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The guards who were protecting the priestess’s residence approached us.
“Anis, you’re here?”
“I brought the people who will be visiting the priestess’s residence. Have you heard the news?”
“Yes, we received instructions from above. However
”
The guard glanced behind Anis.
“I understand that not many are allowed to enter, right?”
“Only Sihyeon and Speranza will be visiting her mother. The others will wait here.”
“Hmm
 alright.”
The guard’s expression briefly showed discomfort when hearing that Kaneff and Lia would wait here. However, he quickly hid his emotions and nodded.
The guard moved past Anis and approached me.
“Do you have any weapons or items that could be considered threatening?”
“No, I don’t have anything like that.”
“May I see what you’re holding?”
“Oh, this? It’s nothing
”
I took out the contents of the bag I was holding one by one.
They were gifts I had prepared since I couldn’t go empty-handed when visiting Speranza’s grandmother.
“This is ‘strawberry jam’ made from strawberries grown in our territory. This is a ‘homemade rice cake set,’ and this is a ‘bath product set’
”
I had chosen the best strawberry jam made recently in the Cardis Estate, the rice cake set recommended by my mother, and the bath products which had received good reactions as gifts for the farm family members.
The guard’s face hardened upon seeing the numerous gifts.
“I’m sorry, but you cannot take these items with you.”
“Huh? But these aren’t dangerous at all?”
“We cannot allow items we cannot properly identify into the priestess’s residence.”
“No, but
”
I was about to argue but decided against it upon seeing the guard’s determined gaze. It seemed like it would only complicate matters if I caused a scene here.
“We will keep the items you brought and return them to you when you leave.”
“Sigh
”
Reluctantly, I handed over the bag of gifts to the guard.
They were carefully chosen gifts

Anis comforted me by saying there would be another opportunity later.
“We’ll be back. Take care, boss, Lia.”
“We’ll be waiting. Take care, Speranza.”
Lia encouraged us with a gentle voice, while Kaneff shook his head with an annoyed expression, seemingly urging us to hurry back.
“I will guide you to where the priestess is.”
The guard who took the gifts led the way. I followed him, holding Speranza’s hand.
I couldn’t see her face in the darkness, but I could feel Speranza’s tension from her trembling hand. I gripped her small hand tightly, hoping to give her some strength.
As we were about to reach the building beyond the high walls

I heard Terzan’s whisper in my ear. It was the shadow tribe’s special skill of conveying their voice from a distance.
-Sihyeon, Sihyeon!
“
?!”
-The barrier spread out in the forest is also around that building. If we go in like this, I won’t be able to hide anymore.
Terzan, who had been hiding and protecting us, spoke urgently. After a brief moment of consideration, I shook my head left and right so Terzan could see.
It was a signal for her not to follow any further.
Terzan, who quickly understood my signal, whispered again.
-Got it. I’ll wait nearby. If anything happens, scream loudly. I’ll try to get inside as quickly as possible.
I nodded slightly, and then, I followed Anis into the building.
The atmosphere was so heavy and quiet that it felt oppressive, but aside from that, the priestess’s residence was more ordinary than expected.
Although she was said to be the protector of the Erul Tribe, there was no religious atmosphere that one might expect.
We walked down the quiet hallway and arrived at a large door.
“Anis, have you arrived?”
A middle-aged woman from the Erul Tribe greeted Anis familiarly.
“I brought guests. Is my mother awake now?”
“She just woke up and has been waiting. She said to bring the guests in as soon as they arrive.”
“Then, please let her know we have arrived.”
“Yes.”
The middle-aged woman approached the door and whispered something in a barely audible voice. The large door opened slowly on both sides.
As the door opened, the guard and the middle-aged woman stepped aside with polite bows.
Anis made eye contact with us briefly and headed into the room first. I swallowed nervously and led Speranza in after her.
“
Have you arrived?”
As soon as we entered the room, a deep voice greeted us.
“Yes, Mom.”
“You’ve gone through a lot.”
An older woman from the Erul Tribe was leaning against the bed, only slightly sitting up to greet us.
That woman was Speranza’s grandmother

