Riana froze in place.

“How did you get here…!”

Her mind went blank.

She never informed anyone of her destination, yet he had come to this distant place, precisely to Brillon.

For a moment, she hoped it was a hallucination, but with each step he took closer, he became clearer.

Riana took a step back from his approaching figure.

She had to run away. She couldn’t be caught like this.

Coming to her senses, she instinctively turned and fled.

She had to get away from the flames that seemed to engulf the port in a bright red blaze.

Sched watched the small figure running away in the distance.

“Ha…”

Sched irritably brushed his hair back as he watched her desperately trying to escape.

Even after coming this far, she dared to think of escaping.

She must know that she can’t escape from him with that kind of sprint.

Nevertheless, the sight of her trying to run away was quite… unpleasant.

The sight of her desperately trying to escape scratched at something deep inside him.

Yes. Struggle all you want if you desire.

With large strides that seemed to pierce through space, he pursued her.

Riana ran with all her might.

She was out of breath, and the musty-smelling air penetrated deep into her lungs.

But it only took Sched a moment to catch up to her.

“Stop wasting time.”

As his large hand grabbed her, Riana’s body swayed.

At the same time, a sharp gust of wind brushed past her cheek.

Thwack! The sound of a blade piercing echoed in her ears.

“Don’t test my patience any further.”

Sched looked down at her with cold eyes, gripping the knife handle.

The silver blade was embedded right next to her face.

Riana faced the man in front of her, exhaling the breath that had risen to her chin.

The air was filled with the acrid smell of burning, and a hot gust of wind blew.

The voices of those desperately trying to extinguish the fire could also be heard from a distance.

Riana felt as if the air surrounding her was suffocating her.

The end of her pale lips trembled slightly.

“…Why are you going this far?”

She couldn’t understand.

Riana was a fallen woman.

A woman who was worthless in anyone’s eyes.

A woman who would lead a miserable and pathetic life if left alone.

Yet, just to capture her, he had set all the ships ablaze.

Moreover, this place was Marlhein territory. It wasn’t even Sched Lester’s domain.

The Marlhein ducal family wouldn’t let this incident slide.

It was something that couldn’t be done unless one was insane.

But Sched looked at Riana as if it was nothing.

“Thanks to setting fire to the rat hole, the little rat has come out on its own like this.”

“There was no need to involve people unrelated to this matter!”

Riana shouted, pointing at the burning port.

The owners of those ships, the sailors preparing to set sail tomorrow, the fishermen, and their families.

They had lost everything just because of Riana alone.

But Sched looked down at her with indifferent eyes.

“Why? Do you pity them? Do you feel sorry for them for getting caught up in this without knowing the reason?”

His brows furrowed in annoyance.

“Did you ever have compassion or a conscience?”

He pressed the wrist he was holding against the wall, suppressing Riana.

It felt as if her wrist would shatter at any moment.

“You shouldn’t be the one saying such things. Right?”

Sched’s words pierced Riana’s heart like a dagger.

She was running away from the sins she had committed.

Fearing judgment, she hid her power, and fearing her past crimes, she changed her name and lived in hiding, pretending to be dead.

Yet, now she was shamelessly questioning Sched’s sins with petty compassion and guilt.

The one who had committed even greater sins was Louise Ideana, herself.

“You will eventually go to Ideana.”

Sched spoke as if prophesying.

“You can run away again if you want. But then, I’ll find you even if I have to set this entire land on fire.”

A momentary madness flickered in his eyes as he warned her softly.

His warning was by no means a bluff.

He was prepared to do anything to find her. And Louise Ideana would accumulate even more sins on that name.

“When you go through the darkest night, I will be there.”

Sched made a promise.

Riana saw the flames in his eyes that seemed to engulf everything.

Riana realized that she had nowhere left to run.

Now that Sched Lester knew of Louise Ideana’s survival, the persistent hunter would pursue his prey to the end and seize its neck.

“His Grace the Duke, who ran out at dawn yesterday, has yet to return?”

Eclas frowned as he read the daily report from the company while sipping his tea.

He was clearly supposed to leave for Ideana yesterday morning, but Sched Lester had vanished like a ghost and hadn’t returned.

For a full day.

“He went out to find that maid?”

Eclas reaffirmed the fact he had confirmed several times.

