The Villain brings Evie and Tatianna on an hour-long walk to Rosewood Meadow, a magically vibrant area of Hickory Forest, to visit his sister Clarissa—an ink maker who can imbue magic into objects. Tatianna is deeply reluctant, as Clarissa is her ex-betrothed, and the tension between them is immediately palpable. Evie is stunned to learn The Villain has a sister, feeling stung at being kept out of the loop.

Upon arriving at Clarissa's enchanted cottage, old wounds between Tatianna and Clarissa erupt almost immediately. Tatianna accuses Clarissa of driving her away, while Clarissa resents Tatianna for going to work for her estranged brother. The Villain struggles to keep the peace, his patience fraying as he tries to extract information about the blue ink that was seen on the hooded figure who bought the explosive clock from Malcolm.

Evie notices that Clarissa sells rare magical inks, including gold ink—the very ink used in Evie's employment bargain marking on her pinkie finger. Clarissa confirms that she gifted the gold ink to Trystan for his birthday, not knowing he would use it for employment bargains. This revelation deepens Evie's understanding of the magic binding her to The Villain's organization.

Clarissa eventually reveals that she sold two jars of blue ink recently. One went to a widower; the other was purchased by a man who introduced himself as Lark Moray but signed her ledger with a Valiant Guards' sigil—linking the buyer to King Benedict's forces. The Villain reacts with visible rage, storming out of the cottage.

Outside, Clarissa begs her brother to stop his decade-long vendetta against King Benedict, revealing that Trystan once worked for the king before becoming The Villain. Clarissa calls him a monster before retreating inside. Evie asks The Villain about his past with King Benedict, but he deflects, saying it isn't important for her to know. Hurt by his dismissal, Evie walks ahead into the forest alone, deeply aware of how much she still doesn't know—and how that ignorance could endanger Trystan's life.