This "Carl" showed none of the embarrassment or apology of a typical lost guest. He even casually raised a hand to smooth out a nonexistent wrinkle on his cuff.

"Thank you for the reminder, lovely young lady." His voice grew deep and even, tinged with an elegant rhythm. "The moonlight is delightful, and the castle’s corridors are as winding as a labyrinth; it’s easy to lose one’s way. I was simply drawn by a peculiar aura and unknowingly wandered here."

His cold, brown eyes scanned the girl again. "May I ask which member of the Monte family you are? Such a serene disposition is rare in Blackstone Fortress, here in the Northern Territory."

The girl’s dark eyes met his gaze as she simply repeated her previous words. "Sir Carl, the banquet is over. This is the castle’s private residence. Guest rooms are in the west wing. Are you lost?"

She took a single, small step forward. The movement was perfectly natural, yet it perfectly blocked "Carl" from advancing any further.

In the dim light, her pure black dress seemed to melt into the shadows. Only her face, like white jade, and her bottomless dark eyes remained the focal point in the torchlight.

The corner of "Carl’s" mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. "It seems, young lady, that you not only have a unique disposition but also a strong sense of duty."

His tone retained its strange elegance, but the temperature within it seemed to drop a few more degrees. "Monte Castle’s hospitality is as strict as they say. I wonder, does Lord Melfield often come here to meditate? I have long admired the prestige of the Thunder Sword."

The girl watched him, her expression still calm. "A castle has its rules. A lost guest should return to his room."

"’Carl’ gave a slight nod. ’I see. It is late, and it would be improper to further disturb the master’s peace. In that case, I will be on my way..."

He started to turn, his movements fluid and natural, as if he were truly just a common guest who had lost his way and had now been reminded of his place.

But the instant his shoulders began to turn, the light in the air seemed to subtly distort once more. His figure grew hazy, as if about to melt into the shadows and vanish from the hallway.

"I said Carl could go. Did I say *you* could?"

The girl’s voice rang out again. It wasn’t loud, yet it strangely pierced through the near-imperceptible distortion of light and shadow, boring clearly into "Carl’s" ears.

The form of "Carl," which had been about to "dissipate," abruptly froze solid. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He slowly turned back to face the girl, surprise showing clearly in his cold eyes for the first time before it shifted into displeasure.

"’If I wish to leave,’ his voice sank even lower, and the very air seemed to freeze around him, ’I will leave.’"

The words had barely left his lips when the distortion of light around him intensified. His silhouette rapidly faded, growing transparent, as if he were about to transform from a solid entity into an intangible, formless shadow.

But at the very instant the body was about to completely "dematerialize," the cold will controlling it was abruptly ripped away!

The blurry figure trembled violently and rapidly resolidified.

Carl Heinrich’s own consciousness resurfaced like a drowning man breaking through the water’s surface, bringing with it a sense of confusion and intense discomfort as it retook control of his body.

He staggered, grabbing the cold stone wall to steady himself. His mind was a complete fog, with only fragmented, hazy memories remaining: the banquet, his discontent, returning to his room, drinking... and then, nothing.

He then realized he was standing in an unfamiliar, dimly lit corridor, his chest tight and his head swimming.

’Am I drunk?’

He shook his head, trying to bring his vision into focus.

The first thing to enter his vision was the girl in black, standing silently a short distance away.

The flickering torchlight perfectly outlined her slender figure and the delicate curve of her profile. Her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, setting off her skin, which seemed whiter than snow.

Though she was still young, her serene, almost mystical aura, combined with her budding feminine grace, instantly captivated Carl.

Almost instinctively, the flippant arrogance and self-assured swagger befitting a scion of the Rotalia Empire’s nobility quickly resurfaced.

He forced his back straight, plastered what he considered a handsome smile onto his face, and let his gaze turn fervent.

"Oh! What a beautiful night, to have a chance encounter with such a charming lady!" His voice regained its usual lilt. "I am Carl Heinrich, from the Rotalia Empire. Might I have the honor of knowing your name? This evening at Monte Castle is made all the more brilliant by your presence..."

As he spoke, he subconsciously took a step forward and extended his hand, apparently intending to kiss hers.

The girl watched his little performance in silence, watching the tiresome, feverish gleam that quickly kindled in his eyes, watching his outstretched hand.

She said nothing.

She merely let out a soft, cold scoff.

The sound was incredibly faint, yet it was like a shard of solid ice plunging into Carl’s fervent chest.

In the next instant, the smile on Carl’s face froze, transforming into one of utter terror and agony.

He had no idea what was happening. He only felt an overwhelming, irresistible, formless force—like a giant, unseen hand—slam viciously into his chest!

PUFF!

He didn’t even have time to scream. His entire body was flung backward like a stone from a catapult, moving so fast that he left a blurry afterimage in the air.

THUD!

A heavy thud echoed through the stone corridor.

His back slammed hard against the stone wall dozens of feet away. The massive force of the impact seemed to make the very wall tremble.