What surprised me the most when I first saw her was her youthful appearance. She didn’t look like a grandmother at all.
Despite her young appearance, her health didn’t seem good.
Her face was frighteningly pale, and there was an eerie chill around her.
Women attending her were clearing away bowls that briefly revealed a dark, murky herbal medicine inside. It seemed she had just taken her medicine, judging by the faint bitter smell in the room.
“Mom, this is Sihyeon, whom I mentioned before. And next to him is
”
The elderly woman’s gaze moved from my face to the ground. As her eyes stopped, I felt a trembling in my hand.
“Ah
”
It wasn’t just Speranza’s hand that was shaking. The elderly woman’s eyes also trembled as she met her granddaughter for the first time.
“Can, can you come a little closer
?
She pleaded with me.
Silently, I led Speranza by the hand and moved closer to the bed. As Speranza got closer, her eyes grew wider.
Was that gaze too much for her?
Speranza lowered her head to avoid her grandmother’s gaze. Seeing that, a look of pity crossed the grandmother’s face.
Her adorable fox ears drooped, and her tail hung lifelessly. Speranza seemed to have lost her confidence and was hesitating.
I caught Speranza as she tried to hide behind my leg. We couldn’t let this possibly last meeting with her family end in vain.
“It’s okay, Speranza.”


I gently comforted Speranza with a soft voice and slowly stroked her small back. Her tense body gradually relaxed.
“You can say whatever you want. You’ve been thinking about this the whole time, haven’t you?”
Instead of answering, Speranza nodded slightly. I smiled and held her trembling hand tightly.
We had come a long way to get here.
Though this moment might still be too overwhelming for Speranza, I encouraged her to muster a little more courage so she wouldn’t have any regrets.
Speranza stopped trying to hide and stepped forward again. Slowly, she lifted her head and met her grandmother’s eyes.
The elderly woman’s eyes trembled once more as she looked at her granddaughter.
“Grandma
”
“Yes
 my child.”
Speranza hesitated for a moment, then spoke with difficulty.
“I’ve
 wanted to see you.”
“Ah
”
At those words, tears streamed down the old woman’s face. She nodded, trying to control her emotions.
“Sniff! I’ve wanted to see you too, my child.”
She opened her arms wide towards Speranza.
“Can I
 just hold you once?”
“
”
Speranza slowly approached her grandmother. I lifted her up slightly so she could be embraced.
The elderly woman hugged Speranza as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
At first, Speranza was uneasy in her grandmother’s embrace.
But as she found comfort in her arms, she suddenly burst into quiet sobs.
“Sniff
 sniff!”
“I’m sorry, my child. Because of me
 because of me
”
“Wha
 wahhh!”
“Sniff, sniff!”
As Speranza’s crying grew louder, the elderly woman’s trembling grew as well. She held Speranza tightly, repeatedly apologizing.
I silently watched Speranza cry.
In those cries were sadness, resentment, loneliness
 It seemed as if all the deeply buried emotions in their hearts were contained in those sobs.
Listening to the two of them cry, Anis and the other women attending to them also had teary eyes.
The sound of crying in the room subsided only after a considerable amount of time had passed.
“Sniffle
 sniffle.”
After shedding a lot of tears, Speranza sniffled with the area around her eyes stained bright red.
The old woman, who received a handkerchief from someone nearby, gently wiped Speranza’s face.
At first, her face didn’t seem to have any vitality, but perhaps because of her intense emotions, a rosy glow appeared on her face, making her look much more lively.
After examining Speranza in her arms for a while, the old woman finally looked at me and opened her mouth.
“I apologize for showing such a scene in front of an important guest.”
I replied with a slight smile.
“No, it’s alright.”
“Though it’s quite late, let me introduce myself. I am ‘Mirna,’ who represents the Erul Tribe and serves the guardian deity. And
”
She smiled brightly and looked down at Speranza in her arms.
“
I am this lovely child’s grandmother.”