Lucas and his men were imprisoned beneath the lodge.
The prisoners were being kept in the newly built underground storage chambers beneath the lodge.
The space had originally been meant for preserving food, tools, dried herbs, and emergency supplies during harsh weather—or, as Raisa had once put it, "for when Jemina accidentally destroys something important again."
The chamber itself was large and cool, carved deep into the earth beneath the roots of the great trees supporting the lodge above. Thick wooden beams reinforced the ceiling, though much of the structure relied on the natural strength of the intertwined roots and packed soil surrounding it. Clay jars lined the walls in neat rows beside baskets of dried fruits, bundles of herbs, folded cloth, and smoked meat hanging from overhead racks.
Soft lanternlight flickered warmly through the room, casting long shadows across the packed dirt floor.
Unfortunately, it was also… strangely cozy.
There were blankets.
There were pillows.
At some point, someone had even placed a woven rug near the corner because "the floor looked cold."
The only real indication that it was currently functioning as a prison was the mudwolves stationed silently near the tunnel exits.
They did not growl.
They did not move much.
Their glowing eyes followed every shift the mercenaries made, massive bodies half-submerged within the earth as though the ground itself might swallow intruders whole the moment they caused trouble.
Above, faint sounds drifted down through the roots overhead,
footsteps.
Laughter.
Movement from the lodge.
Life continued normally while the prisoners sat underground beneath a hidden village in the middle of the Null Forest.
One of Lucas's men slowly looked around the chamber before muttering:
"…This is the nicest prison I've ever seen."
Another mercenary was currently eating dried berries from one of the storage baskets.
Raisa noticed immediately.
"…Those are not for prisoners."
The man froze mid-chew.
"…Sorry."
Jemina, meanwhile, looked deeply conflicted.
"…Should we maybe label which food is for guests and which food is for captives?"
Raisa gave her an irritated look.
"…Are we bad at this?" Jemina whispered.
"Yes," Raisa replied immediately.
"I knew it."
Jemina peered into the underground chamber again.
Lucas sat against the wall with one knee raised, looking remarkably comfortable for a man being held captive in a monster forest.
One of his men was asleep.
Another was eating berries.
"…Why are they settling in?" Jemina asked.
"You gave them pillows."
"I panicked!"
"You also apologized while imprisoning them."
"It felt rude not to."
Raisa pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I couldn't help it! They are so polite."
"That changes nothing."
Raisa stared at her.
"Jemina. They invaded our home."
"True."
"He intended to take Rosaline."
"Also true."
Jemina paused.
"…Maybe he just has a few loose screws?"
Raisa looked exhausted already.
Rosaline stood quietly beside them, nervously twisting her fingers together.
Her gaze kept drifting toward Lucas.
And Lucas,
despite everything,
kept checking if she looked frightened.
Not romantically.
Not yearningly.
Just…
instinctively.
Like someone making sure an old friend was unharmed.
Jemina saw this.
Naturally, she made it everyone's problem.
"Oh, this is absolutely becoming a love story," she whispered.
"Huh? It is becoming a security issue, that's what it is." Raisa corrected.
Jemina ignored her completely.
She crouched near the chamber entrance.
"Alright, Lucas. Explain yourself."
Lucas blinked.
"…Which part?"
"The kidnapping."
"Oh."
He scratched his cheek.
"Well… the baron hired us to retrieve Rosaline."
Rosaline lowered her head.
"But," Lucas added quickly, "I wasn't actually going to leave her there."
Raisa folded her arms tighter.
"And your brilliant plan was?"
Lucas answered immediately.
"Get the reward money first."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
One of the mercenaries quietly stopped chewing.
Raisa stared at him.
Jemina stared at him.
Rosaline stared at him.
Lucas looked genuinely confused by their reactions.
"…What?"
"You were going to SELL HER FIRST?" Raisa asked.
"No!" Lucas looked horrified. "Not permanently!"
"That is not better!" Raisa snapped.
Lucas frowned.
"I needed the money."
"That is STILL not better."
Lucas gestured helplessly.
"The baron has guards everywhere. We couldn't just run forever with no supplies."
"…So your solution," Raisa said slowly, "was to hand her over to a known predator."
