Erin sat on a tree stump with her eyes closed, taking a rest.

Ferdin stared at her intently. Even in werewolf territory, she showed no signs of fear.

Normally, anyone who entered the land of the strong and aggressive werewolves would be terrified.

No, most people wouldn’t even consider entering this land in the first place.

“When I look at you, I feel a sense of familiarity.”

“……”

“I feel like I’ve forgotten something.”

Ferdin blurted this out somewhat impulsively.

Though quietly spoken, his words were enough to shake Erin. Her fingertips trembled slightly.

Ferdin didn’t notice her reaction and continued speaking.

“Something… very important that I’ve forgotten.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Erin recalled Ferdin’s special ability.

In the past, when it was revealed that he possessed “eyes that see the truth,” the Emperor persecuted him even more.

She had believed it was simply an ability to see others’ pasts, but perhaps that wasn’t the case.

Could he have seen his own past?

Erin grew frightened.

If he had seen those tragic futures… if he learned that he would die because of her…

“Lady Erin?”

Erin snapped back to reality at Ferdin’s call. His clear blue eyes were fixed on her.

Seeing herself reflected in those eyes, Erin’s lips tightened. She looked like a lost puppy abandoned by its owner.

She must look disgusting to Ferdin too.

Erin barely opened her mouth to answer him.

“What do you mean by that?”

“…Don’t worry about it. I think my mind is just jumbled from the tension. This isn’t exactly a safe place.”

Only then did Ferdin realize he had misspoken. His words must have been confusing for Erin.

She pretended not to notice and changed the subject with a new question.

“Are you worried about being attacked by the werewolves?”

Erin stood up and positioned herself in front of Ferdin. She looked down at him as he remained seated.

“But why did you come all the way here?”

“I couldn’t just leave things be. Amon, Lilia, and you are here because of me.”

“……”

“Many people have sacrificed themselves to protect me. I didn’t want to irresponsibly stand by and watch that happen again.”

“No one thinks that way.”

At Erin’s words, Ferdin smiled slightly.

“That’s good to hear. Still, if I came here, Lilia and Amon wouldn’t die. Even if I’m taken hostage instead, they wouldn’t dare kill me once they learn my identity.”

Probably.

Ferdin added, fiddling with his necklace. Then he smiled bitterly as he looked at Erin.

She was gazing at him with sorrowful eyes.

In fact, Erin had been looking at him with those sad eyes for some time now.

Ferdin couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it had started.

At one point, he had vaguely wondered if the rumors were true—that Erin had feelings for him.

But when she told him she wanted to break off their engagement, he realized that wasn’t the case.

Perhaps Duke Liserth, who had maintained neutrality, had sided with the Emperor? Perhaps Erin had been forced into the engagement to monitor him…

If so, her desire to break the engagement made some sense.

Ferdin couldn’t forget Erin covered in blood after trying to protect Amon and the Princess. Her telling him to hate her.

At the time, he didn’t understand what she meant.

But he could clearly see the meaning in her eyes.

Despite telling him to hate her, her eyes held profound emotion when looking at him.

Ferdin was quite accustomed to the gazes of people who claimed to admire or love him.

There were many who professed their love for him despite never having met.

But Erin’s gaze was different from theirs. If asked what emotion it conveyed, Ferdin couldn’t put it into words.

That deep emotion… he couldn’t begin to fathom it.

“Lady Erin, why do you want to break our engagement?”

At his question, Erin pressed her lips firmly together.

“I… don’t want to break our engagement.”

The wind blew, tousling Ferdin’s hair. The sunset dyed his golden hair red.

His firm lips and beautiful blue eyes… Erin felt her insides churning.

She tried to process what she had just heard.

Was she dreaming? What had Ferdin just said…?

“Why…?”

Why do you look at me with the same eyes as before…?

Why do you make me confused with such gentle eyes?

Just as Erin was about to speak, she suddenly sensed a presence and quickly turned around without saying anything.

Ferdin also noticed the situation and quickly stood up. Their gazes focused in one direction.

“Run!”

“Move quickly!”

Several werewolves had gathered there. And in front of them was a small child.

Each time they made threatening movements, faint sobs escaped. At a glance, not a single part of the child’s body was unharmed.

The werewolves forcibly dragged the child who could barely move.

The child tried to protect themselves, but it only resulted in more injuries. The movement of those skinny arms was pitiful.

Erin examined the child’s eyes. Those empty eyes had already half lost the will to live.

Curly black hair and red eyes. Erin could immediately identify who this child was.

This was the mage who would lead the werewolves in massacring the people of the Empire in the future.

Erin’s and Ferdin’s eyes met. He must have been thinking the same thing as her.

They quietly followed the werewolves.

Each time the child let out a short scream, Erin felt increasingly disgusted.

She had guessed that the mage who had massacred humans in the past was one of the refugees, but she never imagined they would be treated like this.

The child’s situation closely resembled her own past.

Erin felt like she might vomit.

‘This is… too much.’

Her body twitched with the urge to rush forward immediately. But Erin suppressed that emotion with superhuman patience.

“What happened to the intruders who entered our territory?”

“We were told to leave them be. We’ll deal with them after finishing this task.”

Erin’s body stiffened. The werewolf mage she had seen in the future was blind. Now she understood why.

Ferdin grabbed Erin’s arm as she twitched, ready to leap forward, and said:

“To force such a thing… why?”

“We need to follow them.”

“We don’t stand a chance, Lady Erin. If we go, we’ll just be captured and taken hostage by the werewolves.”

Erin’s body tensed. Ferdin’s words were cold but accurate.

In this situation, following the werewolves was practically asking to be killed.

But his next words gave her an indescribable feeling.

“Lady Erin, find Lilia and Amon and escape. I’ll distract them. That way we can also save the child’s eyes. No matter what, my father won’t let me die at the hands of beast-folk.”

“……”

His eyes were clear and resolute as he looked at her.

Erin remained silent as she observed Ferdin.

A kind person. Just like the Ferdin she knew before.

The werewolves led the child to a large clearing. About six werewolves were already gathered there.

One holding a whip roughly pushed the child to the ground.

Erin grimaced as she watched their actions.

Something heated by fire was in the werewolf’s hand.

If she hesitated even slightly, something irreversible might happen.

Though Ferdin couldn’t yet infuse his sword with mana, his swordsmanship was exceptional enough that he would soon become a high-ranking knight.

Erin had also established her character as having genius-level skills comparable to a high-ranking knight.

It would be challenging for two high-ranking knights to defeat ten werewolves.

Perhaps Ferdin might question her abilities after seeing her fight the werewolves.

‘But there’s no choice.’

She needed to finish this quickly. With that thought, Erin adjusted her sword.

“Let’s finish this quickly and go. The chief said he captured a human female mage and a male knight. And there are intruders too?”

“Intruders? Do they have a death wish?”

The werewolves said this as they approached the child.