There was a woman hidden in a pile of trash, exhaling rapidly. For some reason, her wandering eyes displayed anxiety.

Her dire situation was apparent; she was barefoot, her arms and legs noticeably emaciated.

Soon, loud voices broke the silence.

“Found her?”

“No.”

“Damn it, that cunning wench. Where the hell did she go?”

Rough-faced men seemed to be searching for the woman scattered throughout the alley.

She covered her mouth with both hands, trying to muffle even the escaping breaths, to avoid being discovered.

‘I absolutely must not be found.’

“Let’s go that way. She can’t have gone far.”

Only when their voices became inaudible did she emerge from her trash pile hiding place. Then she began running in the opposite direction to where they had gone.

‘Where should I go?’

Her mind raced as she felt the men might catch up at any moment. Soon, her gaze fixed on a path leading to the sewers.

“Sewers…”

As if it were her only escape route, she ran there, not feeling the pain in her bare feet.

Beneath the moonlight, her white eyes shimmered with fear.

“You don’t know where you’re going?”

“Yes, His Majesty just told me to leave.”

As Evenel exited the palace with Lia’s farewell, Shuher was standing in front of the carriage. He was also dressed unusually lightly.

Approaching him, Evenel couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“Where are we really going?”

“Get in first.”

With that, Shuher climbed aboard, and she bid farewell to Lia before joining him in the carriage. As soon as they took their seats, the carriage smoothly started moving.

As the carriage passed through the palace gates, Evenel couldn’t take her eyes off the passing scenery. After all, it was her first time leaving the palace since arriving in Karies.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to leave.”

Even until she arrived here, she had thought she wouldn’t make it out alive, so the feeling was fresh. Moments later, the streets of the capital unfolded before her eyes.

Not the towering apartments and high-rise buildings she saw daily, but lower structures and a serene, exotic landscape captivated her gaze.

“So this really is Karies.”

Across from her, Shuher found her reaction puzzling. She wasn’t new to the world, so why couldn’t she take her eyes off a seemingly ordinary landscape?

Aodin would surely be more lavish, so this should actually appear mundane.

“So where are we really going? You haven’t said, and it’s making me uneasy.”

“Countess Eunis’s estate.”

“Countess Eunis?”

The name wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to Evenel. She definitely remembered it from a book.

Though not a family endowed with power, they had a reputation no less significant.

“Is it the family famous for making firearms? I think I read that they took the lead in developing bullets used to slay demons.”

Shuher nodded affirmatively.

“Knights are using guns all made by the Eunis estate. They make high-quality, exceptional firearms, and the current Count is continuing the legacy.”

Upon hearing this explanation, she only then realized they were heading there, and asked in surprise,

“So we’re going there now?”

“Yes.”

“What for?”

“There’s a gun there for Your Highness to use.”

“Really?”

This time, color returned quickly to Evenel’s face. From her point of view, it was obviously good news. She had been interested in the gun-making family ever since she read about them in a book.

“I also have business to discuss with the Count, so it’s killing two birds with one stone.”

“But why bring me along? You could just tell me later.”

“That’s not something a person who’s been nagging for a new gun should say.”

She remembered how many times she had pestered for a new firearm and scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

Shortly afterward, the carriage came to a halt at their destination. The two stepped out. A massive white mansion stood before them.

“So this is the Eunis estate.”

Just then, a man approached the two.

“I’ve been waiting, Your Highness.”

“It’s been a while, Count Geryen.”
With a gentle demeanor and pleasant appearance, the man was Geryen Eunis, the owner of the Eunis estate. Exchanging greetings with Shuher, he belatedly noticed Evenel who was with him.

She offered a formal greeting towards Geryen.

“Nice to meet you. I am Evenel Istella.”

An awkward silence followed Evenel’s introduction. From the atmosphere, she sensed that Geryen wasn’t too pleased to meet her.

Nevertheless, Evenel had something important she wanted to say when meeting him.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you, Count.”

“Gratitude?”

Geryen couldn’t understand the meaning behind her mention of ‘gratitude.’ What could possibly have happened between them; they were meeting for the first time today.

“All the guns used in the palace are made by the Eunis estate, according to His Highness. I went to the Ferti territory recently, and those guns saved my life multiple times. So it’s only right to say I owe you.”

Upon hearing Evenel’s subsequent explanation, a clear look of surprise was evident in his eyes.