After dinner at Count Dal’s villa in Aseyo, Royo is alone with Aeri in their room and is overwhelmed by how intensely he desires her. Alarmed by his own impulses and determined not to cross a line, Royo abruptly decides to leave and claims he is going to patrol.

Before exiting, Royo instructs Aeri to lock the door and only open it after a three-knock signal. In the hallway, Royo forces himself to focus on security and the villa’s layout, noting the central glass globe garden that disrupts sightlines and the bright lights that worsen his lingering headache from being attacked earlier.

Royo passes the dining room and finds Mikail and Euyn still drinking and eating sweets. When they ask after Aeri, Royo says she is preparing for bed and repeats that he is making a patrol round, privately reminding himself that he cannot fully trust anyone, even within their team.

Outside on the estate, Royo patrols among fountains and water features that mask sound and create cover, making him uneasy. As he counts down the three remaining days until the millennial celebration and the planned theft and assassination, Royo fixates on earning enough to free Hwan from Salt and imagines splitting his bonus, while also insisting there is no future with Aeri.

Midway through his patrol, Royo senses movement and readies himself, unable to hear clearly over the roaring water. Footsteps rush toward him through the spray, and Royo realizes it is Sora; they freeze—then a bloodcurdling scream cuts through the night, signaling that someone has just been killed.