Time Healer Ceres

But there was no way she could say something like that to little Julia.

“She’d probably be happy if she could spend money however she pleased.”

“So, if you spend lots of money, you’ll be happy?”

“Who knows? When you grow up and get to spend money however you want, you can tell your sister all about it.”

“Mhm.”

“Now go to sleep.”

Julia nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.

Ceres gently patted her for a while before turning toward the window. Tonight, the moonlight seemed especially bright.

Not long after, Julia drifted off without any fuss, her breathing soft and even. Ceres rose from her seat and stepped out of the room.

She carefully opened the nearby door and found Antonian fast asleep. Today’s training must have been particularly harsh. He was sleeping so deeply that he probably wouldn’t notice even if someone carried him away.

Should I get going now?

After making sure both of her younger siblings were asleep, Ceres left the manor. There was something she wanted to check while the streets were empty.

This is the place.

A rope had been stretched across the dark alleyway. It was there to stop people from approaching the spot where the body was found.

After briefly scanning her surroundings, Ceres stepped over the rope and entered the alley.

“A monster...”

No matter how many times she reconsidered it, she always arrived at the same conclusion. The victim was killed by the monster Shakera.

However, after coming to the scene herself, Ceres was puzzled.

Whenever a monster appeared, it always left traces behind. At the very least, there should’ve been scratches on the surrounding buildings.

“How strange.”

There was nothing. She already heard that much, but seeing it with her own eyes made it harder to believe. Not a single trace remained. Only the dried blood splattered across the ground proved that someone had died here.

“What happened?”

How did the victim die? From where did the monster appear? Why didn’t the alarm go off? And why did no one see the monster? Even a small one would normally leave the surrounding area to chaos.

That was why Ceres had come here tonight. She wanted to uncover the truth behind those questions.

“.....”

After carefully examining the area once more, Ceres placed her hand against the dried blood on the ground.

Fwoosh.

The air shifted violently from the spot where her hand touched. The dried blood vanished, and the traces scattered across the ground disappeared in an instant.

Faaash!

“—!”

Something suddenly surged upward around Ceres, surrounding her from all sides. When she recognized what it was, her eyes widened.

“This is...”

Black trees stretched high into the sky, completely blocking out the pale moonlight.

“The Black Forest...”

Standing within a darkness untouched by a sliver of light, Ceres could only stare silently at the sight before her.

***

“I have something I want to ask.”

At the sudden remark from Ceres, who had been lost in thought all day, Kainel looked up from the documents in his hands.

“Can a Black Forest appear on a scale smaller than this room?”

“What?”

“Not the kind that swallows up a village or a city. I mean really small. Small enough to trap just one person. Do Black Forests appear like that these days?”

“These days? What are you, someone from 300 years ago?”

“That’s not the important part right now.”

“.....”

It’s pretty important to me.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Kainel swallowed the words back down and set aside the papers he had been reading.

“Explain it a little more. What do you mean by a small Black Forest?”

“I’m talking about the body they found this time. It would explain things.”

“The one attacked by Shakera?”

“Yes. If a Black Forest small enough to trap one person appeared, then a corpse like that makes sense.”

A Black Forest disappeared once all the monsters inside were wiped out, or when the core at its center—in other words, the boss—was killed.

There was also one more condition.

If everyone inside dies...

If no living being remained inside aside from the monsters, the Black Forest would disappear as well. The Black Forest Ceres saw yesterday was barely large enough to trap one person.

If the victim had been trapped in there and the Black Forest vanished after he died...

Then everything would make sense.

The problem was that during her life as Grace, she had never once seen a Black Forest like that.

Could Black Forests now appear in different forms after 300 years had passed?

“That’s an interesting theory.”

“So, you’re saying cases like that don’t exist?”

“Not that I know of.”

“I’ve heard you’ve been cooped up in the Grand Duchy like a dead man for ages. Maybe that’s why you don’t know.”

