At some unknown time, it started to rain again.
Dark clouds covered the sky, like a layer of gloom hanging over everyone's head.
Weather like this made people's mood turn bad.
Kefra was one of them.
She sat on a bench outside, letting the light, steady rain patter against her hair.
One hand supported her chin as she stared forward absentmindedly.
On the puddle, drop after drop of fine rain fell, splashing up small sprays of water.
"It's raining again."
Before this, the royal capital had already seen several days of continuous rain.
She thought it would clear up after the rain stopped, but one rain followed another.
However, what worried Kefra was not this rain.
But…
Gwen, who had awakened under that heavy rain.
Kefra still remembered when that heavy rain suddenly poured down over the royal capital.
The blue sparrow in the sky displayed that shocking scene across the entire capital's sky for everyone to see.
Kefra clearly saw Viktor's battle.
A battle that was enough to be recorded in history, truly epic.
Honestly speaking, after this battle, the Emperor would definitely summon Viktor.
That fight was too shocking. Viktor's name spread again, even reaching worldwide fame.
The last person in the Calencia Empire to shock the whole world like that was the current Emperor.
Sol the Eighth, Aubrey.
Because of that, even their Delin family was suddenly under attention.
Many people came to visit, just to see Viktor's legendary fiancee, Gwen.
However, without exception, they were all turned away.
After that battle ended, in the heavy rain.
Gwen finally woke up from her long sleep.
After waking up, she refused to meet anyone who wanted to visit her.
Because at the moment she opened her eyes, she happened to see the end of that scene.
In the image, Viktor was holding the duke's daughter and releasing earth shaking magic.
Then, the thing Kefra feared most happened.
Gwen seemed like she had become a different person, losing her emotions and starting to stay silent.
She did not even politely greet her, her own sister, anymore. It was as if she ignored everyone.
Day and night, she trained without rest, as if she never got tired.
In these past few days, Kefra could clearly feel that Gwen's skills had improved again.
As her older sister, Kefra should have been happy.
However…
Now, it seemed that Gwen had heard from Viktor's younger sister that Viktor had returned, and she ran off to find him again.
She lifted her head and looked at the sky.
The rain seemed to be getting heavier, drop after drop hitting her face.
In the rain, her voice sounded as she muttered to herself.
"Brother-in-law."
"If you are at least reliable, think of a way to make Gwen return to normal."
———
"First, you need to understand the consequences this will bring."
In the light rain, Viktor and Gwen sat facing each other.
Under them were chairs woven from wooden vines.
Dark clouds filled the sky and light rain fell.
But it seemed to have no effect on the two of them.
Just as the rain was about to fall on them, it was blocked by a transparent thin layer.
It could not wet them at all.
Gwen's face was expressionless, still that cold look without any emotion.
As if she had thrown away all feelings.
She looked at Viktor in front of her, her eyes seeming to hold his entire figure.
"The people you attacked were the duke's daughter and the Emperor's daughter."
"I know."
"…First of all, you are Aurelianna's teacher."
"I know."
"…Then why did you still do it?"
Gwen looked at Viktor, her voice cold, "Because I am your fiancee."
"…"
Viktor held his forehead, looking somewhat speechless.
Just as he had expected.
In her current state, once Gwen decided on something, she would never change it again.
No one could persuade her.
"…Did you see anything?"
In the end, Viktor could only ask Vega, the rather useless crow.
"I thought you knew everything."
Vega stood on Viktor's shoulder and pecked at its feathers.
Then it raised its proud head, its deep black single eye staring tightly at Gwen.
In that instant, Gwen's gaze met Vega's single eye.
After a moment, Vega withdrew its gaze and folded its feathers again, as if turning back into an ordinary crow.
A voice that only Viktor could hear sounded in his ear.
"If you think she is possessed by some being, there's no need to worry."
"It's just that I didn't expect this."
It seemed to see something and chuckled.
"Humans all have faith. It's just that what they believe in is different."
The faith Vega spoke of was not simply believing in some god.
Rather…
"Just like you believe in things like 'winning through skill' and 'absolute certainty.' Likewise, others have their own faith."
As it said this, Vega's deep eyes gradually grew brighter.
It looked at Gwen, who seemed to have lost all emotion, and continued speaking in a voice only Viktor could hear.
"Originally, what Gwen believed in was justice."
"And now, her faith has become…"
"You."
As a god, Vega could glimpse the flame of others' souls.
And on Gwen's soul flame, there was a faint shadow attached.
At a glance, it could tell that it was Viktor's figure.
This meant Viktor's existence had influenced Gwen too deeply.
Gwen had gradually become unable to leave him.
Hearing this, Viktor fell silent for a moment.
In a certain sense, this was exactly Viktor's original goal.
