Then Charlotte opened the door, and William saw the knights for the first time.
He asked her, "Who are they?"
She told him, "Get inside the room."
William said, "But why—"
Before he could finish, she cut him off sharply. "Now!"
He went inside, and then the knight—Sir Andrew—spoke.
"So here you are, Catherine."
Charlotte replied, "I don't know any Catherine, mister."
But he smirked. "You don't even know how to lie. But why are you here?"
"I told you, I don't know any Catherine."
Sir Andrew narrowed his eyes. "Your face hasn't changed a bit since six years ago."
He was about to continue—"I'm here to tell you—"
—but before he could finish, Charlotte slammed the door shut.
She rushed to William and told him, "Run away with Misty and Oliver into the woods."
He looked confused. "Why, Mama? Who are they?"
But Charlotte had no time to explain. She kissed his forehead.
"I won't leave you, Mama—" William began,
—but before he could finish, Charlotte teleported the three of them into the woods.
But how?
It was A-rank magic. How did she know it? She had no money, no training… so how?
Sir Andrew then broke the door open and stormed inside.
He saw Charlotte trembling with fear.
"You look like a malnourished girl," he said coldly. "A girl from a well-off family isn't supposed to look like that. Why didn't you obey your father?"
Charlotte's voice shook. "Ever since his blade landed on Arthur, I stopped obeying him."
Sir Andrew frowned. "That time is over. From now on, you'll do everything as he says."
Then he paused, suddenly remembering something. "Wait… when you opened the door, I saw a little boy with you. He called you 'Mama.' Don't tell me he was—"
"He was just a boy I found freezing," Charlotte interrupted quickly.
"I don't believe that," Andrew said, "but even if he was, we don't need to find him. If we take him with us, your father won't allow him inside the house anyway."
Meanwhile, William stood deep in the woods, shivering. He didn't know what had just happened, but Misty and Oliver were with him.
He looked around for his mother. It was too cold, and he had no clothes or food.
Yet he started walking, hoping to find someone—anyone—to help him.
Back in the house, Charlotte whispered, "I don't want to go back…"
Sir Andrew replied firmly, "You don't have a choice. I'm not here to ask. Even if you resist, you'll still go back."
He glanced at the window. "It's late now. Pray that boy doesn't die from wolves. I don't care even if he does."
"Please don't say that," Charlotte pleaded.
"Anyway," Andrew said coldly, "we're leaving for the Kingdom of Lunaria."
William kept walking. He didn't find anyone. But the four-year-old had enough courage to walk two kilometers in the freezing night—until he finally collapsed from exhaustion.
The next morning came. It was time for Charlotte to leave.
Andrew called out, "Catherine, it's time to go. We have horses and carts waiting. Get in."
"Don't call me Catherine," she said quietly. "I'm Charlotte now."
We see that Charlotte's real name was Catherine. She had hidden it so no one would discover her true identity.
But still—who was she really? That question remained unanswered.
Then we see William lying in a horse cart, with Misty and Oliver beside him. He slowly opened his eyes.
"Where am I?" he asked weakly.
A man sitting nearby turned toward him. "I found you lying there, fainted in the cold night. I was passing by, so I took you with me."
William blinked. "Who are you?"
"I'm George, from the Kingdom of Aldercrest," the man said. "A servant of a merchant. I usually transport goods between towns. But why were you out there, in the middle of nowhere? Do you have a family?"
William stammered, "I—I have a mother. I don't know who my father is. I live in a village… I don't know its name. Last night, when I and my mother were going to sleep, someone knocked on our door. My mother went to check. She told me to get inside my room, and after ten minutes, she came back and told me to leave. Then suddenly, I ended up in that place… I don't know how."
George nodded slowly. "I see… she—or maybe those men—teleported you out."
"What's that?" William asked.
"You're too young to understand," George replied gently. "For now, just think of it as some kind of magic."
William's stomach growled. "Do you… have any food?"
George smiled faintly. "I'm not rich, but I have some bread."
William ate it gratefully and shared a little with Misty and Oliver.
"I've never seen a kingdom before," he said softly.
"I see," George replied. "You're only four, and you've lived in a small village—it makes sense. But now…"
He looked ahead at the foggy road.
"…where will you live?"
Before William could answer, the cart suddenly jerked to a stop.
George's eyes widened. The horses were trembling.
A shadowy figure stood in the middle of the road—tall, cloaked, and silent—holding a sword marked with the crest of Lunaria.