Late at night, a knock came on the Kane Family's door. It had been over half a year since Seri had run off in the middle of the night.

Sharon and Kane were at a loss for what to do. They feared retribution for going public and putting their family in danger, but they also feared that Seri had been kidnapped or harmed.

They just didn't understand how to handle the situation. So they did the only thing they could think of: secretly send trusted servants to go find her. Luckily, Bertram was sending them letters constantly describing their location and ensuring that Seri was still alive.

However, when they learned she had left the country, they had no idea what to do. If someone left the country then people would surely accuse them of committing treason against their own kingdom.

Even though immigration and trading between countries was normal, Noble's looking to cause trouble could easily accuse them of such a thing. Even if they were found innocent, they would have suffered regardless.

In short, Seri's parents had no idea what to do because they had never encountered such a situation before. They also had no one they could turn to and ask for help.

The only ones who could potentially help was the King and Queen. And they would probably cause such a ruckus that they would start a war.

Thus, they stayed quiet. Sharon paced around the hall after Oliver had been put to sleep. Kane was in his office, trying to focus on work instead of his worries.

When the knock sounded, a servant opened the door. Seri walked in followed by Bertram. She no longer had a cocky grin on her face, but instead had an angry scowl that made her appear short tempered.

Sharon saw her and rushed towards her. She embraced her tightly, "Seri! You're back..." She wept tears of joy.

....

I looked ahead with wide eyes as my mother hugged me so tightly. Although this is the sort of thing I expected from my father, I didn't think that my mother would act this way.

It was strange.

She pulled away wiping her tears, "Where have you been?! I've been worried sick!"

I studied her face carefully. It was one of genuine worry. But why would she be worried about me? She had always looked at me with contempt before. How could it have changed so much?

My father rushed into the room and looked at me in disbelief. He looked exhausted, as if he hadn't slept well in weeks. When he saw me, his face lit up. He ran over, picked me up and swung me around.

He paused, "Seri... Why are you so thin?!" He put me down and looked at me carefully with a panicked expression, "Why are you covered in bandages!? Just what happened?!"

I smiled maliciously, "Father... Deniability is your best friend."

My mother gulped at this, "You didn't... Do anything bad, right?"

I turned to look at her with an apathetic face. "I may have." They both looked at Bertram with clear hatred and anger.

I quickly spoke, "Don't even think about blaming Bertram. He couldn't stop me even if he tried." Bertram looked down with a guilty expression.

I stepped out of my father's arms, "Plus, he's the only reason why I came back. So you ought to thank him."

My father ignored this and focused on me. He tightened his fists, "Do you even realize how stupid and dangerous it was for you to do that?!"

For once, my doting father looked at me with a stern expression, "Do you realize the position you put our family in?? We could end up in prison. Your brother could be taken away from us. This was incredibly selfish of you."

My face turned dark at this. Unwanted memories plagued my mind.

My mother spoke up loudly, "Enough. What's done is done. We shouldn't spend time fighting over this matter." She sighed, "Besides... We are a family. And we are all we have."

My father sighed in defeat, "You're right Honey... We should focus on putting this behind us and come together as a family."

I looked at the two of them expressionlessly. Their words gave me no comfort. If anything, it made me more restless.

What happens when they find out I'm not their real daughter?

After that, I returned to my room. Lona was overjoyed to see me back. Even the cats cuddled me, relieved to have me back.

Seeing me back to "normal", we returned back home. One night as I ate dinner with my family, I stopped and looked up at my father with a serious expression.

"Father. I'd like for Simon to come over and train me with the sword."

He nearly choked, "What?! Simon?? No... I think he's too busy for that sort of thing."

I didn't back down. "I've already asked him and he's agreed."

My father was stunned, "What?! Doesn't he have an important job to do?!"

I shrugged, "He said the King's allowed it."

Knowing him, he probably made up a convincing lie.

My father sighed, "Fine... I will allow it."

After I finished, I walked away. Bertram followed me with a worried expression, "I thought you said Simon suspected us in connection with the Black Death? Why would you invite him over?! Aren't you worried that he will expose you?"

I pulled out my sword and looked at it carefully, "That's precisely why I'm inviting him over." I held the sword out, "I've come to realize something... Although holding a monopoly over the weapon industry is nice, I think our organization should take on a much more lucrative business."

Bertram looked confused, "That is?"

I gave him a wicked smile, "Information."

"Information?"

I nodded, "They say blackmail can sway a person more than gold ever could."

Bertram thought deeply, "Do you mean to say that you have blackmail on Simon?"

I chuckled softly, "Just you wait and see. It will be quite the show."

A few days later, I stood in the garden practicing my swordsmanship. Bertram stood off to the side watching me carefully. I heard footsteps approach me from behind. I turned to see Simon with his usual smile.

He spoke, "I heard you personally requested me... But I'm curious, how did you know that I would accept?"

I put my sword away while simultaneously making sure we were alone. I smirked at him, "Because you suspect that me and Bertram are somehow connected to the Black Death."

His grin grew larger, "Oh? Then why would you ask for me personally? Aren't you afraid I'm going to seize your house and search it? I assume I can probably find something incriminating."

I shook my head, "You're not going to do that."

He chuckled in bemusement, "And why wouldn't I? Don't you realize how much I could gain by taking down the infamous Black Death?"

"You won't because you are going to make a deal with me."

