"One of the... chosen ones..."

"From another world, huh..."

Jin stared absentmindedly at the clouds in the sky, then began to recall a memory where he stumbled through the darkness and fell to the ground under the sound of heavy rain. It was the first time he saw it, and he was hesitant whether it was real or just a daydream.

"You don't even know who the chosen ones are, do you?" Nina stood at his head and looked directly into his eyes, but he seemed not to see her. This lasted for a short while.

"No, I have no idea what you're talking about."

She sat down beside him and sighed. "You're really peculiar."

"I don't think you're lying, but even children know these things."

"Did you live in a cave or something?!"

"You're right."

Nina jumped up and shouted angrily while pointing at him, "Hey you, don't agree with me!... I want you to tell me the truth!"

Jin closed his eyes and lay down completely on the ground, then said in a calm tone, "Sorry, I can't."

Nina lowered her hand and her anger subsided, while sadness spread over her face. "Is it because you don't trust me, right?"

"..."

Tension and silence prevailed between them for a while, and in the end, Nina left without saying a word.

(It's not that I don't trust you specifically, but I don't trust anyone.)

(In any case, it's not important for anyone to know.)

"My master, what should I do?"

"Huh! What am I saying? I've never called him my master before, in fact, I don't even know if I can call him that?"

Jin raised his hand to the sky, then clenched it while looking with a troubled eye. "I'm talking to myself! I must be that desperate."

Evening fell while he was still lying outside, so he decided to return, having delayed himself to miss dinner with them.

All the lights in the mansion were off, and he didn't find anyone when he entered. It wasn't very important to him, but while walking through one of the corridors, he saw a light at the end. He approached it slowly and cautiously.

"Yona..."

Yona's gaze was distant from him, and Jin felt that something was wrong, so he remained silent.

Yona turned to the door behind her, then said calmly, "Follow me."

The two entered a large room with a rather long table in the middle. The room was dark, with only one lamp on the table where almost everyone in the mansion was seated.

Their looks were no different from Yona's, except that they were sharper, especially Claudia's, who seemed like she was about to explode with rage.

"So, Jin, tell us what happened to you and Nina."

Isabella said this, intertwining her fingers, but her voice was hesitant, unlike her usual self.

(So, that's the issue.)

Jin realized immediately what was going on, so he didn't hesitate. "We encountered some bandits in..."

"Enough of this!"

"Just tell us what your relationship with them is!"

Claudia shouted furiously.

"Claudia!"

"This..."

"Don't interfere, Selene!"

Jin felt extreme tension, but no one else spoke. He realized at that moment that they all suspected him.

"I..."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hah!"

"Did you think we would believe you?!"

At that moment, Claudia's hostile looks and unfair accusations made him realize that she really hated him for some reason. What puzzled him was that he had never met her before in his life, yet her hatred for him was clear from their first meeting.

Jin gripped his injured arm tightly with his left hand and lowered his head. "That's right, why would you believe a stranger like me?" He said this softly, but they all heard him.

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Yona moved her lips as if she wanted to call his name, but despite her previous words, she did not defend him.

"Why are you so silent?!"

"I'm sure one of Miss Isabella's enemies sent you!"

Claudia didn't stop throwing accusations one after another amidst the silence and complicity of everyone else. This filled Jin's heart with bitterness, as he couldn't defend himself. Since he didn't respond, everything Claudia said stuck to him directly as if the verdict had been issued.

Jin's heartbeat sped up, and he felt suffocated as if someone was choking him. He looked around desperately with pitiable eyes at those he thought were kind to him, but they only returned cold stares. (Why?! Why always...)

"Why are you saying this?!"

Nina burst into the room with a sad expression, between the tears she was holding back and the anger in her heart, she shouted those words at the top of her lungs.

"Nina!"

Everyone looked at her in amazement. She was the only one not present in the room. Even Jin's eyes widened and he was speechless.

Tears fell from her eyes like dew drops sliding down red flowers. "He risked himself and got hurt because he didn't run away and leave me there!"

Nina looked at Claudia angrily, her cheeks flushed. "Why are you so cruel?!!"

Claudia said mockingly, "Cruel?"

"You don't know anything, he must have deceived you too, but I don't blame you, he planned all this, he..."

"Claudia!"

"That's enough!"

Isabella slammed her hand on the table after being silent for a long time.

"But, ma'am..."

After Isabella said that, Rei spoke for the first time as well, "I think... he's innocent." Rei said quietly, staring at the lamp.

"I mean, Nina trusts him, so I'll trust what she says too. Also, there's no evidence of his involvement."

"You too, Mr. Rei!..."

Claudia couldn't continue, so she suppressed her anger and sat down.

Jin was greatly surprised that Nina defended him. He didn't expect anyone to take his side after they all let him down. It felt like she had stopped the crack that was beginning to form in his heart.

With a fake smile, Isabella looked at Jin, then closed her eyes and said, "It's late, you may go now."

All that ended with a shadow of loneliness surrounding Jin more than before, but what Nina did left a deep mark on his soul. In that moment, something changed inside him towards her.

Jin didn't meet anyone that night and couldn't sleep either, as thoughts and sad memories kept swirling in his mind and stirring his emotions.

Early the next morning, he left his room again without anyone waking him despite his broken spirit.

(That's enough...)

(Damn this place, yes, I've wasted too much time to no avail, I will leave here.)

His intentions were all set to leave the mansion that day, so he headed to Yona's room to inform her, but no matter how much he knocked on the door, no one answered. This made him so angry that he clenched his fist tightly.

"Are you looking for Yona?"

When Jin heard that, he stopped before breaking the door.

"Yea...yes."

"What a coincidence, she told me to come to you."

"Carry this."

Selene was carrying a tray with a cup of tea on it and smiled naturally as if nothing had happened.

"What should I do with it?"

Selene walked ahead of him and signaled for him to follow her until they reached a door he hadn't seen before, maybe because he hadn't ventured to that floor since he came to the mansion.

"You will now serve tea to Mr. Edward, the lord of Longrad Mansion."

"Make sure to leave a good impression."

Jin felt a bit tense and said in a low voice, "Why me? And why now specifically?"

"I don't know, but the lord asked to see you when he arrived today."

"But I..."

He was about to refuse and tell her he would leave the mansion, but meeting the lord made him pause.

Before he touched the door, Selene whispered sadly, "Jin, I..."

"Huh?!"

Jin looked at her face and found that her expression had changed, but she quickly turned her back and said, "Nothing."

Jin knocked on the door, and after a few moments, he heard a voice from inside the room, "Enter."

Jin's fingers trembled when he touched the door handle, not because of tension, but because of something else he didn't know. Despite that, he opened the door.

When he stepped inside and took his first step, he felt a great pressure that almost threw him out.

(What is this?)

(I don't feel any power, but why?)

Jin's senses were highly sensitive to any amount of ether, but this was something different.

(Is this presence?!)