They were certainly relieved by the Madam’s appearance.

“Yolly… Yuri, if Yolly… leaves, I…”

But Saena remained immersed in shock. She had no time to notice the employees.

Constantine held her firmly, worried she might collapse again as she spoke incoherently while sobbing.

While the name ‘Yuri’ that popped up again bothered him greatly, he was aware this wasn’t the time to ask about it.

“We can find him. I’ll find him for you, so calm down.”

“…Can you find him?”

“Yes. So, please calm down.”

Constantine said while embracing her trembling delicate body.

While thinking he should quickly find that beast to reassure her, he also wanted to ignore the story involving this ‘Yuri’ (though he didn’t know the details).

‘Just who is this Yuri…’

Yur and Yuri must be the same person. The name that had been like a small thorn stuck in him long ago seemed to become increasingly bothersome, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

Because while he wanted to know the answer, he also didn’t want to know.

“Please, please find him quickly.”

Especially seeing such desperate eyes made him feel this way even more.

“…Alright.”

There was no choice. Ignoring Saena’s crying face was too difficult. He didn’t know how to comfort her when she cried.

“But how can you find him?”

“…Morev.”

So it was better to do everything he could.

“Go out and search thoroughly. Find that beast, bring him back.”

With a whoosh, as soon as he took form, Morev disappeared through the window as if flying.

“Ah…”

The Guardian Spirit’s power appeared almost omnipotent to Saena. As she watched Morev depart with his mission, the anxiety in her eyes faded and her expectation rose simultaneously.

“Wait just a little, Saya.”

“Alright.”

Constantine could sense Morev’s movements. Feeling his trail heading toward the forest, he first dismissed the employees.

Finding that beast cub wasn’t actually a difficult task. He had an energy that was very easy to track. If nothing unusual had happened, they should be able to find out his whereabouts soon.

But seeing Saena so restless somehow made him anxious too.

That anxiety strangely transferred to him because he had an ominous feeling that this incident wouldn’t end simply with finding out the beast’s whereabouts.

‘…Hah?’

As expected, his feeling didn’t end as just a feeling. Constantine frowned as soon as he recognized Morev’s signal.

The location where Morev signaled he had found him…

‘…Why did he go there?’

He let out a quiet sigh so Saena wouldn’t notice, then composed his expression.

“…Saya. I think we’ve found him. I’ll go bring him back.”

“You found him?! I want to come too!”

“I’ll be back very quickly, just wait a moment.”

“Let me come with you!”

“It will be faster and safer if I go alone.”

“But…”

Saena was about to insist on going together again but closed her mouth at his expression.

His face was… too serious. It was a desperate look that seemed to beg her to please, please do as he asked.

“Do… as I say. Just this time.”

Why would he have such an expression while saying he’s going to get Yolly?

“Is… is something wrong?”

She asked in a trembling voice.

“No. It’s just that the location is a bit…”

Uncharacteristically, he evaded the answer.

Just where could it be that made him act like this?

Though she didn’t know why… it would be better to ask him to bring Yolly back quickly rather than spending time questioning.

“Please… bring him back safely.”

“I will.”

As soon as the words ended, Constantine approached the terrace and leaped off.

‘This is the third floor!’

Though she had been surprised before, Saena quickly looked down over the railing in shock again, but he was fine. He landed safely using his Guardian Spirit’s power and was already running off in the distance.

Saena watched his retreating figure until Constantine’s form disappeared from view.

* * *

When would he return?

Saena paced continuously on the terrace.

Since he left at flying speed, she expected him to return quickly, but time just kept passing endlessly. Of course, her anxious state made time seem to move more slowly, but even so, a considerable time had passed.

Just when her anxiety peaked and she was considering rushing out herself, a human figure finally appeared in the distance.

“……!”

The familiar man in white ceremonial clothes.

Constantine emerged like he’s breaking free from the darkness cast by the trees.

He held something in his arms.

It must be Yolly.

Saena couldn’t wait for him to reach her and burst out of the room. Throwing dignity aside, she ran pattering down to the lower floor.

Darielle and the maid standing outside the door were startled and followed her, but Saena didn’t even notice them. She ran straight toward him.

“—Constantine!”

Running without rest, she met him before he reached the porch.

He stopped when he saw her running up, panting.

But why…?

His expression was somehow not good.

“What’s wrong?”

“Saya…”

“Did something happen? Where’s Yolly?!”

“Well…”

At his uncharacteristic hesitation, Saena grabbed his arm with a pale face.

Isn’t that Yolly in his arms?

Constantine’s firmly crossed arms blocked the view of what was inside. Saena pulled at his arms, peering fiercely at what he held.

