Chapter 58

“What are you thinking about, Vivi?”

“Ah.”

Vivi, who had been staring blankly at the food in front of her, belatedly came to her senses.

From the radio beside the table, the clear voice of an announcer echoed. The voice requested listeners to immediately report anyone suspected of being a spy. As soon as the announcement began, Alres quickly turned off the radio.

A heavy stillness settled over the abrupt silence. Vivi stared down at the warm meal in front of her, which might be her last.

Tomorrow, she and Alres would leave this place.

“Meow.”

The problem was that Irini’s residence had yet to be decided. The madame, who had said she would decide whether to take in Irini, had yet to give an answer.

Tomorrow was the day they were leaving. After dinner, Vivi resolved to take Irini and visit the madame.

“Vivi.”

Alres called her name.

“Yes.”

“It’s tomorrow. Are you ready?”

“……I’m not sure. As you know, I’m a coward.”

Vivi shrugged her shoulders and spoke indifferently. Alres put down the fork he was holding and quietly stared at her face.

“I knew it from the first time I saw you—your hair color. You changed it. It used to be silver, right?”

“Does it look strange?”

“Not at all. It looks like the color you were always meant to have.”

“I think so too. Honestly…… I never thought silver suited me.”

“Really? I thought it suited you perfectly.”

“My father used to say that.”

At the mention of her father, Vivi recalled his silver hair, the same as hers. Alres also paused at the mention of her father.

“……Did you ever resent your father?”

Alres asked cautiously.

This was the first time Vivi had brought up her past since meeting Alres. Until now, they had been too preoccupied with the Holy Kingdom, the government, and other pressing matters to have a relaxed conversation like this.

At Alres’s question, Vivi smiled faintly.

“I always do.”

“So do I.”

“But…… my father did his best.”

“I don’t blame your father.”

Irini, who had been under the table, climbed onto Vivi’s lap. Alres also looked at Irini as he spoke hesitantly.

“I was there when the first experiment succeeded.”

“……Did you witness its power with your own eyes?”

“Yes. It’s a weapon that should never see the light of day, Vivi.”

Alres raised his gaze to meet hers directly.

In the dark house, dimly lit by moonlight, only the color of Alres’s eyes stood out clearly. His eyes reflected the day, 14 years ago, when the first destructive weapon experiment succeeded.

Vivi hadn’t seen its power firsthand.

But she knew well what happened afterward.

Though the experiment succeeded, the expressions of the researchers returning to the lab that day were all the same. Like people who had opened Pandora’s box, their faces were pale and drained of life. It was the expression of someone who had experienced hell.

“The only advantage of that weapon is that it erases everything so quickly that there’s no time to feel pain or loneliness.”

Though all the researchers had that same expression, the person who stood out most to Vivi was her father.

Her father, who always maintained his composure, entered the lab with a face full of fear. He couldn’t calm his trembling body for a long time.

He didn’t eat. For days, he stayed up all night in his private lab, writing, researching, and erasing repeatedly. Whether he was trying to improve the destructive weapon or working on something else, Vivi didn’t know.

“That weapon must never be completed.”

Alres placed his hand over Vivi’s on the table.

“So, Vivi…….”

“…….”

“……Wait a moment.”

Alres’s expression suddenly changed. He withdrew his hand and cautiously peered out the window beyond the curtains. Someone was watching the house. Sensing the presence, Vivi froze like a statue.

Alres rose silently and carefully examined the scene outside the window. His face twisted as he bit his lip.

“……Damn it, someone’s here.”

“Could it be someone from the village…….”

“No, it doesn’t feel like that. It’s…… them. The agency.”

What?

Alres was certain.

“Damn it, how did they find us……! We have to run right now!”

Alres quickly packed a bag. Without even a moment to catch her breath, Vivi held Irini tightly. Alres tossed her a bag.

Her heart was pounding wildly. Alres acted skillfully, as if he was used to situations like this, but for Vivi, it was her first time.

……We’d been discovered.

Why? 

There could only be one reason why agents had come to this small village.

Someone had reported her as a spy. 

Was it Sampio, blinded by revenge after being struck by Costance? Or was it Costance himself?

“There are more than three of them. They’re armed…….”

Alres muttered in despair. The small house had no back door or place to hide.

Sweating nervously, Alres held his breath. The sound of footsteps grew closer.

“This won’t work. We’ll all be caught at this rate.”

