FEFR 06

No matter how heartless they were, they wouldn’t have shoved a patient in there.

Lanze tried to think positively.

But Erna was nowhere to be found in any of the spare rooms in the annex, and Lanze only managed to find her after climbing all the way up to the attic.

The attic was even colder than the hallway below. Having stepped out in pajamas, thinking she’d change into travel clothes later, Lanze felt the chill bite even harder.

Erna, of all things, was sniffling in front of an unlit fireplace.

It was a sight that left Lanze unsure of what to say, so she avoided meeting Erna’s eyes.

Without meaning to, her tone came out a bit sharp.

“Why didn’t you light the fire?”

Maybe it wasn’t something Erna could do alone—just having matches wouldn’t make it simple.

‘Good thing I came today, at least.’

Had she delayed even a little, Erna might have frozen to death.

“Did no one help you? Have you even eaten?”

Erna pressed her lips together and said nothing. Lanze hadn’t exactly tried to act like an adult, but Erna’s silence made her seem very young, softening Lanze’s heart.

“You’re not going to answer? What are you upset about?”

But then Erna raised her voice, visibly upset.

“This has nothing to do with you!”

Despite her frail and sickly body, a sharp edge broke through in her voice.

“You’re seriously saying you care about me after just two days? You’d have to be crazy to mean that!”

Lanze turned her head. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard something like that, so she wasn’t too shocked. Even Lenart had questioned her motives before—he often doubted the intelligence of his partner who threw herself into dangerous, reckless operations.

“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be suffering like this.”

Of course, Erna wasn’t wrong.

She had clearly led a hard life. In ordinary circumstances, it would be fair to feel resentment.

But Lanze had already decided not to dwell on things that had already happened.

No matter what she asked Erna, there would be no answer. When Ludia Baer made her choice, neither Lanze nor Erna had the power to intervene.

The same went for Ludia herself, who was now dead. Asking what she had been thinking would yield no answers.

Lanze finally made up her mind.

‘Yeah. I’ll take her with me.’

Leaving her here would only make it harder to walk away with peace of mind.

“That wasn’t your fault, Erna.”

Erna, caught off guard by how Lanze unilaterally ended the argument, faltered.

“Exactly.”

After pushing forward so strongly, Lanze finished with a bright smile.

“Let’s go.”

“……”

Unable to follow the sudden turn of events, Erna was stunned.

“Come on, pack your things!”

Lanze clapped her hands.

“Oh. Right. You don’t have anything to pack, huh.”

She pulled the only winter coat from the wardrobe.

“Then let’s change your clothes?”

Erna was speechless.

The silence didn’t last forever—Erna and Lanze started arguing again.

But this argument was shorter than the previous one.

“Even if you’re stubborn, I’m leaving. If you want to survive this winter without freezing to death, your only option is to come with me. Unless you have another plan? Want to explain it?”

Erna couldn’t argue back.

Even if Lanze left, there was no chance she would return to the main house. Far more likely, she’d freeze or starve to death while the mansion was in chaos.

“Fine… Do whatever you want.”

Erna gave in with a defeated sigh.

At least if she stayed with Lanze, she’d be able to keep a fire going.

Lanze gently helped her into the worn coat. It was oversized, and the sleeves had to be rolled up. Then Lanze changed into more familiar clothes herself.

“Will you be alright?”

Erna glanced worriedly at Lanze’s thin clothing.

“I’m tough.”

She had worked up the courage to speak, but Lanze didn’t even look at her as she replied.

“Should be around here…”

With her head and neck wrapped in a shawl, Lanze pried up a floorboard.

Startled by the movement, Erna stared in curiosity as Lanze pulled out a pouch.

“What’s that?”

“Coins I’ve been saving.”

She didn’t earn wages, but sometimes the servants would toss her spare change when dumping work on her. It wasn’t much, but since she had nowhere else to spend it, she’d saved enough for a few days’ worth of meals.

