The glow of the fireplace flickered through the dark wooden walls, appearing intermittently between the gaps in the boards. The charcoal burned quietly, the firelight dancing as if telling a story in a low voice. The white charcoal from the Joia Forest barely produced any smoke, abundant and cheap, possessing all the advantages this little adventure group valued.

Sophie leaned by the window, her hands crossed and pressing on the windowsill, watching the corridor's scenery with interest. The dim firelight reflected on the glass, resembling a star hanging on the far-off horizon.

As the sky gradually darkened, the light in the already gray winter sky faded layer by layer, changing hues from leaden gray to a dingy black. Finally, it went completely dark, leaving only the howling wind of winter, sweeping through the mountains, crossing the long border of the Northern Territory, bringing an endless winter and a spring of the coming year that seemed never to arrive.

She listened to the low murmurs of conversation coming from inside the room.

Concerning the Westwood Sibika family, it is an ancient Southern Region family of craftsmen dating back to the days of Rose Workshop's founder, Lorren. His experiences could fill a book of thick legends, with tales of his friendships with fairies, dragons, his learning years in Elpaxin, his love, and the pinnacle of his life - the establishment of Rose Workshop.

Poets even adapted his story into a narrative poem titled "Rose Eternal Dream," which, passed down orally, is still widely spread in Colin Ishurian.

After Lorren's passing, his descendants established the Westwood Sibika family. Although not as illustrious as the kingdom's three pillars - the Emerald Bird, Stag, and Brown Bear, in the Southern Region, especially among alchemists, it is still a renowned noble family.

Particularly as this family produced fairy masters and fairy constructs, they always appeared extraordinarily mysterious in the eyes of the world.

The young girl sat on the bed, her hands placed on the sheet. After changing into her pajamas, her skin was as milky, white, and delicate. Her long, black hair flowed down, with golden eyes reflecting the dark red firelight. The wooden bed here wasn't as solid or beautiful as the ones at home or in hotels, but it was comfortable, at least, in the wild, you couldn't find a better choice.

Hilveld held her little face, using a cloth dipped in cold water to gently clean her. After the cold water stimulated her, the little girl's face regained its rosy hue. Miss Ship's Officer straightened up, looked at the sky outside, and adjusted the crystal lamp to make the lighting softer.

She placed the cloth aside, and amid the low howl of the wind outside, gently asked, "Delice, didn't you go to Dark Eagle City?"

Upon hearing this, Delice's eyes turned red: "The King attacked us, Rodiah betrayed my father, capturing everyone before we set off." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she said in a trembling voice, "Father told me to escape, it was the Uncrowned who protected me all the way here, Sister Hilveld, I have no family left."

Hilveld gently wiped away her tears, affectionately saying, "Don't worry, your father and the others are probably still safe."

"Really?"

Hilveld lightly nodded. "Everything will be alright."

"But I've heard those rumors, and I'm terrified."

"Don't be afraid, let me think of a way, Delice."

The young girl, her eyes teary, looked at her, and all her previous strength melted into reliance.

Hilveld comforted her again, letting her lie down first, and continued chatting for a while. After fleeing for so long in the icy wilderness, the little girl's strength had reached its limit, she vaguely asked a few questions about the Big Cat People, her eyelids drooping, and soon she fell fast asleep.

The Lady Noble looked at Delice's tear-stained, peaceful sleeping face, lowered her head to kiss her forehead, then covered her with the blanket, turning to pass through the curtains. "Xiesta, take good care of Delice for me." She instructed.

Miss Maid nodded gently and walked into the curtains.

Fang Hong watched her from the side, as if seeing a different Miss Ship's Officer. "Is she alright?" He approached to ask, only to find Hilveld looking somewhat pale. She looked up, smiled faintly: "Can you hold my hand, Lord Captain?"

Fang Hong hesitated for a moment, then somewhat involuntarily reached out, and the two inside the room remained silent, the noble lady's hand was icy to the touch. She turned slightly, leaning her head on his shoulder, seeming a bit frail - Fang Hong suddenly felt a tenderness, the news of her father missing, perhaps haunted her like a nightmare, reminding him of his childhood, realizing they were not so different.

"Delice is like my sister," Hilveld said softly. "My mother and her father share blood, they are siblings from the same father. Before they left Rose Manor, they were the closest of all."

"So, I have a very good relationship with Delice..."

"And Rodiah is?"

"Delice's uncle, but that branch is very distant from my mother's side. The Westwood Sibika family was split into two branches before my grandfather's generation, one with the Red Rose emblem, with a unicorn as the guardian beast, the other with the Black Rose emblem, with an owl as the guardian beast."

"Delice and I are both born from the Red Rose family, and her father and my grandfather were both renowned alchemists, one excelled in crystal constructs, the other made significant achievements in fairy constructs. Because of this, they both had deep connections with the Southern Region Alchemist Alliance. When Prince Coleman extensively promoted magic guided engineering in the Southern Region, Delice's father was also one of the prince's supporters."

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