Unlike the ferocious monsters that prowled the deeper wilderness, the snow fox was a small and gentle creature—barely larger than a rabbit and about as threatening.
In Juliet's opinion, tracking and killing these diminutive beasts could hardly be called a *real* hunt. It was more akin to a hunting *game*—specifically designed for pampered capital aristocrats who had never faced a deadly monster in their pampered lives.
On the other hand, this arrangement had its advantages.
At least the imperial forest harbored no creatures more dangerous than snow foxes, which made it reasonably safe.
"Oh God! Please be careful, Your Highness!"
However, it seemed the future member of the imperial family—whose face was frozen in genuine alarm—held a different opinion. Fatima, even upon spotting Juliet, refused to return her greeting, as though she still nursed her grudge from their previous encounter.
Juliet deliberately positioned herself at the rear of the hunting party, hoping to avoid being drawn into tedious conversation. The thought of a peaceful horseback ride through the snow-laden forest seemed wonderfully tempting.
"And here—blood stains!"
But her pleasant mood quickly soured when she realized with annoyance that the Second Prince's detachment had veered in precisely the same direction she'd chosen.
"Are these the tracks of a snow fox?"
"Judging by the amount of blood, this must be an exceptionally large one!"
Not wishing to endure their noisy pursuit, Juliet tugged gently at her reins, deciding to ride in the opposite direction entirely.
But just as she was about to disappear deeper into the forest, the prince's cheerful chatter with his companions abruptly ceased.
"…?"
"*Hee-hee-hyayaaa!*"
"*Aaaaah!*"
Whipping around at the piercing screams behind her, Juliet watched as the terrified horses bearing the Second Prince and his companions bolted wildly from the treeline—their riders tumbling unconscious into the snow.
"Prince Cliff…?"
She couldn't finish her sentence. A massive figure had materialized directly before her, seemingly appearing from nowhere.
*I didn't even hear his footsteps…*
Involuntary apprehension tightened her grip on the reins. The man regarding her with blazing amber eyes was utterly unfamiliar.
But instinctively, she knew *exactly* what he was.
*A werewolf. Definitely a werewolf.*
---
It was the first time she had encountered a werewolf other than Roy and his companions.
In that suspended moment, she recalled Elsa's drowsy words back in the Empress's guest chamber.
*"I smell something very familiar…"*
It seemed Elsa had detected this particular man.
"A human woman." The stranger's voice was a low rumble. "Are you Juliet Montague?"
Juliet did not answer the question of this man she had never seen before in her life. Instead, she posed her own.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Graham."
Juliet blinked, then studied him more carefully.
The man named Graham was large and imposing—powerfully built, with the predatory bearing common to his kind. But something about him struck her as peculiar. He looked *battered*, like someone who had been relentlessly pursued. A bloodstained bandage wrapped his shoulder, the wound beneath it clearly fresh.
The blood trail discovered by the Second Prince and his companions now made perfect sense—it belonged to this Graham.
"Are you Roy's brother?"
*Hmm. Didn't Roy say one of his brothers had gone missing?*
For some reason, she had an unsettling suspicion that the missing sibling stood directly before her.
"Roy…" Graham's lip curled back from his teeth. "*Ha!*"
A fierce, almost feral expression twisted his features.
"I've heard rumors that *Romeo* has become obsessed with some human woman."
This open hostility was precisely the same as Roy's people had displayed when she'd first encountered them.
Graham took a threatening step toward Juliet.
"Apologies, but you'll need to come with me."
"Where?"
"To the Silver Forest."
"And why would I do that?"
"Damn it all—because that *bastard* dared to break my neck—!"
Graham's face contorted as he answered, as though reliving some excruciating memory.
At the same moment, Juliet became completely certain: this man was indeed the third brother whose neck Roy had snapped.
"That still doesn't answer my question," Juliet remarked calmly. "What does your quarrel with your brother have to do with me?"
The notion that he intended to drag her off to the Silver Forest simply because he harbored a grudge against Roy was not remotely convincing.
But despite her reasonable argument, Graham stated confidently—as though this reason were more than sufficient:
"If I take you with me, that arrogant idiot will have no choice but to obey me."
In short, he intended to use her as a hostage. A bargaining chip to blackmail his own brother.
"And if I don't want to accompany you?"
"Then I'll have no choice but to resort to… violent methods."
A loud, menacing growl erupted from deep in his throat, clearly telegraphing his intentions. But Juliet remained undeterred, merely fixing him with an icy glare.
"…*Really?* Again?"
"What…?"
Ignoring Graham entirely, Juliet released a weary sigh. A ridiculous thought suddenly occurred to her: the damned universe seemed to have turned against her completely, and was simply waiting for her to shuffle off to the next world.
*And as luck would have it, I don't have my butterflies anymore.*
Moreover, she was deep in a remote section of forest where people rarely ventured. There was no possibility of rescue.
The Second Prince and his unconscious companions were equally useless.
Juliet tightened her grip on the crossbow with one hand while the other moved to the clasp of her cloak.
*Chink.*
The fur-lined garment slid from her shoulders and pooled softly in the snow.
She reasoned it would only hinder her if she needed to flee—or shoot—though she desperately hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"Wait a moment."
Graham's eyes, which had been terrifying mere seconds ago, suddenly widened with surprise.
"Let me ask you something, human woman."
His gaze had locked onto something at Juliet's throat.
"Why do you have a *snowdrop*?"
"…?"
*A snowdrop? What snowdrop?*
Juliet glanced down at herself. With her cloak removed, the silver key hanging around her neck was now fully visible.
