Mel laughed out loud, finding Laila’s words amusing. And she suddenly realized how close she had become to Laila.

Up close, Laila was someone worth cherishing and loving. She was pure and without malice, always doing her best to be considerate of others. Her occasional awkwardness was due to never having lived such a life before.

That’s why Mel wished Laila would be happier about Mel’s growing fondness for her. Not for Mel’s sake, but for Laila’s own.

‘It’s not an easy thing, though.’

Mel sighed softly and picked up the needle she had set down.

She was secretly adding lace trim to the muslin slip Laila would wear. Though she knew Laila was rather reluctant about frilly and elaborate things, Mel had a different opinion.

Just as when she heard Laila had never worn embroidered nightclothes, Mel felt a subtle loneliness in her heart seeing Laila fall asleep without complaint in plain clothes.

As Laila turned her gaze back to the window, only the sound of Mel moving her needle filled the room, quiet as falling snow.

However, that peaceful silence did not last long.

After a heavy knock, the employee guarding the door announced the visit of a Tentinella member. Laila stood up as the member entered and bowed.

“Lady Kristrad.”

“What is it?”

“A message has come from the 3rd branch in Gilonik. They request your presence, Lady Kristrad.”

“What about Eustar?”

“His Highness the Prince has also been notified.”

Laila nodded and took down the jacket hanging on one side. Mel hurriedly set down her sewing and helped her change.

“I’ll be back, Mel.”

“Take care, Lady Kristrad.”

Mel saw her off as usual, but once the door closed, she let out a small sigh.

‘Why do I feel this way, when it’s not the first or second time?’

Mel tried to gather her emotions, clutching her strangely fluttering heart.

“A message from the Gilonik branch, Lady Kristrad.”

Galen said. Laila stared at the gray screen floating in the air before approaching him.

“Would you like to see it?”

“I’ll do it.”

As he stepped back, Laila skillfully manipulated the numerous buttons and levers made of crystal and magic stone to bring up the screen. At first, she couldn’t get used to it at all, but now she could operate it proficiently without anyone’s help or advice.

The screen flickered, and the face of Jimius Con, the head of the Gilonik branch, appeared large. Having peered too closely into the lens connecting the video, her forehead and tired-looking eyes took up nearly half the screen.

—Greetings, Your Highness the Prince. And Lady Kristrad. This is Jimius Con from Gilonik.

Her voice had a slightly metallic tone to it, which made her androgynous features stand out even more. Jimius, seemingly unfamiliar with operating the video transmission, frowned for a moment, tapping something, before giving up and raising her head again.

—I am reporting that as of this moment, a level 3 sync has been detected in the 3rd branch’s jurisdiction. Its growth rate is slow, but unpredictable. There is an abandoned house where the sync appeared, and we’ve received successive reports from residents claiming to have seen ‘something’ there. Therefore…….

Laila, who had been listening to Jimius’s explanation with her arms crossed, let out a shallow sigh as the screen turned off.

She turned to Galen, shrugging her shoulders slightly, and said,

“A haunted house, how classic.”

Galen’s expression became subtle.

He could tell that Laila was joking… but her expression and tone were so deadpan, and he worried that it might not be a joke after all.

For someone as thoughtful as him, despite appearances, it was not easy to deal with someone like Laila, whose true feelings were hard to discern. Moreover, he wasn’t particularly good at witty responses.

“I see.”

In the end, that was all Galen could manage in response. Fortunately, Laila didn’t seem to mind much when he showed such awkward reactions, but it was precisely this that made Galen feel more uncomfortable around her.

“Your Highness the Prince, you’ve arrived.”

The sound of members greeting at the entrance was heard.

“Gilonik, you say?”

Eustar’s voice, asking as if to confirm, was slightly husky, causing those who heard it to feel a sudden, strange excitement. Come to think of it, his loosely tied hair was a bit disheveled, unlike usual.

“Did you take a nap, Eustar?”

The members who had been staring blankly at Eustar quickly came to their senses at Laila’s nonchalant voice and pretended to focus on their tasks.

Eustar looked down at Laila with a soft smile. His long eyelashes cast a faint shadow on his eyelids, gently coloring his face that was still not fully awake.

“Yes, I felt unusually sleepy today.”

He closed his eyes gently and lowered his head, lightly kissing Laila’s cheek. It was a kiss closer to a greeting, without any particular intention, but Eustar’s languid atmosphere was so intense that not only Laila but also others who were sneaking glances at the two felt their ears heat up.

