The place where the carriage stopped was a village slightly away from the capital. It was a particularly remote place close to the mountain in that desolate village. Yuri Hsien had been anxious several times on her way here, but every time she felt that way, she thought of Ulergen’s tenderness.

[Daughter, my daughter. The sweetest night that’s the only one in the world for me.] [My beloved Yuri. Even if the day does not come to this world, Daddy will love the color of the night you have.]

Until marrying Kendallie, Ulergen had been the kindest and most reliable existence for Yuri Hsien.

After falling into Kendallie’s playful love, as if brainwashed, he had become neglectful in everything, but Yuri Hsien knew.

‘That’s not my father’s true self.’

She would set everything right. She had resolved to do whatever it took to do so.

Yuri Hsien comforted herself and wiped off the sweat pooling in her palms several times.

“Miss, we have arrived. But… I’m not sure.”

Andersen hesitated and said from outside the carriage.

“It’s deeper and darker than what the Copelador Guild told us. Maybe… maybe it’s incorrect information.”

Listening to Andersen’s story, Yuri Hsien stuck tightly to the carriage door and checked the surroundings. According to the guild that conducted the investigation, Ulergen was being protected in a cabin on this mountain.

‘But… they didn’t say it was this far out.’

No matter how much she looked around, there was not a trace of human activity to be seen. Sweat pooled again in the palms of Yuri Hsien’s hands gripping the carriage door.

“What shall we do?”

Andersen, finding the cabin for the first time too, had a voice that trembled thinly. He was worried that he might have brought the lady he was serving to a dangerous place.

Yuri Hsien pondered.

‘What should I do? What if my father isn’t here? What if this is a trap by the guild?’

A thousand thoughts occurred to her. In the midst of this, time passed, and the risen moon tilted.

Holding the door and bowing her head, Yuri Hsien pondered for a moment before lifting her face.

“I’ll get out.”

“Miss…”

“Don’t worry.”

Yuri Hsien made her decision.

“I will find my father no matter what.”

Whether it was a trap set by the guild to commit human trafficking, whether they mistook someone else for Ulergen, whether it was false information grabbed and fled with money, she considered countless possibilities. Because of this, Yuri Hsien had prepared numerous countermeasures.

“This isn’t entirely unexpected.”

Of course, she didn’t blindly trust the plan, but she didn’t want to back down, scared by something that hadn’t even happened. In truth, there was nowhere to back down to.

Yuri Hsien wiped the sweat pooling in her palm on her hood and composed her expression. A great Windsor must never lose her dignity, even if there were kidnappers lurking ahead.

‘The compulsion I thought was annoying helps today.’

It was very good at suppressing the fear that kept popping up.

Yuri Hsien knocked on the carriage to signal that she was ready. The hesitant Andersen also opened the carriage door like a dignified servant. He took the hand of the lady he was serving and helped her down from the carriage.

Crunch, crunch.

The sound of stepping on unrotted leaves all winter was light. Yuri Hsien stood tall and looked around. Andersen, arranging his mustache, also held a lantern and guarded Yuri Hsien with a stern expression.

Fortunately, there were no ruffians rushing out as soon as she stepped out.

“The guild said the sanatorium should be nearby. Right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. They said it would be on this road ahead where the carriage can’t go any further.”

“But…”

Yuri Hsien stared into the darkness ahead. Andersen quickly illuminated the way she was looking with a lantern. The light diffused through the mosaic glass was bright, but in the end, they could not find the cabin.

Yuri Hsien looked at the mountain’s entrance, resembling the open mouth of a beast, and swallowed her dry saliva.

“Let’s go see.”

“Yes, Miss. I’ll escort you.”
Andersen sought permission and took the lead. Yuri Hsien felt a void in the empty seat and turned around once before following Andersen up the mountain path.

(This is a time separator.)

Soon, Yuri Hsien was able to find a cabin illuminated by dim light. Fortunately, the guild had not trapped her.

But there was one problem…

“Heh, I don’t know what kind of fortune this is in such a shabby place.”

“Who says no? And she’s a young woman!”

“Hey, I found her first. You know?”

It was the fact that the bandits, who were not visible earlier, appeared a step late. The bandits surrounded Yuri Hsien in no time, taking advantage of the darkness and dense trees to move freely, they were a complete surprise.

“Ugh, miss… calm down…”

“Andersen!”

Yuri Hsien embraced Andersen, who had fallen limp from a sudden blow from a club, and glared at her enemies. The slowly smiling men seemed ready to rush in and scorn her at any moment.