Chapter Summaries

Cui Ciyou balanced patrols in Buena Village with trips to Roa City, where he tutored Alice and trained with Ghislaine. After discovering Sylphy secretly following him, he invited her along, and she became his devoted companion, growing increasingly attached through his kindness and gifts.

• Cui Ciyou and Paul divided village duties, with Cui Ciyou handling routine patrols and returning to Roa every three days to honor his agreement with Alice.
• Cui Ciyou tutored Alice and sparred with Ghislaine in Roa, steadily improving his swordsmanship.
• Cui Ciyou caught Sylphy hiding behind a tree and learned that she had been following him because she wanted to play with him.
• Cui Ciyou invited Sylphy to join his patrols, and she began waiting outside his home each morning and riding with him.
• Cui Ciyou brought Sylphy sweets, clothes, and toys when he returned from Roa, deepening her dependence on him.

Cui Ciyou worried that Sylphy’s growing dependence on him would keep her timid, so he decided to help her become confident by building her strength. He began to change how he comforted her, but Sylphy had not yet responded to his question about waiting for him.

• Sylphy grew more comfortable walking around Buena Village after Cui Ciyou stopped the children from bullying her, though she still had no friends and waited for him.
• Cui Ciyou returned from Roa City and found Sylphy waiting for him at the village entrance.
• Cui Ciyou wondered whether his protection was making Sylphy too dependent and feared she would lose confidence if he left.
• Cui Ciyou decided to help Sylphy gain strength so she could stand on her own.
• Cui Ciyou patted Sylphy’s head and asked whether waiting for him was tiring, and Sylphy vigorously shook her head.

Cui Ciyou encouraged Sylphy to seek strength and persuaded her to study magic under a skilled teacher. Sylphy agreed, then shyly asked if she could also learn swordsmanship.

• Cui Ciyou asked Sylphy whether she wanted to become strong enough to protect herself and shape her own destiny.
• Sylphy recalled the villagers' cruelty and how Cui Ciyou had protected her, then resolved to become stronger.
• Cui Ciyou offered to take Sylphy to a talented mage who could teach her magic, and she agreed.
• Sylphy asked Cui Ciyou if she could learn a little swordsmanship too, surprising him.

After Sylphy asked to learn swordsmanship, Cui Ciyou agreed to teach her the basics but insisted that magic remain her main pursuit. He brought her to Roxy, who accepted Sylphy as her pupil and began their teacher-student relationship.

• Sylphy asked Cui Ciyou to teach her swordsmanship, inspired by seeing him fight.
• Cui Ciyou agreed to teach Sylphy basic swordsmanship while stressing that her magical talent should remain her focus.
• Cui Ciyou brought Sylphy to the Greyrat home and asked Roxy to teach her magic.
• Roxy accepted Sylphy as her pupil, and the two introduced themselves and clasped hands.

Roxy taught Sylphy and Rudeus intermediate water magic, while Cui Ciyou quietly helped Sylphy understand the lessons and encouraged her to keep practicing. After the lesson, he reassured Sylphy that she could become a powerful mage as they walked home.

• Cui Ciyou brought Sylphy to Roxy's lesson, and Zenith brought Rudeus along; Roxy reviewed magic theory and taught them how to cast Water Bullet.
• Rudeus quickly grasped Roxy's explanations, while Sylphy struggled with magic theory and relied on Cui Ciyou's discreet mental assistance.
• Roxy asked Cui Ciyou about his unusual power, and he credited her teaching while describing it as a way to help Sylphy focus.
• After Sylphy failed several Water Bullet attempts, Roxy encouraged her, and Cui Ciyou promised her candy if she mastered the spell within a week.
• During the break, Sylphy offered Cui Ciyou a berry biscuit first, while Roxy discussed both pupils' progress with him.
• Cui Ciyou walked Sylphy home and reassured her that she could become as powerful as Roxy or even stronger.

Cui Ciyou returned to Buena Village and found the Greyrat household reeling after Lilia revealed that she was pregnant with Paul's child. As Zenith confronted Lilia and Paul, Cui Ciyou questioned the unfairness of making Lilia bear the consequences and considered how to address the situation.

