While Sikar Blake was away from the manor, I was so anxious I couldn’t sit still for even a moment.

I was worried Gillian might gather evidence, lure Sikar to the royal palace, and subject him to torture or interrogation.

Had it not been for Vika Lamberst, I might have sighed with every breath I took.

“Madam, it’s unsettling—could you please sit down for a while?”

I sat down at Vika’s warm suggestion, but my anxious heart still wouldn’t calm.

“Master Vika, will His Grace be safe?”

“He went accompanied by other nobles. He’s no easy target—nothing untoward will happen.”

That may be true…

But knowing Gillian is no pushover either, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Seo Yeon kindly handed me a warm cup of tea.

“Having a cup of warm tea might help you feel better.”

“I should be taking care of you, our guest Seo Yeon—it’s embarrassing.”

“His Grace will arrive safely; you can take care of me then.”

Seo Yeon’s words, as gentle as her smile, were more comforting than anything else.

“Right?”

Seo Yeon winked at me as if to say there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

“Of course.”

True to what people say, Sikar returned to the manor unhurt, not even a single hair out of place.

I was overjoyed to see him, but too embarrassed to show it outwardly—I sat on the sofa, watched him come sit beside me, and quietly asked,

“Are you alright?”

Sikar merely looked at me with an indifferent expression, as if questioning what exactly I meant by “alright.”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine, not a scratch on me.”

Wait—I didn’t ask if you got beaten up. I meant, were you threatened or anything?

Anyway, seeing him completely unharmed, my heart finally settled.

Sikar drank a glass of water Andrea brought, set the glass down, and said,

“Durion. Summon Tucker.”

Since he’d returned from the royal palace, summoning Tucker could only mean the King had called for him.

“You’re not seriously thinking of handing Tucker over, are you?”

Vika looked at me as if I were asking something obvious.

“Madam, right now even the smallest thing could be used against us. Our safety comes first. I understand your discomfort, but we can’t afford to hesitate anymore. Right, Your Grace?”

Sikar quietly looked at both Vika and me.

“Ultimately, what we need is time—and we’ve already bought some.”

Since it wasn’t a negative answer, Vika asked again for confirmation.

“So you’re saying you’ll defy the King’s order and release that merchant?”

“If we release him ourselves, it’d be tantamount to treason.”

Vika, seemingly relieved, leaned back into his chair again.

“Now you’re talking sense.”

Is it really unavoidable?

“Sikar, is this truly the only way?”

“As Vika said, for now, we must avoid giving them any pretext.”

“But it’s a matter of someone’s life hanging in the balance…”

“If his fate doesn’t extend beyond this point, then it’s simply unavoidable.”

We didn’t need to sacrifice ourselves for him, but feeling powerless while knowingly sending him to his death weighed heavily on me.

Tucker, arriving with Durion, walked in with a bitter smile—as if fully aware of his impending doom.

“You called for me, Your Grace.”

“The King is summoning you.”

“Then I must go. Thank you for your care all this time.”

I expected him to protest, to question why he was being sent to die—but instead, he bowed politely without a single word of objection, making me feel ashamed to look at him.

“If you go to the palace, you’ll immediately be thrown into the underground dungeon and end up on the executioner’s block.”

Tucker calmly replied again, as if he already knew.

“Yes, Your Grace. I understand.”

His detached demeanor pained me, but Sikar seemed provoked by it.

“You understand?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“You’re about to die, and you don’t even beg for your life—you just say ‘I understand’?”

“I cannot defy His Majesty the King’s command. You’ve allowed me to stay in this manor until now, and I believe you’ve done everything you could. That’s enough for me.”

He spoke so calmly it was almost strange. The calmer he was, the more curious Sikar seemed to grow about him.

“You think ‘enough’ just because I did my best? I heard you have a grandmother living alone. Without you, she might starve to death—is that still ‘enough’ for you?”

“Your Grace took me in despite knowing the risks. You even gave me a carriage in exchange for just one vial of Gohgae medicine. If I never mention who bought that medicine—even until my death—I firmly believe you will take care of my grandmother.”

Ah… So that’s why Tucker never revealed who bought the Gohgae medicine, even under Gillian’s pressure.

Tucker knew that even if he said it was Sikar, the King would still have him killed.

So, to ensure at least his grandmother’s survival, he kept his mouth shut—trusting completely that Sikar would protect her.

Seeing this, Sikar continued to regard Tucker with growing curiosity, as if sensing he was no ordinary man.

“So you trusted me?”

“Yes.”

“What made you trust me?”

“Your Grace always appears expressionless and speaks harshly, but in critical moments, you protected me. So I placed my trust not in your words or smiles—but in your actions.”

Sikar rested his chin thoughtfully, pondered for a long while, then said,

“A bit of a waste.”

“What?”

“I mean, it’s a shame for such a life to vanish like dew on the executioner’s block.”

Vika, who had been leaning comfortably in his chair moments before, sprang up like a coiled spring.

“What do you mean?!”

