Before meeting Dria, there was something Armand had said.

『Judging from that presence… It must be Dria.』

“Dria?” Chang-Sun repeated.

『She is my youngest, weakest, and most warm-hearted sister.』

“…”

『That was why she loved Mother—no, Ithaca the most, but she also became the one who resented Ithaca the most after she abandoned us.』

However, Armand now knew that their mother had not abandoned them by choice. Due to Ithaca’s diminishing <Starlight> and the continuous attacks she had endured from <Stars>, her eventual defeat had been inevitable, so she had let her daughters go for their safety.

『I assume she’ll miss the family more than any of my sisters, so I believe I can reach her that way, eventually persuading her to join our side.』

Armand explained the situation.

Among Armand’s sisters, Dria was the one with the most fragile heart, so she had not wanted to see Dria getting hurt. That was why she had volunteered to persuade Dria, but she had failed. As a result, Chang-Sun and Dria had met face-to-face.

* * *

It had not been Chang-Sun’s initial plan to embrace Dria in his arms. With his resolve to retrieve everything left by Ithaca, he had been more than willing to get Dria out of the way if she continued to be an obstacle. However, he had undergone a change of heart after looking at Dria’s dolls and other toys. The...