• Cui Ciyou arrived at the Greyrat home and sensed that the silent, distressed family had faced a crisis.
• Zenith told Cui Ciyou that Lilia was pregnant with Paul's child.
• Lilia said she planned to leave after helping Zenith give birth and raise the child in her hometown.
• Zenith questioned how Lilia could manage the journey after giving birth, and Lilia replied that she had nowhere else to go.
• Paul tried to speak up, but Zenith ordered him to shut his mouth.
• Cui Ciyou reflected that the original story's apparent resolution had been unfair to Zenith, Lilia, and Aisha.

Lilia recalled how an injury ended her career as a Palace Guard Maid, drove her from the Asla Kingdom, and led her to take a maid's position in Paul Greyrat's home. There, loneliness and memories of Paul's past crime against her grew unbearable, and she finally went to his bedroom while Zenith was pregnant.

• Lilia served as a Palace Guard Maid until an assassin wounded her with poison, leaving her with a limp and ending her life as a swordsman.
• The palace dismissed Lilia, and she fled the Royal Capital to avoid becoming a target in the unresolved conspiracy against the newborn princess.
• Lilia traveled to the Fitoia Territory and accepted a maid's position after finding a job posting under Paul Greyrat's name.
• Lilia remembered that Paul had once been her fellow dojo student before he committed a crime against her and fled nearly seven years earlier.
• Paul employed Lilia, and she grew close to his wife, Zenith, while struggling with loneliness and resentment in their home.
• When Zenith was pregnant and Paul was lonely, Lilia knocked on Paul's bedroom door.

Cui Ciyou offered to employ and protect Lilia and her unborn child, giving Zenith and Lilia the freedom to choose their next steps. Zenith sent Lilia away, Lilia accepted Cui Ciyou’s offer, and Rudeus watched the exchange while wondering whether he wanted to be saved too.

• Cui Ciyou told Zenith that Paul shared responsibility for the affair and offered Lilia a job, support, and protection for her child.
• Zenith chose to expel Lilia from the Greyrat household while allowing Paul to spend time with his child.
• Lilia agreed to become Cui Ciyou’s maid but asked to remain with Zenith until she gave birth, and Cui Ciyou accepted.
• Cui Ciyou asked Paul to make his choice, and Paul avoided answering directly while privately prioritizing Zenith and Rudeus.
• Rudeus admired Cui Ciyou’s actions and wondered whether he also wanted to be saved.

Zenith thanked Cui Ciyou for letting her choose for herself, then withdrew to rest after Paul’s affair came to light. Cui Ciyou arranged support for the pregnant Lilia, who accepted his help and remained determined to address him as Lord Ciyou.

• Zenith hugged Cui Ciyou and broke down in tears, thanking him for leaving the choice in her hands.
• Paul told Cui Ciyou to let go of Zenith, but Zenith snapped at Paul to shut his mouth.
• Zenith told everyone to rest and went to her room upstairs, while Paul looked to Cui Ciyou with complicated gratitude.
• Cui Ciyou told Lilia he would find her a place to live, provide her wages, and help her care for her pregnancy.
• Cui Ciyou gave Lilia money and told her to call him Ciyou, but she thanked him as Lord Ciyou.
• Cui Ciyou left Lilia alone to rest and went away with Roxy.

Cui Ciyou reaffirmed that he would employ Lilia and support her unborn child, Aisha, despite Roxy's worries about the consequences for his reputation. As he reflected on the futures he had changed, he resolved to grow strong enough to protect everything he cared about.

• Cui Ciyou and Roxy left Lilia alone after hearing her stifled sobs.
• Roxy questioned Cui Ciyou's decision to employ Lilia and raise her child, warning that it could damage his reputation and future.
• Cui Ciyou insisted that helping Lilia and her unborn child mattered more than others' judgments, and Roxy accepted his decision.
• Roxy praised Cui Ciyou as dependable, and the two settled down for the night.
• Cui Ciyou reflected on how his actions had changed Lilia and Aisha's fate and resolved to gain the power to protect what mattered to him.

