Aileen couldn't believe the sight before her.

"…Why… why are you here like this?"

"Orca, I told you not to bring Aileen."

"I didn’t want to bring her either! This is driving me crazy!"

In front of the girl was someone she hadn’t seen since she was very young—her father.

Aileen stood frozen, staring at what was once her father. No, at what had been her father.

"You… you told me you were the strongest. You said you’d never die."

The voices around her faded into the background. The emptiness in her heart became unbearable, and she muttered as if to release the weight that had built up inside her.

Aileen's father had been a revered figure since she was very young.

The stories of him being the strongest in the world, a Sword Saint, naturally reached the ears of little Aileen. As a child, she felt proud of the praises he received, even though they weren’t her own achievements.

"Dad, you’re amazing! I want to be like you!"

"My dear daughter, if you want to be strong like me, you’ll have to work hard."

"I can do it! I’m your daughter, after all!"

Aileen was proud of her kind and strong father and dreamed of becoming like him.

Perhaps it was genetic, but the Sword Saint saw a glimpse of extraordinary talent in Aileen as she playfully swung a branch, imitating him.

"…Daughter, would you like to hold a real sword?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, watch carefully how I do it."

Seeing his daughter's potential, the Sword Saint handed her a small wooden sword and demonstrated a sword dance in front of her.

"So, how is it? Like this…?!"

"Dad, you’re so cool! Is this how you do it? It’s fun!"

He turned to explain how to hold the stance properly but was shocked. Even though it was a simple movement, she perfectly mimicked his stance without any explanation—just by watching.

This child will be something great.

The Sword Saint instinctively knew and began teaching Aileen swordsmanship.

Aileen, delighted by the praise from her beloved father, diligently followed his teachings.

Their peaceful family life was shattered shortly after Aileen had been learning swordsmanship for about six months.

It was an afternoon like any other, with well-dressed guests visiting their home.

"Daughter, I have… something to tell you."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"…Can you manage on your own for a while if I’m gone?"

It was a blunt question, a notice that he would be away for some time.

Naturally, Aileen strongly resisted the idea of not seeing her father’s face for a while.

…Well, as a child, the most she could do was turn her head away and refuse to talk to him.

"You’re really upset. What should we do, dear?"

"It can’t be helped. She’s still a child. Aileen? Your dad’s in a tough spot."

"…"

"Hmm… I don’t want my daughter to hate me."

Her father, with a troubled smile, seemed to come up with a good idea.

"Alright, Aileen, if you’re a good girl while I’m away, I’ll be back soon. Really, I promise."

"…Really?"

"Yes. When I come back, I’ll get you all the sweets you love until you’re full. I promise."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

To young Aileen, a promise was something that had to be kept no matter what.

Dad said he’d be back soon. If I just wait a little, I’ll get to eat all the sweets he usually only gives me a little of because they’re bad for me.

A day passed, then a week, then a month, but Aileen kept waiting.

Believing only in the promise her father made.

"Mom, when is Dad coming home?"

"…He’ll be back soon, Aileen. Let’s just wait a bit longer."

"…"

But her father never came back.

Her mother’s once calm expression grew increasingly strained, and the atmosphere in the house grew colder.

Even then, Aileen believed in her father. Her kind and gentle dad wouldn’t lie.

It must have been because I wasn’t a good girl.

Remembering how happy her dad was whenever she held a sword, she clung even more to swordsmanship.

Holding the sword made her feel like her father was still by her side.

Then, one day, Aileen noticed that the same well-dressed people from before had returned to their home.

Those people showed up, and then Dad went away. I have to stop them from coming here again.

With that thought, Aileen decided to follow them.

Unfortunately for her, she succeeded in trailing them without being caught.

If she had been caught, she might have still loved her father.

"Ma’am, I’m sorry to bring you such bad news. The Sword Saint has gone missing."

"…Is my husband dead?"

"No body was found. There were no signs of a fight, so we suspect he deserted…?! Who’s there!"

"A-Aileen…?!"

Leaving her shocked mother behind, Aileen ran to her room.

Dad couldn’t have run away. Dad is the strongest in the world. He wouldn’t lose to anyone, so why would he run?

But that man said Dad was missing.

Aileen was too young to fully understand the man’s words, but she understood the situation.

Dad didn’t lose, but he disappeared.

He abandoned Mom and me and ran away. Liar. He said he’d come back soon if I was a good girl.

He said he’d bring me lots of sweets.

