“What’s that?”

Three!

As I silently counted to three, I hugged Rick tightly and rolled out from under the curtain.

In sync with my movement, I stayed close to the floor beneath a rack of long dresses and peeked out through the hems.

“Ahhhh!”

“W-What on earth is that…?!”

People, as if on cue, stared in shock at the far end of the shop.

And there…

<Aha! Hahaha!>

There was Selena, flying around with a white cloth draped over her, wearing the happiest expression in the world.

“It’s a ghost!”

<Correct!>

…She seemed to be having way too much fun. Hopefully, she wouldn’t forget to follow us out.

I watched her with concern, and while the staff member pulling the rack hesitated, I quickly hid under another rack.

After rolling and moving a few more times, I managed to slip out of the shop.

I shook my head to brush off the dust, clutched Rick tightly, and dashed in the direction of the forest I had seen on the map.

Escape successful!

* * *

<Ah, that was fun. This kind of thing suits me surprisingly well.>

Thankfully, Selena joined us without delay.

With Selena and Rick in tow, I stepped into the entrance of the forest, which was off-limits to civilians.

“Maybe it’s because there are a lot of wild animals, but this place doesn’t feel very welcoming.”

I muttered softly as I trudged along.

The deeper parts of the forest were dark and damp, giving off a gloomy atmosphere.

<I think it was somewhere around here…>

I must have heard Selena say, “Is it this way? Or that way?” about fifty times.

Finally, we discovered a patch of earth that looked recently disturbed, as if it had been turned over.

<Ah…>

Selena sighed softly. Rick didn’t make a sound, but he lowered his head heavily, and I bit my lip gently.

In the middle of the ground, where weeds grew abundantly, there was a spot where the soil lay exposed, as if someone had hastily overturned it.

‘…This must be the place.’

I crouched a little distance away and closed my eyes for a brief moment of silence.

‘May you go to a better place.’

Selena spoke beside me in a bewildered voice.

<…Hey, Terry? I’m right here, you know?>

“I know. But I felt like I should at least do this much.”

I replied calmly and stood up again, pondering for a moment.

‘Well, it seems we’ve found the body.’

But this alone wouldn’t be enough to prove Count Arietta’s guilt. We needed to find evidence that he killed Selena and stole from her, along with any related documents.

Such documents wouldn’t be left just anywhere, and approaching them carelessly would only raise suspicion.

Isn’t there some way?

“Hmm.”

After pondering for a while, I suddenly felt a light bulb go off in my head.

‘People tend to think less clearly when they’re cornered. Especially those who’ve committed crimes.’

The words of a ghost I once saw at the Oblene mansion, who called himself the ‘greatest detective.’

With those words, various thoughts quickly took shape and aligned in my mind.

“Hehe.”

Recalling that, I began to roughly sketch out a plan, feeling quite pleased with myself.

Rick, who was nestled in my arms, shivered slightly.

<Wow, that’s an evil laugh.>

“Quiet.”

I dismissed Rick’s teasing with a brief retort.

Now, when we returned to the mansion, I’d need an excuse to bring the knights here.

“Oh, right, there’s that.”

The pink ribbon Mina had used to tie my hair that morning suddenly came to mind.

I reached back with one hand and untied the ribbon that had been neatly securing my hair.

With my hair now a mess, I looked around and found a suitable tree, tying the ribbon to one of its branches.

Who would have thought that my experience climbing trees at the Oblene estate would come in handy here?

‘Hmm, it looks like it’s wrapped in bandages.’

It wasn’t as pretty as when Mina tied it, but it was secure enough not to be blown away by the wind.

‘I’ll just say I lost the ribbon and bring the guards here.’

If I claimed it accidentally got caught there by the wind, that should be a good enough excuse, right?

I was looking at it with satisfaction when I suddenly heard whispers not far away.

“……Is it okay?”

“You’ve already killed her, so why are you asking ‘is it okay’ now? We need to handle the evidence properly since we’re in too deep.”

