<Eve, are you okay?>
I heard Caesar’s voice faintly in my ear. It was through the communication magic device.
“Yes, I’m fine…”
I answered instinctively—then froze.
“Wait. Why do you have the communicator, Your Majesty?”
<Don’t tell me you really thought I’d let you go alone.>
I barely stifled a sigh. Of course. When I had handed the communicator to Olche and asked him to lead the knights, Caesar had stayed suspiciously quiet.
He must’ve followed in secret so I couldn’t stop him.
<You remember, right? Even if we can’t confirm Floria’s location, if you’re in danger, you’ll send the signal—>
“Don’t worry. I know what to do.”
I heard Caesar sigh with concern. After a moment, there was rustling—as if he were checking something—and I caught the sound of him speaking with Olche.
Then Caesar spoke again.
<As expected, they’ve left the capital. They’re heading east, nonstop.>
“East?”
<Looks like they’re traveling quite far…>
Caesar’s prediction was right. The carriage didn’t stop once. I couldn’t tell how much time had passed, being stuck in the dark cargo hold, but I was sure it had gone from night to day—and back to night again.
After traveling straight through the night, the carriage finally came to a stop. I quickly crawled back into the sheets and closed my eyes, feigning unconsciousness.
The carriage door opened, and the driver picked me up—sheets and all—then walked off briskly.
<Have we arrived?>
Caesar whispered, apparently checking the tracking signal.
<We’re nearly at the eastern edge. Salmen.>
‘…Salmen?’
The name rang a bell. I was sure I’d heard it somewhere before— but from where?
<Eve, we’re waiting on a hill where we can see a cabin. Thankfully, it’s perfect for hiding.>
I imagined the surroundings based on Caesar’s words, since the blanket over me blocked my view.
<It’s a quiet forest with not a soul in sight. Nothing looks suspicious… or maybe the very fact that there’s a cabin here is suspicious.>
Creak—a wooden door opened, and the ambient noise disappeared. We must’ve entered the cabin Caesar had mentioned.
<All the windows are covered. It’s hard to see anything from outside.>
Caesar muttered irritably. It seemed we couldn’t glean any more information from his updates. So I focused on what I could sense.
No voices. The driver moved without hesitation, like he’d done this many times. I heard another door creak open— and then my body jolted up and down.
‘Stairs…?’
The air grew colder, and the footsteps echoed. No doubt—we were going underground.
Thud thud—his steps continued, and then thump—I was tossed onto the floor.
I stayed still, listening.
The driver walked away, then I heard a clunk—a lock being fastened— followed by footsteps up the stairs and the door closing again.
‘A basement…? A prison?’
I was definitely locked up somewhere.
Now the question was whether I should shed the blanket and look around— or wait quietly.
‘The driver’s gone, but someone else might be watching me…’
With my vision blocked, I couldn’t be sure of anything.
“Ughhh…”
Suddenly, I heard a groan—very close by. I flinched.
‘Someone’s here…!’
It sounded like a man’s voice. Weak, like he had no strength left.
Hesitating for a moment, I decided to move. I slowly shifted under the blanket and peeled it back.
Either way, I was already deep in enemy territory. Hiding in a sheet wouldn’t protect me.
Better to assess the situation.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was an iron bar. Just as I’d expected, I was inside a cell. The walls and floor were all stone, dimly lit by a few torches on the wall.
There was no one who looked like the mastermind. I let out a breath of relief and looked around—only to recoil in surprise.
In the next cell beside mine, someone was lying motionless.
With tangled hair and filthy rags, he looked more like a pile of cloth than a person.
“Ughhh…”
The groan came from him.
‘…No way.’
I swallowed hard. It couldn’t be Floria… right?
The voice sounded male, and judging by the condition of the prisoner, it seemed like he’d been here for far longer than Floria could have.
My head knew that, but my heart still clenched.
“…Um, excuse me?”
I stepped closer to the bars. Not that it mattered—the cell kept us apart.
“Hello…?”
“Ugh…”
He groaned again and shifted slightly. It didn’t seem like he was conscious—just reflexively reacting.
But in doing so, his face turned toward me.
A man I’d never seen before.
‘Who is he? And where’s Floria? Where could she be?’
If she wasn’t here, if she’d been taken somewhere else— then all of this would’ve been for nothing.
‘If that’s the case… I’ll have to capture the mastermind at least.’
That would be the only way to find a clue to Floria’s whereabouts.
<Eve? Eve?>
Caesar’s urgent voice came through. I had been so focused on the man lying unconscious that I hadn’t realized I was ignoring him.
“Oh—I’m fine.”
<What’s going on? Who were you just talking to?>
“Well… I’m trapped in some kind of underground prison. And there’s another man here, too.”
<A man? Are you saying he’s the one who kidnapped Floria?>
“No, I mean someone who’s also—”
Just then, I heard the door creak open.
‘Someone’s coming!’
I immediately stopped speaking and hurriedly pulled the sheet back over myself.
<Eve?>
Footsteps echoed slowly down the stairs. I hadn’t managed to fully cover myself, but I kept my eyes shut and pretended to be unconscious.
The footsteps drew closer.
‘Is it the mastermind? Is this finally… him?’
My thoughts tangled. What would be the smartest move?
If I told Caesar and Olche to storm the place now, we might be able to capture the mastermind. There was nowhere for him to run in this cabin.
But… what if he had Floria as a hostage? If we rushed in and he hurt her…
‘But Caesar is here.’
With Caesar’s power, we had a strong advantage in almost any situation. Even if the mastermind had Floria, Caesar could neutralize his weapons in an instant.
‘Yes. I’ll trust Caesar.’
We’d catch the mastermind and make him confess Floria’s location. If we could do that, then coming here as bait would have been worth it.
I had just made up my mind— when a voice shattered every thought.
“I wouldn’t do anything rash if I were you.”
My entire body froze.
‘This voice… I’ve heard it before…’
“I know you’re not unconscious. Isn’t it time you opened your eyes?”
Polite. Elegant. Yet commanding.
Like I was compelled, I slowly opened my eyes.
And I couldn’t speak when I saw what was before me.
“You look surprised.”
A man sat just outside the cell. Radiating a beauty that could blind in daylight, now muted in the dimness of this underground prison.
With shadowy eyes fixed on me and a calm smile on his lips— It was Ian Bryden.
‘Ian… He’s the mastermind?’
But that wasn’t the only reason I was so stunned.
“How…”
He looked nothing like the last time I saw him. His once golden hair had turned stark white. Just like it had been described in the original story.
<Eve? Is something happening?>
My head was spinning. Even Caesar’s voice in my ear barely registered.
‘That means… he awakened? And he already knows Floria is his guide? But how?’
No—it didn’t make sense. Floria wasn’t of age yet. In the original story, Ian didn’t meet her until years later.
‘Then what is this? Why is his hair white? If it’s not awakening, then…?’
Seeing my confused face, Ian smiled gently.
“What, did you think I wouldn’t know? That I, too, have a power?”
I tried to keep my expression neutral, desperately sorting through my thoughts.
In the original, Ian had white hair from his first appearance. I’d always assumed it was my memory playing tricks on me—but what if it wasn’t?
‘What if… he had already awakened when he first appeared?’
But that couldn’t be. Floria was supposed to be his guide, and he met her for the first time in the story. Even if they’d met earlier, she hadn’t come of age—it should’ve been impossible.
‘Then… what is this? In the original… and now… how did Ian awaken?’
Then one thought—absurd, but chilling—crossed my mind.
What if Floria wasn’t his guide at all?
‘No way…’
I snapped my head toward the still-groaning man in the next cell.
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