*Does he mean this?*
"Is it truly possible that Romeo became obsessed with you because he found *it*? No—that can't be right. He's far too young to know of its existence…"
The werewolf began muttering to himself, as though Juliet had ceased to exist. Meanwhile, she touched the key with growing uncertainty.
"You mean this?"
"Yes. Why would such a thing be in the possession of an insignificant human girl like you…"
Graham continued rambling, apparently oblivious to the cold fury now blazing in the eyes of the *"insignificant human girl"* listening to him.
She no longer wondered why this wolf had given her family's heirloom such a peculiar name.
Unlike this arrogant creature, neither Roy nor his subordinates had ever addressed or spoken to Juliet with such contempt.
She understood, in an abstract way, why this forest dweller spoke so dismissively—she knew the painful history between their peoples. But understanding did nothing to excuse his boorish behavior.
Regardless, now that Graham stood distracted by the sight of the key, muttering incoherently under his breath, she had been granted a golden opportunity.
Juliet suppressed her anger and gently stroked her frightened horse's neck, soothing the trembling animal while her eyes swept the surrounding terrain…
"How could a snowdrop possibly…"
She would escape while Graham remained lost in his confusion.
Juliet wheeled her horse sharply and kicked it into a gallop, tearing toward the path she'd identified moments before.
"Hey! *Stop!*"
Belatedly realizing her maneuver, Graham roared and launched himself in pursuit.
When the wolf charged after her, the horse sensed his terrifying proximity and bolted at full speed, its hooves churning through the snow.
But Juliet knew it was only a matter of time before she was caught. In this winter-locked forest, with snow hampering every stride, she had no real chance of outrunning her pursuer.
*There. Just in time.*
Scanning her surroundings desperately, Juliet spotted what she needed flash between the frosted trees.
A small structure—a hunting storehouse.
Juliet reined her horse to a skidding halt, vaulted from the saddle, and sprinted for the building without hesitation.
"…!"
But the werewolf who had been shadowing her every stride managed to thrust his arm through the doorway before she could slam it shut.
***CRASH!***
The door burst inward as though ripped from its hinges.
"*Ha!*" Graham strode into the warehouse wearing a triumphant expression. "Did you really believe you could escape from *me*?"
*What should I do?*
Retreating as far as possible from the advancing werewolf, Juliet's mind raced through options.
She began edging toward the rear of the building, pressing her back against the wall, hoping Graham wouldn't notice her trajectory toward the back exit.
"You're Roy's older brother—so why do you two hate each other so much?"
Juliet said the first thing that came to mind, desperate to buy time. But to her surprise, Graham actually took the bait.
"Human woman, you have *no idea* how terribly he treats me," Graham replied bitterly. "Compared to his cruelty, what I'm about to do to you is *nothing*…"
Although his words sparked genuine curiosity about Roy's true nature, Juliet's primary concern remained escape. She pushed such questions firmly from her mind.
She let him continue pouring out his grievances while she reached the back door. Then her gaze dropped to the crossbow in her hands.
Lennox's castle in the North had been well-stocked with weapons, and during her years as his mistress, she had learned to handle a crossbow competently.
However, Juliet knew her skill level was merely adequate—she would never rival professional marksmen.
*Besides…*
Juliet studied Graham thoughtfully.
When she had first encountered Roy on the train, he'd been transformed into his wolf form—and his body had been so massive it practically filled the entire carriage.
It was foolish to imagine she could bring down such a gigantic target with mere crossbow bolts.
*Ah, my butterflies would be so welcome right now,* Juliet lamented silently.
Worse still, because she'd wasted one arrow intimidating Prince Cliff earlier, she had only two remaining.
In that moment, Juliet felt the full weight of her helplessness.
*All that remains is…*
***Whoosh!***
The instant she reached this conclusion, Juliet released her arrow.
Graham flinched at the piercing whistle that sliced through the air.
But the arrow flew past him entirely.
***THUD!***
Hearing an odd sound behind him—as though something heavy had fallen—Graham spun around to see that a large sack suspended from the ceiling had dropped to the floor.
"*Ha!* You missed—"
Graham bared his teeth in a wolfish grin, mingled relief and mockery playing across his features.
Assuming Juliet was simply a terrible shot, he took a confident step toward her—when suddenly, he realized something was wrong with the air itself.
"…?"
When the heavy sack struck the floor, it had torn open. A fine, dark powder—something like ground charcoal or black dust—scattered throughout the warehouse.
The substance rose into the air like a miniature sandstorm, making visibility nearly impossible. But Graham merely laughed at the human girl's apparent stupidity.
"And you truly believed *this* would save you from me?"
Such a pathetic trick couldn't possibly work on a werewolf, whose vision and sense of smell grew *sharper* in darkness rather than weaker.
But Juliet only smiled when she heard his mocking words. She pulled back the crossbow's mechanism and loaded her final arrow.
"Not at all."
"What…?"
Graham felt something cold slide down his spine. There was something in her casual manner that seemed utterly incompatible with her desperate situation.
*Why is she so calm? Why is she acting like she holds all the cards when she's cornered with no escape?*
Regardless—the arrow she'd just loaded was her last. Graham suppressed the vague unease coiling in his gut.
Meanwhile, Juliet raised her crossbow with steady hands.
Graham stood frozen, baring his teeth in a contemptuous grin, curious to see just how far this human woman would go to survive.
"Goodbye, stupid wolf."
***Whoosh!***
Once again, her arrow missed Graham entirely.
But this time, it struck the oil lamp hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room with perfect precision.
***FLASH!***
The warehouse erupted in a blinding explosion—and hungry flames engulfed the werewolf whole.
---