“Hurry up. The Everdeen knights are searching the town, so we need to finish quickly and get out.”

“That woman is such a nuisance, even in death.”

The voices were getting closer.

It felt like I was doused with cold water, and I froze, then snapped back to my senses when I felt a sinister energy beside me.

<Those bastards…….>

Selena, who was next to me, gritted her teeth and glared in the direction of the voices.

As an ominous aura surged around her, my legs trembled uncontrollably.

“Selena, don’t!”

I grabbed her hand, barely managing to stay upright.

She paused momentarily at my hushed shout but then started to struggle again.

<Let go! I’ll get those bastards……!>

“You can’t kill them now anyway! So……!”

Grrr.

At that moment, a low growl came from behind us. Selena and I both turned our heads sharply.

“……This is insane.”

I muttered through clenched teeth without realizing it.

Was this what they called a ‘no-win situation’ that I’d only read about in books?

Behind me, through the thick underbrush, a massive black wolf slowly approached, baring its teeth.

Instinctively, I took a step back, but I had to stop when I heard more footsteps approaching.

Ha. Wolves in front, murderers behind.

Was this the end of the reckless and chaotic life of Teresia Everdeen?

Even as I desperately racked my brain, the wolf and the killers were steadily closing in.

What should I do? Forward? Back? No, forward? No, back?

<Terry, get back. Quickly!>

Just as Selena, who had been frozen, shouted urgently, the wolf leaped gracefully.

Mom! I’m sorry! I’ll come see you a little sooner!

I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut and hunched my shoulders. But the expected pain didn’t come.

Lick-

“Huh?”

I heard a wet sound. When I opened my eyes in surprise, I saw…

<This, this, this crazy wolf!>

The wolf was eagerly licking Rick’s face, who was in my arms, wagging its tail enthusiastically.

“Uh.”

I blinked in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Rick, now drenched in wolf slobber, let out a loud yell of disgust.

<Terry, ugh. Terry! What are you doing? Help me!>

Sorry, but I don’t speak wolf… I was about to say when a thought flashed through my mind like lightning.

“Rick, I really love you. You know that, right? I mean it.”

<……W-What, w-w-what?>

Hearing my small whisper, Rick forgot to push the wolf away and stammered.

Without time to care about his reaction, I met the wolf’s gaze and lifted Rick with one hand.

“Our puppy. Hey? Do you like him?”

“Woof!”

<Wait, hold on, you’re not serious.>

“Then you can have him!”

<Hey!>

Rick finally abandoned his dignified demeanor and shrieked.

Sorry, Rick. I apologized silently as I tossed him into the wolf’s embrace.

Or more accurately, into its mouth, which was eagerly waiting with its tongue out.

“Huff huff.”

The wolf, delighted to have Rick, licked and nibbled at him excitedly.

Once I confirmed the wolf wasn’t hurting Rick, I quickly hid behind it.

Almost simultaneously, people burst out from the underbrush.

“Ah, found…… Huh?”

“Gasp.”

Grrrrr.

The wolf, happily holding Rick’s head in its mouth, immediately stood up and glared at them.

The people, who seemed annoyed from wandering the forest, froze at the sight of the large black wolf.

The tallest man among them reached back and nudged his companion.

“Hey, do you have a sword?”

“Are you crazy? Why would I bring that for a job like this?”

“Damn it. They said the Duke hunts regularly, but that was a lie. We only have a shovel, how do we deal with that big thing…….”

“Woof!”

Just then, the wolf let out a thunderous bark, tossed Rick aside, and charged at the people.

“Ahhhh!”

“R-Run! Run!”

Without a second thought, they turned and fled in terror.

While the wolf chased them, I carefully knelt behind Rick, who was lying on the ground, covered in saliva and dirt.

Rick, with his head resting on the ground, muttered weakly with his back to me.

<You really can’t trust anyone in this world.>