The doors closed softly behind them as Zarah led Nolan into her chambers.
The curtains were half-drawn, allowing muted light to filter in as a gentle breeze drifted through the room.
Zarah gestured toward the sofa. Nolan took a seat, and she settled across from him, leaving a careful distance between them.
For a brief moment, silence lingered.
"Would you like some tea, Duke Zepher?" Zarah asked, breaking it.
Her gaze flickered toward him, curious.
Nolan shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Lady Zarah."
His eyes remained on her.
Steady. Unwavering.
Zarah shifted slightly under his gaze.
"As I was saying," Nolan continued, his tone measured, "do you have anyone in mind who might be responsible for the incident in your chambers?"
He knew better than to rush.
It was always wiser to begin with expected questions… before moving on to the ones that truly mattered.
Zarah tapped her fingers lightly against her side as she thought.
Of course, she knew who it was.
But saying it outright… wasn't an option.
Not yet.
What proof did she even have?
She looked at Nolan before answering.
"I don't have anyone specific in mind," she said carefully, "but I do have a suspicion."
Nolan raised a brow. "And what might that be?"
Zarah offered a small, polite smile.
"As much as I would like to share it, I believe it would be unwise to accuse someone without proper reason or evidence. I would rather avoid the consequences of being wrong."
Nolan smiled at that.
She was careful.
Smart.
"You may speak freely, Lady Zarah," he said lightly. "No one will aim for your head, no matter how… questionable your words may be."
Zarah blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
Why had the conversation suddenly turned to beheadings?
Nolan let out a small laugh, waving a hand dismissively. "A poor attempt at humor, I assure you."
He leaned back slightly, his gaze softening.
"But truly, you may tell me anything. I won't repeat it to anyone else."
His smile was gentle.
Inviting.
He wanted her to trust him.
More importantly… he wanted to see if she knew anything about herself.
The spy he had sent to the Cerulean brothel had yet to return.
Had she been caught?
Or failed?
Nolan's patience was wearing thin.
If answers wouldn't come to him,
he would uncover the truth himself.
Zarah's eyes narrowed slightly, her fingers curling into her lap.
Nolan knew something.
He was probing, carefully, deliberately.
'What exactly does he know?'
Her grip loosened.
Had he figured out Melody was behind the incident…?
Or...
Her eyes widened slightly.
Was it something else?
"What exactly is this 'anything' Your Grace wishes to hear?" she asked at last, her tone measured.
Nolan raised a brow.
"So you admit there is something worth saying?"
Zarah tilted her head faintly.
"How am I to decide what is worth telling you?" she replied. "What holds value to me may not hold the same for Your Grace."
Nolan let out a soft, amused chuckle.
"Are you implying I would disregard something important to you simply because I do not share the same sentiment?" he asked. "Do I seem so… callous?"
Zarah shook her head quickly.
"No, that is not what I meant, Your Grace. You misunderstand me."
"And you misunderstand me," Nolan replied gently.
He studied her for a moment before continuing,
"Very well. If you do not trust me enough to share your thoughts…"
A faint smile touched his lips.
"…then perhaps you will allow me to place my trust in you instead."
Zarah raised a brow.
"And how would you do that?"
Nolan leaned back slightly, his gaze drifting upward.
"By telling you a tale."
"A tale?" she echoed, curiosity slipping through.
"What kind of tale?"
Nolan's expression softened.
"One of bravery… and sacrifice," he said slowly. "Of deaths that came far sooner than they should have…"
His gaze lowered, settling on her.
"And of a lost heir… and an uncle who still searches for his niece."
Zarah's breath caught.
Her gaze dropped to her hands.
"…Oh."
Her voice was quiet.
"I would like to hear that tale."
"Ah…" Nolan let out a small sigh of relief, running a hand through his hair and pushing it back.
"I half-expected you to question my intentions… or the way I introduced that tale."
Zarah let out a soft laugh, shaking her head.
"My apologies if I seemed overly evasive earlier," she said.
Nolan shook his head lightly.
"No, it's understandable. You're being cautious, as anyone in your position should be… when dealing with someone in mine."
There was a brief pause.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pocket watch, flipping it open.
"Shall I begin?"
Zarah's gaze flickered to the watch, studying it for a moment before she nodded.
"Yes."
Nolan's gaze dropped to the pocket watch in his hand. He drew in a quiet breath before beginning.
"This tale begins at the dawn of the Caelthra Empire," he said.
"The Goddess Aelthrya is said to have blessed the founding Emperor… along with the four swordsmen who stood at his side."
His voice was calm, steady.
"In time, those four became the founders of the great duchies."
A small pause.
"Sterling, in the North, keepers of the mountains.
Merlion, in the South, guardians of the seas.
Peirce, in the West, watchers of trade and passage."
