The knights pulled their reins sharply, halting their horses.

“What’s going on?!”

Gilbert’s shout reverberated through the air, making Gretel flinch.

She frowned and looked toward the knights at the front, who seemed to be in disarray.

‘What’s happening?’

One of the knights, his face pale, shouted back.

“The tracks… they end here! And… there’s a cliff ahead!”

“…What?!”

As soon as Gilbert heard those words, both he and Gretel moved instinctively.

‘Thud!’

“Ugh…!”

Gretel had tried to grab the sword from Gilbert’s waist, but he struck her wrist, making her drop it.

Before she could recover, Gilbert stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth to stop her from screaming.

He restrained her as the knights dismounted to secure her.

Once Gretel was firmly held, Gilbert dismounted and strode toward the cliff.

With the help of the knights’ torches, he examined the edge.

‘Crunch—’

As he nudged the snow with his boot, it crumbled and fell into the abyss below.

Looking across, he saw another cliff at a distance too far to jump.

“Captain! Over here!”

One of the knights called out, pointing to faint claw marks in the snow.

“…Wolves.”

“Most likely… We’ve found similar tracks nearby. They might’ve been chased by a pack and fallen.”

The knight clicked his tongue in pity.

But Gilbert, frowning deeply, stared at the marks as if something didn’t sit right with him.

“Bring more torches!”

At his command, the knights hurried to gather around with additional light.

Gilbert narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the opposite cliff.

For a while, Gilbert scrutinized the cliff with sharp eyes before finally clicking his tongue in frustration and waving for the torches to be put out.

“There don’t seem to be any significant traces on the other side.”

“T-Then what should we do?”

“If they fell from this height, they’d either be dead or too injured to move. There doesn’t appear to be any immediate way down either…”

Gilbert glanced over his shoulder.

Gretel, restrained by the knights, was struggling fiercely, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the cliff.

No matter how much humanity one had lost, no one could meet the gaze of a parent who had just sensed the death of their child.

Unable to hold her expression in his sight for long, Gilbert turned away and lowered his voice.

“…If we waste any more time, who knows what the lady might do. Let’s head back to the Marquis’s estate as quickly as possible. Without the child, we can push through the night and save a significant amount of time.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Gilbert and the knights began preparations to leave, Gretel’s struggles grew even more violent.

Gilbert considered knocking her unconscious by striking the back of her neck but decided against it, fearing the Marquis’s reprimand if she ended up bruised. Instead, he hoisted her onto his shoulder like a sack of luggage and started walking.

“Mmph…!”

‘Jingle—’

At that moment, a clear bell sound rang out from somewhere.

Gretel, who had been writhing desperately on Gilbert’s shoulder, flinched in surprise.

However, Gilbert and the knights continued walking as if they hadn’t heard a thing.

“Was that… just my imagination?”

Still, the sound lingered in her mind, gnawing at her unease.

Gretel strained her neck to lift her head.

And then, beyond her trembling vision—

“…!”

Through the swaying leaves in the night breeze, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a green ribbon with a yellow bell tied to it, fluttering like a leaf.

It was Laviela’s ribbon.

—

“Wow, I thought I was really going to die… Cough!”

About an hour earlier.

Paul lay sprawled haphazardly at the edge of the cliff, holding Laviela protectively in his arms.

As he coughed, drops of blood splattered onto the snowy ground.

‘Howl! Howl, howl!’

Fierce howls filled the gaps between the cliffs.

Paul lifted his head slightly and looked across the cliff, where dozens of wolves were pacing back and forth, baring their teeth.

Even as blood dripped from his lips, Paul grinned and let out a chuckle.

“They’re really riled up, huh. I didn’t think we’d make the jump, but somehow, we did. Maybe it’s because I stole the captain’s horse… Should I brag about this? Cough, cough!”

“…Don’t talk, Paul. You’re bleeding more.”

Paul coughed again, spitting out more blood.

Laviela, wrapped in his cloak and cradled in his arms, bit her lip.

With trembling hands, the girl reached out to touch the wound on Paul’s shoulder.

‘Squish—’

“Ugh…”

Blood gushed from the wound as Paul groaned, unable to suppress the sound.

Laviela clenched her shaking hands into fists, her teeth grinding in frustration.

Her eyes welled with tears, a mix of guilt and fear overwhelming her.

[Miss, wolves!]

A short while ago.

While riding through the forest with Paul, an eerie wolf’s howl had echoed in their ears.

