"Beloved slave. There you are. Your master is looking for you."
At Rankellon's words, the air inside the stable went still, as if it had paused for a moment.
"...."
Isaac blinked in silence.
He couldn't think of a single way to respond.
He could feel the soldiers' attention, which had been fixed on Rankellon, slowly shifting toward him.
"Get up. Now."
Isaac rose sluggishly to his feet.
Silverna, who had been holding onto his robe, tightened her grip slightly and whispered,
"Don't go. If you go now, you'll really look like a slave."
"It already feels that way. You know I don't really have a choice."
To avoid suspicion from the Transcendents, it was best to follow orders.
At those words, Silverna pouted and grumbled.
"Hmph, I'm using two blankets tonight."
"Sure, sleep warm."
As he stepped outside with Rankellon, a cool night breeze brushed against his cheek.
Once they left the stable, Rankellon spoke calmly, offering Isaac some advice.
"Let's hurry. It seems her mood has soured. I hope it won't lead to a severe punishment."
"...Punishment?"
Isaac asked back, without a hint of amusement.
"Yes. The Primordial Bloodline does not know mercy."
They don't know mercy.
Now the exaggerated reactions of the others made some sense.
It seemed the Primordial Bloodline carried a brutal image among them.
But more than that—Liana giving out punishment?
Now that he thought about it, it did sound kind of ridiculous.
Still, Isaac knew he couldn't let that show on his face, so he remained silent.
Was the place where Liana and Sharen were staying that far away?
They walked quite a distance.
In the unnaturally quiet village, Isaac couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer and opened his mouth.
"If you don't mind me asking, may I ask you something?"
"Hmm?"
"The people of this village… do they not hate humans?"
Every Transcendent he had seen so far had been soaked in hatred toward humans—
As if killing humans was their goal, their reason for existing.
"...."
Rankellon's pace slowed slightly at his question.
He didn't answer immediately, hesitating for a moment before finally speaking.
"What good does hating humans do?"
His tone was calm, but there was an emotion within it that was hard to define.
"What meaning is there in that? Meaningless destruction, senseless slaughter. That's not what we seek."
"...."
Isaac looked at him, walking quietly by his side.
Rankellon continued, his expression still calm.
"Do you know why we're called sinners?"
"...."
"It's simple. Because we were not like them."
Before he realized it, Rankellon had stopped walking.
With his large, rough, and crooked fingers, he pointed toward the sky.
At the tip of his finger was a particularly bright star.
"That constellation was named after a human. They call it 'Silver Clock.'"
"Silver Clock…?"
"Long ago, a woman came to our land. The Primordial Transcendents worked with her to strive for a better world. We walked in the light of that hope."
"There was such a time?"
"There was. I've heard that things weren't always like this.
Even the weak and fragile… could survive in that world."
Rankellon's voice was quiet, but carried an old sorrow, like dust that had settled over time.
It wasn't just some legend or myth.
It was a history someone had truly lived through.
"Too much time has passed. What is right, what is wrong… it's all become blurry."
No words came out.
The image Isaac had of the Transcendents was vastly different from the Rankellon standing beside him.
"And so, we simply live here.
We don't seek war.
We don't seek hatred.
And for that, we became 'sinners.'"
Though his voice was calm, there was a solid conviction behind his words.
"Hating humans is meaningless."
It was a beautiful story.
That not all Transcendents bore hatred toward humans.
'Yes, it's quite beautiful.'
'To the point of being unsettling.'
Isaac didn't add anything more. Rankellon's expression, as he claimed not to hate humans, seemed sincere.
Yet, the strange and twisted calm within it… was what made Isaac uneasy.
He quietly moved his steps.
Slowly, Isaac lifted his head.
In the night sky, the Silver Clock still shone.
Distant, cold, and beautiful.
And because of that, it was eerie.
Just like the transcendent being standing before him.
***
The house where Liana and Sharen were staying had a structure he'd never seen before.
What caught his eye the most were the low eaves and the sliding doors beneath them.
The dark wooden floor quietly swallowed the sound of footsteps.
A subtle scent wafted from the incense burner. A low table and a teapot sat inside the room.
Even through the shadowy silhouette behind the paper door, he could immediately tell it was Liana.
Slide—
The door slid open gently.
At the same time, the two women, dressed in unfamiliar long robes, were waiting for Isaac.
"Isaac! You're here!"
"..."
Sharen and Liana greeted him warmly.
The glow of their skin shimmered.
It seemed they were being treated much better than expected.
"I'm glad you look well."
"Yup! There's so much interesting stuff here! First, let me show you—"
"How is it over there?"
Sharen, who was about to start explaining, was interrupted by Liana and promptly closed her mouth.
She puffed out her cheeks but pursed her lips and backed off.
"we are staying in an abandoned shed. It barely blocks the wind and rain, but even that's something to be grateful for at this point."
Liana gave a short nod.