She saw the familiar silver-gray fur. When she reached out to touch it, the soft fur that wrapped around her fingers felt familiar too.

“Yolly!”

Ah, thank goodness. She found him. Found him.

A deep sigh of relief escaped.

Saena took Yolly from him and held him, waiting for the familiar response. Like a ‘kyang’ sound, or looking up at her with sulky eyes, or tapping his tail.

“…Yolly?”

But why? There was no response.

Not just no response—there was no movement at all.

“Why… why is Yolly like this?”

Could it be, could it be he’s de…

Just the fleeting thought brought tears to Saena’s eyes. Constantine panicked at the large teardrops that suddenly fell.

“Saya!”

Worried she might collapse again, Constantine held her.

“Yolly, Yolly…”

“Saya, he’s sleeping! Yolly is…”

He shouted in an urgent voice.

“Sleeping, you say?”

At his words, Saena calmed slightly and examined him. Looking carefully, she could see his body rising and falling, though barely. He wasn’t dead.

“Haa.”

Constantine also relaxed at her sigh of relief.

“Was he sleeping like this when you found him?”

“Yes.”

“Why would he go outside to sleep…”

It made no sense.

“Maybe… he was upset because I neglected him for too long? Is that why?”

Constantine couldn’t readily answer Saena’s hesitant question.

“Constantine?”

“I don’t really know either.”

“……”

“I said I’d bring him back safely… I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s alright.”

If he was just sleeping, it was fortunate enough that they found him.

“I’m grateful just that you found and brought him back.”

He hadn’t let Yolly out or made him sleep, so there was nothing to apologize for. Rather, he deserved thanks.

“Thank you for finding Yolly.”

Yolly had returned safely.

The incident of Yolly’s disappearance seemed to conclude like that.

If Yolly had woken up the next day like a normal pattern of sleeping at night and waking during the day, it would have ended so warmly.

‘…Why won’t he wake up?’

The problem was that Yolly remained unconscious even after several days had passed.

* * *

Yolly did not wake easily.

No one knew why. From Castle Cream’s physician to veterinarians, herbalists, hunters, and even the stable keeper, all were summoned to examine Yolly, yet no one could explain why he remained unconscious.

They only repeatedly heard from animal experts that he wasn’t a dog.

‘What if he never wakes up?’

Saena’s nerves grew increasingly sensitive. Her sleep time gradually decreased, and she became more and more reluctant to leave Yolly’s side.

But she couldn’t stay completely awake. Though she tried willfully not to sleep, her body didn’t cooperate, and sometimes she would fall asleep without realizing it.

Each time, she strangely dreamed of Yuri.

Most were sequences of events from Saena’s memories, but sometimes there were strange ones.

And this dream was particularly strange among them.

『Saena! You stupid girl!』

Yuri screamed while randomly throwing nearby objects.

『Stupid! Incredibly stupid!』

‘Wait, is Yuri… cursing at me?’

Though they had quarreled, they had never fought so violently with throwing things, so she found it odd even in the dream.

『You wench! You evil wench! How! How could you do this to me! Aaaargh–!』

Yuri let out an almost desperate scream and then charged at a mirror on one wall.

Crash!

He punched the surface reflecting his face like a madman.

The glass cracked with a sharp sound, not just shattering but exploding into fragments that flew everywhere as he continued punching in his frenzy.

『Yuri! Your… your hands are bleeding! Are you crazy?! Stop!!』

Saena shouted for him to stop even knowing it was a dream. But as just a spectator of flowing memories, her words couldn’t reach him and scattered into the air.

『Stop it!』

Yuri’s hands were covered in blood. Saena stared blankly at Yuri’s blood-covered hands and suddenly thought.

‘Had I ever seen Yuri injured so seriously?’

It wasn’t in her memories.

Though Yuri was a man who might have had moments of anger or outbursts, he never displayed them in front of Saena.

So was this a memory? A dream? Or… a delusion?

Blood dripped from his hands, pooling on the floor from deep cuts, but as if he felt no pain, Yuri silently glared at the distant floor.

After a while, he raised his head.

『I’ll make them pay, those who took you from me.』

‘Ah…’

His bloodshot eyes swirled with an indescribable mix of sadness, betrayal, regret, and rage.

『I’ll do that, Saya. Without fail…』

Suddenly she seemed to know when this was. This memory was when she had already…

“…hic!”

Saena was suddenly pulled from her sleep as if emerging from underwater.

“Ah, huu… ugh.”

Plop plop. Tears she couldn’t hold back fell like a bursting dam.

“Oh my god… Yur…”

What was this dream? Was it fake, created by her unconscious? Or were they remnants of Yuri’s real sorrow?

Saena cried while holding the still motionless Yolly.