My father arrived by dawn to Lioness, before we even began breakfast. He laughed and said he was just in time then, because Gerda had bid firmly that he brings us her delectable items. Gumilia, looking rather sleep-deprived, was happiest to hear of this boon.

"How is everyone?" He says as we set up the table.

"Kyle is still asleep," I yawn a little as I fill the cups with water, "His injuries were less severe than initially thought, so that's good..."

"With this, the castle of Marlon is taken... What are the next steps?" Father looks up as Elluka and Gumilia file in, following their noses.

"Obviously, we have to discuss the several elephants in the room," Elluka chuckles softly, "The vessels we have collected... and Ney Futapie's fate."

I look down at the dishware I had set down and frown. My pity for the girl had not faded since I glimpsed her defeated form. I don't know how to feel for that enemy who had tried to kill me before. She was, in the end, another pawn. Surely, she had been possessed and manipulated, like the entire Marlon royal family. My thoughts drifted to Kyle looking at his father's portrait.

"Mornin'," Germaine enters, yawning widely, "Huh? Keel?"

"Ah, good morning, Germaine!"

"Morning, Germaine!" I chime in as I go to reheat Gerda's pie in the oven under the careful watch of Gumilia.

"Did you see Kyle at all?" Elluka looks to the warrior in red.

"No, he isn't my problem," Germaine grumbles as she plops down on a chair, "Probably sleeping off anyway."

"The casualties this time... how were they?" Keel passes a plate to her with a sympathetic tone.

"Messy," Germaine says curtly, "I need some morning mead."

"And you will have no such thing," I say as I plunk down a tankard of water in front of her.

"The undead can take about five men to defeat per one. Luckily, the losses were not as bad as they could have been. Me and Gumilia were up all night taking care of the wounded," Elluka sighs.

Arkatoir comes to join us for breakfast as the pie finishes crisping back up. He had glanced into Kyle's room, and the other was still asleep.

"He probably... shouldn't have this sort... of food so soon anyway..." Gumilia says, wiping saliva from her lips as the pie is portioned out.

Elluka chuckles at her apprentice's gluttony, "I do agree. Porridge might be better for him. Most of the other soldiers in recuperation are also confined to just gruel for now. Foods that are too rich might upset the stomach."

"I guess I'll get to making that, then," I sigh, "Should be easy enough. Gerda always says it's a lazy breakfast anyway."

"May as well make extra. No way I'm filling up just on pastry," Germaine makes a bored face at the slice of fragrant meat pie.

"Please, allow me to help. I have worked sometimes in this kitchen before," Arkatoir offers with a smile.

…

After the pie and all of Gerda's other goodies were over with, the porridge had thickened to a good consistency in a large vat. We portioned out bowls for the soldiers in convalescence. Arkatoir went to help Germaine and the others feed the soldiers. Elluka ended up asking if I would take a portion to Kyle's room.

I balance the tray with porridge and some fruit as I open the door a crack. I see that Kyle's eyes are open, though he seems to still be rather laxly in bed.

"... Your highness," I scoff with sarcasm as I bring in the tray of food, "Don't you know that all your admirers and subjects are eagerly awaiting your morning announcements on what the daily itinerary will be?"

"...Oh, Yukina..." He sighs a bit and sits up, "We've only just finished a battle- ahem..."

He clears his throat a little and rubs his bandaged neck. I pout a bit, even if I did feel a little sorry for him. After all, he had just seen his entire family fall apart these last few days.

"Well, have some porridge then!" I bring over the tray table and set that over his legs before placing the tray atop, "It should be cooled enough for you to swallow without hurting your throat now."

"Oh, thank you... You made this?" Kyle blinks at me.

"Don't look at me like I suddenly have three heads!"

"Sorry, I... didn't know you could actually cook..." Kyle laughs a little, "You usually just seemed to write and let your maids do the cuisine."

I tell you now, I was this close to smacking him.

"Anyway... Elluka wanted to know if you were well enough to discuss what will be done with Ney... and the vessels of sin," I huff a little and fold my hands behind me, "That's all I came to say with your breakfast. Enjoy."

I stomp a bit out of his room before he can say anything else insulting. Such a tactless king!

As I pass the outdoor loggia, I thought I saw something like a small animal run through the Lioness yard. It looked too large to be a rat, and too small to be a wolf. I could swear I glimpsed reddish fur.