His fingers tightened slightly around the watch.
"And Zepher… in the East."
His gaze flickered upward, briefly meeting hers.
"The house that stood closest to the throne. Serving it. Protecting it."
A quieter note entered his voice.
"They say the Imperial bloodline carries a blessing of its own… known only to those within it."
Zarah absorbed his words in silence.
She hadn't known that.
The Imperial family… had a blessing?
Her eyes widened slightly as Nolan continued.
"The Zephers' loyalty to the throne was unwavering," Nolan continued quietly. "Even in times of distrust… or instability… they never faltered."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"And for that loyalty, my elder brother, Sebastian Zepher, was blessed by the Goddess Aelthrya herself."
His voice softened.
"It was said that his firstborn child would possess the ability to see the future of the rightful heir to the throne… and protect her."
Zarah's fists tightened in her lap.
She knew this story.
She had read it before.
And yet…
hearing it like this... living it as herself...
felt entirely different.
"My brother's wife, Beatrice," Nolan continued, "was already two months pregnant at the time."
A faint, bittersweet smile touched his lips.
"She was overjoyed. Proud. She believed their child would one day follow in Sebastian's footsteps… to serve and protect the throne."
His gaze lowered.
"But that was never the only reason they loved her."
He looked at Zarah.
"They loved her long before the blessing."
A pause.
"My mother had even prepared a gift. A wristlet, if the child were a boy… and a pendant, if it were a girl."
His voice grew quieter.
"…She never got the chance to give it."
A silence lingered.
"They didn't live that long."
Nolan leaned back slightly, drawing in a slow breath.
"Sometimes… when something good enters the world, it draws envy with it."
His hands clenched.
"This blessing did the same."
His jaw tightened.
"There was a man, hungry for power he neither deserved nor understood. He tried to bribe Sebastian."
A beat.
"My brother refused."
His voice hardened.
"And in his rage… that man attacked the Zepher Duchy."
Zarah's breath stilled.
"That same day… Beatrice went into labor."
Nolan's fingers curled tightly.
"My niece was born… as blood filled the halls of our home."
A pause.
"Our defenses were weakened."
His voice dropped.
"And by the time it ended…"
He exhaled slowly.
"My entire family was gone."
A quiet, hollow note followed.
"All but me."
Zarah's lips trembled, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.
Her fingers curled and uncurled in her lap.
It hurt.
She had always known what happened to the Zepher family,
but hearing it like this…
their hopes, their love, their excitement…
All of it had been meant for her.
No—
Her breath faltered.
Not for her.
For the original Zarah.
The one who was truly born into that love.
Her chest tightened.
And yet…
somewhere deep inside, she wished...
wished she could be that Zarah.
The one they had dreamed of.
The one they had loved before she even existed.
How foolish…
She wasn't her.
She was a soul from another world.
She would never be that child.
"You will always be the Zarah I know."
Iris's words echoed in her mind.
Zarah inhaled slowly.
Then again.
Her fingers clenched tightly.
No.
She was Zarah.
She had lived this life since she was an infant,
grown in this body, breathed through it, endured through it.
This life was hers.
This name was hers.
No matter what her own self-deprecating thoughts whispered otherwise—
She was Zarah.
And she did deserve that love.
As far as her memory went, she had been born into this world as a baby, had grown, lived, and breathed within it.
So wasn't she… that baby?
The one they had waited for?
Her chest tightened.
Maybe she had never felt their love directly...
never heard their voices or known their touch...
but that didn't mean it had never existed.
It had.
And now that she knew…
she would carry it with her.
Always.
Even if she had found it too late.
Nolan watched her carefully.
Slowly, he reached out, giving her enough time to pull away if she wished.
She didn't.
His hand settled gently over her clenched fist.
"Wouldn't you like to know…" he said softly, "…how your uncle survived?"
Zarah nodded faintly, her thoughts still clouded as a tear slipped down her cheek.
Then—
She froze.
Her head snapped up, eyes wide as if he had just sprouted a second head.
"Wh—what?" she stammered, pulling back abruptly. "How do you—no, you're not supposed to—wait, no, I'm not your niece, I'm— I'm…"
Her words tangled, collapsing into silence.
Nolan's eyes widened.
Zarah's breath hitched.
'Shit.'
"You…" she muttered, realization crashing over her. "You tested me… didn't you? To see if I was your niece…"
Her voice dropped.
"And I just… told you."
She covered her face, mortified.
How was she supposed to fix this?
Nolan's vision blurred.
Tears welled up, and this time, he didn't stop them.
Before she could react, he moved forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Oh… you foolish girl…" he whispered, his voice breaking.
A soft, breathless laugh escaped him through his tears.
"How could I not recognize my own niece?"
Zarah froze.
