The moonlight alone cast the backyard's stone pavement in a pale blue glow. The warmth of the day was long gone, and the chilly night air stung Natsuki Subaru's cheeks. He sat in the same spot as he had during the day—on the stone wall at the edge of the garden, the one separating it from the forest beyond. *(Alright, round two.)* Subaru's brown eyes stared intently into the darkness. His fingers unconsciously traced the old scar on his left temple. The bushes rustled, and an unfamiliar smell of oil and earth mixed into the night breeze. "[gentle]Ah, good evening. I hope I haven't kept you waiting." The traveling merchant Darwin stood there, wearing the same tired, good-natured smile as always. His worn cloak fluttered in the wind, and he clutched a leather-bound notebook in his hand. He had such an honest face—hardly the look of a spy. That, no doubt, was his weapon. "[cold]Not really. There's still plenty of time." Subaru replied coldly, without a trace of emotion. Everything was going according to plan. He couldn't let this man sense any agitation. Darwin closed the distance between them, one step at a time. "[serious]So, what did you wish to discuss? Regarding what you mentioned before—the method to sever the half-elf's spirit contract... the matter of Roswaal's crystal. I was hoping you could tell me more." His eyes weren't smiling. They were appraising, sharp as a blade. *(He bit.)* Subaru smirked inwardly. It was false information. Roswaal's crystal didn't exist in this world. That was precisely why this man would waste his efforts and lose the trust of his employer. This was Subaru's own way of fighting—crushing any attack on Emilia one step ahead of time. "[whispers]Yeah. Emilia doesn't keep that crystal on her person at all times. It's hidden somewhere in the mansion. If you seriously want to neutralize her, finding that location should be your first priority." Subaru piled on the plausible lies, his tone utterly matter-of-fact. "[excited]Wh-Where is it?!" Darwin leaned forward. He flipped open his notebook and hastily uncapped his inkwell. His eyes gleamed with greed and impatience. "...Northeast wing of the mansion, beneath the old servants' quarters. It's behind the library. It's used as a storeroom now, but it's tucked away in the back of a hidden cupboard." Subaru's voice, even to his own ears, was eerily smooth. His heart pounded with a sickening thud. He had lied again. The fact that he felt not even the slightest pang of guilt over deceiving someone—that, more than anything, terrified him now. "[laughing]Underground... I see, no wonder I couldn't find it!" The merchant's face broke into a satisfied grin as he scribbled furiously in his notebook. "[serious]And this will definitely erase the spirit, yes? You're intimately familiar with the mansion's inner workings. Your information is the key that will decide our... no, this entire kingdom's future." "[cold]Do whatever you want. I just find that woman annoying." Subaru spat the words out. The phrase "that woman," coming from his own mouth, gouged deep into his chest. *(This is fine. This way, Emilia will be safe.)* He repeated the words in his mind like an anesthetic. "[gentle]Well then, I shall take my leave. You should also wash your hands of this cursed mansion soon." Darwin bowed deeply, then scurried off into the depths of the bushes. The sound of his footsteps faded into the distance. Subaru sat alone on the stone wall. The moon hid behind a cloud, plunging the garden into deep darkness. *(With this, another move...)* That was when it happened. Behind him, he heard a faint rustle of clothing. —Ah. Subaru froze. His breath stopped. "...Who's there?" He murmured in a hoarse voice, slowly turning around. At the garden's entrance, beneath the starlight, stood a pale shadow. Short, light-blue hair. Large blue eyes, vivid even in the darkness. A petite girl clad in a Roswaal mansion handmade maid uniform. It was Rem. "[whispers]............" She said nothing. She simply stared at Subaru, her face wiped clean of emotion like a Noh mask. Disbelief and the despair of having believed swirled chaotically in the depths of her eyes. Her lips trembled faintly, and both hands clutched the apron of her maid uniform, squeezing it tight. This is bad. He could hear the sound of every drop of blood in his body turning ice-cold. "[serious]Rem... this isn't what it looks like. That man just now—" The moment Subaru tried to continue— —*THUMP!!!