The sibling date that Darius had promised me didn't happen immediately, as I had to wait for at least another three days.

When the day did arrive, however, I stared at the grown men standing eagerly by the foyer, dressed as plainly as they could even though their prominent red hairs are a dead give away.

Father, Allen and Darius were all beaming at me.

"I thought it was a sibling date?" I pouted at Darius and Allen, making our father put on an exaggerated hurt expression.

"Fiore, do you hate me this much because I've been holding onto Konrad for days and you two haven't got to spend more time together?"

No, I'm actually thankful that you kept him busy!

I looked away from him and eyed Konrad, who's putting on his cloak with a jovial smile, while Fion had a slightly grumpy expression as he stood behind the prince.

Of course, the men of the Carran household misunderstood that silent response and gaze.

Darius and Allen each grabbed the hand of their baby sister and started dragging her away to the carriage.

"Father, we're taking the second carriage." Darius told him.

"You can use the first carriage with Konrad." Allen added. "That one has thicker cushions to support his ass."

"Um…but I…actually want to ride with Father…?" I meekly piped up, making everyone freeze.

Konrad chuckled at that as he walked over to us and pried my brother's hands off me. "I guess that's that, Allen. I'm touched that you were concerned for my comfort but you need not worry about that."

"I want to be alone with Father." I clarified, making Konrad's smile freeze.

The Duke only looked at the two of us with a frown before gesturing for the others to get a move on while a knight in his service helped me up into the carriage.

Once the carriage started moving out of the estate, I gazed at the face of the Duke.

Damian Osian Carran. A Duke who rose to power at the same time as the King, even becoming the King's sworn younger brother.

It was natural that he'd support the eldest and legal prince, Konrad, than the bastard children of the King.

A few years after the original Madame of the Carran household died, he met Niamh Lir Caílte, my mother.

My expression turned somber, as I do not remember how or why it was necessary for them to marry when originally, Niamh was only going to help the Duke and the King rise to power and strengthen the kingdom, then disappear forever as if she was sent by the Gods.

The original Aine's mother was supposed to be like an NPC and irrelevant to the overall story.

"Fiore…?" Damian asked tentatively, a little unnerved by how his daughter is gazing at him quietly.

"Father."

"Y-yes?"

"I've turned a blind eye, literally, and closed my ears to what the people in the castle say about mother and Konrad." I started, as our eyes met. "However…there's a limit to how much one could take in silence."

Damian blinked at that before letting out a relieved chuckle. "Ah, of course…I should have known why you wanted to talk to me privately like this."

"It was obvious how you were using those three to avoid me." I shrugged.

That's right.

If he didn't have any secrets and truly cared for his daughter, he wouldn't keep avoiding her. However, the diary had one entry in it from three years ago that concerns the Duke.

'I can feel my mother's ether, shaking and fluctuating as if in pain. Yet I couldn't feel father near her. Did they have a fight they couldn't fix?'

"Did mother really go to the temple of Dian Cecht or did she leave home permanently?"

Damian stared hard, taken aback by my question before he relaxed his shoulders and his expression turned stoic.

Of course, it'd raise questions in his daughter's mind that the whole family returned as quickly as they could when they heard of her recovery except for her mother.

His daughter and wife were close and it's only natural that she'd look for her.

"That's…"

"Father, I am no longer a child you need to protect from such issues." I cut him off rather sharply. "Where's mother? I couldn't find traces of her ether in the kingdom."

Damian looked down at his hands, absently stroking the wedding ring on his left ring finger.

"She did stop by the temple." He quietly replied. "A handful of my trusted knights accompanied her. However…she…"

I noticed the tightness in Damian's voice, as well as how he gripped his hands to prevent them from shaking too much.

"Your grandfather had demanded that you two return to Mohelryn along with Fion, since I've lost his trust in keeping the two of you safe and for agreeing to let you marry into House Riegan. Nini marrying into House Carran was bad enough that your grandfather chose to cut all communications with her."

I took a deep breath at that.

Mohelryn, the capital of the Holy State of Aenhe, which is considered to be the center of the strongest religion located at the center of our continent, surrounded by various kingdoms and territories, and has always stood neutral in all political affairs.

It is also the location where all Holy Maidens should reside, to keep the blessings in balance.

Yet the moment Niamh had decided to meddle in Aletheia back then changed everything.

Yet, there's something else that's bothering me about the situation, though I still couldn't put my finger on it.

Damian smiled bitterly. "I wanted to stop her but Nini was stubborn, saying that it's all her fault and she will take responsibility as Holy Maiden of Mohelryn. The recent raids and the current flow of blessings are all being funneled into Aletheia, while the others don't get as much."

"Excuse me?" I blurted out, surprised.

"Oh, I guess Nini didn't tell you she's also a Holy Maiden. But you should have noticed it immediately, seeing that she taught you what you needed to do." Damian chuckled at my reaction.

I blinked at him stupidly.

It's…starting to sound familiar.

"Then…what about Fion? Why did you mention him?" I asked.

"Oh, he was supposed to be your fiancé, no doubt sent by your grandfather to bring you back to Mohelryn. He's also your cousin."

Wait.

No…this is…!

"How…long ago was that? How come…I have no memory of that…?" I asked apprehensively.

"Hmm? Almost a decade ago. You were adamant that you'll marry Konrad no matter what, so Fion challenged the prince into a duel. He lost and Konrad made him into his personal knight." Damian replied, shaking his head. "The prince is greedy for all the blessings he could get his hand on, but I know he's doing it for the kingdom…"

I wanted to hold my head in my hands in despair.

One of the revised and ultimately discarded plotlines actually made it into this world!