“Alter…?”

Selina’s pupils trembled violently.

Alter was not a common name, but neither was it so strange as to feel unreal. Slowly, she studied the children standing before her.

Alter had deep chestnut hair and eyes tinged with green. None of the siblings shared those exact features.

But—

Their eyes.

The gentle, downturned eyes—soft, almost puppy-like—were unmistakable. They had always been Alter’s most defining feature. And both children possessed that same softness in their gaze.

Only then did Alter’s image begin to surface in their faces.

“I see.”

Selina murmured.

In a sudden impulse, she pulled the siblings into a tight embrace.

The children—so much smaller that they fit easily into her slight arms—twisted awkwardly, clearly unaccustomed to such sudden affection.

“I know Alter well. He was the bravest and strongest knight in all of Thalia.”

“Y-you already said that…”

The boy muttered, sounding embarrassed by the situation.

“Do you know where Alter is now? If I meet him myself, I’ll tell him that you’re here.”

“B-big brother is…” the boy hesitated.

“He’s in Murkin Village!” the younger sister answered quickly, thankfully knowing where Alter was.

“Murkin Village…”

Selina recalled the map of Thalia she had studied late into the night. Murkin Village was a small settlement nearby—unwalled, unfortified. It was said to have once been used as a refuge by criminals on the run.

A dangerous place—but perhaps for that very reason, one that could go unnoticed in the chaos of war.

“I’ll go meet your brother myself. Until then—”

Selina abruptly stood and walked over to the bed. Reaching underneath, she dragged out Lucas, who had been hiding there.

“Until then, this uncle will take care of you.”

“W-what?!”

Lucas blurted out in disbelief, the sound slipping from him before he could stop it. Being dragged out from under the bed was humiliating enough—now she expected him to take care of a pair of children he had never seen before?

“I refuse! Why should I?”

“I’ll give you something you like.”

Selina reached into her bundle and placed a single gleaming ornament into Lucas’s hand. Even in the darkness, the earring shimmered with a vivid blue light—valuable at a glance.

“Please. Take good care of the children.”

Her hand trembled slightly as she passed it to him.

In that moment, Lucas found himself wondering who these children were—and just who this Alter was, for Selina to offer something so precious without hesitation.

“…All right. I suppose I have no choice.”

In the end, he accepted her request.

It wasn’t because of the earring. It was simply because Selina’s face had gone so pale and rigid that he couldn’t bear it—and because he didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about.

“Thank you.”

Selina smiled brightly as she expressed her gratitude. If it hadn’t been Lucas, she could never have trusted anyone with Alter’s siblings.

With her heart noticeably lighter, she began preparing to leave. She was already dressed in clothes suitable for movement, so there was no need to change. Still, she would need to conceal herself—she should take a robe.

As she hurried about, Lucas spoke, lips jutting out in a sulk.

“And after dumping the kids on me, where exactly are you planning to go, my lady?”

“Oh. I promised them, so I’m going to Murkin Village to find Alter.”

“At this hour?”

“I’m searching for a person. It’s better to hurry than risk missing him by crossing paths.”

At her words, smiles spread across the siblings’ faces.

Lucas’s reaction, however, was the complete opposite.

“You do realize I’ve just done something rather significant for you, don’t you? This time, I’d at least like to be treated to a meal. That’s why I came all this way in the first place.”

“Yes. I have received a great deal of help from you. Once this matter is over, I’ll treat you to a proper meal.”

Selina smiled gently as she made the promise.

In truth, she owed Lucas far more than that. The antidote he had brewed for her—while evading the marquis’s eyes—was reason enough. He had never asked a single question, but surely he had noticed. The very act of secretly preparing an antidote was a risk he had willingly taken upon himself.

“…Very well. Then I’ll look forward to that meal later.”

His expression finally eased, but he soon added in a worried tone.

“Going alone is dangerous. Please return before dawn, if you can.”

“All right. Don’t worry about me. If I’m not back by daybreak, make up an excuse for me.”

“Wow. I feel like you always leave the hardest tasks to me.”

“That’s because I trust you.”

She gave his shoulder a light pat.

“Y-you’ll really bring my brother back?”

