Late at night, the footsteps of the cartmen who were collecting the bodies from the underground prison were busy.

Inside the cart were the bodies of those who had died after being tortured.

The cartmen, pulling the cart that came out of the underground prison in the capital, came out and loaded the bodies onto the carriage.

The carriage carrying the bodies arrived at a hillside a little away from the capital.
The cartmen dismounted from the carriage, carelessly laying the bodies on the mountain slope before quickly descending before any beasts appeared.

In the dimly lit moonlight and low-hanging fog, the sight of the bodies scattered on the eerie mountain was gruesome and tragic.

The unjust moans of those who, after enduring various tortures, succumbed to them resonated, echoing through the mountains.

Once the moon tilted further, the bodies would become the food for wolves or hyenas.

Vica, who had secretly ridden the carriage roof, began inspecting the bodies on the ground as soon as the cartmen left.

She was searching for anyone among them who might still have a faint breath.

Checking each person’s nose with her hands, Vica finally found a man who still had a shallow breath.

Vica took out a healing potion from her pocket, put a little in the man’s mouth, and tapped his cheek.

Soon, the man exhaled deeply, taking a large breath.

“Are you awake?”

The revived man, struggling to move his dry lips, spoke slowly.

“Sa… save me. Pl… please save me…”

“What did they ask you?”

“Th-the human woman with black eyes…”

“And what did you say?”

“I… I don’t know. Really… I witnessed it, but… I really don’t know where she went… Pl-please save me…”

“Where did you witness it?”

The man, attempting to move his lips again, seemed to lose consciousness as his head drooped. He hadn’t stopped breathing; it was just exhaustion and unconsciousness from extreme fatigue and severe pain.

Knowing that the king was already looking for an Easterner, the information was sufficient.

If left like this, he would soon die from hypothermia, even if he didn’t become wolf food. Vica hesitated for a moment but recalled the duke’s words.

‘My wife hates killing. She also hates pretending not to know about dying people. If she happens to see it, save the dying person.’

Vica stood up, considering that he would be cautious enough to live. It wouldn’t be bad to keep him alive.

“Bothersome.”

Vica took out another healing potion, poured it into the man’s mouth, and then dragged him to a nearby boulder where he could lie down.

“Really bothersome.”

While Vica was taking a nap next to Yura, having returned to the estate, Sikar, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes.

At the same time.

Back in the duke’s mansion, Vica, realizing that the duke had already noticed her return, dispelled the annoying nightmare spirits before heading to his study.

“So annoying. This tedious agreement.”

After meticulously eliminating all the nightmare spirits lingering around the duke’s estate, Vica entered the study. Sikar was already seated.

“Did you confirm?”

Vica leaned back on the sofa, soaked her head, and spoke as if finding it annoying.

“Gillian is looking for the person with black eyes, right? Someone seems to have seen an Easterner.”

“And did you figure out who that is?”
“It’s uncertain whether she is the lady or the woman in the Laidox’s house. Well, it could be someone else. Nothing is certain, except that she is a woman.”

Sikar sighed as if frustrated and said, “As expected. We need to find her first. Find her and silence her.”

“What if those people claiming to be Easterners inform the king about the young master’s identity?”

Sikar chuckled as if asking an obvious question. “If Kian is wrong, my curse cannot be lifted, and in that case, our agreement will remain eternal.”

Eternal agreement. That was a troublesome statement.

Vica, looking tired, furrowed her brow and said, “If we have to fight a war with the king, wouldn’t it be better for us to defeat the king now? It’s not an entirely hopeless battle, right?”

“Because of Veronia.”

Vica raised an eyebrow unexpectedly. “Veronia? Are you talking about the princess Duryeon told us to find?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, you mean the king’s son, as the young master said. The son of Princess Veronia!”

“Yes. Until we find the princess, we must never oppose the king.”

Vica felt drained. What did that princess and they have to do with each other? She sighed deeply and said, “Are we really going to risk our lives just to find that princess?”

“Yura wants to find her real mother for Kian, no matter what.”

Vica slumped her shoulders as if exhausted. “Talking about the lady again. Since when have you been talking about nothing but the lady? You’re doing everything she asks, like a marionette.”

Sikar nodded as if he knew it himself. “Isn’t it natural?”

“Natural? Is it natural to play the role of the lady’s puppet? Right now? Just who is that lady, and what makes her so compelling that you’re following her so blindly?”

Sikar, who had been silently listening to Vica’s words, suddenly wore a serious expression. “Be careful with your words, Vica.”