Her arms rested uselessly in her lap for a moment,
before she slowly, hesitantly lifted them… and returned the embrace.
She buried her face in his shoulder, her body trembling.
"How… did you survive?" she asked through her sobs.
Nolan let out a soft breath, his hand moving to her hair, caressing it gently.
"I was twelve," he said quietly.
"Sebastian told me to lead the maid, Maria, away. She was carrying you… and her own daughter."
He pulled back slightly, cupping Zarah's face. His thumb brushed beneath her eyes, wiping away her tears.
"Do you know what your father told me?" he asked, a faint, broken smile forming.
Zarah shook her head.
Nolan let out a small, shaky laugh before pulling her back into his arms.
"He told me your life was in my hands," he said. "That I was responsible for getting you out safely… while he went to the front lines."
His voice turned heavier.
"But I failed."
His grip tightened slightly.
"I was only a child… fighting three men at once. I couldn't win."
He exhaled slowly.
"But I created an opening… just enough for Maria to escape with you."
A pause.
"And in that moment… I saw you."
Zarah's breath hitched.
"You were crying," Nolan murmured. "Your eyes weren't even open yet…"
A soft, emotional smile touched his lips.
"And still… I remember thinking how proud I was to have you as my niece."
His voice trembled.
"That one glimpse of you… it stayed with me. It gave me a reason to keep searching. To believe you were alive."
Zarah's grip tightened on him.
"You were only twelve…?" she whispered.
Nolan nodded, pulling back just enough to look at her again.
"Yes."
His expression softened.
"And because of that, they thought I wouldn't survive my injuries."
A faint breath escaped him.
"But I did."
"When I woke up… I was in the Imperial Palace."
His gaze dimmed slightly.
"His Majesty, the late Emperor Augustus, had come."
A pause.
"He saved me."
His voice dropped.
"But he was too late for the others…"
Silence followed.
"They were already gone."
Zarah's eyes filled with tears again as she looked at him.
"It's not your fault. You didn't fail me, I am here, I am alive. You did what you were supposed to do."
Her hands closed around Nolan's.
"You're the most capable person I know… and never, in a million years, a failure," she added, squeezing his hands gently.
Nolan let out a breathy laugh, his gaze softening.
"Well then, I suppose I'll have to take your word for it, won't I?"
Zarah smiled faintly.
"You will."
He studied her for a moment before his expression shifted, one brow lifting slightly.
"So… you knew all along? Who I was? and who you are?" he asked.
His tone hardened.
"Then why hide it?"
A pause.
"If it's because you favor the Empress," he swallowed, that unfamiliar anger toward Ines rising again, "then I can speak to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. I can have you placed with Her Majesty the Empress in a marriage—"
Zarah shook her head sharply, her cheeks flushing pink.
"It's not that, it's not that! Why is that your first conclusion?"
Nolan tilted his head, confused.
"No? I thought, by the way you were sitting on Her Majesty's lap, it was that."
His expression darkened slightly.
"And to be completely honest, I don't like the thought of Her Majesty using my niece as nothing more than a flower maiden."
He paused, studying her.
"So if it's not that… why remain one? Why not reclaim your title as Lady of Zepher, heir to the Duchy?"
Zarah exhaled slowly.
She didn't know what to say,or how much to reveal. But she knew she couldn't avoid this conversation forever.
"Well, your Gra—"
Before she could finish, Nolan cut her off.
"No. Not that. I am your uncle. Call me uncle," he demanded.
Zarah stilled, then tried again.
"Lord… Uncle?"
Nolan deadpanned at her.
"Are you… serious?"
Zarah turned her head away with a huff.
"I've never called anyone that before. How can you expect me to just start now?" she retorted.
Nolan sighed, shaking his head lightly.
"Well, it seems I'll go to my grave without ever hearing my sweet niece call me uncle."
Zarah stared at him, stunned.
'Is this really the same man?'
Only an hour ago, he had seemed so poised, so regal, exactly what one would expect of the Captain of the Imperial Guards.
And now…
Now, after learning she was his niece, he had completely let go.
She looked down at her fingers, thinking.
If Nolan had been twelve when she was born… and she was eighteen now, then...
"You're only thirty. You won't die so soon…" she paused, then added quietly, "…Uncle."
Nolan looked at her, a wide smile spreading across his face.
"No, I won't. I'll live long enough to hear you call me uncle many more times," he said, reaching out.
Zarah met his gaze for a moment before lowering her head slightly as his hand came down to pat it.
A small, unfamiliar warmth settled in her chest.
"So?" Nolan asked after a moment. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Zarah hesitated, thinking carefully before looking back up at him.
"You said I was blessed by the Goddess Aelthrya… so I've only been doing what I saw in the visions granted by her divine blessing," she replied, choosing her words with care.
The truth, that she came from another world, was far too absurd to tell.