“I mean I can’t just hand Tucker over obediently.”

“What?”

Vika’s reply was brief, but his tone seemed to imply, “Are you out of your mind?”

Sikar scratched his chin lightly, as if discussing something trivial.

“The King can’t blame me for a man who ran away.”

Internally, I was moved that Sikar had learned to consider another person’s life—but Vika seemed to suspect Sikar had hit his head somewhere.

“Your Grace, are you in your right mind?”

“Don’t push it, Vika.”

Knowing Sikar’s mind was made up and persuasion would be useless, Vika stopped asking questions. He merely grumbled discontentedly and stood up from his seat.

Tucker, observing the unfolding situation, looked at Sikar with suspicious eyes.

“So… you’re saying you’ll spare my life?”

“Choose your words carefully. I’m not sparing you. You’ll escape, and I’ll simply have no choice but to fail to deliver you to the King.”

Semantics.

Tucker bowed deeply until his forehead touched the floor, tears streaming down.

“Thank you, Your Grace. Thank you, Your Grace.”

Seeing his tears, I realized how terrified he must have been all along, despite pretending to be strong—my nose stung with emotion.

“I’m sparing you because I believe you’ll be useful someday. Value your life and stay alive.”

“Yes! Yes! Since Your Grace spared me, my life is precious indeed! I will survive and repay this kindness to you!”

“Kindness? It’s merely a transaction. Someday, you may have to pay dearly for this life—so don’t get too excited.”

“Yes, Your Grace. I’ll remember! I’ll definitely remember!”

Sikar called Andrea and ordered him to pack Tucker’s belongings.

“Disguise him as a servant and give him a horse.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Andrea, receiving Sikar’s orders, headed to Tucker’s room with the servants to gather his things.

“Your grandmother has been taken to the Leper Grand Temple—you should go there.”

“What? My grandmother is at the Leper Grand Temple?”

“Yes. Even the King cannot act freely there, so you can rest assured. After finding your grandmother, stay in the north for a while.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

What a thorough man. When did he move Tucker’s grandmother to the Leper Grand Temple? He pretends to be indifferent, yet takes care of everyone’s needs.

I stood up and extended my hand to Tucker.

“Survive well.”

“Yes, Madam. The kindness you’ve shown me—I will never, ever forget it.”

Am I becoming more like Sikar? Or is it because I’m touched? I couldn’t find many words to say.

“Thank you for keeping your loyalty.”

“Loyalty? It was merely my duty, Madam.”

While Tucker waited with a bittersweet expression, Andrea emerged carrying a packed satchel.

“I’ll carry it myself, Head Maid.”

“No need. I’ll escort you—let’s go together.”

“No, I’ve already burdened you enough—this I must carry myself.”

Sikar, watching, gestured for Andrea to go back inside.

“If you personally carry a satchel for a man fleeing, that would be truly strange. Go inside, Andrea.”

“But he’s our guest.”

“That ‘guest’ wants to leave the manor secretly—so Andrea, go inside and get some rest.”

“Then… before I go, may I be permitted to give a small gift, Your Grace?”

Seeing how Andrea cared for Tucker like this, it seemed he’d gotten along quite well with the household during his stay.

“Permitted.”

The moment Sikar gave permission, Andrea smiled and headed toward his own room.

What kind of gift is he preparing? Then I should give Tucker a gift too, before he leaves.

“Tucker. Follow me.”

“Yes, Madam?”

“I want to give you a gift too, since you got along so well with our servants.”

Tucker followed me, his expression a mix of regret and relief. Sikar, who had been seated, quietly stood and followed us as Tucker trailed behind me.

But as Tucker entered my room, he suddenly stopped.

“Oh, this is…”

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“Ah, no. It’s just… surprising to see this symbol here.”

What symbol is he talking about?

Tucker smiled lightly, as if it were nothing important.

“Ah, no. I only mentioned it because the scribble on this door looks familiar.”

I had been inspecting a jewelry box but jumped up and asked Tucker,

“Wait, Tucker!”

“Yes?”

“When you say ‘symbol,’ do you mean this spider symbol?”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Where have you seen it?”

As soon as “spider symbol” was mentioned, Sikar, who had been leaning casually at the end of the hallway, stepped into the room.

“A spider symbol? You mean the one Finder was searching for? Why is it drawn on this door?”

“Ah, earlier today, the children scribbled here.”

Sikar gritted his teeth, barely suppressing his boiling anger.

“Scribbled?! You mean the children drew on this very door?!”

“Yeah. That’s what happened.”

“Who?”

“Lucy.”

“Why?!”

“She drew it because she heard spiders protect the house. She had no spider to copy, so she copied the spider symbol left by Finder—and that’s how it ended up here. I was planning to erase it soon anyway.”

Sikar looked utterly exasperated.

“This… this door has guarded this house for over a hundred years…”

“Children wouldn’t know that.”

To change the subject, I turned back to Tucker.

“Tucker, did you see this symbol—or did you see an actual spider?”

“This symbol. I’ve seen something identical before.”