"Temporarily."
Raisa looked moments away from violence.
Jemina, however,
was deep in thought.
Lucas noticed first.
"…Why is she smiling?"
Jemina pointed dramatically.
"You were going to rescue her afterward."
Lucas blinked.
"…Yeah?"
Jemina turned to Raisa.
"Do you hear this? He had a plan."
"It was a terrible plan."
"But it was emotionally motivated."
"It was criminal."
"He was going to come back for her!"
"After delivering her!"
Lucas looked increasingly concerned.
"…Is she always like this?"
"Yes," Raisa answered immediately.
Jemina ignored both of them.
She turned back to Lucas.
"So you really intended to save her?"
"Obviously."
"Even if it became dangerous?"
Lucas looked confused again.
"She's Rosaline."
As if that explained everything.
And somehow,
it did.
Rosaline's face turned pink.
Jemina grabbed Raisa's arm violently.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yes. Unfortunately."
"He said it like it was obvious!"
"He said it like a man explaining why he feeds his horse."
Lucas frowned.
"That's rude."
"Oh?" Raisa leaned forward. "You understand rude now?"
One of Lucas's men suddenly raised his hand.
"To be fair," he said carefully, "the captain's been worrying about Lady Rosaline for years."
Lucas immediately looked embarrassed.
"Shut up."
"Oh?" Jemina gasped.
Another mercenary nodded.
"He took this job specifically because he heard the baron bought her marriage contract."
Rosaline looked stunned.
Lucas groaned.
"Can all of you stop talking?"
"No," said the first mercenary. "This is the most interesting thing we've had in months."
Jemina looked moments away from exploding with excitement.
"Oh, this is incredible."
"This is terrible," Raisa corrected.
"No, no, let him continue."
Lucas dragged a hand down his face.
"I just didn't want her ending up there."
Rosaline stared at him quietly.
"…Why?"
Lucas blinked.
"Because it's horrible?"
"No," Rosaline said softly. "I mean… why did you come personally?"
That...
finally made him pause.
The chamber went strangely quiet.
Lucas opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
"…I don't know," he admitted.
And somehow,
that answer felt more honest than all the others.
Jemina pressed both hands against her chest. Raisa looked ready to throw her into the river.
"Oh no," Jemina whispered emotionally.
"Do not start," Raisa warned.
"He doesn't even realize."
"Jemina."
"He came all this way and doesn't even realize."
"Jemina."
"This is the beginning of love."
"JEMINA."
Lucas looked alarmed.
Rosaline looked like she wanted to disappear into the floor.
Jemina suddenly stood.
"I have decided something."
"That sentence never leads anywhere good," Raisa muttered.
Jemina pointed dramatically at Lucas.
"We are helping you."
"…What?"
"We are?" Raisa asked.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Lucas frowned.
"You don't even trust me."
"I don't," Jemina agreed cheerfully. "But I do trust narrative structure."
"…What?"
Jemina spun toward the others.
"Here is the plan."
Raisa closed her eyes.
"Of course there's a plan."
"We lure the baron to the edge of the forest."
Lucas blinked.
"…Go on."
"You pretend to return Rosaline."
Rosaline made a small distressed sound.
"Temporarily!" Jemina added quickly. "Very temporarily."
Raisa looked deeply tired already.
"Then," Jemina continued proudly, "the mudwolves steal Rosaline during the exchange."
Lucas stared.
Jemina spread her arms wider.
"The baron assumes monsters took her."
"…Huh," Lucas said.
"He stops searching."
"…Huh."
"You get paid."
"…Huh."
"Then you leave dramatically with your men."
Lucas slowly looked impressed.
"That's actually… pretty smart."
Jemina gasped happily.
"Thank you!"
Raisa looked betrayed.
"Do not encourage her."
Lucas leaned back slightly.
"…What do you get out of this?"
Jemina answered immediately.
"Peak entertainment."
"…What?"
"I want things to work out."
Lucas stared at her for a long moment.
Then laughed.
Not mockingly.
Just genuinely surprised.
"…You're weird."
"Thank you," Jemina said proudly.
Raisa sighed.
"…I hate that this might actually work."