At the promise of Alter’s return, the boy’s attitude noticeably softened. He glanced at Selina cautiously, as though trying to judge whether he could truly believe her words.

“Yes. I’ll do everything I can.”

She intended to search for Alter with everything she had—clinging to him as the final lifeline that might lead her to Calix.

“So until then, trust this uncle and listen to him.”

After ruffling each of the children’s heads, Selina stepped outside.

Once she pulled on her robe, distant clamor reached her ears. It sounded as though a victory celebration was in full swing.

‘Everyone must be drunk and distracted. That works in my favor.’

If things went well, she might be able to come and go without anyone noticing.

She pulled her robe tighter and headed toward where the horses were tethered—

“You said you were going to rest.”

The voice belonged to the very man she had hoped never to encounter.

‘…So I couldn’t avoid Callios’s watch after all.’

He was like a shadow that followed Selina day and night. Still, she had hoped that on a night as loud and chaotic as this, she might slip past his surveillance. It seemed that hope had been nothing but wishful thinking.

“I heard a suspicious rumor, so I was planning to go out on reconnaissance.”

Selina replied, maintaining an air of composure.

“At this late hour?”

Callios asked in a flat, even tone. She almost wished he would speak with irritation instead. His constant calm only made her more uneasy.

“I heard that remnants of Thalia escaped. The later it gets, the harder it’ll be to catch up to them.”

“Are you going alone?”

“There’s no need to draw attention by bringing too many people along. Everyone’s busy celebrating the victory anyway.”

She did her best to sound casual as she turned the question back on him.

“Are you not attending the party, Sir Callios?”

“No.”

The curt reply—no different from usual—left her with nothing more to say. He truly was a difficult man to deal with.

Letting out a light sigh, Selina made a suggestion she knew would likely be ignored.

“Why don’t you enjoy the party as well? Once today is over, it’ll be nothing but tedious battles again.”

She added deliberately, adopting a slightly ominous expression.

“There are plenty of monsters around here too. It might even be harder than facing the enemy.”

“I see.”

It seemed monsters held no fear for someone who had crawled through underground labyrinths.

“I’ll accompany you.”

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he picked up his weapon and took his place beside her.

“…I feel bad, dragging someone who was about to rest.”

“It’s fine.”

She had spoken without sincerity, but as expected, it didn’t work on him.

‘There’s no helping it. I’ll shake him off by changing direction on the way to the village.’

She quickly realized that losing Callios immediately was impossible. So Selina called Murkin Village to mind.

Murkin Village lay about three hours away on horseback. True to its origins as a settlement once inhabited by criminals, the surrounding terrain was notoriously treacherous.

Near the village stood a forest thick with towering trees—so tall and dense that they were said to blot out the sky entirely.

‘If it’s a place like that… I should be able to lose Callios.’

After finishing her calculations, Selina mounted her horse.

“Then let’s go.”

While the imperial army reveled in the joy of victory, Selina and Callios slipped together into the darkness.

The moment they left the torchlit path surrounding the fortress, dense night closed in around them. In a place where the road ahead was barely visible, the only thing they could rely on was the faint glow of moonlight.

‘I was planning to summon Ari.’

But with Callios following her, that was no longer possible.

Since the Day of the North Wind, many things about her had changed. One of the most significant was learning the truth about Ari.

By chance, she had discovered that Ari was, in fact, a spirit—and that she herself possessed the ability to summon and command spirits.

She had also learned why the marquis had approached her mother in the first place: to obtain the power of a spirit caller.

The marquis had been a selfish man who never truly loved her mother until the very end. And yet, knowing that truth oddly put her at ease. It meant her hatred toward her father would never waver.

‘If I’m ever to oppose my father, I have to keep this power hidden. For now, no one can know.’

And so, Selina kept her abilities buried deep, revealing them to no one.

“Where was it that the remnants of Thalia fled to?”

Callios asked as they rode on, guided only by moonlight.

“The Black Forest.”

She answered without hesitation.

Before long, the two of them were drawing closer and closer to it.

In the distance, a vast, dark forest emerged—so immense and dense it seemed to blot out the sky entirely.

She planned to lose Callios there—and then flee.