Liar, liar, liar.

The girl suddenly realized something.

Her father would never return.

But she didn’t want to accept it.

That her father would never return.

So she decided to become a bad girl.

From that day on, Aileen stopped holding the sword her father loved.

She stopped studying to be a good girl. She did nothing, simply letting time pass.

To those who whispered that she was a fatherless orphan, she defiantly shouted that she didn’t need a father like that.

She even threatened that she would kill him herself if she ever saw him again.

It was as if, by doing so, she hoped her father would appear and scold her.

But even then, her father did not come.

As she grew older, Aileen became uncertain whether she wanted to see her father again or kill him.

And now…

Aileen was face to face with the corpse of the father she had both loved and hated.

"Hah. I wanted to kill him with my own hands, but he’s already dead."

"…"

"What’s with everyone? Why are you all reacting like that? Are you suddenly worried about me? I’m fine. I’m just a little disappointed that I didn’t get to do it myself."

She didn’t care about a dead man. If he had been alive, maybe she would have cared.

As Aileen murmured to herself, Ophelia embraced her.

"What is it, Teacher? I feel suffocated."

"It’s okay not to pretend to be strong."

"Pretending? I’m not pretending. Do you really think I’m sad about seeing the corpse of a loser who abandoned his family and ran from the battlefield?"

"…It doesn’t seem like he ran away."

"What?"

Aileen looked at Orca with a cold glare.

He didn’t run away? That couldn’t be true.

But, unlike usual, Orca’s red eyes were full of conviction.

He didn’t abandon his family.

Aileen screamed in frustration.

"If he didn’t run away, then why is he here?! This place is far from home! There were sightings of him just a few years ago, weren’t there? He should have come to find me! Why didn’t he?"

"I don’t know where it happened, but he was cursed. A really nasty one."

"…A curse?"

"There are some demons that can take over bodies and pretend to be their original owners. It’s one of those curses. A contagious one."

"W-What do you know…"

"I know best about these things. After all, I’m a demon."

Aileen realized that the person in front of her wasn’t Orca, but something that had been lying dormant within her.

But right now, that wasn’t what mattered.

What did that demon just say? A curse? Contagious?

"It’s a blood-borne curse. The more closely related you are, the easier it is to get infected."

"…"

"Once it starts, it spreads uncontrollably. The only way to stop it…well, the only way I know is to burn all the infected. Blood is the medium, after all. Oh, but don’t worry too much. There’s no blood from the host left now, so you won’t get infected."

Aileen, despite having given up on her studies, was sharp enough to understand everything the demon was saying.

So, is it trying to say there was a reason my father didn’t come to see me?

…Forget it. Like I’d believe that.

Aileen was about to lash out but paused as she felt her teacher’s hand gently stroking her head.

"…Teacher?"

"It’s okay. It’s okay. I understand that this sudden news is overwhelming."

"Wait, what…"

"It’s alright. I’ll always be by your side, Aileen. You’ve been lonely, haven’t you?"

"…"

It was strange.

Even when her mother comforted her, she had felt nothing.

But her teacher’s voice was so comforting, almost entrancing.

"You don’t have to be lonely anymore. You have me and your friends now. You don’t have to be alone."

As Aileen listened to her teacher’s voice in a daze, she realized something.

She had been lonely from the very beginning.

She had given up swordsmanship because every time she held a sword, it reminded her of her father.

Even though she had always said she didn’t miss him, she had missed him more than anyone.

"…Teacher, I was lonely."

"It must have been hard."

Aileen realized that she had wrapped herself in armor, convincing herself that she didn’t need her father, but it wasn’t armor—it was a prison.

She had never wanted to be alone.

"I wanted to kill him… because I had to believe he was still alive to kill him."

If she didn’t think about killing him, she would start to believe he was dead.

But even if he had been alive, could she really have killed him?

Who knows. Looking at her now, she might have just thrown a tantrum like a child.

She imagined her father apologizing profusely. …It was a dream that could no longer come true, but it made her happy.

"It’s okay. It’s okay. …I’ll stay by your side."

"…Really?"

"Of course. I’ll always be by your side. I promise."

Another promise.

The last promise her father made before he never came back.

For a moment, Aileen hesitated, fearing that making this promise would mean her teacher might never return either, but she quickly nodded.

"Yes, promise."

She needed a hope that was undeniable, a hope she couldn’t reject.

Aileen decided to believe in one more promise.