A man, wearing white shirt under a navy-blue vest paired with the same colour pants and a black overcoat, walked. The sound of his steps was cadenced, but his breaths were short gasps. Below his restless eyes was the narrow stream of tears that flowed continuously. He walked without looking at anyone, until he passed the stone workshop and his eyes were averted to a girl standing in the there. The girl's eyes were darted on the stone that was being etched by a man in front of her.

The man was compelled to walk to that girl. He approached her slowly, and after standing beside her, he asked, "Hey, you're that servant who was in Anthor's room that day."

The girl was focused on the stone so much that she didn't notice the man coming and standing beside her. The sudden voice wavered her legs. She looked at the man. "You're...Sir Vencil, right?"

"Yes. Are you not going to Ivene's funeral?"

"...I will once," her voice was distant, as if her body was there but her mind lingered somewhere else, "I complete the last job Lady Ivene gave to me."

"Last job?"

"Hmm," she said. Looking at the stone, she recalled a memory from a few days ago.

It was night time, Lady Ivene's room was dimly lit with candles. The girl was tending to Lady Ivene's child when suddenly the lady coughed, waking up from her slumber. She called in her trembling voice, "Gre...ta."

The voice was just a whisper that could barely be heard, but surrounded by the dead silence of the night, Greta was able to notice it. She put the baby in his cradle and walked to the lady. With watery eyes, Ivene looked at Greta and said, "...Please...put a memorial stone of Anthor beside my grave."

Hearing her words, Greta's breath hitched. Frantically she asked, "W-what are you saying, Lady? Your grave? P-please don't say such foul things." Her eyes fidgeted as she gazed over the baby's cradle. "Y-you also have to look after Young Master."

"No, please...put the stone." She took a deep breath. "Saying, In the memories of Anthor Woldtor"

Hearing Greta tell about Ivene's last request, Vencil's eyes closed and he drew a deep breath.

She sniffled as she added, "I-I shook her, saying she has a newborn to look after. But...she didn't listen."

Her words were the last thing that were heard aside from the clacking of the chisel. They both stood there, quietly looking at the memorial stone being engraved.

When the stone was at its last stage, Vencil sniffed before saying, "I'm sorry."

Greta heard his apologies, but she couldn't say anything.

"...I shouldn't have said those things that day. I-I was scared." His heart beat faster. "If only I hadn't let Wiksel take the artefact, maybe. Maybe Anthor would be here" His words dissolved into sobbing, "And maybe Ivene too."

Standing silent for a short while, thinking something, he sniffled, "I'm thinking of retiring, and going back to my hometown."

His sudden declaration shocked Greta. She asked, "Why?"

"...I can't live here. Not when the deaths are just numbers to the Patriarch. Greta, was your name right? Please, look after Anthor's child."

Greta wanted to say something. To stop Vencil, but she didn't have any reasons to do so. Looking at Vencil's face, she couldn't find the pride that she was used to look on the mages. She could only see a man sobbing for his friends. She thought of different things she could say, but all she could manage was, "Yes...I will look after Young Master."

By the time their conversation ended, the stonework was done. Greta bent and tried to pick up, but with her feeble body she failed. Without saying anything, Vencil extended his hand to help pick up the stone. Greta wanted to stop him, to say, No, I will take it. But she couldn't and they both picked the stone together and started walking towards the mound beside the outer mansion.

As they climbed the mound, Greta's steps hastened, to see Ivene for the last time, but it was too late. The grave was already filled by the time they reached it.

Looking at Greta carrying the stone, Venet asked, "What is this?...where have you been?"

She didn't reply. With Vencil, she carried the stone to Ivene's grave and placed it beside her gravestone. After letting out a breath of exhaustion, she looked at Venet—her eyes watery, but she didn't cry—she said, "I was completing Lady Ivene's last job."

As she stepped aside from in front of the stone, and everyone read its text 'In the Memories of Anthor Woldtor', a strong gust of wind blew, fluttering everyone's hair. The stone didn't have any dates. It was just a memorial, placed in the memory of Anthor, as Lady Ivene had requested of Greta.

There was a long moment of silence before everyone started descending the mound. After they left, the mound was empty with two stones standing side by side—just as the persons whose names were engraved upon them once stood. The only difference was, one's body was there and the other one's wasn't. At last, a gentle breeze blew, and like a last offering, took the dried leaf that had fallen on the grave and moved it in front of the memorial stone.

As the people walked down the mound, from behind, a girl, who had been there even before Greta arrived, hesitatingly approached Ceres. Her words trembled, "L-lady Ceres."

Lady Ceres, her eyes still teary, looked on her side, at the servant girl walking beside her. The girl continued, "I'm...I'm sorry."

Ceres asked in confusion, "Why...?"

"If-if that day, I had passed Lady Ivene's room quietly, maybe your friendship hadn't been broken in her last moment."

Lady Ceres closed her eyes, trying to dry up her tears. She sniffled before saying, "It's okay. I-I couldn't get myself to tell Ivene the full truth. I should've. It was my fault, to lie to her..." Ceres walked faster, to go ahead and let the stubborn tears that refused to dry flow.

A few steps behind the others was walking Crof. She hastened her steps and approached Greta who was walking beside Venet. Her sudden approach startled Greta, but it was in vain. Crof just looked at Greta with a subtle smile before walking ahead to Ceres. Greta was left confused with Crof's unusual action.

As they walked, Venet brought back her firm smile that had been lost, and with her eyes shimmering in the sun, she said, "Thank you..." Those were the words that Venet said, and maybe Crof wanted to say as well.

Greta was again left in confusion, and she asked, "W-why...?"

"To fulfil Lady Ivene's last request."

Greta closed her eyes, drew a deep breath and then, she wore a smile but her eyes held tears that she resolved to not let go of anymore. "It's okay. It was my duty to fulfil my Lady's requests." Pausing, she looked at Lady Ivene's child in Venet's arms. She said, "Let me take Young Master."