“Couldn’t you phrase that a bit more nicely?”

“Since you’ve been tucked away in the Grand Duchy as if deceased, maybe that’s why you don’t know.”

“There are plenty of people who bring me information from outside.”

“......”

So, what she saw yesterday really wasn’t normal.

Then what exactly was that?

What was the thing she saw? How could something like that appear? Was it some kind of mutation?

Part of her felt like she should tell someone immediately, but...

What if I did?

Would anyone even believe her?

I wouldn’t believe it either.

If some young noble lady suddenly ran up spouting nonsense like that, most people would think she had lost her mind.

I’m the problem here.

This damned curiosity really was the issue. Why couldn’t she have just left it as a passing curiosity? Why did she have to go there by herself and check?

“Ignorance really is bliss.”

Ceres abruptly rose from the seat by the window.

“I’m off work.”

“Off work?”

“Yeah.”

She waved casually at Kainel and headed straight for the door.

“I already prepared dinner, so don’t forget to eat.”

“What’s gotten into you?”

“I need to go somewhere.”

“Where?”

“To see Cheion.”

“...Cheion?”

Kainel’s brow twitched. He even removed his glasses before shooting her with a displeased look.

“It’s not time to leave work yet.”

“I told you, dinner’s already prepared.”

“I said it’s not time to leave yet.”

“So what?”

There was nothing left for her to do. Hasn’t he seen her idling by the window this whole time? Why waste more time here? People should live efficiently.

But Kainel remained stubborn.

“Don’t go.”

“What?”

“Stay here.”

“Stay for what? There’s nothing for me to do.”

“Staying beside me is your job.”

“...Hey.”

Ceres could only stare at him in disbelief as he picked his documents back up, looking like he had no intention of continuing the conversation.

***

“Who?”

“Miss Ceres is here to see yo—”

Cheion shot to his feet before the secretary could finish speaking and hurried straight for the door.

“No, I was going to escort her insi—”

Luca tried to continue, but Cheion was faster.

Bang!

“...Ceres.”

It really was Ceres standing outside the door. When she saw him, she casually lifted her hand.

“Long time no see.”

Cheion nodded.

“Are you busy?”

He shook his head.

Ceres tilted her head to the side. Did he forget how to talk while she was gone?

“Can I come in?”

“...Yeah.”

Only then did Cheion finally answer.

“It’s been a while.”

Ceres chuckled at the belated greeting. Why was he acting so sentimental? Anyone watching would think they were family reuniting after years apart.

“Did someone come by?”

At that moment, an unfamiliar voice called out from behind Cheion. Ceres turned toward the sound, her eyes widening slightly.

“Huh?”

The other man’s eyes widened as well, his mouth falling open.

“You’re the one from the shop, right?”

A bright smile spread across his face.

He was the customer who had visited the stew shop shortly before midnight the other day.

“What? Do you two know each other?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Cheion looked just as surprised.

“When I first arrived in the capital, I was starving and couldn’t go straight to the Imperial Palace. So I stopped by a nearby shop instead...”

“Could it be...”

“Yes. It was her family’s shop. It was too late for food, but she served me a very precious tea instead. I was grateful.”

Cheion’s gaze moved back and forth between the two with fascination. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly introduced the man beside him to Ceres.

“This is my younger brother, Alex.”

“Younger brother?”

If he was Cheion’s younger brother, then that meant he was a prince.

Ceres’s eyes widened even further. Why had a prince been wandering the streets looking half-dead like that?

She stared at him in bewilderment.

So I really was being nosy.

If she had actually told him to visit House Ellesia that day, it would’ve been very humiliating. If he was a prince, then he must already have met every famous healer in existence.

“And this is my friend, Ceres.”

“You two are friends?”

Prince Alex looked thoroughly amazed by the coincidence.

“I’m Alex. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Likewise. I’m glad to see you alive.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!