“Let’s go.”

“Now…?”

Erna glanced nervously at the pitch-black outdoors.

“If we leave when it’s light, we’ll get caught. We have to go now.”

Lanze might have said “let’s go” lightly, but this was clearly a runaway.

Even Erna understood the Count wouldn’t let this slide.

But Lanze throwing open the window was something Erna couldn’t quite accept.

“…You’re not actually saying we’re going out that way, are you?”

“Where else would we go?”

Walking proudly out the front gate, guarded by the doorman, was obviously impossible.

Lanze might’ve found a way out alone, but she had to bring Erna with her. Small and thin as she was, Erna was still heavy and cumbersome like luggage.

“We’d get caught anywhere else.”

Even Lanze thought her reasoning sounded a bit much, so she tried to sound calm.

“There’s more than just the front door!”

“Yeah, but they’re all being watched. This is the safest.”

She could’ve mentioned she had the option of knocking people out if needed, but didn’t.

‘I need to stay careful until we put some distance between us.’

Lanze had learned at least one thing in the past few days.

Remember how badly it went trying to rob the vault? She didn’t want to use magic inside the estate walls.

Slipping the bag strap over her shoulder, she stepped up onto the desk.

“Wait!”

“We agreed to leave together. So now we do things my way.”

Lanze stepped into the air and murmured a spell.

“<The stairway of Giena shall not end.>”

Erna, not understanding the words, shut her eyes tightly.

But no scream came, even after several seconds. Only a cold wind brushed her trembling cheek in the stillness.

“…Lanze?”

“Yeah. I’m here.”

Opening her eyes hesitantly, Erna held her breath.

Lanze stood against the slightly faded darkness.

She looked perfectly at ease, standing midair, eyes sparkling with some unknown vision.

“See? I’m not falling.”

She even bounced lightly in place, looking quite proud. Lanze was still floating.

‘This… might be okay?’

Since she wasn’t falling, Erna wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt.

Steeling herself, she carefully took Lanze’s outstretched hand. It was rough but warm.

“Don’t be scared. I won’t let go.”

That alone wasn’t much comfort.

But like Lanze said earlier—Erna had no other options.

She gripped her strange half-sister’s hand more tightly and climbed out the window.

“The ground feels solid.”

“I made a path from above the front gate to near the woods.”

“Then… when did you learn magic?”

Her cousins had long since learned the basics and were studying the family’s arcane vision. But Erna, sick from her magical power, had no such opportunity. Lanze, a servant girl, should’ve been the same.

Erna gave her a questioning look.

“Well…”

Lanze hesitated.

She couldn’t exactly explain four years at the military academy, the tutoring before that, or her field experience with a top partner.

“Heh.”

Lanze pointed her thumb at herself and grinned.

“I’m a genius.”

“…”

Erna didn’t believe her for a second.

She didn’t even look amused. Lanze belatedly remembered Lenart’s advice.

—You… never mind. Just don’t try joking around in front of people.

—Huh?

—If you keep your mouth shut, you might pass for normal.

She had hoped maybe a blood-related sister would share her sense of humor. Now she felt a bit sulky.

“It’s getting lighter.”

Erna ignored her and looked around instead.

“Still a while until morning.”

“Yes…”

“What? Scared of the dark?”

“Maybe.”

Being sick always made nights harder to endure. Erna thought back on her past with a lonely heart.

“I’ve always hated the night.”

Lanze, cheerful as ever, replied like nothing had happened.

“Great! We’re heading east. Morning’ll come faster that way.”

She probably said it to cheer herself up more than Erna, but even so, Erna felt comforted.

It was about two hours on foot to the nearest town with a train station. Lanze figured Erna wouldn’t have the stamina, so she planned to carry her once they were back on the ground.

Even that, however, was an overestimation.

Before the floating path had even ended, Erna’s legs gave out and she collapsed.