Before I could investigate, Gumilia calls to me from the other end of the hallway. When I looked back to the yard, whatever was there had vanished.

"...What is it?" Gumilia approaches and glances out as she sees me do, "Did you see something?"

"I thought I saw an animal... uhm, what did you want to talk about?" I look to her eagerly, "Has something happened?"

"Well, no, but how is the crown king doing?" Gumilia asks with the most monotone and bored voice.

"Oh, he's peachy. He should be along soon enough to discuss our next steps..." I tilt my head a little, "Say, Gumilia, you and Elluka are guarding the sin vessels, right? Aren't you both being influenced by them at all?"

"Don't underestimate master's magic," Gumilia sighs, "She has ancient powers that can soothe the sins and restrain their malicious tendencies. I … have my own ways as well."

"Oh... Do you think you could cast something on me so I can see them?" I ask hopefully.

"No. If it is not a necessity, it is best no one sees them," Gumilia says sternly, "... They are too dangerous. Too many people have fallen, thinking themselves too strong to corrupt. And then, all that happens is more sorrow."

She purses her lips a little and glances to some songbirds in a tree. For a second, I recognized something like a deep sadness in her eyes. She normally was a very reserved person, so it was strange to see.

"Gumilia?" I tug at her sleeve, "Are you alright?"

"... Fine," She snaps out of it immediately, "Anyway, stay away from them, do you understand? Take this time to recuperate... Master says we will be convening shortly with everyone to discuss the next steps now that we have retaken Marlon."

"Hmm, alright."

She walks through the loggia to the other building. I wonder what she was thinking of...

I hear a rapid chirp and turn back to the songbirds. There were originally two on the branch but, now, one is fluttering about as though in distress. I glimpse a small puff of feathers fall onto the grass below as a long, reddish fur tail vanishes among the tree leaves.

Was that a cat?

I suddenly remember that cat my mother picked up following Elluka and Gumilia's battle against Irina in the former's body. Elluka had shown ire towards it, and Gumilia explained she wasn't a cat person in the slightest. However, we had more or less left it alone since mother seemed to be so attached to it suddenly.

"That can't be right... what is it doing here...?" My eyes widen. It should be back at the Freesis manor with mother, right?

So... what is it doing here? That species... I recall it to be non-native to Marlon, so it is highly unlikely to be a wild variety.

"...Well, it's just a cat, I guess... I'll have to ask if mother lost it later..." I mutter to myself as I carry on.

To this day, it is my regret that I had not been more inquisitive about the significance of the feline's uncanny presence. If I had shown more due diligence on my part as an observer... Perhaps I could have prevented the tragedy that occurred next...

…

Within Lioness' battle room, where generals would normally discuss strategies and such behind closed doors, Elluka, Gumilia, Germaine, father, me, and Arkatoir are gathered. Kyle joins late, though he does look much better from his injuries.

"Glad you could join us," Elluka says airily, "Now, we can properly discuss everything. As you all know, we have procured a good deal of the sins, which were originally stockpiled by the dowager. We need to ensure these remain safe, and that means finding out any agents the Marlon court sorcerer had that are still active."

"Right, you mentioned something about the one who stole your body and whatnot," Germaine sounds like she's still trying to wrap her mind around what we saw that day in Column Forest.

"Yes, she is likely the one who was manipulating your mother... to an extent," Elluka looks to Kyle, "She is a shrewd woman. I don't even know for sure if she is truly gone... Or what her next move could be."

"You're looking to the wrong person," Keel sighs, "I never interacted much with that person directly... But it is mind-addling how much she changed everything... all because she met Mikina... I think the former dowager was in the dark about what she was dealing with."

"Do you recall anything of the court sorceress, Ark?" Kyle looks to his half-brother, "I don't remember much of her... Save that she was always seemingly with mother..."

"That is true. She was trusted as the dowager's confidant," Arkatoir nods, "They were very secretive though. The dowager would consult her prior to her even own generals and viziers... And she would always have some plan of her own, schemed behind closed doors no doubt. She could never be swayed from the sorceress' advice."

"... Well, that gets us nowhere," Germaine yawns, "All I hear is some sneaky bitch that uses voodoo stuff. Are we actually gonna do anything about her or the other big problems on our hands?"