But Alres didn’t give up. His eyes were resolute, like someone determined to face a great challenge. Vivi soon realized what Alres was planning and opened her mouth in shock.

Alres pressed a finger to his lips.

‘Hush, but…….’

After one last glance out the window, Alres looked straight into Vivi’s eyes.

“Vivi, escape no matter what.”

“Alres.”

“Run away and survive. You have to get to the Holy Kingdom. Understand, Little Miss?”

“…….”

“You have to.”

Alres didn’t give her a chance to respond. He stuffed the bowl from the table into his bag and slowly straightened his back.

“A-Alres…….”

“It was nice seeing you again, Little Miss.”

Alres forcibly pushed Vivi’s frozen body behind the wardrobe. As she grabbed his arm desperately, he shook her off.

‘Alres!’

Through the crack in the door, Vivi saw Alres grab the doorknob. She held Irini tightly in her arms.

Alres cracked the door open and quickly moved outside.

“There he is!”

“Get him!”

“He’s heading to 3 o’clock! Go after him!”

Bang! Bang!

The sharp sound of gunfire rang out. Covering her mouth with her hand, Vivi swallowed her sobs.

Bang!

Reality hit her, finally sinking in.

In an instant, she was surrounded.

Please…….

Bang!

……Alres.

〈That weapon must never be completed.〉

She remembered what Alres had said.

Vivi may have been a coward and a weak person, but…… she wasn’t a fool.

‘Alres isn’t dead.’

They wouldn’t kill someone like Alres, who could help develop the destructive weapon.

She had to escape. She had to leave this house immediately and get far away. She thought of the small path through the forest past the elm tree.

If she ran straight along that path, she would reach the next village.

On the map Alres had shown her, there was a small train station in that village. However, taking the train from a nearby village was risky.

Instead, she recalled the long river marked on the map. The small stream connected to a larger river to the west. There might be a small boat there.

The surroundings were quiet. 

Had the agents and Alres all left?

Creak.

“…….”

The sound of a door opening reached her ears.

“…….”

Someone shone a flashlight, illuminating the house. Vivi could feel Irini squirming in her arms.

‘Please…….’

She hoped Irini wouldn’t cry. Her chest felt like it would burst. Afraid even her breathing would give her away, she held her breath as much as possible. Clutching Irini tightly, she waited for time to pass.

“Damn it, he got away! He must have entered the forest at 3 o’clock! We’ll need more men. No one’s in the house, right?”

A man’s voice came from outside. The man inside the house swept his flashlight around before stopping in one spot.

“Looks like he was alone. There’s just one cat bowl and one person’s dish.”

“There, over there! Quickly, come here!”

The man hurriedly left.

Peering through the crack, Vivi cautiously stepped out. If she was going to escape, now was the time!

She crept out of the house and ran toward the elm tree, gasping for breath. In the dark of night, the madame’s house under the elm tree was brightly lit.

In front of it, she saw the madame with a burly man. He didn’t seem like her husband…… something about the atmosphere was off.

Hiding behind a nearby tree, Vivi made eye contact with a boy standing nearby.

“…….”

“…….”

The boy, startled, stared at her.

“Could you explain in more detail, madame?”

“It’s just as I said. Honestly, I was suspicious from the start. It’s rare for a young woman to come to such a small village alone.”

“Any other strange things?”

“I heard her say she was a spy. It seems that Sampio found out about it, and she bribed him to keep quiet. But after Sampio spent all the money, he blackmailed her again, and that’s when I overheard.”

“Did you hear anything else? Was there someone else involved?”

“I-I don’t know. It was too dark, and I was scared. As soon as I heard the word ‘spy,’ I ran straight home. Come to think of it, a tall man visited her recently…….”

Behind the tree, the conversation between the madame and the man could be heard. The boy, who had been organizing the situation in his head, stared intently at Irini, whom Vivi was holding.

“Wait, my son is missing.”

The madame’s urgent voice broke out.

At that moment, the boy pointed toward a side path. Naturally turning her head, Vivi saw the forest behind the well.

“Mom, I’m here!”

The boy ran in the opposite direction of where Vivi was heading.

“…….”

The boy had hidden her. Or perhaps, he had hidden Irini instead.

Hesitating for a moment, Vivi took advantage of the moment when the madame and the man turned their attention elsewhere and ran deeper into the forest.