He chuckled, "You are awfully confident. However, I doubt you could offer me anything better that I would be interested in."

I grinned at him arrogantly, "If you don't take my deal, then I will just have to tell the King about your true identity."

His smile twitched, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"But that's not all. I can also tell him all about how you have been behind the recent assassination plots against Prince William. Not to mention the one that occured almost 7 years ago."

Simon's face fell immediately and began to grow dark.

I continued without feeling intimidated, "But that's not the best part. You may be targeting Prince William, but your true goal is the King himself."

He spoke, "Do you even have any evidence?"

"Naturally, I would have evidence."

Simon knew better than to keep denying it. "But just how were you able to figure it out?"

"Didn't you get my message?"

He chuckled in a deep voice, "So that was you..."

I smiled, "I realized that whoever was behind that plot was someone with high status. After all, to be able to infiltrate the knighthood which is known for being impossible to infiltrate, there had to be someone higher up pulling the strings."

He tilted his head, "But why me? I'm the King's most trusted aide."

"It's precisely because you're the most trusted aide that I suspected you. In my experience, the most trusted individual is usually the one you shouldn't trust at all."

"Well... That all doesn't explain why you know conclusively that it is me. Where did you get your evidence from?"

I smiled, "I'm glad you asked. I recalled that you had been an immigrant and arrived when you were really young. So I tracked down the family who you lived with. I was surprised to see that they no longer lived there and that it was completely empty. When I asked around, they said the family had moved in the middle of the night."

"This was strange. What normal people would move out in the middle of the night while taking all of their items? But no one knew a thing. That was... Until I caught a nosy old woman spying on me across the road from her attic window."

"I knocked on her door and stayed there until she opened it. She told me something very interesting. She knew the people who lived there. She also knew that you had arrived when you were 7. Then, when you were 12, you left for knighthood as a young apprentice. Coincidentally, after you left, the family packed up and left in the middle of the night. However, the old woman told me something interesting."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"She said that the family never got on that carriage. And she was sure of it. So I used some nice dogs to sniff out some treasure. They led me to six old graves. Isn't that how many people had been in that family?"

I noticed his darkening expression and continued, "I also found that their bodies had not been properly looked through before being put in the ground. I found that one had wrote the culprits name before they died. That was very sloppy of you, but I suppose children make mistakes. They are inexperienced after all."

I added quickly, "And don't think about going back to get their bodies. I made sure to relocate them to a safer place."

He smiled at me with a dangerous grin. "And my identity?"

I shrugged, "I recall from class that the Sanki Kingdom is famous for hot weather and it's people are born with tan skin. Even though they are our neighboring Kingdom, they seem to hate us very much. Even more interesting, there was a Prince from that kingdom who had died when he was 7. He just happened to die around the same time when you came to live here. Isn't that right... Prince Lao?"

He glared at me with a sadistic smile. His entire body gave out a powerful murderous aura. Bertram tensed up and even I felt like taking a step back. However, I didn't.

I no longer felt fear.

He spoke in a frightening tone, "And what makes you think I won't kill you to silence you? Do you really think just because I consider your father a friend, I won't massacre everyone here? I could easily say I discovered your father to be the Black Death and that he fought me when I revealed him. Everyone else... Was just a necessary casualty."

Bertram moved forward feeling threatened, but I held my hand out to stop him.

A vicious smile crossed my face, "You won't do that."

He chuckled, "And why not?"

I answered simply, "Because you find me fascinating."

In the blink of an eye, Simon was holding my face within his grasp. He forced my head upwards to make me look into his eyes. A wicked sadistic grin was on his face and his eyes were dilated as if he had gone mad.

Bertram moved, but I stopped him once more. Simon laughed maniacally while he held my face. "That's right! That's right! I was interested in you the moment you stopped my first attempt!! And when I met you... Those eyes! I was entranced by those eyes!! Everytime I saw them I was overwhelmed with the desire to carve them out and keep them... How could someone so young have such mature eyes?! How could a child have experience that could only come with age? I need to know. I want to know!!!"

I didn't attempt to pull my head from his grasp. I stared into his eyes unwavering, "I'm afraid the reason as to why I'm like this will remain a secret for now."

He laughed, "Ah, such a shame... But I'm curious... Just what is this deal of yours?"

I spoke quickly, "You will keep my secret and I will keep yours. However, you will stop your assassination attempts on William."

He released me but never withdrew his eyes from mine. "I see, but I don't seem to benefit from that at all. I might as well go down with you."

I frowned, "That's why I won't interfere with your plot to assassinate the King. If need be, I will even help you escape the city."

Simon's face lit up at this. Bertram shouted, "Seri!! What are you saying!? Don't you realize what you are doing?? That's still William's father!"

My heart felt as if someone had grabbed it. Simon chuckled darkly, "Of course she realizes that if William found out about her deal, he would despise her. But to her, it's worth it to keep him alive."

The original novel never mentioned that the King was assassinated. Just that William became King and Simon had disappeared. There was a high chance that Simon would fail.

There was also a high chance that William wouldn't be harmed because he was the original male lead. However, in regard to William's safety, I couldn't trust the original novel's storyline.

I don't care if William learns the truth and hates me. As long as he stays alive... That's all that matters.

I am a selfish person. I don't care if someone dies as long as I can keep the people close to me safe.

I won't lose another person I love ever again.