After finishing dinner and coming up to the room, the faint sound of fireworks bursting could be heard through the open window.

It was the sound coming from the summer night festival in full swing at the square.

The people of the island held their own summer night festival every year. It was a festival held with the intention of enjoying the night instead of the hot daytime.

Blair was curious about the festival, but in her current situation of hiding, it was unreasonable to go out to see the festival.

Instead, the old woman who pitied Blair bought some festival snacks, saying “A young mother needs to eat well,” to ease her disappointment.

“Still, it’s cool now that night has fallen.”

Blair sat by the window where the cool night breeze was blowing in. It was too early to go to sleep right away.

Suddenly remembering something, she took out a map from her bundle of belongings. It was one of the few possessions she had brought from the duke’s residence.

Traveling across the entire continent was a childhood dream when she knew nothing.

As she grew up, she realized that a noblewoman couldn’t travel freely and conformed to reality, but the desire still remained in a corner of her heart.

Now that she had decided to abandon her status, she was one step closer to that dream.

‘If I go to the east coast, I might be able to visit other continents as well.’

She had heard that people with healthy bronze skin lived in the southern continent, and people with mysterious black hair and obsidian-like black eyes lived in the eastern continent.

The appearance, culture, customs, and language of those people, as described in books, had greatly stimulated Blair’s curiosity.

Now, it wasn’t just a vain dream to actually meet them and even visit the continents where they lived. That fact excited Blair.

Of course, it would be a dream that could only start after Asiel was born and had grown up somewhat.

“…I slept a lot during the day, but I’m sleepy again.”

Blair, blinking her sleepy eyes while looking at the map, couldn’t shake off the drowsiness and lay down on the bed.

How much time had passed like that?

“…dy.”

Blair, who had fallen into a deep sleep, heard a familiar voice and struggled to open her eyes.

“My lady!”

It was still dark. The first thing she saw in the dim darkness was Mikhail’s face, urgently shaking her awake.

Blair rubbed her eyes, still heavy with sleep, and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“What’s the matter at this hour?”

“We need to leave this place right now.”

“Leave? What do you mean so suddenly…”

“The duke’s knights are searching all the civilian houses on the island.”

“…What?”

Blair’s eyes widened at the unexpected news.

The people residing on the island were technically under the emperor’s protection, the emperor’s people.

While searching a small number of houses suspected of being involved in specific crimes might be understandable, searching the houses of an unspecified majority like this was unheard of, except when tracking down serious criminals guilty of treason.

Yet now, the Delmark knights were searching houses.

In other words, even for Herdin, this action was a great overreach of authority.

As Blair was shocked by the unexpectedly tenacious pursuit, Mikhail brought her robe.

“The duke’s knights will soon burst into this house too. Let’s hurry and slip away before then.”

Finally coming to her senses, Blair quickly got dressed and prepared to leave. Thanks to her luggage being light and Mikhail having packed in advance, preparations were quickly finished.

As the two of them, ready to depart, came down to the first floor, the old woman who had been watching the situation outside through the window approached them.

“Go carefully. Don’t overexert yourself, and don’t skip meals because you’re in a hurry. Nurturing a baby in your belly is such hard work, you need your strength.”

“…Thank you.”

“And you, young father, take good care of yourself too. From the moment you have a wife and child, it’s not just your own body anymore. You understand?”

At the old woman’s words of concern, a moment of silence fell between Mikhail and Blair.

They had decided not to tell the truth for her sake, so they couldn’t explain, but it would be odd to say it was another man’s child.

It seemed there was no way to clear up the misunderstanding.

Mikhail, who had been observing Blair’s expression for a moment, soon smiled faintly and nodded.

“I will. Thank you for taking care of us, madam.”

The two bid farewell to the old woman and immediately went out through the back door.

The sound of horse hooves could be heard constantly in the quiet village covered in darkness. They must belong to the Delmark knights.

At that sound coming from afar, Blair pulled her robe’s hood down more carefully. Not a single strand of hair should be visible.

“Peep?”

“Shh, Pipi. We need to be quiet now.”

Blair calmed Pipi, who was fidgeting at the suddenly started journey. Fortunately, the intelligent creature seemed to understand its owner’s words and quieted down. It was still rustling in the bag, though.

