He sent May out of the office with a light gesture. After May, who had been looking around for a while, went out, Ethan sat back in his chair and banged his forehead on the desk.

"......"

And in that state, there was no word for a while. He knew it in his head. That it was right to let Sarah go. He must be able to run away from this terrible power of Ambrosia. He must no longer rely on her mercy. If he was a man who truly loved Sarah, he had to do so.

"They are right to be afraid of me."

Ethan's voice, muttering bitterly, was dry and shriveled. Just the mere thought of letting her go for a moment made his throat tighten. Sarah's smiling face came to his mind, and he imagined it distorted and disappeared with red blood.

"......"

He immediately shook his head. His face, which had been contorted in pain, gradually subsided into an expressionless face. A cool light appeared in his trembling blue eyes. It was a light that was dripping with stubborn obsession.

'We can protect the precious things together.'

'Even if it hurts a little and it's hard, wouldn't it be better to protect it?'

'If Duke-nim and I work together, we're invincible!'

They were words that Sarah had left firmly engraved on him. Ethan still remembered her voice, telling him not to miss opportunities to be happy, as if he deserved it. A bitter smile formed on his lips.

"It's your fault for meeting a monster bastard like me."

He couldn’t let go. He wouldn't let go. Because he was happy enough just to be by her side. Because he could be satisfied with seeing the beautiful beauty who smiled brightly while looking at him and saw her eyes form a crescent moon shape enchantedly. He could never let go of Sarah first until she said she would leave him first.

'Even if Sarah leaves, there's no guarantee I’ll let her go.'

Ethan, who had made up his mind, let his thoughts run violently. He had to do everything in his power to make her stay in his nest. In order not to be abandoned.

* * *

Belluna sat in the garden and looked at Sarah from afar, who was spending time with Claude. Then she slapped Benjamin, unable to take his eyes off their master.

"I mean, Master."

"......"

"Doesn't she look so peaceful?"

At Belluna's words, Benjamin quietly nodded in affirmation. Even if she covered her face and hid her voice when she was in the magic tower, he always felt a sharp tension and compulsion around her. Each time she failed in her research to suppress Ambrosia's power, her desperate gesture was still vividly pictured in Benjamin's mind. It was also very clear that she kept trying to seal the power by raising her trembling hand while vomiting a handful of blood, saying one more time, just one more time.

"What the hell does Ambrosia mean to Master?"

At Benjamin's question, Belluna shook her head with a bitter face.

"I don't know that much. All we know is a part of Master."

The sunlight poured down behind Sarah, who smiled brightly. Seeing their master with Claude in the light shining like a halo beautifully, they realized something as naturally as they were breathing. That their master no longer needed them.

"Will Master be angrier if I say I don't want to admit it?"

"That's obvious."

"Oliven doesn't seem to be able to accept it."

Benjamin sighed as he remembered Oliven, who had disappeared without a word. When Master heard that Oliven was gone, she stiffened her face for a moment, but she didn't say anything other than tell him to let him be. It seemed that Oliven had caused another incident that they were not aware of.

"When the talk with the magic tower is sorted out, we need to find him and bring him in. Because once that jerk starts to be twisted, there is no bottom and no end."

"That's right."

It was when Benjamin and Belluna nodded their heads in determination. Veron, who found them in the distance, hurriedly approached them and said.

"Ah, you two are here. Master is looking for you."

"Why is Duke Ambrosia-nim looking for us......"

"He has something to say."

"Then I'll have to tell Master first."

"No, he’s looking for you two secretly. Countess Millen-nim doesn’t know."

At Veron's words, Benjamin and Belluna's faces were slightly distorted. They thought there should be nothing to hide from their master, but they felt something unusual.

"......"

It was Belluna who took the first step. Benjamin looked at Sarah for a moment as she smiled and whispered something to Claude, then followed.

"My Lord, Countess Millen-nim's disciples have arrived."

"Let them in."

Veron, who came in after knocking on the door of the office, let Benjamin and Belluna in with a slightly nervous expression.

"I heard you found us."

"......"

Belluna and Benjamin bowed their heads one after another. They seemed to be trying to be as polite as possible. They no longer wanted to offend the Duke of Ambrosia because they knew that if they touched him, they would invariably hurt their master's heart as well.

"I called you here today because I have something to ask you."

"Please speak."

"How much do you know about Sarah's physical condition?"

"......!"

At Ethan's question, Belluna and Benjamin looked at each other. Their eyes were busy going back and forth. Ethan could realize that they also knew about Sarah's condition just by looking at their eyes.

"I wish you could be honest with me."

"......What do you mean?"

"About Sarah's physical condition and the power of my family you studied with her."

Sarah said she studied Ambrosia's power with her disciples. He was sure it was them who knew the most about that power after her. He had to get their cooperation.

"Whenever Sarah deals with Ambrosia's power, she vomits blood. She says it's okay but is this really okay?"

"If it happened in the Imperial Palace last time, the Master was only caught up in our recklessness."

"I don't think that's the answer I want."

"......"

Belluna held her breath for a moment. Ethan's eyes gleamed sharply, and an unknown pressure was felt all over her body.

"Cooperating with me will not be a bad suggestion for you either."

"What are you planning to do with our cooperation?"

"Try to keep Sarah away from it."

"......"

In response to Ethan's answer, Belluna and Benjamin looked at each other once more. There were no words coming out of their mouths, but a fierce conversation using magic was going on in their heads.

[Belluna, can we trust him?]

[At least Master trusts him. And he is also the man who made her study for a long time.]

[But we can't break our oath with Master.]

[It was an oath not to disclose the existence of Master’s other soul. Forgotten already, Benjamin?]

[......]

[We need to do more research on Ambrosia's power. This time, Master was impatient. No matter how much she uses the other soul's life force, there's no way this body won't be harmed.]

[I know, but Master won't allow us to get more involved.]

[Even so, it should be possible for us to study even in places where Master cannot see. He also seems to have an idea.]

[This is driving me crazy.]

[We need to tell the Duke of Ambrosia about Master's condition and get his cooperation, Benjamin. So just get rid of that goddamn temper.]

[I know. The last time I ran wild without being able to take a minute back and forth was enough.]

[Good.]

It was near the end of the conversation that was going back and forth in their heads.

"Is the discussion over?"

Ethan seemed to have noticed that they were having a conversation in a terrifying way. Belluna trembled for a moment because she didn't know how far that man knew.