Unnecessary sympathy or concern could breed suspicion.
"If I could, I'd bring Sir Uldren here, but… I figured he'd refuse."
"A wise decision. The Margrave would feel much more at ease staying with his family and soldiers than in a comfortable room."
He'd probably refuse even If invited.
After taking a quiet breath, she looked at Isaac.
"At least one more person should be able to rest comfortably. That's why I called you here."
Sharen patted the seat beside her.
"Isaac! Come sit next to me! I even laid out a cushion! There's a ton of cool stuff here!"
Just as Isaac was about to move toward her—
"Ahem."
An awkward but light cough.
"Sharen, Isaac and I have some things to talk about… Could you leave us for a bit?"
"…I have a lot to talk about too."
"Sharen?"
"Oh, come on! I really do have lots to talk about with Isaac! Earlier I heard they sell sweets at the market, and to get those—!"
Grumbling, Sharen finally gave in under Liana's stare, sticking out her lips in a pout.
Eventually, Isaac cautiously sat down beside Liana.
"Isaac, I heard the marketplace opens tomorrow."
"The marketplace?"
"Peddlers come to sell goods to the prisoners. From what I've heard, it works on a barter system. I thought maybe you'd like to look around."
"Good timing. In unfamiliar lands, markets show the flow of things."
Liana silently nodded.
Judging by her not asking further, that was enough of an answer.
"Oh, by the way, the tea earlier smelled pretty nice."
"Tea?"
Liana stood up from her seat.
She went straight to the kitchen and brought back two thick cups.
"I think it's a tea you can drink here. Actually, I heard Rankellon brews it himself. Apparently, it's one of his main trade items at the market."
"Hm."
"Here, take it."
Pour—
Warm tea flowed into the cups.
As the gentle ripples swirled in the cups, a delicate fragrance spread through the air.
It must have contained a lot of medicinal herbs—there was a sharp bitterness that stung in places.
But it wasn't an unpleasant aroma.
Slurp.
His body naturally warmed.
The cozy scent of herbs lingered in his nose, making him feel healthier.
The uniquely nutty bitterness of the herbs filled his mouth and then disappeared pleasantly.
His shoulders relaxed, drooping as the tension melted away.
"Oh, right."
Liana, who had been drinking tea beside him, suddenly remembered something and walked back into the kitchen.
What she returned with was a flat plate holding square black chunks.
Even as she placed it on the table, Isaac still wore a confused expression, unsure of what it was.
"Ah! Sis!"
In contrast, Sharen—sitting across from him—grumbled. Apparently, Liana hadn't even given her any tea.
"It's a snack called yanggaeng. It's sweet and soft. Rankellon got it for me because I told him you liked sweets."
"I was saving that for myself!"
"They say it goes well with tea."
Liana handed him a fork.
Taking a bite of the thickly cut yanggaeng and sipping his tea, the cozy feeling doubled.
Sigh.
It felt as though all the fatigue in his body had vanished.
Next to him, Liana took a small, neat bite of the yanggaeng as well and sipped her tea, enjoying the moment.
When he finished his tea, Liana silently refilled his cup without a word.
As he accepted it and drank again, Isaac recalled a time he had once dreamed of.
'If only…'
If we had run away…
Wouldn't we be living like this now, in a small house out of reach from prying eyes?
Or if not for Helmut…
Wouldn't we be content just sharing a simple tea and sweet like this?
As Isaac stared blankly downward, he noticed Liana was wearing the same expression as him.
A bittersweet smile hung on her lips.
Because the present moment felt so warm… it made the regret of having lost it even more painful.
"Ugh! Seriously! That's so unfair!"
Sharen huffed, finally grabbing a fork and digging into the yanggaeng.
After pushing the tea and snack over to her, the two of them sat in silence for a moment.
"You know,"
It was Isaac who broke the silence.
"I remembered something."
"…"
"Back in October, Lord Arandel took the direct descendants of Helmut out to patrol the neighboring villages."
Liana lowered her head slightly.
As if she were embarrassed.
"It was the first snowfall. The wind was strong, and I caught a cold the next day from all the heavy snow."
"Your clothes were far too light."
"That was the norm in Helmut."
In his first year there, he tried so hard to fit in with the Helmut family—even mimicking the way they dressed.
As a result, his teeth had chattered uncontrollably like a solo performance.
"While the others laughed at me for being cold, you silently reached out and held my hand."
As if pulling out a forgotten treasure,
A gentle smile formed on his lips.
"It was warm."
"…"
"Really… it was so warm."
Before he realized it, Liana's hand was resting atop his.
The touch was quiet and warm, making him want to look away for some reason.
Back when they were in Helmut's mansion, her position as the eldest daughter and Isaac's incompetence had held them back.
Now that they were outside, the reality of their divorce stood like a wall between them.
Squeeze.
But still, he didn't shake off Liana's hand.
Then and now,
This was as far as the two of them were allowed to go.