"That is … true," Elluka sighs, "Regardless, our first step should be to keep the sins safe. I can use my charms to strengthen any physical vault we have."

"Well, keeping it in this castle wouldn't do," I pipe up, "The sorceress would know all its secrets, correct?"

"Quite. We should arrange for transport off Marlon as soon as possible perhaps," Elluka thinks, "She has sown many roots through Marlon, after all. Even Lucifenia …"

"I can secure this kingdom once my mother's death is established and announced and I assume full kingship," Kyle speaks up, "Most of the military is loyal to me, so it should be a non-issue."

"What about Ney?" I raise the second point.

"...I was thinking the king and brother would have an idea, actually," Elluka looks to Kyle again, more expectant this time.

"...I … think we should …" Kyle scrunches his brows together and lightly holds his chin, "...Interrogation is moot with her... she just does not seem decent."

"If I may, that is … entirely correct," Arkatoir sighs and speaks up, "Miss Ney answered only to the dowager, and the sorceress on occasion. She was utterly despondent and estranged from anyone else. Even those of the Espionage Corp sometimes voiced concerns of her stability... and these dissenters often met gruesome fates if she overheard."

"Perhaps we should just keep her in a straitjacket and in a locked dungeon cell," Gumilia scoffs, unsympathetic.

"Well, we can't really blame her entirely. The girl looked to have been under significant psychological manipulation..." Elluka lightly pats Gumilia on the head, "But it seems we can all roughly agree that she is a dead end. She is, however, able to use a sin, I believe you mentioned?"

"Yes! I saw her raise the dead with the glass!" I point at Conchita's glass on the table behind Elluka.

"Not that she needed it," Germaine grumbles under her breath.

"Then that is perhaps worth some investigation," Elluka goes to leave the room now, "I will begin with some simple mind restructuring magic. It might have some benign effect."

As she opens the door, there is a sudden meow overhead. We all look up with a start to see a reddish cat perched on the chandelier hanging from the room ceiling. It gives a disturbingly human expression: a churlish smile.

"-! EVERYONE GET D-" Elluka shouts out too late.

There is a huge flash of light that cuts her off, engulfing the room. I suddenly felt light and detached from my body as I saw nothing heard nothing. My voice makes no noise in the whiteness that becomes my world.

I don't know what exactly happened next, but I suspect that, because I was the furthest from the table of sin vessels, that it affected the duration of my unconsciousness.

All I know is that, at the next moment, I woke up on the floor, with my vision splitting into five swirling images and my head with the most painful migraine I ever experienced. Despite the muscle weakness and disconcerting headache, I somehow managed to stand using a nearby table. To my shock and horror, everyone else, even Elluka, was sprawled on the floor, out cold. Even worse, the table with the vessels of sin were suddenly gone!

I wanted to vomit. I staggered out of the room as a small voice of instinct in my head told me to quickly check on Ney. Shaking and utterly delirious, I managed to climb up the stairs to the room where she had been locked up and tied down. The door, to my horror, was ajar.

"Ney...!" I call out weakly and push the door open.

The girl on the bed, tied to its post, is deathly pale. Her eyes are open, lifeless. Her throat is bloody, slit. The corpse on the bed is an image seared into my memory. She hadn't been moved, probably could not move... as she was killed. A hooded figure with that accursed cat on their shoulder stands by the bedside. I feel my mind about to split. They must be the sorceress...

"You... Mons...ter..." I barely manage to get out as I grasp the doorframe to remain standing. I could feel my legs about to give away.

"..."

The face under the hood... I can't see the eyes or anything above the nose. But I can see a fuzzy smile form on their face. The bloody blade in their hand that ended Ney's life shimmers with an evil glint. They come closer to me, and I am unable to run. I can only scramble away on my stuff limbs.

"Agh..." I gasp as another stab of pain in my brain makes me pause and I topple onto the floor. I resort to using my elbows on the floor to propel myself by the inch. I make it to the edge of the stairs leading down. The figure behind me is taking their time, watching me pathetically crawl.

"We meet again, Keel's child," The figure says in a hauntingly familiar voice. It makes me turn to try and face them, to make out that blurry face.

The light of the dagger comes towards me. My heart is pounding and my head throbbing.

"YUKINA!"

I hear my father's voice. I felt the floor beneath me give away to open air as I am suddenly falling. Something hard hits my head, and I black out at last.