surrendered herself to his power. By the way…

“Ugh…!”

She was thrown off guard as a body slammed into her from the shadows. She rolled to the floor, unable to foresee the unexpected.

She couldn’t even use her powers in the first place. She had reached her limit when they were testing the black crystals’ power during the morning.

Of course, power wasn’t infinite and only recovered with time. The only thing that could instantly get her to recover was Baron’s blood.

Seira got up and was surprised that someone was looking down at her.

‘Aven? No, it’s not.’

She knew it as soon as she rolled on the floor, but it was even more shocking after she saw it with her own eyes. Seira observed her opponent, who was now unwilling to attack her immediately.

The man looked about in his late thirties. He didn’t look too old despite his white hair with his robust physique and unflattering posture.

More than that, his cold and expressionless eyes caught Seira’s attention. She thought Aven only had black eyes, but so was this man.

‘They look alike.’

Were they brothers?

‘Did the previous Count Helford have any other sons or relatives?’

It was all too coincidental, that even the nature and power of their manas were similar.

“Where are we?”

The place he took her was a small stone chamber. There was some furniture, including a bed, but it had no windows and it was enclosed.

‘It’s quite similar to the prayer room in the temple.’

“Why did you bring me here?”

The man didn’t answer Seira’s question and merely shut his mouth.

“…”

“Do you have anything to do with Aven Helford?”

He raised his arm out before she could ask any more questions. At the end of his pointed finger was a bed.

“Lie down…?” Seira guessed.

He nodded at her query. It was the first that he reacted to anything she said. Seira pondered for a moment and slowly moved toward the bed.

She had the ability of a master-class slayer, but she can’t use her power and there was no way to fight against him. Didn’t Louis give her a ring-shaped magic tool?

But it was nothing but foolish to rush into a situation before you totally got a grasp of why it was happening.

‘I first need to find out what his intentions are, and if there’s anyone behind it.’