“Ugh!”

Running at full speed, Juliana fell backward from the strong impact. She quickly pushed Lesia behind her and pointed a sharp branch while shouting.

“D-don’t come any closer!”

The figure emerging from the bushes quickly raised his hands and said.

“Ms. Juliana, it’s me.”

At the familiar voice, Lesia, who had been clinging tightly to Juliana’s back, peeked out. Her expression immediately brightened.

“Uncle Chalson!!”

Chalson’s face also lit up the moment he saw Lesia.

“Lesia! You’re safe! Thank goodness.”

“Mr. Chalson…”

Relieved, Juliana dropped the branch as her strength left her. The happy reunion didn’t end with Chalson.

“Both of you are safe, I see.”

Another person emerged from where Chalson had appeared. Seeing her, Lesia burst into tears.

“Grandma Lulu!”

As Lesia ran and threw herself into her arms, Grandma Lulu patted her back.

“There, there, child. You’ve seen frightening things. It’s alright now, everything’s fine.”

While Grandma Lulu comforted Lesia, Juliana looked at Chalson and said, “I’m glad both of you are safe. The others…”

But with those words, Chalson’s expression darkened considerably.

“I wanted to save as many people as possible, but…”

He didn’t need to finish his sentence for them to understand. Then suddenly, noticing someone was missing, Chalson asked.

“Where’s Jordan?”

“…”

Juliana remained silent, and Chalson’s face crumpled with grief as he hung his head low.

“If only I had come a little earlier…”

What could be more meaningless than dwelling on what might have been? 

Nevertheless, Chalson’s shoulders shook with regret. Lesia watched his back from within Grandma Lulu’s embrace. Even without seeing his face, she could tell Uncle Chalson was crying.

Uncle Jordan had been murdered, Uncle Chalson was crying, and her mother was in despair. Just then, a gentle hand stroked her head, and Lesia looked up.

Covered in ashes, Grandma Lulu smiled at Lesia with her usual warmth.

“Everything will be alright, child.”

Everything will be okay. Despite the adults who had been like pillars of support crumbling one by one, those simple words of reassurance comforted Lesia deeply.

So she buried her face in Grandma Lulu’s embrace and mumbled, “Yes.”

That was when it happened.

“…!!”

Just as Uncle Chalson jerked his head up, they sensed movement beyond the bushes. Juliana moved closer to Lesia, and Chalson stood in front of the three of them with his sword drawn.

Not long after, the killer appeared. Seeing him immediately brought back the scene of Uncle Jordan’s death, making Lesia gag.

Chalson, keeping his sword pointed at the man, glanced at Lesia and said, “I’ll hold him off here, so hurry and go!”

Immediately, there was a clang as the swords collided.

“Ugh…”

Perhaps injured while rescuing Grandma Lulu, Uncle Chalson’s arm was becoming stained with red. But Uncle Chalson didn’t give way at all. Instead, he altered the trajectory of his sword, preventing the masked man from moving.

He shouted again.

“Hurry!”

Feeling his urgency, Juliana began moving while supporting Grandma Lulu.

“Lesia!”

Lesia didn’t want to leave. She had a strong premonition that if they left now, she would never see Uncle Chalson again, just like Uncle Jordan.

But at Juliana’s urging, Lesia had no choice but to leave Uncle Chalson behind, sobbing loudly. Juliana ran with all her might, but they weren’t moving as fast as expected.

It was because Grandma Lulu had difficulty moving. Feeling like the masked man might catch up to them at any moment, they wanted to look back but kept their eyes fixed ahead.

When they came to their senses, the bridge was right in front of them. As soon as Lesia spotted the bridge, her vision went dark.

“Grandma?”

It was because Grandma Lulu had covered Lesia’s eyes. Lesia felt frustrated but didn’t try to remove the hand. She knew all too well what lay in front of that bridge.

Grandma Lulu kept Lesia’s eyes covered as she handed her over to Juliana. Juliana, who was about to cross the bridge immediately, turned back with a puzzled expression when Grandma Lulu didn’t move.

“I’ll stay here.”

“What? Suddenly, what are you saying…!”

“You have a long journey ahead, and an old woman would only be a hindrance.”

“What are you saying? Please, please come with us.”

Juliana’s hand covering Lesia’s eyes trembled violently. Even without seeing, Lesia could understand the situation.

“Lesia.”

When she heard her name being called, Lesia responded with a sniffle.

“Y-yes.”

Soon after, something warm touched her forehead. The wrinkled, warm hand of Grandma Lulu that Lesia loved so much.

And then her gentle voice. Her ear tickled from the rough breath.

