Euyn reels when a freshly killed palace assassin is discovered at Count Dal’s Aseyo villa, wondering why a palace “shadow” would be there and how the palace could even know Euyn is alive. As gaslights flare and guards arrive too late, Euyn suspects the murderer is still nearby.

Mikail examines the body and pulls the knife from the assassin’s neck, noting the weapon looks like one of Royo’s. Royo denies killing the man and says Sora ran toward him just before the scream. Sora explains that she and Tiyung saw someone moving outside her window; Sora went to investigate alone, found only Royo, and then they heard the scream.

The group’s questions turn accusatory as they account for everyone’s whereabouts: Mikail and Euyn had been in the dining room and then Mikail’s bedroom; Aeri had been locked in a room with Royo defensively backing her up. The villa guards admit they saw nothing and only responded after the scream, which they believe came from the dead man.

Euyn reasons that the assassin must have screamed because he saw the knife coming, implying a face-to-face attack and making the group’s collective ignorance feel like a lie or cover-up. When Sora asks if the assassin was after Euyn, Euyn assumes yes, but Mikail disagrees, arguing a palace assassin would not have missed if the goal were murder.

Mikail suggests the assassin came not to kill but to talk to someone among them, implying a hidden connection and possible betrayal. He orders the body brought inside for a search, more to keep the group from fighting in public than from hope of finding evidence. As they move back into the villa, Euyn briefly suspects Mikail could be double-crossing them, then wonders if the palace’s real plan might be to capture Euyn alive.