As Mia listened to Chloe's story, her assessment of the Baron shifted moment by moment.
It wasn’t surprising, but Baron Galois proved to be the worst kind of parent. Chloe was worn down by his constant violence and verbal abuse. She wasn’t unwilling to leave this hellish place, but Rufus Galois was the type to cunningly threaten even his own flesh and blood to keep them trapped.
"R-recently, he said if I even consider leaving again, he’ll really kill me," Chloe sniffled, her voice breaking. Mia watched the girl wipe tears on her sleeve and gave a half-hearted nod.
The disjointed conversation still yielded revelations. First, the identity of 'Miss Si'—who’d terrorized the Etalon Army for years—was none other than the Baron’s eldest daughter. For Mia, who’d chased her shadow since her first battlefield appearance, this felt anticlimactic. Second, this Chloe clearly wasn’t the 'Miss Si' from Mia’s past life. Though the same person, she lacked the pivotal experiences that had forged that figure. The resigned sharpness, rage, and blind aggression defining 'Miss Si' were absent here.
A new possibility took root in Mia’s mind—this life might diverge sharply from the last. Though Chloe posed a significant variable, Mia accepted her willingly.
As Mia strategized, Chloe spoke up. "I have a request."
Of course you do, Mia thought, smirking inwardly. Two pairs of eyes pinned the girl like daggers.
"So? What’s this request?"
Though no promise had been made, Chloe’s face brightened. "I want to leave Glen," she declared, then hastily added while reading Mia’s expression: "I cook well! Do laundry! Sleep on floors! Handle chores! I’m no fighter but won’t be dead weight!"
Mia arched an eyebrow. "With those skills, why need our help? Didn’t you devise an escape plan?"
The deliberately ambiguous question left Chloe bewildered. Mia’s hunch proved correct—Chloe hadn’t awakened 'that power' yet. Not a wisp of divine energy clung to her. If unrevealed by now, that ability must’ve been temple-bestowed later.
If every divine-powered individual could be weaponized, the Temple would’ve mass-produced them. Yet Mia had only encountered one such warrior—'Miss Si'—suggesting Chloe’s potential was innate. Thus, exploiting it required sending her to the Temple.
Unaware of these calculations, Chloe pleaded desperately—as if only Etalon Army could save her: "If I fail again... Father will kill me." Her whisper gained steel. "I’d rather die anywhere but here."
A shrill hinge cry pierced the silence—no knock, no warning. Only Mia would barge in at dawn. Étienne sorted document piles as icy words rained down:
"Planning to rot here all day? Let’s go out."
"Will you join me?"
"Would I abandon my precious lover?"
Lover. The word resonated pleasantly, despite their façade. Étienne rose abruptly, making the desk shudder.
"By the way—" He gestured at her heavy fur mantle. "Not too warm?"
"You mean this oven I’m wearing? It doesn’t even fit!"
As Mia moved to remove it, Étienne draped an arm around her shoulders. She stiffened briefly before relaxing into the charade.
"Sorry," he murmured. "But I’d meant to ask—"
"You think I need coddling in this war?" Mia’s narrowed eyes spoke volumes.
"Never. The cold worries me." His hand tightened as she tried to shrug him off. "But if you’re—"
"Apologies aren’t what I want."
"Then what?"
"Just... stay like this."
The mantle stayed on.
