"Are you pretending to sleep?"
Yavi looked toward the small figure curled upon the bed. Though she made no sound, he had cared for Seliu long enough to know—she was already awake.
Exposed, Seliu slowly sat up. The rest had done her good; there was a faint clarity in her eyes now, a steadiness that had been absent before.
"This reminds me of when you first came home,"
Yavi said, a trace of nostalgia in his voice.
Back then, when she had returned from Gaulunalo, Seliu had been filled with distrust toward the world. She did not even understand what the House of Stuart was—such a concept did not exist in her mind. Like a stray cat, she hid in every shadowed corner of the estate, restless even in sleep.
It had taken a long time for that to change. As though she had learned to trust the world again… or perhaps, more truthfully, she had learned how to disguise herself.
"Lloyd taught me that," the girl said.
"If something feels wrong when you wake up, pretend to stay asleep and observe your surroundings first."
Perhaps no one had shaped her life more than Lloyd. That second-rate detective had filled her mind with all sorts of strange knowledge—lessons that, even now, guided her actions.
"He said he learned it from getting beaten countless times. Like when your enemies capture you and lock you up—if they know you're awake, they'll torture you without hesitation. So you might as well keep your eyes shut and play dead. Saves you the pain."
It sounded exactly like the sort of shameless nonsense he would say.
"That's… unexpected. Doesn't quite sound like something he'd say,"
Yavi replied, though he smiled faintly, relieved to see her spirits return.
In his memory, Lloyd had never seemed the nervous sort. To Yavi, he was something far more dangerous—everything else was merely a façade.
"That's true. At his core, Lloyd is a demon hunter. Those habits are just things he picked up at the Royal Academy of Arts. He said it's easier to blend into a crowd with a cheerful front than a cold face."
Seliu spoke as she recalled him—his flawed, abrasive nature.
"So… where exactly are we?"
She lifted her gaze, scanning the room. There was no decoration—only cold steel and exposed pipes, as if the chamber had been carved into the hollow body of some colossal machine, wedged between its mechanical veins.
"I don't know," Yavi answered.
"They blindfolded me on the way here. It seems they don't want anyone knowing this place."
"I'm technically a shareholder, aren't I? And I don't even have that much authority?"
Seliu said it lightly, almost joking—but her expression remained cold.
In truth, she understood perfectly well. She was no real shareholder. It was merely a concession from the Purging Agency—a way to handle someone troublesome like her.
They were a pure instrument of violence. They answered only to the Queen within the Platinum Palace. Beyond her command, no one could control them.
Efficient. Decisive. Cold.
They had cast aside all hesitation, all weakness—everything flawed in humanity. And only by doing so had they erected a fragile wall of hope against the endless tide of demons.
Seliu let out a quiet sigh.
This time, she had become the center of the storm. She did not understand why—but as she thought on it, her memory drifted to its final fragment: the demon hunter striding toward her with overwhelming force.
"Where's Lloyd? Why isn't he here?"
"He left after bringing us here,"
the old butler replied.
"You seem to like him a great deal. Even after what he did—aren't you angry?"
Being forced with a sedative would anger anyone. Especially someone like Seliu—a future duchess. Lloyd's actions could easily be seen as a provocation against her family.
"Of course not."
She stepped down from the bed. Her body felt fine—she could run, jump. No real harm done.
"Of course I'm not angry… I trust him."
She paused, then continued softly:
"Actually, Yavi… I understand what you mean. I'm a descendant of the Stuarts, the future duchess. I possess power and wealth—things others could never obtain in a lifetime. I should be proud. Fearless. Shouldn't I?"
Yavi said nothing. He simply watched her.
"You don't understand why, despite how well the family treats me, I still prefer running around with that lunatic."
"I understand all of that… it's just… I've never truly felt like any of it belongs to me, Yavi."
She sat back on the bed, her gaze fixed on the sealed iron door. It had already been locked. Only someone from outside could open it now.
"I'm just a beggar," she said quietly.
"I only have Stuart blood because I was lucky. What's noble isn't me—it's the blood in my veins."
"Even now… do you still see yourself as a beggar?"