Cui Ciyou moved out of the Greyrat home with Lilia and Roxy after the household’s painful confrontation, finding them a nearby house in Buena Village. As they left, Paul thanked Cui Ciyou for protecting Lilia and her child and for preventing the family crisis from worsening.

• Cui Ciyou told Paul and Zenith that he, Lilia, and Roxy would move out, while arranging for Lilia to continue helping Zenith without staying overnight.
• Cui Ciyou found and bought a small wooden house in Buena Village’s Eastern District.
• Cui Ciyou, Lilia, and Roxy packed their few belongings and prepared to leave the Greyrat home.
• Paul stopped Cui Ciyou and admitted he had wronged Zenith, Lilia, and Rudeus, saying he had been afraid and unsure what to do.
• Paul tearfully thanked Cui Ciyou for saving Lilia and her child, and for saving him from lifelong regret.

After hearing Paul’s remorse, Cui Ciyou left without judging or comforting him and brought Roxy and Lilia to their new home. Lilia, relieved that she and her unborn child were safe, resolved to let the child choose their own future.

• Cui Ciyou listened to Paul’s apology and gratitude, then nodded and left with Roxy and Lilia.
• Cui Ciyou assigned Roxy and Lilia separate rooms in the newly purchased house.
• Lilia entered her room and reflected on Cui Ciyou’s kindness in taking responsibility for her and her unborn child.
• Lilia considered dedicating the child to serving Cui Ciyou, then remembered his wish for everyone to make their own choices.
• Lilia decided to let her child choose their own life.

Zenith reflected on her faith in Millis, her love for Paul, and the pain of his betrayal with Lilia. Cui Ciyou’s plan to employ Lilia and provide a safe home eased Zenith’s impossible choice, leaving her grateful that he had saved her as well.

• Zenith recalled leaving her noble family to become an adventurer and meeting Paul in the Black Wolf's Fang.
• Zenith and Paul married after he vowed to follow the teachings of Millis, and they welcomed Rudeus and later Norn.
• Zenith learned that Paul had been unfaithful with Lilia and struggled to reconcile her faith with her compassion for Lilia and her unborn child.
• Cui Ciyou offered to employ Lilia and provide her and her child with a safe home.
• Zenith realized Cui Ciyou had freed her from an agonizing choice and silently thanked him.

Cui Ciyou divided his days between training Alice and studying swordsmanship in Roa, and researching magic and teaching Sylphy in Buena Village. As Lilia’s pregnancy advanced, she continued her household duties and teased Cui Ciyou with increasingly attentive maid service.

• Cui Ciyou regularly traveled to Roa to teach Alice, whose reading improved while her swordsmanship advanced under Ghislaine’s instruction.
• Ghislaine trained Cui Ciyou in the Sword God Style, and he quickly learned its techniques, though she said Saint-level methods were beyond what she could teach.
• Paul took over the village’s Auxiliary Defense Knight duties, allowing Cui Ciyou more time to study magic with Roxy and teach Sylphy.
• Cui Ciyou researched teleportation magic with Roxy, while Roxy remained unwilling to discuss healing magic because he had once cut his arm to study it.
• Lilia continued doing housework despite her growing pregnancy and insisted on caring for Cui Ciyou, seeming amused whenever her attentions flustered him.

Cui Ciyou helped Paul find assistance when Zenith went into labor, and Paul welcomed his daughter, Norn Greyrat. The celebration ended abruptly when Lilia unexpectedly went into labor too.

• Paul rushed to Cui Ciyou for help when Zenith began giving birth, and Cui Ciyou sent Lilia to Paul's house while he went to find the village midwife.
• Roxy accompanied Paul and Lilia, while Cui Ciyou brought the midwife to Paul's home.
• The midwife led the delivery, and Zenith gave birth to a healthy girl.
• Paul named his daughter Norn Greyrat and proudly showed her to Cui Ciyou.
• Lilia suddenly went into labor ahead of her due date, and Paul nearly dropped Norn in alarm.

