After the violent encounter with the corrupt knights, Evie and Trystan find themselves bloodied and exhausted. Evie reflects on the kiss they shared, convincing herself Trystan was merely pretending for the ruse, though she privately admits it affected her deeply. She also acknowledges that witnessing his lethal violence hasn't changed her feelings toward him. They walk arm-in-arm through Hickory Forest, searching for Arnold, who was taken by the Valiant Guards under the mistaken belief that he is The Villain.

As they search, they discover hoof prints and a scrap of Arnold's robe, confirming the guards have fled with both Arnold and Trystan's horse. Evie reassures her boss they will rescue his father. They then encounter Becky stumbling through the bushes—she was thrown from a moving horse by a knight when her mount couldn't keep up. Evie is surprisingly protective of Becky, grabbing her ankle knife and charging after the guards before Trystan restrains her. When Becky notices the tension between Evie and Trystan and references their kiss, both deny anything is happening between them in a flustered, unconvincing display.

Clare emerges next, reporting that she and Blade managed to capture the escaped guvre after it got tangled in a tree and she used her magic-enhanced leaves to sedate it. When Clare asks about their father, Trystan stiffly reveals Arnold was taken and mistaken for The Villain. Clare erupts in fury, pounding her fists against Trystan's chest and blaming him, before collapsing against him in tears and asking what will happen if their father dies. Trystan vows Arnold won't die.

Trystan uses the caller's crystal to summon the Malevolent Guards with a cart, then finds two horses. He sends Clare and Becky toward the manor, while Evie decides she must return home to her own family despite wanting to stay near Trystan. He lifts her onto a horse and tells her to be careful. When Evie assures him they'll save his father, Trystan replies that villains aren't good at saving people. Evie whispers back that he saved her, but he has already disappeared into the shadows. As Evie rides home, she feels torn between her two worlds—her family and Trystan—and overhears Becky mutter, "Fools. All of you."