Meanwhile...
Yuki Momoko, the younger sister of Misuzu and the current leader of the Yuki Clan, reclined gracefully on her throne-like chair, a crystal wine glass cradled between her slender fingers.
The room was dimly lit, the crimson glow of twilight filtering in through frost-lined windows, casting eerie reflections on the polished floor.
The wine in her glass—a deep, thick red—swirled lazily as she rotated her wrist, its surface catching the light like blood under a microscope.
The aromatic scent of aged grapes and something darker wafted up to her nose.
She inhaled slowly, savoring it, eyes half-lidded in satisfaction.
"Huh…? So that woman traveling with them really is a fallen angel, huh?" she murmured with a crooked smile curling her lips.
The information had just arrived, delivered by one of her scouts, an agent gifted with the power to peer through any location touched by ice. A convenient little trick.
Momoko herself possessed the same ability, of course.
