AN: I have some important info for you my dear readers. I will put this pic on hiatus due to school starting up. I have made up to chapter 20 so you will still have releases for some more weeks. thank you for your understanding and have a good read.
As dawn's light broke through the magical mist, the kids were brought back by the maid duo and Enkidu.
They entered the village slowly, footsteps soft against dew-soaked earth. Children nestled sleepily in the arms of their rescuers. Petra rubbed her eyes, blinking at the morning sun like it was a dream she hadn't finished.
The village had been waiting.
When the first mother saw her child in Ram's arms, the silence shattered.
Cries of joy, disbelief, and relief filled the square. Parents rushed forward, scooping up their sons and daughters. The air thickened with emotion—tears, laughter, overwhelmed prayers.
The children stirred, murmuring strange words—about flowers, about music, about a girl in pink.
No one asked too many questions.
Not yet.
They were just glad their children were home.
Petra gave Enkidu a drowsy wave from her mother's arms. He didn't wave back, but nodded.
That was enough.
When they returned to the mansion, Roswaal was waiting at the gate, as if he'd known the precise moment of their return.
"Well, well~ what a sight," he said, arms folded into his robe. "Our brave trio returns with all the pieces in place. Such reliable timing, I daresay."
Rem stepped forward. "The barrier was broken."
"Mm. And not in a way that happens by accident," Ram added, her tone sharpened.
Roswaal's smile twitched. "No, not at all. Curious, isn't it?"
"She wasn't working alone," Enkidu said.
Roswaal blinked. "Oh?"
"She didn't command the forest," he continued. "She moved through it like it was familiar, yes. But not like it obeyedher."
Rem frowned. "Then someone else let her in."
Ram's expression darkened. "Or sent her."
"An accomplice, then." Roswaal's grin didn't reach his eyes now. "Or perhaps a sponsor. Dangerous either way."
"We didn't see them," Rem said. "But that doesn't mean they weren't watching."
Roswaal nodded slowly. "No... it doesn't."
Enkidu remained quiet, eyes focused beyond the mansion walls.
Someone had opened the way.
Someone who hadn't shown their face—yet.
That evening, the mansion felt heavier somehow. Quieter.
The children were safe. The village was calm. The forest was still.
But the stillness didn't feel peaceful.
Enkidu sat in the garden alone, resting his palms in the grass. He wasn't thinking of the girl in pink.
He was thinking of the one who might've sent her.
The one who hadn't revealed themselves.
The one who'd watched.
Footsteps approached—soft, measured.
"Oh—um—there you are," said a hesitant voice.
Enkidu turned.
Emilia stood near the path, wringing her hands, silver hair brushing against her shoulders in the light wind.
"You're not usually this nervous," he observed.
She stepped forward a little. "I got a letter. From the capital."
He waited.
"They're requesting me to return," she explained. "There's a council session coming up—noble factions, territory talks, succession debates. All the usual pressure."
"Are you going?" he asked.
"I have to," she said, then hesitated. "But I… I wanted to ask something first."
He stood up. "What is it?"
She looked anywhere but at him. "I was wondering if you'd, um… maybe come with me."
"To protect you?" he asked.
"No!" she said quickly. "I mean—not just that."
She took a breath, cheeks flushing pink.
"I want you to come because… you're my friend. And it'd make me feel better having you there."
He blinked, surprised not by the request—but by how much courage it seemed to take her to say it.
She kept rambling. "You don't have to. I just—I don't know why this trip feels different. Maybe it's because of everything that happened. Maybe it's just me being weird. But—"
"I'll go," he said.
She stopped. "Wait—really?"
He nodded. "Of course."
A stunned smile broke across her face. "Oh. Good. Great. That's—uh… perfect."
She turned away, trying (and failing) to play it cool. "We leave in two days. Try not to, you know, wander off into any magical forests again."
Enkidu chuckled softly.
For the first time in days, something felt right.
Not because things were safe.
But because someone had asked.