Not long after, large wolves began appearing on either side of their galloping horse.

The moment Paul heard the howls, he sensed danger. He quickly wrapped Laviela in his cloak and held her close, as if she were luggage.

Still holding her, he wielded his sword to fend off the wolves lunging at them.

Although Paul was an exceptionally skilled knight for his age, it was impossible for him to handle the beasts attacking from all directions alone.

As a result, injuries began to accumulate on Paul’s body, and Laviela’s face grew paler with each passing moment.

[Paul, I can smell blood…]

[I’m fine… More importantly, there’s a cliff ahead. Fantastic.]

When Paul spotted the sheer drop ahead, its depths swallowing even the moonlight, he let out a hollow laugh.

Wolves behind and beside them, a cliff in front—it was a dead end.

There was only one choice Paul could make.

[…Hold on tight, miss.]

[Paul?]

Instinctively, Laviela gripped Paul’s coat.

But Paul didn’t respond. He lowered his body and spurred the horse forward with terrifying speed.

And then, they leapt off the cliff.

‘Thud!’

Miraculously, the horse carrying Paul and Laviela landed precariously on the edge of the opposite cliff.

Even as they rolled across the snowy ground from the impact, Paul never loosened his protective hold on Laviela.

As a result, Paul’s injuries worsened, his wounds tearing open further, while Laviela remained unharmed.

That was what Laviela found unbearable. She gritted her teeth, fighting back tears.

‘Don’t cry.’

Crying wouldn’t solve anything.

If she truly felt sorry for Paul and wanted to save him, she needed to act immediately.

“Stay here for a moment, Paul. Don’t move.”

“Miss, the horse ran off…”

“It’s snowing, so its tracks will be visible. It’s probably not in great condition either, so it won’t have gone far. We still have some food left; I’ll use it to lure it back.”

Laviela stood up resolutely, forcing herself to appear stronger.

Following Paul’s advice, she tore a piece of the cloak to bandage his wounds. Then, she smoothed out the snow to erase the traces of their fall.

She even managed to lure the runaway horse back with a carrot.

‘Ah.’

As she glanced across the cliff, Laviela noticed that the wolves had disappeared, likely deciding they couldn’t cross the gap.

After spotting traces on the other side that looked as if someone had fallen, Laviela made a decision.

She untied the green ribbon from her hair, the one with the yellow bell, and climbed a tree with great effort.

She tied the ribbon to the end of a branch.

‘I don’t know if Mom will come this far, but…’

Just in case.

She hoped Gretel wouldn’t despair, thinking she had died.

Everything Laviela did was ultimately for Gretel’s survival.

After tending to Paul’s wounds as much as she could, Laviela helped him to his feet and grabbed the horse’s reins.

With a calm but determined voice, the girl spoke.

“Let’s go.”

Shortly after they left, torches began flickering chaotically on the other side of the cliff.

—

After narrowly escaping the wolves and crossing the cliff, Paul and I moved as quickly as possible toward the capital.

But the journey to the capital was grueling.

To avoid being tracked, we couldn’t stop at proper inns or villages, which only worsened Paul’s injuries.

As for me, it was my first time wandering outside the tower.

I hadn’t expected the absence of the tower’s walls to make everything feel so different.

I grew feverish more frequently, and my body felt heavier.

While my poor health was nothing new, Paul’s condition was deteriorating rapidly.

Fearing his injuries would worsen beyond repair, I finally suggested visiting a proper physician.

“If you can’t wield a sword anymore, what will you do? You need proper treatment now, or…”

“Miss.”

Paul interrupted me with a gentle smile.

Though his smile was kind, it left me speechless for some reason.

In the quiet of the makeshift tent we had set up to escape the cold, his soft voice resonated.

“I can live without wielding a sword.”

“…”

“But if either you or your mother doesn’t make it out of this, I’ll live with guilt worse than death for the rest of my life.”

It was the first time someone had spoken about how my death might affect them.

The lump in my throat made it hard to speak.

Paul’s smile faded, replaced by a serious expression.

“Besides, the Marquis Diarmuid I know isn’t someone to let things slide. Even if it takes time, he’ll want to confirm your body. That’s why we need to reach the capital first.”

I wanted to argue, but Paul wasn’t wrong.

Swallowing my frustration and guilt, I bit my lip.

Paul reached out and gently patted my head.

“Thank you for worrying about me, though.”