Rebirth Of The Duke's Daughter

Chapter 61

"Skye, are you awake?" Mila asked softly, standing alone by the tranquil lake where they had set up camp. The night was calm, and the water mirrored the starry sky above.

'I'm sorry,' Skye replied, her voice weary. 'I'm still exhausted. I need to gather more mana—I had to create a barrier for myself.' The strain in her voice was clear, a reminder of the effort it had taken just to survive.

'Don't worry, Skye will get better,' Vivian chimed in, her tone warm and reassuring. 'She just needs a little time to recover, that's all.' Vivian smiled inwardly, relieved to have one of her friends reunited with them. The thought of their group coming together after so long filled her with hope.

Mila nodded, a gentle smile spreading across her face. "I'm glad that we're all coming together. It makes me happy." She paused, thinking of the next step in their journey. "Are you sure that Kate is in the Asiradda Kingdom?"

'I'm pretty sure,' Skye responded, her voice a little more steady now. 'She's an ice element, and ice elements tend to stay in environments where they can adapt best.' Skye let out a small yawn, clearly still tired. [The Asiradda Kingdom is mostly a water element region, but there's a particular forest there that's ideal for her.'

"Alright," Mila said gently. "We need to rest now. We can talk more in the morning." She returned to her sleeping spot, snuggling up with Cotton and Net, who provided warmth and comfort in the cool night air. As she closed her eyes, thoughts of their upcoming journey to the Asiradda Kingdom filled her mind. 'Traveling there is going to take a long time—probably a year or two,' she mused, but she pushed aside the thoughts of her time limit, knowing she had to focus on the present.

As she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but think of ZH. A smile touched her lips as she hoped that, when the time came, she would meet him again—when she was more grown, more ready for whatever lay ahead.

***

"Ambrose, are you going to join us?" Perry called out, glancing back to see his younger brother still standing alone, lost in his thoughts. "Come on, when are you going to come out of your shell? There are plenty of ladies out there besides Mila."

But before Perry could finish his sentence, Ambrose's expression darkened. With a swift motion, he conjured sharp crystals in his hand, sending them hurtling toward Perry. Startled, Perry quickly shut the door to the mansion library, hearing the crystals embed themselves deeply into the wood. The sharp points protruded halfway through, a stark reminder of how serious Ambrose was.

"I was just trying to cheer you up!" Perry protested from behind the safety of the door, shocked at his brother's intense reaction. He hadn't expected Ambrose to be so fiercely attached to Mila.

"That kind of 'cheering' isn't helpful," Iris remarked calmly, having witnessed the entire scene. Her eyes followed the crystals lodged in the door, understanding the depth of Ambrose's feelings. "You can't just cheer someone up like that when their emotions run so deep." Her voice was soft, almost as if she was speaking more to herself than to Perry. She knew that no one could easily change someone's deep feelings for another.

Perry, still recovering from the close call, looked at Iris in disbelief. "You didn't even try to help me!" he exclaimed, not understanding why she had just stood there and watched the entire situation unfold.

Iris shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Brothers are supposed to be close," she replied simply, turning to walk ahead without waiting for Perry.

Realizing he was being left behind, Perry hurried to catch up with her, still baffled by the encounter.

Meanwhile, Ambrose remained inside the library, listening to the fading sound of their footsteps. The room was quiet now, but the silence only amplified the emptiness he felt. Ever since Mila had left, nothing had been the same. He had always been reserved, but now there was a loneliness that lingered, despite the presence of his family.