“Th…ank…”
Perhaps because of everything that had happened, her voice came out absurdly cracked. She drew a deep breath, ignoring her heart pounding wildly.
Thank you for saving me. I will offer anything I can as a reward. So please, let me go.
She had to plead like that.
Seo-ah took another breath and lifted her head.
“Thank you for saving—”
Her words blurred and trailed off.
Above the black suit, something gleamed brilliantly. At the center of the golden metal shaped like a star was an engraving of a beast baring its teeth.
“A wolf will come.”
Her teacher’s voice echoed. Over it, another voice, threaded with laughter.
“Do you know what this is?”
Seo-ah blinked blankly and shook her head.
“No….”
He checked something, then leaned closer and whispered.
“Shall we talk for a moment?”
—
All night, the wolf planted at the Felpe Bank had sent real-time updates. The identification document presented by the woman was presumed to be issued by a small Eastern nation called Dangguk. Currently, the only country on the Norfolk continent with diplomatic relations with Dangguk was Herod. Herod’s capital housed a Dangguk embassy, so the King of Felpe ordered the woman’s identification document sent to Herollington for verification.
Felpe to Herod.Verification.Return to Felpe.
“That alone will take at least three months.”
Oscar nodded at Simon’s words.
Even if verification succeeded, more procedures followed. Investigation into how the key had been obtained. Announcements in major national newspapers. Only then could the vault be opened.
“If all procedures are followed in the current state, it is estimated to take a minimum of half a year and a maximum of two years to open the vault.”
“Two years is too long. Is there a way to shorten it?”
“There is one method that does not violate Felpe’s banking laws.”
Oscar’s gaze urged him to continue. Simon spoke quickly.
“Marry the woman to a man with a clear identity. The reason for estimating half a year to two years is the possibility of sending her identification to her homeland for confirmation in the worst-case scenario. The only way to remove that risk is to marry her here and clarify her identity.”
“…….”
“Even then, the minimum half-year is difficult to reduce. But the maximum will not exceed one year. Furthermore, inheritance between spouses is recognized, so the vault can be opened even if the woman is absent.”
“Risks?”
“Currently, the risk is the woman herself. We know nothing of her disposition or background. We cannot predict how she will respond to marriage; how much coercion will be effective. If she tells the Felpe Bank during the in-person interview that the marriage was forced, it becomes problematic.”
“So, the difference is half a year to two years, or half a year to one year.”
“Yes.”
Oscar lowered his gaze to the key.
Human hearts were strange. When presented with choices, even a year felt long. Yet now that the key was in his hand, there was no reason to rush. Had he ever expected the key to appear like this, today, in his palm?
Oscar moved to the window. He watched hazy light mix with pitch-black darkness. As faint streaks of brightness bled into the night that seemed endless, the contours of the world began to form.
Some called this the dawn.Some called it the blue hour.A time to be intoxicated by its enchanting atmosphere. A time praised for its beauty.
How blessed those people who can describe it so?
For Oscar, this was the hour of the dog and the wolf. A time when one could not tell whether what approached was friend or foe.
Then again—was it only this hour?
Was he himself not moving ambiguously, like a dog or a wolf?
It was the same now.
How should the woman be handled?
Should he frighten her into handing over the safe willingly? Or coax her gently and use her for as long as possible?
Oscar let the thought rest.
As Simon had said, it was not too late to decide after learning the woman a little better.
And then—
Three to four hours later.
Oscar, facing the woman who had awakened, couldn’t suppress the hollow laugh rising from deep in his chest.
She was pale, small, and strange—just as he had first sensed.
Her clear face seemed to struggle even to receive the faint sunlight. Where most things had distinct boundaries, the lines that formed her felt blurred, like pencil marks smudged by an eraser.
The only clarity on a face that seemed forgettable the moment she turned away were her brown eyes, glistening as if filled with water. Even those were fixed on the floor, as though she were terrified to look up.
That was natural.
She had nowhere to hide. The tattered coat she had turned into a shelter was gone. She didn’t know where she was.
“Instead of just standing there, look at me, won’t you?”
Despite the polite tone and gentle phrasing, the hesitant head that began to rise stopped exactly at eye level. He was about to tell her to look higher when he checked himself and bent down instead, half on impulse.
“……!”
Before she could react, their eyes met. Her round, transparent eyes widened dramatically. The instant she saw her own face reflected in pupils that looked as though they might spill water if touched, she startled and bowed her head deeply.
A laugh escaped him.
She was frightened already, despite having done nothing yet.
After pale and small came another impression.
Easy.
Her gaze, which feared everything, lingered briefly on his crest.
“Do you know what this is?”
She shook her head.
“No….”
Oscar checked the time once, then whispered gently.
“Shall we talk for a bit?”
If she had felt she was standing at the edge of a cliff until now, she felt she had taken one step back. She needed to keep her balance carefully to avoid falling again.
Seo-ah nodded, jaw tight.
“Yes.”
He turned and walked back. The men lined like a folding screen bowed again. As he stepped forward as if treading air, he glanced back.
Was this what it felt like to walk along a cliff that could crumble at any moment?
As she followed, passing through the heavy gazes pouring from both sides, countless emotions rained over her.
The most vivid was undoubtedly fear.
Even though she sensed the man before her was the wolf she had been waiting for, she was afraid—because she had no certainty.
He led her into a room that resembled a reception chamber.
“Please, sit comfortably.”
She sat closest to the door. It closed behind her. The man, who had walked to the window in the meantime, spoke.
“Is there anything you like? Coffee, tea, light sodas.”
Of the three, tea was the only word she recognized clearly. But she wasn’t sure if it was the same tea she knew.
“Um… anything is fine.”
She heard him turn from the beverage cart, cup in hand.
“Then soda. It’s refreshing, at least.”
When she cautiously lifted her eyes, she saw he was filling two tall glasses with ice, pouring a pale green drink to an even line.
He approached as casually as though offering a drink to a friend and extended one glass. Seo-ah instinctively stood and accepted it with both hands. A faint, airy laugh scattered above her.
“Sit down.”
She returned carefully to her seat. He sat across from her. The cold drink sparkled in its transparent glass, catching the light. Seo-ah lowered her head, then lifted it again, eyes fixed on the rim.
“…Thank you for saving me.”
“Do you remember?”
“Up to the point where you were by the door….”
“Ah. Up to there?”
“…….”
“Does your tongue hurt?”
Only then did she notice that the left side of her tongue ached.
What had happened while her memory was gone?
“What is your name?”
Her thoughts were cut cleanly.
Seo-ah hesitated, then answered.
“My name is Seo-ah.”
“Seo-ah?”
“Yes.”
“Seo-ah.”
He repeated it, as if tasting the sound. Though the pronunciation was not difficult for Norfolk tongues, he articulated it precisely. Naturally.
—