But the words that followed…

“Get as far away as possible. And if you get the chance, k*ll him. Then, you’ll be able to live.”

It was a somewhat difficult message to understand. Before Lesia could question it, the breath faded away.

“I’ll be going now. I was truly happy to meet you two before I died.”

“Sob… I’m sorry…”

Finally, Juliana turned to leave.

“Mom? What about Grandma Lulu?”

Lesia asked urgently, but no answer came. Lesia wanted to remove the hand and look back immediately, but Juliana’s body was trembling so much that she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

Creak, creak.

The bridge shook, making the ground beneath their feet unsteady. How long did they feel that shaking?

When the creaking stopped and they stepped onto stable ground, Juliana’s hand lost its strength. Seizing the opportunity, Lesia pulled away and immediately looked back.

Grandma Lulu, standing on the other side of the bridge with a dagger in hand, looked surprised when her eyes met Lesia’s, widening them before breaking into a broad smile.

Lesia’s relief at seeing Grandma Lulu safe was short-lived, as a black shadow approached from behind her with a blood-stained sword.

“Grandma Lulu! Watch ou…!”

Just as the startled Lesia shouted, the man’s sword struck down on Grandma Lulu’s back. At the same time, Grandma Lulu’s dagger struck down on the bridge’s rope.

Thud, thud…

Not satisfied with just one strike, Grandma Lulu continued to cut the rope even while being stabbed. And finally.

Thud, crash!

With the final cut Grandma Lulu made as she fell, the bridge’s rope snapped. Along with it, the flames that had spread from the village consumed the wood and instantly advanced to the bridge.

The man, having lost his escape route, was caught in the fire along with the bodies of Grandma Lulu and Uncle Jordan. Flora Village burned fiercely like the inside of a furnace.

Lesia stared at the scene in bewilderment. Everything was burning and disappearing.

The village where Lesia was born and raised, the villagers who were like family. Everything. This first taste of loss plunged Lesia into deep despair. Her mind grew dizzy.

Was it a dream? She pinched her cheek. It hurt. Not a dream.

“Sob, Lesia.”

Juliana embraced Lesia while crying. Lesia was pulled into Juliana’s arms like a doll.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. As long as Lesia is safe, that’s all…”

At those words, Lesia flinched as though she were being stabbed and looked at Juliana. Lesia’s lips parted.

Mom, they’re all dead. Everyone, trying to protect us… But, but.

But Lesia couldn’t speak. She just felt an indescribable emotion surging up, making her throat burn. After crying for a while, Juliana stood up. With reddened eyes, she firmly held Lesia and turned around.

“Let’s go. As quickly as possible…”

That was when it happened.

“Oh my, I came just in case, and look what I found.”

Emerging from across the bushes was a young man with green hair wearing a white robe. With the typical appearance of a scholar, he clicked his tongue in displeasure upon seeing Juliana and Lesia.

“Unable to capture one child and letting her escape. How utterly pathetic.”

Lesia instinctively realized that the man before them was connected to the masked man who had been harming the villagers. She wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Who are you?”

Holding a sharp branch, Juliana stood in front of Lesia and glared at the man with murderous intent. The man shook his head regretfully and replied.

“I’m afraid you can’t defeat me with something like that.”

“I asked who you are! Why are you targeting Lesia?”

In response to Juliana’s desperate cry, the man, Ryuel, looked at her for a moment before a smile appeared on his lips. Then, crossing his arms with a relaxed expression, he answered.

“Your daughter has been honored by being chosen as the companion of the next Velius Grand Duke. Therefore, I must take her with me.”

“The next Velius Grand Duke’s companion…?”

Juliana frowned, not understanding what he meant. By this point, cracks began to appear in Ryuel’s composed face.

He took out a pocket watch from his br*ast pocket, checked the time, and sighed deeply before muttering.

“We’re already 1 minute and 30 seconds over the scheduled time. Really, this is why dealing with common folk is so…”

“Companion, I don’t know what that means, but you can’t take Lesia. Please just let us go. I’m begging you.”

“Mom…”

As Juliana began pleading earnestly while holding the branch, Lesia looked at her with a tearful face. Juliana shook her head, signaling Lesia not to intervene, and approached Ryuel one step at a time, rubbing her hands together.

“I’ll do anything you ask, if it’s money you want, I’ll give you as much as you need. Please let us go.”

“Hmm, really?”

For a moment, when Ryuel showed interest, Juliana’s expression brightened. She approached with larger strides and nodded vigorously.

“Of course. Anything, whatever you want…”

Just as she was gradually making progress and the distance between them was less than a step away…