The days after the subjugation were surprisingly peaceful. Everyone was busy, yes, but their faces were bright. Even the air in the mansion felt fresher somehow.

That peace… I liked it. I was satisfied with the calm we’d regained. It made me happy. And yet… I was scared it would all fall apart.

The High Priest had told me I would die when the flower withered. But now, some strange leaf-shaped mark had appeared on my chest.

How could I not connect the two?

How could I not be afraid of what that truth might mean? Even this morning, I’d pushed a sulky Jane into leaving me alone so I could bathe without anyone seeing the mark. I’d put it off for as long as I could, but there was always a limit.

Even a brutal truth is still the truth.

And sooner or later, I’d have to face it.