“According to rumors, he even went beyond Marlhein territory.”

“That crazy bastard. I’ve seen it all living this long.”

Eclas cursed at the absent Sched Lester.

“It’s unlike Sched Lester.”

“It’s certainly unusual.”

“I hate inconsistent people…”

Eclas put down the report he was reading on the table and fiddled with the coin in his pocket.

It was a habit that emerged when he was deep in thought or racking his brain over something.

‘This all started after that maid appeared.’

Eclas recalled the dirty woman Sched Lester had brought on the first day.

Come to think of it, he had even let that woman into the bedroom on the first day.

It seemed the outcome wasn’t very good, judging by the looks of it…

“That maid’s name was Riana, wasn’t it?”

“It’s Riana Serpens, sir.”

The attendant Bannen diligently informed him of her name.

Eclas recalled her face.

It was a strangely intriguing face.

A face that vaguely reminded him of someone.

Those pretty features and green eyes were exactly like…

‘Louise Ideana.’

He recalled a young lady he had met a very long time ago.

Although he had only met her once, Eclas couldn’t forget her face.

He was already good at remembering people’s faces and information.

But Louise was special even among them.

How could he forget that beautiful appearance?

Moreover, the day he first and last met her was also an unforgettable day in his life.

‘Because it was the day history changed.’

Eight years ago, when he had gone to the Ideana County with his father for a deal, he met Louise Ideana for the first time.

That day, Louise had directly proposed a deal to the Bitel Company for the first time.

Surprisingly, the deal proposed by the gently raised young lady of the county was a slave, Sched Lupus.

Eight years ago, the Bitel family was merely a merchant family without a title.

His father, Willard Bitel, now enjoyed a comfortable life in Sizelon and had entrusted all authority to his son, but he was an innately exceptional businessman and skilled negotiator.

To such a Willard, the Ideana County, a family of former emperors, was a trading partner he couldn’t ignore.

At that time, eighteen-year-old Eclas followed his father around, learning the business and building connections with the nobles.

That day was the first time he had gone with his father to the Ideana County for a deal.

Felix Ideana, the Earl, was a gentlemanly and dignified nobleman.

But somehow, he gave off an unpleasant feeling.

Later, after hearing the news of the Earl’s rebellion, he realized the origin of the strange discomfort he had felt.

Anyway, at that time, no one could have imagined the Earl’s rebellion.

That day, Eclas felt uncomfortable with the details of the deal, so on the way out after talking with the Earl, he was consulting with his father about the deal.

“…Father, will you continue trading Rektar?”

When Eclas asked with concern, his father Willard Bitel raised his eyebrows once while glancing around.

He was trying to be cautious with his words as they were still inside the Ideana County.

As they were about to leave the Earl’s residence, suddenly, someone blocked their way.

The one who stepped in front of them was fifteen-year-old Louise Ideana.

The small and sickly girl stood before them with a gloomy face.

“Lady Louise, have you been well?”

As Eclas’s father Willard Bitel skillfully greeted her first, Louise lowered her eyes and nodded, then opened her mouth.

“…Bitel. Can you spare me some time?”

At Louise’s request, Willard blinked his eyes.

It was the first time Louise had separately asked for his time.

“Of course.”

There was no reason to refuse, and Bitel, whose curiosity was piqued, readily nodded.

Eclas also followed his father and Louise.

Louise led the two to a room without any explanation.

At their destination, the county’s knights were guarding a large wooden crate.

Louise stopped in front of the crate.

“I want to sell this.”

Louise pointed at the crate.

“What is this…?”

The moment the head of the Bitel Company asked, the large crate shook with a thud.

Startled, the two men stepped back.

Louise bit her lip and gestured to the knights.

The knights used a lever to open the tightly closed lid of the crate.

And inside it…

“T-This is…”

A Lupus, covered in blood and bound in chains from head to toe, was inside.

The state was so terrible that Eclas felt nauseous.

He also realized then that the blackish substance at the bottom of the crate was blood that had seeped out.

Clank!

As the crate opened, the body of the Lupus inside moved violently as if resisting.

A strangely sweet scent mixed with the metallic smell of blood wafted up from inside the crate.

It was the first encounter with Sched, who would later become the Duke of Lester.