Laila unconsciously reached out to fix Eustar’s disheveled hair. It was surprising enough that he had taken a nap, but seeing him like this was also a first.

“Ahem.”

The sound of Galen clearing his throat shattered the strange atmosphere surrounding the two. As Laila quickly withdrew her hand, Eustar’s face showed a suppressed smile as he untied his messy hair and then neatly tied it up again.

“Go ahead, Galen.”

You should have done that earlier… Galen thought. But he acted like the loyal aide he was. Instead of grumbling, he concisely summarized the message sent by Branch Chief Jimius from Gilonik.

Eustar, who had been listening to his story with a nod, said,

“It’s encouraging that the growth rate is slow. Even if it’s unpredictable.”

While some syncs start large from the beginning, usually they start small and gradually grow by drawing in surrounding energy. Only when they can form a complete shape does ‘something’ appear from the sync. Be it a magical beast or a ghost drawn by the sync’s energy.

“It seems to be a type that occurred suddenly, Your Highness.”

“I see. Let’s move out.”

While the portal was being prepared, Eustar changed into the prepared clothes and reappeared looking neat and tidy.

The Eustar who had been smiling drowsily just moments ago had vanished somewhere, and the usual Eustar, dangerously sharp and beautiful, seemed to have appeared from somewhere. As if they were two different people.

Laila, who was following Eustar as he entered the portal first, suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Feeling a strange sensation as if everything around her was moving slowly, she raised her head and looked around. Some people were looking at her, while others were not.

Laila slowly turned her eyes to meet Eustar’s gaze, and at that moment, she felt an inexplicable anxiety.

“Laila?”

Eustar called out to her. Only then did the slowed movements around her return to normal.

But the anxiety in her heart remained firmly knotted, refusing to dissipate.

“I’m coming.”

Laila, belatedly responding, entered the portal. However, even as she stood next to him, the anxiety remained. No, it seemed to have grown.

I should tell him not to go. Laila thought. That he shouldn’t go…

“We’re moving.”

Galen’s voice sounded distant, as if coming from far away. As Laila’s breathing became rough, a warm, large hand gently grasped her wrist. It was Eustar.

The moment she raised her head and met his azure eyes, Laila felt her heart sink and quickly pulled her hand away.

Eustar looked at Laila in surprise, but before their eyes could meet again, the portal activated.

The Tentinella 3rd Branch, Gilonik, was surrounded by sturdy walls and a moat to block the magical beasts coming down from the Dias Garden Mountains.

As soon as they stepped out of the portal, a cold wind blew fiercely through the huge opening in the wall. Caught off guard by the strong gust, Laila stumbled, and Eustar quickly caught her.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to mention it. I should have remembered it was your first time at the 3rd Branch.”

His words were also barely audible, muffled by the wind. Laila, almost being pushed around by the wind, raised her voice.

“Why did they make such a big hole in the wall?”

“It’s for air circulation. Except for this opening, there are no windows here at all. It’s because of the magical beasts and ash. This place is on the opposite side of the mountain range and high up, so they demolished the wall to let outside air in. Let’s go down.”

‘Who on earth thought of installing a portal in a place like this?’

Laila followed Eustar down the curved stairs, barely able to open her eyes, and looked up.

Beyond the demolished wall, a vast expanse of pale gray sky was visible. Although it was said to be on the opposite side of the Dias Garden Mountains, she could tell that the blowing wind carried traces of ash.

The members on duty and Deputy Consérie greeted them. Eustar shook hands with Consérie and formally introduced Laila.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kristrad. I’ve always felt sorry for not being able to attend your wedding ceremony.”

“It’s alright. Nice to meet you.”

Eustar said,

“Where did Jimi go?”

Just as Consérie was about to answer, an unfamiliar voice was heard from behind.

“You’ve arrived, Your Highness the Prince.”

Branch Chief Jimius Con, commonly called ‘Jimi,’ came in while yawning and pressing down her messy, tangled hair. For a moment, Laila almost mistook Jimius’s gender, despite knowing she was female. It wasn’t just her appearance, but her build and voice contributed to this as well.

Jimius slapped both her cheeks—Laila was startled by the sound—and suddenly opened her eyes clearly, raising her head.

“I apologize. I was catching a quick nap as I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Are you alright? I can’t tell if you’ve slept too well or haven’t slept at all for days.”

“It’s both. Thank you for your concern.”

There was something oddly soldier-like about Jimius’s manner of speaking. After bowing slightly to Eustar, she stared blankly at Laila.

“I’m only now greeting you properly, Lady Kristrad.”

The next moment, her action took Laila by surprise.