The Duke's Passion

Rufus rushed to the little town of Banse to look for Lilou. He didn't waste a second, heading straight to Lilou's shack. But when he arrived, no one was there anymore. She wasn't in the town or in the field with the farmers. 

"Where did she go?" he wondered, standing in the middle of the shack with his hands on his hips. "Should I wait for her?" 

He didn't want to believe Lilou had already gone with someone. Deep down, Rufus prayed the worst had yet to come. However, that faint hope instantly disappeared when he noticed a parliament placed on the table. For a small place like this shack, a parliament lying around was something one wouldn't expect.

Rufus approached it with eyes glinting dangerously, taking off the rock over the folded parliament. He immediately picked it up to read it. As his eyes scanned the brief letter, Rufus's eyes darkened.

The letter says;

"To Sir Knight,

What a surprise, Sir Knight! I didn't think you will also return with memories of the future. Well, I guess the Nightwalkers and Lena weren't completely successful. But wasn't that interesting? 

Anyway, I will keep this short since I am in a hurry. If you're reading this, then that means Lilou and I were gone to a place where I only know. I will borrow her... permanently. 

I am saying so as a warning. Don't come after us if you don't want to meet the swift release in this world."

Rufus crumpled the piece of paper until his fist trembled. The worst had already happened. Stefan had already taken Lilou with him.

Where? 

"My lord...." he ground his teeth as he stormed outside the shack, stopping several feet away and turning his head in the mansion's direction. The wind was unnaturally strong. Samael was conscious and Rufus, who had been with him for a long time, could tell the duke was furious. 

His fingers slowly curled into a tight fist, jaw tightening. 'Fabian remembers nothing that already happened and it seems only a few retained their memories. Stefan and I were a given, but who else? Who else in this empire remembers?'

His heart was thumping loudly against his chest. There were just too many questions, and he had no answer. Rufus resumed and rode his horse, Bella. He galloped back to the duke's mansion while dwelling on the next steps. 

What would he do now?

Samael was still in his slumber, and Stefan took Lilou with him. If he could wake up Samael, he would've done it. But Samael didn't even know how he awoke from his slumber in the past. He just did when his seal weakened. And that would happen five years later. Could they all wait for that long? 

Was he all alone in this problem? If Lilou was gone, what would happen now? What sort of change did Stefan seek? Whatever it was, one thing was for sure. If Lilou gets attached to Stefan... it would be the end for them.

Samael would lose it, literally.

*****

"My lord." 

Rufus loosened his fist, standing in front of Samael's coffin in the mansion's basement. He remained silent while taking careful breaths, still cooling his head down after frantically searching for Lilou. Even now, there was a search party for her, looking into every nook and cranny to find her. 

He knew Lilou wasn't in Grimsbanne, though. Knowing Stefan, they probably hadn't gone that far. But he also knew that even though they're probably close, it would be harder to retrieve Lilou all on his own. 

Who would believe him? At this point, Rufus believed Lilou didn't have her memories as well. Even if he successfully meet Lilou, would she come with him? The problem didn't just come one after another. 

It came all at once, like usual. Driving them into the corner once again.

"My lord, if you are listening... then this humble subject will have to set off to the capital." Rufus' voice was low but determined, eyes on the closed coffin. "It may be foolish of me, but I have to do everything I can to get a hold of the Madam."

He paused, taking a deep breath, which he released through his mouth. "I need to gather people on our side who maintained their memories. Although I am not hopeful... I could not think of efficient methods to resolve this matter. So please... wake up." Once again, he balled his hand into a tight fist until they trembled. 

Rufus stayed in the basement in silence for a long time. When he finally turned his back against the coffin, a glint flickered across his eyes while walking away. Rufus already knew that once he leave Grimsbanne, he could only expect the worst. 

The reason he steeled his heart at every step. 

'We will fix this...' he took an oath internally, listing down all the people that possibly kept their memories. 'I wondered if Beatrix and Heliot were able to keep their memories...?'.

"Fabian!!!" As soon as Rufus left the basement, his voice rang across the entire mansion. "Fabian! Come with me! Stop playing butler... I need Ian."

*****

Meanwhile, in the borders between La Lona March and Monarey, Claude stood in front of a burial mound he created deep in the woods. He clenched his teeth, eyes on the burial mound he made for Penny. 

"Penny..." he whispered, balling his hand into a fist. "... what happened?" 

In his heart, Penny was an important person. Actually, Claude thought they had something going on. That after bickering at every turn, he had gotten closer to Penny. However, he couldn't even grieve at this point because of the situation. 

After fleeing from Monarey and Alistair, the current Earl of Monarey, Claude was certain he reversed the time more than he meant to. Also, it seemed Alistair didn't recognize him. That must mean Alistair was unaware he already died at the hands of Klaus. 

"Penny..." he hung his head low. "...just what the hell did I do?" 

Claude remained silent as he stood still for a long time. Time passed by and he only raised his head when a soft gust of wind blew past him. He looked up at the tangerine sky, eyes full of regret. 

"I need to go, Penny..." he whispered, jaw tightening as resolution filled his heart. "... Tilly will surely come. For now, I have to make sure we don't miss each other."

****

In the fort of the mainland...

"Tilly." Law held Tilly's hand, his worry dominating his face. He squeezed her hand, making Tilly look down at him. 

Tilly kept her stoic expression, saying nothing as she turned around to see the people that came to her. The members of the La Crox clan on the mainland. 

"Matilda," called a man in his deep baritone voice. "What do you mean, you will leave the mainland?" 

"Look after this child." Tilly glanced at her other hand where she was holding Sunny. "Law and I will have to fix something."

"Tilly, don't leave me." Sunny, an adorable little girl with chubby pinky cheeks, cast her puppy eyes. She then turned to Law worriedly. "Big brother... don't leave Sunny."

"Sunny..." Law pressed his lips into a thin line and looked up at Tilly. "Let's not leave Sunny, Tilly."

Tilly let out a shallow breath, darting her eyes between Law and Sunny. They were pitiful, she thought. However, leaving the mainland was dangerous for these children. 

"Sunny." Tilly planted a palm on top of Sunny's head. "You will stay here. It's too dangerous for you to go. Don't worry. We will come back with your parents and Fabian."

"But..."

"They will be worried. Do you want that?" Sunny frowned but then shook her head, making Tilly nod before setting her eyes at the people before them. "Leo, I will need your help. I do not know how to sail with a child."

Leo, the person who had been sending Tilly eggs, and also the person in charge of the intruders in the land, gazed at Tilly solemnly. It was no secret that Tilly was the last pureblooded Grimsbanne who remained on the mainland. 

"Then I will assist you, Lady Matilda."

Tilly nodded as she pushed Sunny to her relatives lightly. She looked at the little girl before turning around, eyes on the sea. Her eyes glinted sharply, looking at the horizon. 

"We have to move before it's too late," she whispered, squeezing Law's hand. "Samael... he is in danger."

With the past becoming the present, and the past changing, their future once again became uncertain. From here on out, things would change. And Tilly was aware of the worst change that could happen when the law of the order was broken.

Tragedy. 

As the hourglass was flipped, every single one of them was at the risk of danger. No one was safe. No villains or protagonists. Just... death. Hence, the originals must step in before this entire world would be stuck in a time loop.

"Leo, once we reach the Heart's Kingdom, you must go to this particular place in the world." Tilly's voice remained solemn. "I need my sister and big brother's help. You must seek them."

— End of Epilogue II —