She didn't know how Nolan would react.
So instead, she chose the next safest thing.
Using the Goddess's name to justify her actions… even if no such visions existed.
Hopefully, Aelthrya wouldn't strike her down with lightning for it.
"What?" Nolan's eyes widened as he stared at her.
Then, slowly, his expression settled. He dragged a hand through his hair and sighed, closing his eyes briefly.
"Of course," he muttered. "Why am I even surprised? You were blessed with it… visions make sense."
He looked back at her.
"But why wouldn't your visions allow you to tell me who you are?"
Zarah swallowed, guilt tightening in her chest.
"It's not that I can't tell you," she said carefully. "I was afraid… that I wouldn't have enough proof to back it up."
Nolan blinked, then laughed.
"What? You wouldn't need proof, silly," he said, pointing at her.
"There's something you don't know. Since the founding of the Empire, the Goddess Aelthrya blessed the Zepher bloodline. We can sense each other, an aura. The closer the relation, the stronger it feels."
His gaze softened slightly.
"That's how I knew who you were."
Zarah's eyes widened.
"Oh… so that's why I feel something strange whenever you're near?" she asked.
"Yes, exactly." He paused, studying her again. "But that can't be the only reason. You were about to say more, weren't you?"
Zarah hesitated, then nodded.
"Yes… I was."
She took a breath.
"Her Majesty the Empress is in danger. A life-threatening one. It's being orchestrated by Grand Duke Alexander."
Nolan stiffened instantly.
"What?" He shot to his feet, eyes darkening. "Then we need to tell—"
"No." Zarah grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop and sit down. "We can't."
He looked down at her, tense.
"Think about it," she continued. "I'm just a flower maiden. It would be my word against his. And despite his past… he's still the Grand Duke. He has nobles backing him."
Her grip tightened slightly.
"And with the history between Zepher and him… if I reveal myself now, it could look like we're making false accusations out of revenge."
She paused, steadying her breath.
"There's more."
Nolan's expression hardened.
"The maid,Maria. Melody is her daughter... Maria switched us to save me. She put the Zepher family emblem on Melody and left me at the Cerulean brothel."
Nolan's eyes widened.
"So when they found her… they thought Melody was the child of Zepher."
Zarah nodded.
"If I reveal the truth now, they'll realize their mistake. And if that happens… they'll change their plans."
Her voice dropped.
"And if they do… I won't know what comes next. How much worse it could be."
Silence stretched between them.
"That's why I have to remain a flower maiden."
Nolan stared at her, something like awe flickering across his face.
After a moment, he asked, "If things change… won't you just get another vision?"
Zarah tensed.
"The Goddess only shows me one possible future," she said slowly. "Any changes… come from my own actions. If I alter things too much, I won't receive another vision."
She hoped it sounded convincing.
Because she had just made it up.
Nolan didn't question it further. He simply sat there, silent, absorbing everything she had said.
Zarah looked at him anxiously, grabbing his hand.
"Please… don't tell anyone who I am. Not yet… Uncle?"
Nolan sighed, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Huh… it seems you play just as dirty as your aunt," he said, patting her head. "Calling me uncle when you want me to keep your secrets?"
Zarah pouted slightly.
"I wasn't going to expose my niece after all her hard work," he continued, his tone softening. "So don't worry."
He paused, his expression dimming just a little.
"Even if it hurts… knowing that after finally finding you, I can't treat you the way I should have all along… I still agree with what you're doing."
His hand rested briefly on her head again.
"But if something becomes too dangerous, if anything feels wrong, you come to me. Understood?"
Zarah smiled and leaned forward, hugging him.
"I'll remember that, Uncle."
Nolan gently patted her back.
After a moment, Zarah pulled back, looking at him curiously.
"Wait… Aunt? Do you mean your wife, or did my father have a sister?"
Nolan made a face.
"Zarah, my dear, your uncle has no plans of giving you an aunt. So yes, my sister. Your father's."
Zarah blinked.
"Oh… so just an uncle, then?"
Nolan grimaced again.
"You sound like Her Majesty the Empress Dowager when she's trying to marry me off," he muttered. Then, after a pause, "And to answer your question… no. I'm not interested in such things."
Zarah raised a brow.
"Heartbreak? Or… do you simply not feel that way toward anyone?"
Nolan exhaled softly.
"Neither. I've simply never felt that kind of attachment… and I don't believe I ever will. I am arorace you see."
Zarah nodded slowly, understanding.
"Enough of that," Nolan said, looking at Zarah.
"Would you like to take a stroll in the gardens? After everything… I think we could both use it."
He stood, extending his hand toward her.
Zarah took it without hesitation, rising to her feet.
"Yes… let's go."
Hand in hand, uncle and niece made their way toward the Imperial gardens.