Chapter 10

An Unexpected Invitation
The warm aroma of freshly baked bread still lingered in the air as Seraphina and Lily continued walking through the lively streets of the capital.
Seraphina happily tore another piece from the loaf.
"Mmm..."
"Fresh bread truly is one of humanity's greatest inventions."
Lily smiled helplessly.
"I thought books were your favorite."
"Ofcource they are."
Seraphina nodded seriously.
"But books can't be eaten na."
"...That's true." Lily giggled…
"Exactly." Proudly…
She pointed triumphantly with the bread.
"Therefore, bread wins."
Lily couldn't help laughing.
The servants who had once trembled in fear of their young lady would never believe this version of her.



As they wandered farther into the marketplace...
A loud commotion suddenly erupted ahead.
"Catch him!"
"That little thief!"
A young boy, no older than eight, darted through the crowd clutching a small pouch of coins.
Behind him, a merchant shouted furiously.
"Someone stop him!"
The frightened child looked over his shoulder.
Without noticing...
He ran straight toward Seraphina.
"Ah!"
Unable to stop in time, the boy crashed into her.
"Oof!"
Both of them tumbled onto the street.
Lily gasped.
"Young Lady!"
The merchant finally caught up, breathing heavily.
"You little brat!"
He raised his hand to strike the boy."...I'm sorry."
The merchant frowned.
"So now you're apologizing?"
"I..."
"I'll work."
"I'll pay it back.""Please don't hit me..."
"You'll what?"
The merchant scoffed.
"With what money?"
Theo remained silent.
His small hands trembled.
"I only..."
"...wanted bread."
Another child hiding behind a nearby stall quietly wiped away tears.
Seraphina noticed.
Then another.
And another.
Three...
No.
Five children.
All dressed in worn, patched clothes.
Watching Theo with frightened eyes.
She understood immediately.
They weren't stealing for themselves...
They were starving.
Before anyone could react...
Seraphina grabbed his wrist.
The merchant froze.
"L-Lady Ardent?"
She slowly stood, brushing the dust from her dress.
"Before you hit him..."
Her violet eyes shifted toward the trembling child hiding behind her.
"...Shouldn't you ask why he stole?"
The merchant frowned.
"Why would that matter?"
"Because sometimes..."
"...They're simply hungry."
The little boy lowered his head.
His tiny stomach growled loudly.
The surrounding crowd fell silent.
The merchant's expression softened.
Seraphina sighed.
"How much?"
"...P-P-Pardon?"
"The bread!!"
"...How much does he owe you?"
The merchant hesitated.
"Ah Umm F-F-Five silver coins Miss."
Lily's eyes widened.
"Five?"
"That's far too much."
The merchant coughed awkwardly.
"Ah I guess...T-T-Three?"
Seraphina folded her arms.
The merchant immediately looked away.
"...One silver miss one silver!!"
She smiled.
"That sounds much more honest."
The merchant scratched the back of his neck.
"It... is."
Lily handed over a single silver coin.
The merchant accepted it with an embarrassed smile.
"My apologies, Lady Ardent."
He bowed before returning to his stall.



The little boy peeked out from behind Seraphina.
"...Thank you."
She crouched until they were eye level.
"What is your name?"
"...Theo."
"Theo."
She smiled warmly.
"Stealing is wrong."
"I know..."
"...But starving isn't your fault."
The boy's eyes slowly filled with tears.
Seraphina handed the loaf to Theo from the hand of Lily.
Theo stood frozen.
He looked at the bread.
Then at Seraphina.
"...Why?"
She smiled gently.
"Because hungry children shouldn't have to steal."
Theo's lips trembled.
"I..."
"I wasn't hungry."
He quietly broke the loaf into several pieces.
One by one...
He handed them to the children hiding behind him.
"You eat first."
"No, Theo..."
"You haven't eaten since yesterday."
"I'm fine."
"You lie every time."
The smallest girl began crying.
"You always say you're fine..."
"...But you're never fine."
Seraphina watched in silence.
Even Lily lowered her head.
Theo only smiled.
"As long as everyone's eating..."
"I'm full."
The moment he finished speaking...
His vision blurred.
The bread slipped from his fingers.
His small body swayed.
"...Theo?"
Before anyone could react...
He collapsed.






"Young Lady!"
Lily gasped.
Seraphina immediately caught him before his head struck the stone pavement.
"Theo!"
He didn't respond.
His face was burning with fever.
His breathing was shallow.
"Hurry."
"We're taking him to a physician."



Inside the nearest clinic...
The physician examined Theo in silence.
Minutes passed.
Finally...
The elderly man stood.
His expression had become unusually serious.
"He'll recover."
Seraphina let out the breath she'd been holding.
"...Thank goodness."
"But..."
The physician hesitated."What but...!?"
"...His condition isn't only because of hunger."
Seraphina frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The physician carefully rolled up Theo's worn sleeve.
Purple bruises covered his thin arm.
Old bruises. New bruises. Some already fading.
Others frighteningly fresh. Seraphina's expression froze.
"...Who did this?"
The physician quietly shook his head.
"I don't know."
"But these weren't caused by accidents."
"They've happened repeatedly."
Lily covered her mouth.
"...Oh my goodness..."
Seraphina looked at Theo's sleeping face."You mean he is being beaten!?..."
His small hands were covered in tiny cuts.
Even his knuckles carried old scars.
She slowly clenched her fists.
For the first time since entering this world...
A quiet anger settled in her heart.
She turned toward Lily.
"Lily."
"Yes, Young Lady."
"I need you to investigate something."
Lily straightened immediately.
"What should I look into?"
Seraphina looked back at the unconscious boy.
"Everything."
"Who Theo is."
"Where he lives."
"Who has been hurting him."
"And..."
Her violet eyes grew cold.
"...why no one stopped it."
Lily nodded firmly.
"I'll begin immediately."
As Lily left the clinic...
Neither of them noticed...
A black carriage had quietly come to a stop across the street.
Behind its window...
Grey-black eyes rested on the silver-haired young lady sitting beside the unconscious child.
Kael remained silent.
But for the first time...
He saw not just kindness in Seraphina.
He saw something else.
Someone who refused to walk away when the world told her it wasn't her problem.
And somehow...
That moved him even more



Meanwhile...
Far above the capital...
On the rooftop of a forgotten cathedral...
Several cloaked figures stood in silence.
Their black cloaks swayed gently in the evening wind.
Each wore the same silver insignia.
A crescent moon entwined with thorned vines.
One of them closed the file in his hands.
"Report."
Another stepped forward.
"The orphan from the eastern district collapsed today."
"The target intervened."
"The target?"
"The Young Lady of House Ardent."
A long silence followed.
The eldest among them slowly looked toward the lights of the capital.
"So..."
"She chose to save the child."
"Without knowing who he was."
Another member asked quietly,
"Shall we continue observing her?"
The old man smiled faintly.
"No."
"Observation is no longer enough."
He looked down at the report once more.
Across the top...
One name was written in elegant ink.
Seraphina Ardent.
Below it...
A single word had just been added.
Candidate.
The old man carefully closed the file.
"Prepare."
"The game..."
"...is finally beginning."
High above the sleeping capital...
The crescent moon disappeared behind dark clouds.
And hidden within those shadows...
N.O.X.
Had taken its very first step toward Seraphina.
//"What is this N.O.X. exactly?" And candidate!?//