Yavi slowly rose and sat beside her. There was sorrow in his aged face, as though words long buried threatened to escape. He hesitated.
But Seliu did not answer. She continued instead.
"The time I remember most… was the escape from Gaulunalo. That was when I was happiest."
"Because Lloyd saved you?"
Yavi glanced at her, puzzled.
It had been the age of youth—when emotions were pure, intense. Other girls danced in dresses they loved. But Seliu had lived in despair. It would not have been strange if she had grown attached to Lloyd then.
"No," she said.
Strangely, she denied it.
"It was that moment."
She emphasized the words.
"It was freezing. Those people weren't kind. I had no family. Just a helpless beggar… that was my most desperate moment."
The memory resurfaced—an abandoned, frozen alleyway. A world where Lloyd did not yet exist.
"It was only because of that moment. Not Lloyd. Even if it had been a stray dog that dragged me out, I would've loved it forever. It was just that moment… and he happened to appear."
A madman kicked open the door of darkness with a Winchester slung over his shoulder—
and light poured in.
"…Though, in truth, he only wanted the reward."
There was a trace of helplessness in her voice. That lunatic had deceived her all the way, risked his life to bring her back—only for money.
And yet… it was still a memory worth keeping.
"Even after all that, I still can't bring myself to like that damned man,"
Yavi said flatly.
Seliu smiled.
"You don't have to. There's no need to like everyone… and no need to be liked by everyone either. Having one or two is enough."
Humans may be social creatures, but true connections are rare. You may see countless faces each day—yet only a handful will ever truly remain.
"Then… is he really worth that kind of trust?"
Yavi asked. At last, he felt he was beginning to understand her.
Seliu's smile stiffened. She hesitated, then shook her head.
"Lloyd Holmes… is a strange one. In truth, he's the real shut-in. The meaning of his existence… is far too fragile."
"Everyone has a purpose. Mine is to carry on the Stuart legacy, to inherit its honor. Yours is to assist me—and fulfill your own duty. But Lloyd is different. His entire purpose is to eradicate demons… but can he really do that?"
"It's like an unreachable dream."
She examined the hidden soul within him—bathed in sunlight, clear and transparent.
"If you've ever really looked at his room, you'd understand. There's no sense of 'living' in it. To him, it's just a place to sleep. If needed, he could walk out with a shotgun and never return."
"There's nothing that ties him down. Not even me."
As she spoke, she glanced at Yavi.
The old butler had spent his entire life serving the Stuarts—witnessing their rise, their decline, their near extinction. Time had carved itself into his face. Perhaps he had seen too much; even his gentleness had hardened into something restrained, almost expressionless.
"…I'm sorry."
The words came suddenly.
She stepped forward and embraced him. Even now, Yavi's frame was strong—she could not quite wrap her arms around him.
"What is it?"
he asked, confused. Seliu was not usually so sentimental.
"I just feel sorry. You spent so much to hire Lloyd… all to ensure the Stuarts would continue. But I've always resisted. I've only made things harder for you."
"You sound like someone leaving their last words."
"Maybe. It just feels like… if I don't say these things now, I might never get the chance."
She held him, her gaze drifting past his shoulder to the cold wall beyond.
From Yavi's perspective, there was nothing in the room but the two of them—and the distant, rumbling hum of machinery.
But in Seliu's ears, something else echoed.
Faint. Persistent.
The distant barking of a dog.
It refused to let silence settle.
Only she could hear it.
The beacon had already been planted. The ceaseless pressure gnawed at her will, waiting for the moment she was weakest—waiting to break through.
She was only human.
And yet something unseen watched her.
Everywhere.
Relentless.
She did not want Yavi to worry. He was old. Faced with demons, he might not even have time to act before fear itself stopped his heart.
Age, she thought bitterly, was a helpless thing.
She let go of him and forced a smile.
"But… we should still place some hope in that demon hunter, right? I think he's pretty capable."
The moment she finished speaking, the door opened.
Instantly, the faint barking vanished—as if something had arrived, something that drove it back in fear.
Lloyd stood in the doorway, his expression blank.
Behind him was Arthur.
It seemed they had already made their decision.
The air grew heavy.
As though a storm was about to descend.