Chapter 61

Costance Orsi accidentally knocked over the water bottle on his desk.  

“Young Master?”  

The maid in the hallway, startled by the unusual noise coming from the room, called out.  

“Young Master, are you alright? Young Master?”  

The maid knocked on the door.  

“I’m fine…”  

Contrary to the maid’s concern, Costance was not in his right mind. He kept his gaze fixed on the documents, not even sparing a glance at the water spilled on the floor.  

Costance recalled the words Vivi had spoken, one by one. His gray eyes trembled uneasily.  

A perfect memory.  

The Vivi in Costance’s memories was a lovable woman with an extraordinary ability to memorize. She remembered the location of every book in the library and could recall the prices on a menu after seeing them only once.  

‘Could she really be…?’  

Costance was now so afraid that he hesitated even to turn the pages of the documents.  

〈Costance.〉  

He thought of Vivi, who would be alone. Costance couldn’t even begin to imagine how much she must be struggling on her own.  

If Vivi Ferren was truly Benny Galinne, what crime could Benny Galinne have committed? She hadn’t killed anyone, nor had she stolen anything.  

The sympathy Costance had felt for Benny Galinne now turned into deep pity. He reread Benny Galinne’s information as if he were reading Vivi’s letter. Even as dawn broke, the light in Costance’s room remained on.  

* * *  

A small cry escaped Irini’s mouth as the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon.  

After traveling all night, the girl arrived at a village with a small stream running through it.  

The village was still quiet, with not a single person in sight. The air was heavy with the stillness that comes before morning. Despite the silence, it was evident that this village was much larger than the one she had left behind. The number of buildings alone made that clear.  

She stopped moving for the first time in hours, and her legs trembled violently. Even Irini, nestled in her arms, looked exhausted from the constant travel. Her little face was sulky, reflecting her fatigue.  

But there was no time to rest.  

She knew the agency’s people could catch up to her at any moment. And once the sun rose, the villagers would wake and begin to fill the streets.  

After giving Irini a small sip of water, she scanned the surroundings. By the lake connected to the stream, she spotted a communal sailboat, likely used by the villagers.  

Without hesitation, she hurried toward the sailboat. She placed her bag and Irini onto the boat first and then began untying the rope that secured it to the dock.  

Irini let out a small cry as she watched the girl struggle with the heavy rope.  

“I’m coming too. Don’t worry, Irini.”

She murmured, her voice trembling.  

She wouldn’t leave Irini behind.  

Even as she worked frantically, her eyes darted toward the village. The sound of a rooster crowing echoed faintly, signaling the arrival of morning. The sun was beginning to rise beyond the rooftops.  

Finally, after a long struggle, the rope came loose. She climbed onto the sailboat and immediately began rowing with all her strength.  

Her destination was the southern village. According to the route Alres had drawn for her, she needed to first head east to another village. From there, she would take another mode of transportation to reach the southern village and eventually the Papal States.  

But the problem was that the agency had already discovered her location.  

There was a high chance that the agency’s people would be monitoring the train station in that eastern village. She couldn’t risk taking the train. Her only option was to travel down to the lower village on foot.  

However, the lake didn’t connect directly to the lower village. She would have to disembark midway and either cross a mountain or cut through a forest.  

‘Will I really be able to make it without getting caught?’  

Her legs were slow, and her stamina was limited. On the other hand, the agency’s people were fast, strong, and sharp-minded. If Alres were here with his expertise, maybe she would have a chance. But she wasn’t sure if she could evade them on her own.  

Even as she rowed, her mind wandered to what might happen if she were caught. 

What would I say? What would I do?  

The boat, picking up speed, moved away from the village and into the open lake. All around her were trees and dry fields, their crops withering from lack of water.  

In the distance, the roof of an old church came into view, its surface covered in moss.  

The silence was almost oppressive. 

She let go of the oars for a moment and rummaged through her bag for food. She tore off a piece of bread for herself and handed some cat food to Irini.  

