‘She must have lived quite a difficult life.’

Juan remembered how close Gerard and Hela used to be back in the past. The Hennas were a wealthy family in a small kingdom in the eastern territory at the time, and they were almost as powerful as the king.

Juan had sent Gerard as a special envoy to the small kingdom to get them incorporated into the empire, and then Gerard unexpectedly became very intimate with the Henna family—especially with the youngest daughter of the Henna family.

It was unclear as to whether or not Hela Henna was aware of Gerard Gain’s intention to commit treason, but the assassination of the emperor happened before Gerard’s relationship with Hela became public. Although the Henna family didn’t seem to have been involved with the treason, Juan could tell that the Henna family had suffered from quite a backlash, considering that Hela was the one who became the duke, even when she was the last in line for the Henna family’s succession.

‘I didn’t think Hela was strong enough to survive in a harsh world like this.’

Juan figured that the storm brought about by Gerard Gain’s betrayal had made Hela into the woman she was now. Not only had the storm created a wasteland in the eastern territory, but it had also turned a cute innocent girl into a tough and hardened war veteran. Juan wondered whether Hayla, Hela’s mother, would have been proud or worried if she were to see Hela now. No—perhaps it was better that she didn’t see...