The air was grave in Edmund’s study. There was Elias Hunt in front of his desk, standing a few meters away.

The uneasy silence was broken by Edmund eventually.

“We have to do the deed.”

With clear sadness on his face, Elias closed his eyes slowly.

Although under “house arrest”, Icilia herself was unaware of her own situation. She was told a lie: A pandemic broke out, and that everyone was self-isolating. Only a few select maids were allowed access to her quarter. She bought the lie although she constantly asked whether it was over. They couldn’t keep her this way for eternity. A decision had to be made.

One was what Loukia suggested, which was marrying her off to a noble. She was old enough that it could be arranged swiftly.

The other was “doing the deed”.

“How will you do this, Edmund?” Elias asked while opening his eyes which were hollow. He just called him by his first name as well, an indication that the situation was far from ordinary and was as severe as it could have gotten.

Crossing his fingers, Edmund supported his chin on top of it. Shutting his eyes, he let out a grunt. It took him a considerable amount of time before he’d open his eyes.

“The least I can do is perhaps do the deed with my own hands.”

“You can marry her off just as Lady Mesurii suggested.”

“I will not leave a seed of chaos. There are countless cases where a seed of chaos would eventually bring her house down.”

It may take generations, but the most common reason noble houses fell was due to seeds of chaos. When a legitimate daughter of a noble house A married a nobleman of a noble house B, their children would have a claim on the noble house A.

Now, if the noble house A stood strong and had many options for heirs, the noble house B wouldn’t bother with such claims. But, if the noble house A had a weak leadership and had a lack of any future heirs, the noble house B would press their claim, thus resulting in an internal conflict. There was no tie in such a battle. Either house would swallow the other. Because of that, noble houses didn’t tend to press such claims unless they were absolutely sure they’d win it and that they’d gain fiefs. The Fenchel had fiefs, three even.

If Edmund Fenchel had a son or two, marrying a daughter off wasn’t much of an issue. But he had none and was adopting one. If anyone in the future happened to dig out the truth, it would complicate a lot of things as long as Icilia had children.

At the moment, Icilia Fenchel was a seed of chaos. Her children would have a claim on the house Fenchel. While it was possible to promote illegitimate children to be legitimate ones. Vice versa was not possible.

Elias sighed deeply.

“From the bottom of my heart, I truly hope that the God of death will have mercy on her soul,” He said.

And Edmund closed his eyes slowly.

“Daddy!” Icilia ran into Edmund’s arms cheerfully. She was told that they’d go on a picnic now that the pandemic was over.

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“Hello, little one,” Edmund lowered his body and hugged her with affection. There was a carriage nearby. Elias was waiting by it. In fact, he’d be the driver. Keen eyes may have noticed that something was amiss at this point because there was no one else but the two.

“Where is mommy?” She asked innocently.

“She is coming soon,” He lied. Grabbing her, he carried her in his arms.

“I am so excited!” She yelled joyfully with her arms up in the air.

Elias’ heart was bleeding internally as he watched. He understood Edmund’s reason for doing this. He did understand. His brain told him that this was the correct choice. Alas, his heart told him that this was so wrong on so many levels.

During the ride in the carriage, Icilia told her father what had happened to her since his last visit. He hadn’t visited her for months. In fact, barely anyone had visited her for a while. Only a single maid visited her in the morning for chores, and that was it for a whole day. Rightfully so, she must have been feeling lonely.

“I can read and write perfectly now!” She puffed her chest. “I’ve been a good girl!” She had nothing else to do after all.

Smiling, Edmund patted her head. Meanwhile, unknown to her, the carriage was heading deep into a forest...

Icilia would continue to talk until the carriage jolted and stopped.

Excited by the prospect of having a family picnic as well as seeing her mother, she exclaimed joyfully.

“We are here!”

Then, without waiting for her father to open the door, she dashed out of the carriage on her own, only to find herself within a gloomy forest. The area was dimly lit in spite of what should have been a sunny day. There were weird cries of strange animals nearby.

“What...?” She was utterly confused.

Then she felt a bit of pain. It was as if a needle had stricken her. As she looked down at where she felt the pain, she saw a red dot was expanding rapidly on her left chest.

“.... What?” was her last word as she went limp. Her heart was struck. It must have been pretty much instant.

Her death must have been.

Edmund caught Icilia’s limp body and carried the body back into the carriage at which point Elias got down from the driver’s seat and unhooked the pair of horses.

“May God have mercy on her soul,” Edmund said with a slightly shaking voice.

There were some tears in Elias’ eyes. She may have not been his biological daughter, but he had watched her grow up from the day she was born. Having no children of his own, he had treated her like one of his own. Seeing the girl end her life even before she could spread her wings was more than painful to him. He clenched his fists and bit his lips.

Edmund, meanwhile, caressed Icilia’s pale face affectionately in the carriage. Taking a good final look at his now deceased daughter, a few drops of tears fell from his eyes to her cheek.

“I am so sorry, my girl.”

He was a man of reasons. As much as he cherished his daughter, for the future of his house, he convinced himself that it had to be done. It had to be done. It had to be. It had to be…

Eventually, steeling himself, he exited the carriage with a firm look on his face.

Upon the cue, Elias threw a brightly shining red fire crystal through a window of the carriage at which point violent flame ruptured from within.

Then they rode their horses and kept a short distance from the burning carriage.

Both of them would watch the flame consume the carriage into nothingness.

“Edmund,” Elias spoke. “I will be blunt. This breaks my heart so much that I wish to cry.”

Edmund was silent, watching the flame.

“I can see why you did it. Still...., still, this isn’t right.”

Elias did respect Edmund for dirtying his own hands instead of just giving out an order. At least, the man took the matter into his own hands.

“I am sure that,” Edmund choked in tears. “The Gods will judge me when my time comes.”

With full of sorrow in their expressions, they simply continued to watch the carriage enveloped in vicious flame.

The sad truth was that..., if Loukia stayed on, Edmund wouldn’t have gone this far. Even if their relationship was broken, as long as she didn’t cross the line, he wouldn’t have crossed his. Additionally, he still had some feelings for his wife. As long as she stayed on, Icilia would have been married off albeit to a landless noble. She would have become a seed of chaos. He would have let that happen.

Tears started to slide down from Edmund’s eyes on his horse as he watched the carriage begin to crumble within intense flame. Meanwhile, Elias had his eyes shut.

The cracking of the fire dominated the vicinity.