Inside a two-bedroom rental in Fuyuki City.
Samael pushed open a bedroom door, switched on the light, and stepped inside.
The tiny pink nook was simply and quietly furnished: slightly wilted greenery on the windowsill, bookshelves piled high in the corner, and a bed with stuffed-animal pillows... A single glance took it all in.
He had not expected to enter the Root Princess's bedroom in this way.
Samael muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping over several suspicious pieces of white silk haphazardly tucked beneath the quilt before settling on the low desk in the middle of the room.
It seemed girls' rooms were not necessarily always clean and tidy.
After a brief pause, the ancient serpent casually picked up the half-open light novel on the desk, and a paper bookmark fluttered to the floor.
On the back of the bookmark, several interwoven, shifting symbols formed a petal-like emblem.
If a Princess entering a castle longed for the arrival of her prince, then with the road so distant and fraught with danger, she would surely leave some clues.
Whether in fairy tales or reality, there were no exceptions.
Samael bent down and picked up the bookmark, his eyes passing over the dense runes inside the emblem's petals. He flicked a corner of the bookmark with his finger, a pleased smile curling his lips.
It seemed he had found the beacon.
Then I'll come get you soon, Your Highness.
At the same time, next door.
The half-drawn curtains gently stirred in the breeze. Artoria, who was searching the bedroom, stood by the window for a long while beneath the lingering glow of sunset. Her brows repeatedly furrowed and relaxed, troubled by something unknown. Even her golden eyes, gazing down at the bustling streets below, seemed to have lost focus.
"Saber? Saber... Saber!"