Blair followed closely behind Mikhail and asked.

“With all the routes blocked, is there a way to slip out?”

“…There is one place that’s likely to have a gap.”

“Where is that?”

“We’re going to the ferry dock on the Maha River.”

Mikhail said so and took the lead.

One of the summer night festival customs was to release floating lanterns on the Maha River that crosses the island and make wishes.

Probably tonight too, there would be many people trying to release lanterns and boatmen providing boat rides to them for money.

While the Delmark knights had blocked all entry and exit points to the island and were searching, they probably hadn’t thought about people leaving through the river.

Especially on a festival night like today when crowds gather, it would be even harder to catch them.

Although they couldn’t be certain, for now, they had no choice but to pin their hopes on that possibility.

* * *

“Your ordered coffee is ready.”

The café worker carefully placed the coffee in front of the customer who was emitting a strange killing intent. The cup shook from the movement, causing coffee to spill onto the saucer.

The worker hurriedly wiped the saucer clean with a napkin. Fortunately, the customer was looking towards the square.

He sighed in relief and scurried away.

Just as Herdin picked up the cup while keeping his gaze fixed on the square teeming with people, Luth, who had just entered the café, spotted him at a glance and approached.

Sitting down across from him, Luth, anticipating what he would ask, reported the situation.

“It seems to be taking time to search because there are many empty houses due to the festival. However, since we’ve controlled the entrances and are tightening the encirclement, I believe it’s only a matter of time before we find the madam.”

Luth said this while glancing at Herdin’s expression.

He was scrutinizing the people passing by in the square, as if he hadn’t even heard Luth’s report just now.

Like a predator looking for its prey.

Luth swallowed a sigh at the sight and carefully asked.

“So why don’t you go in and get some sleep now?”

Herdin had been going without proper sleep for nearly three days, sustaining himself only on coffee and cigars.

He might look fine on the outside, but in fact, when a human body goes without sleep for three days, it inevitably breaks down. This means that even someone born with a strong constitution like him would be affected.

At first, Luth had grumbled, half-jokingly, “You’re having quite a fierce marital spat,” but now he was starting to worry sincerely that Herdin might suddenly collapse and something might go wrong.

However, Herdin, having finished his coffee, stood up, disregarding Luth’s concern.

“You go in and rest.”

As he put on his robe and left the café, his blue eyes gleamed with a fierce light.

* * *

Despite the late hour, a large crowd had gathered in the square where the festival was being held.

Blair moved her feet busily, trying not to lose sight of Mikhail in the crowd pushing against her.

‘On festival days when people gather in one place, moving through secluded areas might actually draw attention. So it’s better to use the crowd.’

For this reason, Mikhail had chosen to move through the crowd in the square.

However, while it was easy to hide, it was not easy to push through the incoming crowd.

Especially for Blair, who was small and weak.

Mikhail, who had been looking back anxiously at Blair being bumped by people here and there, finally approached her, unable to bear it any longer.

“My lady, excuse me for a moment.”

His strong arm wrapped around Blair’s shoulders protectively. Even then, his hand didn’t actually grasp her shoulder.

As Blair, who ended up being embraced due to the narrowed distance, startled slightly, Mikhail whispered quietly.

“Forgive my rudeness. It will only be for a moment.”

He started pushing through the crowd in that state. With the help of a man with a large build, the impact from colliding with various people definitely decreased, making it easier to walk.

It was just as they had finally pushed through the crowded area and entered a slightly less busy zone.

They began to launch fireworks one after another from the adjacent area where many people had been standing. It seemed that was the reason for the large gathering.

Blair unknowingly turned her gaze towards the fireworks bursting in the sky. Multicolored sparks reflected in her violet eyes as well.

‘Though that too is another kind of fire, how can it be so beautiful…’

The moment she thought that, suddenly one person came to mind.

Her husband… who had put roasted marshmallows in her mouth, who had come to save her from the fierce flames, who had shown her that fireworks could be beautiful.

Blair lowered her gaze from the fireworks as if avoiding the rising emotions as she recalled his face.

At that moment, their eyes met.

With him, who was staring at her with chillingly cold eyes amidst the huge crowd.