Lilia went into premature labor after helping Zenith deliver, and with Roxy and the midwife’s help, she safely gave birth to a daughter. Lilia asked Cui Ciyou to name the baby, and he called her Aisha as dawn broke.

• Cui Ciyou recognized Lilia’s premature labor and arranged for her to deliver in Paul’s guest room.
• Roxy used Healing Magic while the midwife guided Lilia through the dangerous delivery, and Cui Ciyou watched over them with Perception.
• Lilia gave birth to a red-haired girl, and the midwife announced that both mother and daughter were safe.
• Lilia asked Cui Ciyou to name her daughter, and he named her Aisha.
• Paul watched silently as Lilia held Aisha, while Roxy and Cui Ciyou shared in the relief of the safe birth.

During Roxy’s winter magic lesson, Rudeus showed off his Wind Blade while Sylphy struggled until Cui Ciyou secretly guided her magic. During the break, Rudeus asked Roxy about love, and she described her ideal romance as being rescued from a dangerous labyrinth by a tall, masculine young man with a boyish face.

• Rudeus quickly learned Wind Blade and cut through the target branch, earning Roxy’s measured praise.
• Sylphy struggled to shape a wind blade, so Cui Ciyou subtly guided her magic until she produced one.
• During the break, Rudeus asked Roxy whether she had ever liked a boy, and she recounted falling for a countryman before he got together with another woman.
• Rudeus asked what kind of person Roxy liked, and she imagined a tall, masculine young man with a boyish face rescuing her from a monster-filled labyrinth.

Roxy realized her imagined ideal romance had been replaced by her feelings for Ciyou, then nervously described her preferred man in terms that pointed unmistakably to him. Rudeus was devastated, Roxy ordered everyone back to practice, and Ciyou quietly understood her answer with amusement and tenderness.

• Roxy recalled Ciyou’s kindness, courage, and shared moments, realizing he had replaced the boy from her romantic fantasies.
• Roxy blushed and admitted she preferred a tall, baby-faced swordsman who could make desserts.
• Rudeus recognized that Roxy had described Ciyou and sank into despair and jealousy.
• Sylphy asked whether Ciyou could make desserts, prompting Roxy to end the break and resume Wind Blade Technique practice.
• Ciyou overheard Roxy’s answer and privately accepted her assessment, wondering whether seeking romance in a labyrinth was a mistake.

Over two years, Rudeus and Sylphy made remarkable progress in magic, while Cui Ciyou trained with Ghislaine and helped Sylphy develop swordsmanship. On the eve of Rudeus’s eighth birthday, Roxy prepared his Saint-level magic graduation exam, but Rudeus resisted leaving home to take it.

• Lilia settled into her role caring for Cui Ciyou, while Aisha grew into a lively child attached to him.
• Rudeus mastered advanced attack magic in all four elements and learned to cast nearly every spell silently.
• Sylphy advanced in magic and swordsmanship, developing battle aura and mastering silent-cast intermediate healing magic.
• Cui Ciyou continued teaching Alice and sparring with Ghislaine, refining his combat skills.
• Roxy scheduled Rudeus’s graduation exam: casting a Saint-level spell on an open plain outside Buena Village.
• Rudeus pleaded to take the exam in the clearing behind the house, but Roxy refused, leaving him dejected.

Rudeus resisted leaving the village because he feared facing an unfamiliar world, until Cui Ciyou confronted him about the cowardice rooted in his past life. Rudeus found the resolve to leave and explore, and agreed to go with Cui Ciyou.

• Roxy realized Rudeus had barely left the Greyrat family home and suspected he was afraid of riding horses.
• Cui Ciyou prevented Roxy from forcing Rudeus onto a horse and lifted Rudeus onto Gale himself.
• Cui Ciyou challenged Rudeus to face his fear and reminded him of his magical abilities and new life.
• Rudeus recalled his failures in his previous life and recognized that he feared becoming that person again.
• Rudeus regained his confidence, agreed to leave, and resolved to explore the world.