"Look on the bright side, Viktor. You succeeded."
Gwen had forgotten the justice in her heart, or perhaps she had not forgotten.
She had only placed its priority behind Viktor.
First Viktor, and only then the justice she pursued and believed in.
"Instinct."
That was Gwen's current state.
She abandoned all emotions, because any emotion would make her hesitate.
Gwen would feel confused because of Viktor's existence.
Because she did not want to believe that the most important person in her heart had unknowingly become Viktor.
So she would fall into chaos because of that struggle.
Therefore, Gwen needed this instinct to correct her understanding.
So in that instinct, Viktor took up most of the space in her heart.
Vega chirped and laughed in a strange way.
"You really did it, Viktor."
"Do you know, maybe you're more suited to be the evil god."
Indeed, in Vega's eyes, Viktor's actions were even worse.
He succeeded. He achieved everything.
He used every method to make Gwen go from hating him, to acknowledging him, gradually accepting him.
And in the end, becoming unable to leave him.
Yet everything Viktor did was only for himself.
For his fate that should not have ended.
Viktor successfully avoided it.
"Instinct" was the final method of those believers.
The obsessive believers thought the Goddess of Justice was the purest and most impartial justice, without any personal feelings.
In their view, the goddess should be like this.
So from childhood, Gwen was not loved by her relatives.
Her father and brother ignored her. The servants at home were afraid of her.
Growing up in such an environment caused her emotional deficiency.
She was not good with words and not good at expressing her feelings, because she did not need those extra emotions.
So those believers used this point to successfully leave "instinct" inside Gwen.
Once Gwen developed some unnecessary feelings, that hidden power within her would awaken and turn her into the form of "instinct."
Instinct would make Gwen abandon all unnecessary emotions and focus only on the one thing she insisted on in her heart.
Which was "justice."
If Viktor had not done so much for Gwen, if there had never been a place for Viktor in her heart.
Then with this "instinct" strengthening her.
Gwen would probably have truly become the embodiment of justice.
Other than insisting on the justice in her heart, she would never think about anything else.
So…
"You succeeded, Viktor."
When the "justice" in Gwen's heart was replaced by "Viktor."
Then what would Gwen do while in the state of "instinct."
The answer was already obvious.
Viktor was somewhat silent. He looked at Gwen in front of him, her head slightly tilted as she met his gaze, and continued asking Vega.
"How can she return to normal?"
Vega turned its beak to the side. Its mocking voice sounded full of disdain, "Don't ask me. I'm an evil god."
"Evil gods don't have so many methods to save people."
Viktor looked at Gwen.
In his heart, a thought rose.
———
Today, outside, it started raining again for no reason.
Although it was already autumn and continuous autumn rain was normal.
After several days of rain before, seeing rain again still made people feel tired.
Liya leaned against the study window, looking straight through the glass at the light rain outside.
Watching it fall onto the bluestone in her yard.
Suddenly, her gaze shifted farther away.
At the entrance of the Clavenna residence, a carriage slowly stopped.
What was special was that this carriage had no horses attached.
Even its wheels were driven by magic.
The carriage door opened, and Viktor stepped out.
Right after that, Gwen also stepped down from the carriage.
Seeing the two appear together, Liya was stunned.
But she quickly hurried down the stairs with messy and anxious steps.
In one breath, she stood at the entrance of the mansion.
As she neared the door, Liya seemed a little nervous.
Her steps gradually slowed. She adjusted her clothes, straightened her back, and held her chest with both hands.
She tried to lower her eyebrows and eyes, acting somewhat cold.
After feeling that her posture was more or less satisfactory, Liya nodded.
'Mm, it should be fine.'
Liya pushed open the door and leaned against the doorframe.
As if timing it perfectly, she saw Viktor and Gwen standing at the door.
With a cold face, her indifferent voice slowly sounded, "You finally decided to come back?"
Viktor nodded, walked past Liya, and entered the mansion.
He left only one sentence behind, "Prepare a room for Gwen."
"For the next few days, Gwen will stay with us."
Liya froze for a moment and even forgot the bunch of words she had prepared in her head.
She turned around, looked at Viktor walking away, and could not help asking, "Can't Gwen just sleep with me?"
But Viktor had already gone upstairs and had no intention of responding to her.
Liya puffed up her cheeks in anger, her face looking like a steamed bun.
At this time, Gwen slowly walked over.
Liya turned her head and suddenly felt a chill in her heart.
The Gwen in front of her seemed to have no emotions at all, her expression cold.
If not for her appearance and aura being basically the same as Gwen's, she might not have been able to recognize who she was.
At this moment, Gwen looked at Liya and slowly said, "No need."
"I can sleep in the same room as Viktor."