"How could you still be healthy like this? I heard from the guards at your husband's pavilion that you were injured while helping Race and the crown prince," Mr. Marionet asked without any small talk, inquiring about Ivy's condition.

Gareta, standing next to Ivy as she sipped her tea, widened his eyes in surprise. He then looked at Ivy with an expression of astonishment he couldn't hide. Ivy calmly smiled and placed the glass she held back on the table.

"Race found the best healthcare expert for me here, Father," Ivy replied.

Mrs. Liana clenched her own hands and stared at Ivy sharply.
"Why didn't she die like the prophecy for Cheris? And what about my daughter?" Mrs. Liana mused to herself.

"So, Father and Mother are here for what purpose?" Ivy asked later.

"To visit you, of course. Since you got married, you never once visited us in the west. Have you forgotten about us, Ivy?" Mrs. Liana spoke with a friendly tone that greatly contrasted her current feelings.

Ivy looked at her mother and was slightly surprised by what her mother said.
"Is this true? Or is Mother pretending because of Gareta?" Ivy wondered to herself.

"Your mother is right. Have you been living comfortably here to the point of forgetting us?" Mr. Marionet chimed in.

Ivy shifted her gaze towards her father now. She then smiled and shook her head slowly.
"I haven't forgotten you in the slightest. I won't forget all the treatment I've received from you," Ivy concluded while staring at her parents.

After chatting a little longer with her parents, Ivy stood before the carriage carrying her parents from the West.
"Safe travels, Father, Mother. Take care on the journey," Ivy said while politely bowing her head.

"Yes, take care here as well. Remember to send us news often," Mrs. Liana said.

Ivy nodded softly in agreement. After getting into the carriage, her parents then indeed left the pavilion. After their departure, Ivy turned around and looked towards Gareta.

"Let's go inside!" Ivy invited.

Gareta nodded in agreement, and shortly after, they both walked into the pavilion. Once inside, Ivy stopped in her tracks, and Gareta also stopped.

"What's the matter, Miss Ivy?" Gareta asked.

"Is Race not here?" Ivy asked without looking at Gareta.

Gareta remained silent, not immediately answering his mistress's question. He was unsure how to respond now. He had even seen Miranda walking side by side and getting into the same carriage with Race earlier. The two seemed truly close, even exceeding the closeness between Race and Ivy.

Not getting a response from her servant, Ivy smiled wryly because she knew that Race had indeed left with Miranda earlier.

"Never mind, let's go to the back garden, Gareta! I want to breathe some fresh air," Ivy said, then walked off without waiting for Gareta's response.

In Race's pavilion, he was having a meal with Winter. They were discussing the relocation of their base camp and the ruby mine that Race's parents' employees were working on.

"The ruby stones are increasing in quantity. How can we sell such a large amount of mining output?" Winter asked while busy cutting meat.

"Just let it be for now! Won't that become a significant asset in the east?" Race responded.

"But, don't we also have to cover the mining expenses, Race? The mining output can't just be hoarded."

Race nodded in agreement with Winter's statement. He then appeared to be deep in thought while chewing his food. Not long after, Miranda came in with the wine Winter had ordered earlier.

"Isn't Miss Ivy the daughter of the Marionet family? They are ruby stone traders. In the west, ruby stones are highly sought after, and their prices are quite good. Couldn't Young Master Race utilize Miss Ivy?" Miranda interjected unexpectedly, surprising both Race and Winter.

Both of them looked at Miranda, with Winter furrowing his brows in confusion.
"What do you mean by 'utilize,' Miranda?" Winter asked.

Miranda glanced at Winter and then smiled. She opened the wine bottle and poured it into glasses for Race and Winter in turn.
"Young Master Race, could you please ask Miss Ivy to persuade her parents to source ruby stones from here? Wouldn't that be very profitable? Our side could negotiate a good price for this. And considering again that Young Master Race is a son-in-law of the Marionet family."

Winter stared at Miranda, slightly incredulous.
"How can a servant be this clever? Race has never been wrong in choosing trusted people," Winter thought, slightly impressed with Miranda.

Race himself remained silent, listening to Miranda's words. He had known for a while that Ivy's parents were ruby stone traders. However, Race had yet to consider involving Ivy in this business.

"Well, Young Master Race? Do you agree with me?" Miranda asked, breaking Race's reverie.

Race looked at Miranda now, and Winter cleared his throat, looking at Race to see how his cousin would respond.
"Should we involve Ivy?" Race asked.

"Why not? Turns out Ivy can be quite useful for us, Race," Winter stated.

Race looked at Winter and remained silent.
"Useful? Why does this word make me slightly uncomfortable?" Race couldn't help but express the thoughts swirling in his mind.
***
"Why was the prophecy wrong? Why is Ivy still alive? You said that day Ivy was supposed to die as the fortune teller predicted," Mr. Marionet said while looking at his wife.

"I've been wondering about that too. What's really happening here? If Ivy didn't die here, then what happened to our daughter?" Mrs. Liana spoke, unable to hide her worries.

"Could it be because Ivy is a descendant of witches and fortune tellers?" Mr. Marionet suggested.

Mrs. Liana stared at Mr. Marionet with wide eyes.
"That's not possible. Haven't you heard for yourself that the condition to break the curse was that the last descendant of witches and fortune tellers must be a girl? If Ivy doesn't fit that criteria, why would I bother taking care of her?" Mrs. Liana disagreed with her husband's statement.

"Then why is she still alive? You need to find out all of this."

"Yes, definitely."

Both of them fell silent, not speaking any further. Mrs. Liana herself was busy thinking about how she could find out why Ivy was still alive up to this point.
"I have to see that fortune teller again," she thought in a monologue.

Ivy's parents exchanged glances when the carriage they were in suddenly came to a stop.
"What's the matter, coachman?" Mr. Marionet asked.

Not long after, the carriage's door opened, and two guards appeared, greeting them. Shortly after that, Race and Winter walked towards the door.

"Good evening, Mr. Marionet, Mrs. Liana," Winter greeted politely.

"Good evening, Father, Mother. I apologize for stopping your carriage like this. I didn't have a chance to greet both of you earlier," Race added, bowing respectfully to his in-laws.

"Race?" Mr. Marionet and Mrs. Liana both uttered simultaneously.
***