Duke Valige’s face was shadowed as he looked at the wreckage of the carriage in the gorge.

The carriage, shattered beyond recognition, had become a sharp blade, tearing his heart to shreds.

“Lina?”

“……We haven’t found her yet.”

At that moment, when he had his eyes tightly closed, a desperate shout came from the cliff above.

“Duke! Someone has fallen here!”

“!!”

Thinking it might be Lina, he ran to where the voice came from in a single bound.

But.

“You…….”

“Duke……?”

The one who greeted Duke Valige was not Lina but a maid named Mei. The Duke urgently asked Mei, who had just regained consciousness.

“Weren’t you in the carriage with Lina? Where is Lina?!”

“I, I don’t know. I was definitely with the young lady in the carriage, but why am I here……. More than that. Where is the young lady? Where is the young lady?!”

Everyone avoided Mei’s gaze, who seemed not to have yet grasped the situation. In his anxiety, Duke Valige grabbed her shoulder.

“Tell me more about the situation in the carriage. Anything, even if it’s trivial. Hurry!”

“That, that’s. Suddenly the horse started running fast, and after the young lady mumbled something, I can’t think……. Could it be, the young lady…….”

“Why only you[dash]!”

Just as the Duke, holding Lina’s shoulder, was trembling, Lawrence held his hand and bowed his head.

“Duke.”

At Lawrence’s words, Duke Valige muttered lowly.

“……Take this child to the village and show her to a doctor, we will continue to search for Lina.”

If Mei was safe, Lina must surely be alive somewhere.

He believed so firmly. No, he had no choice but to believe.

He couldn’t even imagine life without Lina.

‘Please, don’t leave me alone. Lina.’

(This is a time separator.)

Balkan, the border region of Festius.

Having recovered somewhat in the forest, Lina, who arrived in Balkan, entered a dark alley.

‘I need money first.’

Lina, who had set off on a long journey without any preparation, didn’t even have money for food and shelter.

All she had were the personal effects she had carried and the jewelry attached to her clothes. That’s why she planned to make money by selling what she could after stopping by a pawnshop.

“I have to get a fair price.”

She wasn’t sure if the already bruised jewels could get their proper value, but now every penny was precious.

‘But to leave the ring behind.’

Lina recalled the ring attached to the necklace she had given Mei just before the accident. A precious ring she had kept since she first opened her eyes.

‘Eventually, having the ring to lose it like this.’

If she had left Duke Valige’s side without caring about the ring in Harren County. Then no one would have been in pain.

Yes, if she had left then.

If, if that had happened.

Would Duke Valige’s pain have been less?

When her past, where she uttered promises she couldn’t keep, came to mind, her chest constricted once again.

She was so sorry, and sorry.

With the bitter smile that settled on Lina’s lips left behind, she entered the pawnshop.

Ding[dash].

When she opened the old wooden door, a clear bell sound accompanied the musty smell of dust.

“Who’s there?”

As she walked through the narrow passage filled with items, the owner, who appeared to be an old man, sat up and pushed up his glasses.

“What can I do for you?”

“Hello, I came to sell something.”

The old man, who had briefly sparkled his eyes, spoke in a disinterested voice when he saw Lina’s shabby appearance.

“Well, it doesn’t seem like anything worth looking at……. Bring it anyway.”

At the owner’s words, Lina handed over the personal effects she had set aside.

“I want to sell all of these, how much will it be?”

“Let’s see[dash].”

The old man’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at the items.

“Where did all this come from?”

When he looked at her suspiciously, Lina avoided his gaze.

It seemed he thought that Lina had stolen these quite valuable items, considering her shabby appearance.
But Lina, who had roughly anticipated the shopkeeper’s reaction, brought out the excuse she had thought of beforehand.

“It’s what my late mother left me. She was once a noblewoman.”

“Hmm…….”

At this, the elderly man who had been thinking for a moment opened the safe and handed over the money.

“50 silver coins.”

“What? 50 silver coins? I should get at least 2 gold coins if you add all of these together!”

“They are surely good items, but fixing the damages here and there will cost more money! If you don’t like it, take them back.”

Lina, who had been hesitating at the shopkeeper’s firm attitude, let out a low sigh.

“Alright. But please make it 60 silver coins.”

“Hmm……. Miss, you seem desperate, so I’ll give you 60.”

Though it was clearly a loss, Lina, who had no time to waste, took the shopkeeper’s money and went outside.

“First, I’ll buy clothes, a wig, and glasses with this money…….”

Because she didn’t know when or where she would run into the Duke, Lina decided to purchase the items she needed right away.

“It’ll be okay for a while, but it’s utterly insufficient to leave for the south.”