The next day. After washing himself in the cold morning water. He gave quiet instructions to Evelyn and Rin, telling them to buy food from Gerard. When they returned, the three of them shared a modest meal, the warmth of company softening the meagerness of the portions.

After breakfast, they resumed their studies. Arithmetic scribbled across the dirt on the ground, lessons measured by their quiet determination.

Laughter wasn’t rare anymore, especially with Rin in the mix. She had a talent for teasing, often aiming her mischief at Luca, and sometimes Evelyn as well. She’d become particularly good at dodging Evelyn’s playful attempts to pinch her waist, always dancing just out of reach with a laugh.

Evelyn, for all her efforts, could only pout in defeat, her face flushed with frustration. Rin would respond with a triumphant grin, a smug little expression that only made Evelyn more indignant. Luca, watched from the side, would sometimes allow a rare smile to slip through.

After their lessons and a light lunch, Luca left for work as usual at four and arrived at the Scarlet Veil by five.

Astrid stood at the entrance with her usual casual elegance, but something was off. Her smile was there, but her complexion looked unusually pale today.

“... Good afternoon, Sister.”

“Good afternoon, Luca. Early again, as always,” she said with her familiar teasing lilt, but her voice lacked its usual sparkle.

“Sister... you look pale today. Are you alright?”

“… It’s nothing. I was working late last night. I’m just feeling a bit off,” Her smile wavered for a moment. She cast a quick glance toward Derek’s room before looking back at him.

“... Is that so?” Luca asked, still unsure.

“Oh~ look who’s worried about me now. How sweet! Ready to fall for Sister’s charm?” she grinned, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“...”

Luca said nothing, prompting Astrid to ask again, her voice playful.

“You’re off to see Pricillia again, aren’t you?”

“... I should excuse myself, Sister.”

“Pfft,” she laughed, clearly happy.

Luca walked away, feeling awkward. But his mind lingered on something he couldn’t shake off.

As he walked to the stairs, he spotted Ted standing on the first floor, staring blankly at the steps.

Ted noticed him and approached casually.

"Hey, Luca…"

"Good afternoon, Ted."

“I’ve been wondering. What are you doing here?”

"I'm visiting Pricillia," Luca replied.

"Oh..." Ted nodded in understanding, then smiled.

Trying to change the subject, he asked him something else.

"Ted, do you know how to enter the city?"

"Hm? Just like anyone else, show your ID card to the city guards and go in."

"How did you get yours?"

Ted blinked. "Wait, I thought you were from the city. You look more like a city boy than me."

"... No, I’m from the slums."

"I see... Then you should go to the Office of Silverwind Public Records. They only issue IDs to people with jobs or those born in the city. It costs two silver. If they find out you lost your job and can’t support yourself, they take your ID and throw you out."

"Thank you for telling me."

"No problem. Oh, and you'll need a recommendation letter from… Derek, as proof that you work here. Although this is a red district, they still consider here as part of the city," Ted explained, but his expression darkened at the mention of Derek.

"Got it. I should go now."

"Alright. See you around."

Luca continued upstairs and found someone standing in the hallway. It's Vivian, wearing a distant expression.

"Excuse me, Miss Vivian. Could you step aside so I can pass through?"

"Ah! Yes, sorry, Luca." She startled and moved aside, then glanced at him.

"No problem," he said, attempting to move past.

"... Did you see Ted downstairs?" she asked softly.

"Yes. He looked like he was waiting for someone."

"I see... Thank you for telling me." She smiled.

"No problem. Then, excuse me."

"Alright."

He continued on his way. They didn’t seem like bad people, but he couldn’t risk getting involved, not while Derek was paying him.

Maybe, like many others, they were just... unlucky.

When Luca arrived at Pricillia’s room, they slipped into their usual small talk. Pricillia would often laugh when Luca missed the meaning behind her references.

The conversation was warm and lighthearted. In moments like these, the harshness of the world seemed to blur at the edges, almost forgettable.

"I will show you what I’ve learned," Pricillia said excitedly.

"Alright," Luca replied.

She rose and moved with precise grace, each step gliding into the next, led by a melody only she could hear. Her dance whispered beauty, a delicate and entrancing elegance.

Luca lost in the fluid poetry of her motion until she made a wrong move and fell over.

He reached out to catch her, but misjudged, and she toppled onto him.

They lay together on the bed, bodies close in a quiet tangle. Luca was beneath her, arms gently wrapped around her waist.

She pushed herself halfway up, though part of her still leaned against him.

She froze for a second, gaze flicking down, as if startled by his warmth—how close they were.

Her eyes settled on his face, and after a hesitant moment, she reached out. Curiosity shone in her expression as her fingers brushed his cheek, soft and unthinking.

Nestled in that quiet closeness, she lingered until Luca blinked a few times, slightly startled by the touch.

He didn’t pull away, but his voice gently called her name.

"Pricillia..."

"Hm?..."

"You are touching my face…”

A faint smile played at his lips, noticing.

"Eh?... Oh! Right, sorry!" She scrambled off him, her cheeks flushed.

Luca sits up and adjusts his clothes.

"It’s alright," Luca said softly.

She sat beside him, still blushing. An awkward silence lingered until Luca broke it.

"Your dance is beautiful."

"T-thank you... You saw how I moved, right? It took me forever to learn from Vivian," she said, regaining her cheer.

"I see..."

"Mm! Especially this move! I kept falling whenever I failed." She demonstrated again, this time with a cheerful grin.

The tension eased, their conversation flowing naturally once more. But maybe something else remains beneath the surface.

They talked until it was time for Luca to work. Pricillia beamed and asked him to visit again tomorrow, and he agreed.

Luca worked as always. But that night, an incident occurred. A man who had slept with one of the girls refused to pay.

"I don’t have enough money," the man said.

"You better pay, or I’ll make you regret it," Derek replied, his face a mask of cruelty.

"P-please, I’ll pay the rest later!"

"Someone take this one. Make sure he pays, and if he can’t, torture him or just kill him. Let this be a warning for others to bring enough money, or don’t come at all!"

Several of Derek’s subordinates seized the man.

"No! No!" he cried, trying to escape.

"Follow us quietly," one snarled.

"Let me go!"

One punch was all it took to silence him. They dragged him off, and Luca never saw him again. Maybe they took his money or even his life. The Scarlet Veil wasn’t kind to those who failed to pay their dues.

At three, Luca received his wages. This time, Derek chose another girl to spend the night with. Ted's face didn’t darken, but hopelessness still hung over him.

He stumbled home just before dawn, and when he finally lay down, sleep embraced him, soft and deep.