Chapter 35

Edith made a relentless effort to stay calm.

Her breathing was heavy, her pale, drained face refused to think, yet she couldn’t simply stand frozen. She had to find a way—any way.

Knock, knock!

The knocking grew faster and faster. “Is anyone there?!” Their voices grew louder too. She didn’t know how much longer they would be patient. If a few more knocks didn’t work, they’d break the door down. She hoped the front door would hold, but the wooden door of this old mansion didn’t look like it could withstand much. A large shadow loomed beyond the curtains. When there was no response, some of them seemed to be searching around. It was a clear sign that time was running out.

Flustered and unsure, she headed toward the basement she had prepared for emergencies. But she soon stopped. The bookshelf blocking the entrance would buy some time, but only that. If no one was seen inside the house, the Stifts would search every corner, and this outdated trick would be uncovered immediately.

Alone, she might have been able to hide somehow…

Edith peered past the sofa through her blurry vision. Leon was there—someone she had to protect at all costs.

With her trembling hands, she wiped her face, swallowed dryly, and bit her lips. Yet no solution came to mind. A sudden wave of despair crowded her thoughts, leaving no room for even the faintest hope. A dizzying sense of hopelessness rose within her, and her head spun as darkness crept over her vision.

Bang! Bang!

Through her hazy consciousness, a thunderous sound reached her—kicks against the door. It was time to make a choice.

Edith rushed to Leon. As she gently shook him, his small eyes opened. She pressed a finger against her lips.

“Shh. Leon, you have to be quiet.”

Her voice trembled despite her efforts. The child’s face twisted as if he might burst into tears at any moment. With a heart ready to break, Edith covered his mouth.

“Please, Leon. Don’t cry.”

The child swallowed back his tears at her pleading. Edith quickly lifted him into her arms and approached the basement entrance. Pushing the bookshelf, it creaked loudly across the living room. Her heart sank at the thought of the sound reaching outside, but the pounding at the door masked the noise just in time.

The bookshelf slid just enough for one person to pass. Edith hurried through and began descending the basement stairs.

The light spilling through the gap in the bookshelf dimmed gradually as she went down. She only set Leon down once the basement was fully enveloped in darkness. With her hands, she felt his now invisible cheeks. The soft warmth of the child’s body pierced her heart.

“Leon, listen carefully. We’re playing hide-and-seek.”

“Hide…seek?”

The child’s voice carried both confusion and unease. Edith wanted to comfort him, but she had no time.

“Yes. You know Uncle Perel is coming soon, right? Until he arrives, you must not make a sound or be discovered. Understood?”

She felt him nod slowly. Even then, she reminded him several more times before finally straightening up. She sensed his small hand tug at her clothes.

“What about Mom?”

Edith swallowed, tasting the saltiness of her own breath.

“…Mom will hide somewhere else.”

She was oddly grateful for the basement’s darkness. She could hide her trembling voice, but not the tears that streaked her cheeks. Had Leon seen them, he surely would have clung to her.

“Somewhere else?”

The child’s innocent question deepened her sadness, like a hollow gnawing at her heart.

“Yes. If we hide together, we’ll both get caught at once.”

“No. I’m scared here.”

“This is still… the safest place. That’s why you mustn’t be discovered. Got it?”

Swallowing her trembling breath with effort, she pressed a long kiss to his cheeks. Finally, she left the basement alone.

Bang! Bang! The sound of pounding at the door came through the gap in the bookshelf. The old front door shook as if it might break at any moment. Edith nimbly slipped out from between the bookshelves and closed the bookshelf firmly behind her.

Muttering a short prayer, she headed to the back door of the mansion. Stifts could already be here too. Still, she guessed fewer of them would be here than at the front. She had to distract them somehow, leading them as far as possible from where Leon was hiding.

She knew she might get caught. She might even be shot. If they knew this much already, it meant they had enough information, and there would be no reason to spare her life. Still, she had to go. Even if she died, she would die as far as possible from here.

Edith felt her resolve harden like stone.

For Zekart, life in Glissen was simple. He didn’t set a strict routine, but he generally checked his target’s hideout in the morning and spent the rest of the day gathering information—like tracking Perel Monty’s unexpectedly long outings or confirming his return.

He had already made some meaningful progress. Two days ago, he learned about Perel Monty’s recent whereabouts. Witnesses said a man with a similar appearance had taken a train a few days prior, accompanied by an elderly woman—probably Marie Ember.

“Tarrak Village.”

That was their destination. Zekart had never heard of it, so he had to consult a map to locate it. It was a very small village at the northernmost tip of Glissen, north of Hasmal.

Zekart paused in thought. Since things were already delayed, he needed to act faster—either wait here or move.

After considering, he chose to wait a bit longer. The deciding factor was the presence of the woman and child. Whatever Perel Monty’s group’s purpose in Tarrak, they wouldn’t leave the two behind. And it seemed the woman held some influence within the resistance. Moving hastily risked missing them entirely.

For this reason, Zekart called Marcus that morning. Even a short absence would make Rachel, his partner, start searching, so it was time to notify someone. He avoided calling Rachel directly—he didn’t want questions about location or return time.

“Hey, long time no see.”

Marcus’ familiar voice came through the receiver. Zekart got straight to the point: he was tracking the target, but it would take more time.

“Where are you?”

The unexpected question made Zekart frown. Marcus normally wouldn’t ask.

“Far away.”

He answered vaguely, unwilling to give details, muttering, “I’ll hang up,” in a neutral tone and removing the receiver. But a voice stopped him.

“Just come.”

“Why?”

“You don’t need to handle it yourself anymore. Stifts will take care of it. Sasha Schultz confessed.”

At the familiar name, Zekart’s eyes twitched. A sense of foreboding rose. Surely not…

“…What?”

“The location of Perel Monty’s current hideout. It’s in Glissen. Not just Perel Monty, but all the main culprits of the city hall attack are there. They’ll likely be caught in one go today—”

Marcus continued, but Zekart only heard up to that point.

It didn’t matter what came next. The key was that the hideout he alone had known about was now discovered by Stifts. Unlike Zekart, who only targeted Perel Monty, Stifts targeted them all. Realizing that Edith Lindel was included in that list, a wave of intense emotion crashed over him. He couldn’t fully name it, having lost most emotional memories, but one thing was certain: it was all because of her.

Zekart quickly hung up and stepped outside. The wind cut through his clothes like a blade.

Cold and sharp, mocking the fragile hope of someone waiting for spring.