* A rough, unseen hand clenched around his heart and squeezed. "Guh, agh...!" A searing pain shot up from the back of his throat, as if he'd swallowed molten iron. He couldn't speak. He couldn't explain. Not about Return by Death, not about Roswaal's plan, not about how everything he was doing was to protect this girl along with Emilia—nothing. The Witch of Envy's curse sank its claws into Subaru from the inside, trying to tear him apart for attempting to speak the truth. Clutching his chest, Subaru collapsed from his knees onto the stone pavement. Only trembling, pained breaths escaped his lips. Rem stood over him, watching intently. "[crying]...Rem saw." Her voice trembled like a broken instrument. "[crying]Subaru-kun, having a secret conversation with someone from outside the mansion. Subaru-kun, calling Emilia-sama 'that woman.' Subaru-kun, happily teaching lies to discredit Emilia-sama. ...Rem saw it all, with her own eyes. Rem heard it all, with her own ears." Subaru clenched his teeth and lifted his head. No. "[crying]Subaru-kun." At the center of Rem's forehead—flesh split, and white bone pierced through the skin, sprouting forth. A single horn. A demon's horn, sharp and cold, reflecting the moonlight. The air throbbed with a sharp *zing*. The pebbles around her began to rattle and shake. That alone made it clear. With her horn manifested, Rem's physical abilities were five to eight times normal. Right now, she could snap a person's bones like dry twigs. "[crying]Subaru-kun was Rem's hero." Her blue eyes began to tinge faintly red with demon blood. "[crying]Subaru-kun is the first person who ever made Rem feel accepted. The first person who ever told Rem it was okay for her to exist. And yet... and yet!" Her voice was on the verge of becoming a scream. Rem kicked off the ground. The stone pavement cratered beneath her. Subaru didn't dodge. *(If I dodge, the plan will be exposed...)* No. That wasn't it. The sheer weight of the fact that he had driven Rem this far—that alone had robbed his body of any will to flee. *Crunch.* Rem's small fist plowed into Subaru's cheek. For a moment, he couldn't comprehend what had happened. His vision spun, and the hard sensation of stone slammed against his back. "—Agh, gah, hah...!" Every bit of air was forced from his lungs. The taste of rusted iron spread through his mouth. "[crying]Why... why won't you say anything?!" Rem was crying. Tears streaming down her face, she straddled him and raised her fist again. "[crying]Say something! Tell me it's not true! Tell me Rem was mistaken! Tell me it's all just a weird joke, like you always say! If you just say that, Rem will—Rem will—!!" Another blow. A dull *thud* echoed from his left shoulder. His bones creaked. Subaru simply endured the beating in silence. "[crying]Why do you lie?!" Rem screamed. That voice was like a curse, gouging directly into Subaru's soul. "[crying]Rem... Rem has always loved Subaru-kun—!!" A blow. "[crying]Rem wanted to be on Subaru-kun's side—!!" A blow. "[crying]No matter what Subaru-kun said, Rem swore she would never abandon you—!!" An especially large fist drove straight into Subaru's solar plexus. —*Guhah.* A mixture of stomach acid and blood burst from his mouth. His body folded in half and slammed against the stone pavement. He could tell two, maybe three ribs were bent in a sickening direction. He couldn't move a single finger anymore. Rem stood up, breathing heavily. *Drip. Drip.* Rem's tears fell onto Subaru's face. They were warm. "[crying]...A hero like Rem's." She forcibly choked back her sobs. "[cold]Was never there from the start, was he?" That voice was terribly quiet, and cold as a blade. Rem turned on her heel. She didn't look back. Staggering, she vanished into the mansion. —*I've done it now.* Left behind on the stone pavement, Subaru stared up at the sky and thought vaguely. His whole body ached. But more than that, Rem's final words alone throbbed painfully at the core of his mind. *(Rem's... hero.)* That's right. I wanted to be your hero. I chose this role to protect you, and Emilia, and everyone. But. The girl I wanted to protect—I've shattered her with my own hands. "...Sorry." Subaru murmured in a voice that wasn't a voice. No one could hear it. Was this really the right thing? Was putting Emilia on the throne and personally destroying the person who was supposed to support her closest truly the same thing? The cold sensation of the stone pavement steadily leeched away his body heat. At the edge of his pain-hazed consciousness, he still couldn't stop ruminating over the plan. This was right. This was fine. If he didn't believe that, he felt like he would shatter into pieces. It was then that Subaru's fading consciousness distinctly registered the sound of footsteps approaching from afar—*clack, clack*—a uniquely rhythmic gait. That sound. He knew it. It was Roswaal's oddly theatrical footsteps. "...Heh." His bloodstained lips twisted into a self-deprecating smirk, and Subaru let out a small laugh. The next phase of the plan was about to begin.