Darwin stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the elven woman before him. That face... long blonde hair, sharp emerald eyes, a graceful yet firm face—everything was too familiar. Too close to the person he had been searching for.
'This can't just be a coincidence…' Darwin thought.
But before he could say anything, the elven woman stepped forward swiftly, spreading her arms in front of the old lady.
"Lady Mireth, please stay behind me," she said in a firm yet polite tone.
Her body leaned slightly forward, feet planted firmly. Her right hand was ready to access a rune spell, while her left held a thin dagger previously hidden beneath her maid's skirt. Her gaze remained unwavering, like an arrow ready to be loosed at any moment.
Darwin broke the silence. He had to know.
"Are you… Liriel's sister?"
The question hung in the air. The elven woman flinched, her eyes widened momentarily.
"How do you know my sister's name?" her voice trembled, mixed with shock and anger.
Then she narrowed her eyes, anger beginning to surface beneath her tone. "Did you… come here to kidnap me too?!"
She stepped forward halfway, magical aura beginning to envelop her body.
"Answer me! Where is my sister now?!"
Darwin raised both hands slowly, trying to show he meant no harm.
"I didn't kidnap her. I'm actually looking for her… I thought—"
But before he could explain, his head throbbed. His spiritual link with Ciel began to falter.
"Damn, time's up."
Quickly, he whispered the command in his mind.
'Ciel, that's enough. Fall back now, rest.'
In the distance, a final roar echoed before vanishing entirely. But Darwin's attention snapped back to the room—because without warning, the elven woman chanted a rune in an ancient tongue, and a streak of blue light wrapped around her hand.
"Flama Ventur!"
In an instant, the air swirled into a magical spear and shot straight toward Darwin.
Zero's warning came just in time. With a swift motion, Darwin leaped aside, dodging the attack that slammed into the wall and exploded like a mini wind bomb, destroying the ornate decorations nearby.
But he had no time to breathe.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway. In seconds, several fully armed guards had surrounded the room. Three in front, two from the sides, and one blocking the exit.
All of them pointed their weapons at Darwin with deadly glares.
And from among them, another woman emerged.
Unlike the elven guard earlier, this woman wore no uniform. She was dressed like an adventurer—dark leather coat paired with light combat wear, a gear belt hanging at her waist.
Her reddish-brown hair was tied neatly back, and on the left side of her forehead was an old scar—a puncture or sharp cut—that slashed across her smooth skin, a brutal contrast to her otherwise mature and beautiful face.
Her eyes, sharp as a hawk's, stared coldly at Darwin.
"You're surrounded on all sides," said the woman in a calm yet commanding tone.
"Surrender. Don't make this worse."
Darwin said nothing. His breathing slowed. His mind worked quickly. But in the back of his head, one voice refused to be silent.
Darwin slowly raised both hands, showing he meant no harm. His breath still slightly ragged from dodging the earlier attack.
"I didn't come here to fight... I'm just looking for a missing friend," he said in a calm but firm voice.
The adventurer woman with the scar folded her arms, her gaze still sharp.
"Looking for a friend, huh?" she murmured. "And the beast that caused chaos outside our house earlier—that's part of the search too?"
Darwin held his breath. "That… was intentional. So I could sneak in without direct confrontation."
Before he could continue, the woman cut him off sharply, "To kidnap without resistance, you mean?"
"Of course not!" Darwin quickly replied. "That was never my intention!"
Darwin clenched his jaw, then suddenly remembered something. He reached into a hidden pocket in his cloak and pulled out an engraved dagger, glimmering faintly under the crystal light. He held it up and showed it to the elf woman.
"This… this belonged to Liriel. You must know it if you really are her sister."
The elven woman's eyes widened instantly, her expression shifting, but toward deeper suspicion.
"Where did you get that dagger?" she demanded. "If you kidnapped Liriel, taking her things wouldn't be hard."
Darwin growled quietly. This is getting worse… he thought.
Suddenly, a bright and cheerful voice rang out from behind him.
"Then your accusations are really quite cruel~!"
All heads turned instantly. From the shadows, a red-haired girl in a slightly dirty adventurer's dress stepped out. With arrogant grace, she walked to the center of the room as if stepping onto an opera stage.
"Good evening, everyone~ I'm here to clear things up!"
"L-Lady Evelyne?!" exclaimed Lady Mireth, the elderly woman, as she slowly rose from her seat. She offered a noble's salute, though her wrinkled hand trembled slightly in shock.
The entire room fell silent.
The guards exchanged stunned looks. The elf woman and the adventurer both tightened their grips on their weapons.
"He kidnapped the princess too?!" one of them whispered.
Darwin quickly turned, staring at Evelyne with a panicked expression. "How did you get out of the inventory?!"
Zero's voice appeared in his head, full of blame.
Evelyne raised a finger, then crossed her arms and leaned back casually. "I already know everything~ Zero explained the whole situation to me. And honestly… this plan was awful."
Darwin lowered his head slightly, silent. He couldn't argue.
Evelyne then turned to Lady Mireth and bowed gracefully. "Your Grace Lady Mireth, we deeply apologize for the chaos. It was purely a misunderstanding. Darwin here is only searching for a friend—an elf, whom he fears was taken by Dawnery… though of course, sneaking in with a wolf was not a wise decision."
She smiled gently but sincerely. "I apologize for our rudeness."
Lady Mireth gave a soft smile. "There's no need for that, Your Highness. Your presence is a great honor."
The elven woman was about to protest, but Lady Mireth raised her hand gently.
"Calm yourself, Velmira," she said to the elf. "I know what Evelyne is like. There's no way she'd be controlled by anyone."
But the adventurer woman still seemed cautious. "Still, we must remain alert. The possibility…"
Before she could finish, Evelyne opened her cloak and revealed a golden royal emblem shining beneath.
"Will this be enough proof of my identity?" she asked with an innocent smile.
Lady Mireth nodded. "Of course."
She turned to her subordinates. "Lower your weapons. Clean up the mess in the hall, and prepare the parlor for discussion."
The guards immediately retreated and moved as instructed.
Darwin remained where he was, silent, eyes blank as they scanned the surrounding damage. He took a deep breath. In his heart, he knew… he had been reckless.
"So focused on Liriel… I forgot my own common sense. If not for Zero and Evelyne…"
His thoughts were interrupted by a cheerful voice beside him.
"We made it inside~!" said Evelyne, raising two fingers in a peace pose, her eyes shining brightly.
Darwin turned, looking at the princess's carefree smile. Slowly, a small smile formed on his own face.
"…Thank you, Your Highness," he said softly.