Chapter 3

When Keisha lost our baby, I nearly blacked out from the shock.

But I was still worried about her health. I made some tonic and brought it to her.

That's when I overheard Keisha giving instructions to a servant.

She was telling the servant to send Gregory out of the capital ahead of everyone else. Find him somewhere to stay. And give him plenty of money. She didn't want him to go without.

From her orders, I also learned that their affair had been going on for at least ten years. Keisha had hidden it well.

I threw the bowl away. I went to bury what would have been our child.

When Keisha found me, I asked for a divorce.

My terms were simple: I would take our son, Thomas, and nothing else.

But then Thomas—who had just been in my arms, asking if I was okay—pulled his hand out of mine.

"Father, you want to divorce Mother over something this small?

"Mother is a princess. It's only natural for her to have close companions. She's already given you plenty of honor and status. You really shouldn't make such a scene.

"Besides, Uncle Gregory is a good man. Why can't he just move into the estate and serve Mother alongside you?"

I heard every word he said. But I couldn't put them together into a single coherent sentence. I tried to speak. Nothing came out.

Keisha saw my reaction and pretended to scold Thomas.

"Sebastian, don't listen to him. You can have your way about everything else. But divorce? No."

Ignoring her, I forced myself to stand.

"Thomas... when did you meet Gregory? How do you even know him?"

"Mother introduced us when I was three—"

Keisha clamped her hand over his mouth and rushed him out of the room before he could finish.

He was only eight then. He had met Gregory at three. My own son had hidden this from me for five years.

I let out a laugh.

The only reason I had to stay in this world was gone. I didn't want either of them anymore. I left that world immediately.

The first six months back were hard. I numbed myself with alcohol. Then I was diagnosed with mediastinal lung cancer.

The tumor had wrapped around the pulmonary artery and spread to the sternum. Surgery wasn't an option.

I had one month left to live when the system—long silent—returned.

[Host... how about a deal? Do me a favor, and I'll grant you one wish.]

[Keisha and Thomas have gone insane. They've been using blood rituals to summon you. It's broken dimensional taboos. The balance is collapsing.]

[Can you please come back for a while? Just stabilize them. One month. That's all I need to reinforce the space. After that, there'll be no more loose ends.]

I had disappeared suddenly last time. They couldn't understand why.

The more I thought about it, the more going back made sense.

I would help the system. And in a way, I would help myself. It would be like killing two birds with one stone.

I was lost in thought when noise erupted outside the courtyard.

A servant knocked on my door and stepped inside.

"Your Highness, the Princess requests that you vacate Villa Rosa for Mr. Maynard. You are to move to the small villa behind the main house."

"Alright. Move my things there."

"The Princess says... she says you are to move yourself."

"Fine."

I gathered a few changes of clothes and two blankets. I was heading out the door when—

Someone slapped my hands. Everything I was carrying fell to the ground.

I looked up.

It was Gregory.

He smiled at me. That innocent, harmless smile.

"Sebastian. Long time no see."

I didn't answer. I bent down to pick up my things.

Gregory stepped on them.

"Still so proud, aren't you? You think this will make Keisha feel sorry for you? Look what happened instead. See? Keisha brought me back.

"You think you matter to her? While you were gone all that time, she visited me in Kingsmead City plenty of times."

I looked at him. Then I yanked the blanket out from under his foot.

Gregory stumbled and fell back with a yelp—only to be caught by Keisha, who had just arrived.

Behind her came Thomas, rushing over to check on Gregory.

"Uncle Gregory! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... Keisha, maybe I should just stay somewhere else. Sebastian doesn't want me here."

I brushed the dirt off my blanket. "I don't have a problem with it. I'm leaving right now."

But Keisha stepped in front of me, her face cold.

"What about all our things? You don't want them anymore?"

She was pointing at the paintings, the clay dolls, all the little gifts she had given me over the years—things I once treasured.

The servants had piled them outside.

To be honest, after I came back, I found them painful to look at. I had wanted to get rid of them. But it seemed unnecessary. And I couldn't be bothered. I just let them sit there collecting dust.

"Princess, you've misunderstood me," I said. "You're the one who wanted me to clear out this villa for Gregory. The servants are the ones throwing those things away. It's not that I don't want them."

"Then why won't you take them with you?"

"If you insist on a reason..." I looked at her. "They're too heavy. I can't carry them."