“Meow.”  

Irini didn’t eat the food but instead looked up at her.  

At that gaze, the girl’s tears began to fall.  

The quiet air seemed to amplify the sound of her sobs. Her entire body ached from head to toe.  

Although she hadn’t touched the water, her clothes were drenched with sweat. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her hands were filthy from handling the wooden oars.  

What should I do now? What could I do?  

‘Alres…’  

Above all, the thought of leaving Alres behind tore her apart. He had sacrificed himself for her. Thinking about him, imprisoned and suffering, made her heart feel as though it were being ripped into pieces.  

Even if she somehow made it to the Papal States, there was no way to rescue him.  

It was an eternal farewell, despite their short time together.  

The thought of Alres, enduring torture and misery, made her want to jump into the water right then and there. Her will to live was slipping away.  

“……Hic.”  

Irini approached her and licked her ankle.  

One by one, the faces of the people she loved came to mind.  

Tiago, Sien, Rene, Alres, and her father.  

〈Vivi. I love you.〉  

And finally, Costance Orsi.  

As she thought of Costance, who might be happy somewhere, she picked up the oars again and began rowing once more.  

* * *  

Costance stayed up all night.  

With a tired and darkened expression, he climbed into the car that had come to pick him up.  

The stack of documents he carried bore the marks of having been reviewed repeatedly throughout the night.  

The car moved smoothly and eventually stopped in front of the gateway leading to the agency. Costance’s gaze shifted to the building in the distance.  

The Toramde military symbolized strength, while the Toramde agency symbolized information. True to its reputation, the agency was composed of massive hexagonal buildings, surrounded by vast, imposing grounds.  

Even the road leading to the agency was wide. Surveillance cameras and warning signs scattered throughout the area made it clear how strict the security was.  

The dry land, marked with tire tracks, stretched endlessly, with no villages in sight.  

To enter the agency, the car had to pass through five separate checkpoints.  

Finally, after the seemingly endless inspections, Costance arrived at the agency and was greeted by one of its personnel.  

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Captain Orsi. I’m James, part of the agency’s special team. I’ll be working under you.”  

Costance replied curtly, introducing himself.  

Without wasting time, Costance headed into the agency.  

Although he appeared composed on the outside, his mind was racing. He needed to learn everything there was to know about Benny Galinne immediately.  

“The special room is on the third floor.” 

James said, following behind him.  

“I heard the person who fled with Benny Galinne has been caught.”

Costance said in a dry tone.  

“Ah, you’ve heard? Initially, we didn’t realize it was Benny Galinne. We were responding to a report about a spy. Among those captured was Alres von Derix, a former researcher of the NOK One project. However, the person who reported the spy wasn’t referring to Alres. It was a young woman living alone in the village.”  

Costance stopped in his tracks at the unfamiliar information.  

Sensing his reaction, James continued, opening his mouth to explain further.  

“Her name is Vivi Ferren. According to her identification, she’s a 24-year-old civil servant who worked in Canary Village. Come to think of it… Captain, weren’t you stationed in Canary Village as well?”  

“…….”  

“Captain?”  

James called out to Costance, whose face had turned pale.  

“Captain? Are you alright?”  

A ringing noise filled Costance’s ears.  

Benny Galinne… was Vivi Ferren.  

It felt as if he had been struck. Strength drained from his entire body, and his vision blurred.  

His legs went numb, leaving him with nothing but the tingling sensation in his feet.  

“Captain.”  

Costance turned to look at James.  

He could no longer deny it.  

The certainty that Benny Galinne was Vivi Ferren was now etched into his mind.  

‘Where is Vivi right now?’  

Costance’s mouth went dry.  

The fact that the agency had called him here, knowing Vivi Ferren was Benny Galinne, meant they had only just begun their investigation into her.  

“So… do you know where Vivi Ferren is right now?”  

Costance finally asked.  

He desperately wanted to speak with Vivi.  

An honest, unguarded conversation.