Hakon was efficient.
A few nights later, following Liam's secret instructions, he arrived at the base of an abandoned watchtower behind the castle. The area was deserted, a perfect place to exchange information.
"My lord," Hakon emerged from the shadows, handing Liam two parchment scrolls. "Here is what you asked for."
Liam quickly unrolled the first one. "These are the 'personnel transfer' records for the Moon Shadow Courtyard for the past few months," Hakon explained.
The records were strange. On the nights Miss Aila was taken by Lord Drake for "service," another girl would be taken away by the matron at almost the same time, under the pretext of "praying for the Alpha."
"The girls who were taken for the first time did receive some preferential treatment, just as the rumors said," Hakon added. "But after three or four times, they would be recorded as 'repatriated due to ill health'."
"What about their families?" Liam's brow furrowed.
"This is what I found," Hakon said, handing him the second parchment. "Most of the families received news of 'death by illness.' A few families didn't believe it and sent people to inquire, but they were all turned away by the castle guards, who said the girls had run away on the road. In short, there was no sign of them, dead or alive."
"All the records of their final destination point to the same place," Hakon's voice dropped to a low whisper. "The 'Lethe Shrine,' located underground."
Liam's face turned exceptionally grim. He knew that all the secrets were hidden in that cold shrine.
"Thank you, Hakon," he said solemnly. "Are you sure no one followed you here?"
"I'm sure, my lord," Hakon replied with certainty. "I took three different routes to get here."
"Good. You should go back now. Don't investigate any further, or you might be discovered."
"Yes, my lord."
Hakon's figure quickly vanished into the night. Liam stood alone at the foot of the abandoned watchtower, a coldness spreading through his heart.
After Hakon left, Liam returned to his room alone. Just as he approached his desk to examine the two parchments more closely, he smelled the faint scent of blood.
He scanned the room warily, his gaze finally landing on his desk.
There, at some point, an exquisite wooden box had appeared.
He drew his dagger and cautiously pried open the lid.
Inside, lying quietly, was a woman's severed hand, cut off at the wrist. The fingers were well-manicured. On one of them, a ruby ring, so pure it was without a single flaw, glittered in the candlelight.
It was Nora's hand!
A cold fury erupted in Liam's chest!
He grabbed his dagger and, like a whirlwind, burst out of his room, heading straight for the Moon Shadow Courtyard.
It had to be the matron!
He kicked open the matron's door. Amidst her terrified screams, he pressed the cold blade of his dagger to her throat.
"Where is Nora?!" he snarled. "What have you done to her?!"
"I… I don't know anything!" the matron trembled, terrified. "This morning… when Clara brought her food, she… she just ran away!"
"Ran away?" Liam slammed the wooden box containing the severed hand down in front of her. "Then what is this?!"
When the matron saw the contents of the box, she nearly fainted from fear. "No… it wasn't me… I swear it wasn't me!"
"Then who was it?!"
"I don't know! I really don't know!" the matron cried.
"Look at me!" Liam's voice turned to ice. He drew a shallow, bloody line across her neck with the blade. "Do you think I won't kill you? Tell me, who did you hand them over to?!"
"It… it was a person in a white mask and a black cloak…" she sobbed. "It was almost always him who came for them…"
"Who is he?!"
"I don't know! Lord Liam, I beg you, spare me! My daughter is in their hands! If I say one more word, she'll… she'll be thrown into the Wailing Canyon!" the matron pleaded. "The shrine is heavily guarded. Only the shrine's followers can enter! I was just following orders! If you keep investigating, we'll all die! You won't live either!"
Liam looked at her face, twisted with fear, and knew he wouldn't get anything more out of her.
He sheathed his dagger and walked out of the room, devastated.
He knew the matron was telling the truth.
And he finally understood what his brother had meant before he left: "The castle is more dangerous than the Black Forest."
Liam returned to his room in a daze and slept for a full day and night.
The next evening, a raven flew in through his window, a secret message with Hakon's unique seal tied to its leg. It contained only one line: "New clue. Same place."
A glimmer of hope reignited in Liam's heart. He immediately stood, ready to leave.
Just as his hand touched the doorknob, a polite knock sounded.
He opened the door to find his uncle, Barton, standing outside, his face wearing its usual affectionate smile.
"Liam, going out so late?" Barton asked gently.
"Uncle," Liam forced a calm he didn't feel. "I… couldn't sleep. I thought I'd take a walk on the castle walls."
"Worried about the situation in the Black Forest?" Barton walked into the room and sat down naturally. "Don't worry, Kaelen is strong. You, on the other hand, are always so kind, always worrying about others. It's your strength, but sometimes… it's also your weakness."
He looked at Liam, his expression meaningful. "For example, I heard you've been concerning yourself with the 'trivial matters' of the Moon Shadow Courtyard these past few days?"
Liam's body instantly went cold.
"It's not good for a young man to be too curious," Barton's tone was still gentle, as if he were instructing a naive child. "Some questions shouldn't be asked; some people shouldn't be trusted. Especially… those who can't control their own tongues."
He paused, picking up the teacup on the table and pouring himself a cup. He blew gently on the hot liquid and added slowly, "Speaking of which, I just received news that a new matron has been assigned to the Moon Shadow Courtyard. I hope she… will be better at her duties."
Liam looked at him, confused.
"Uncle…"
"Also," Barton put down the teacup, stood, and walked over to Liam, patting his shoulder. "You are a smart boy. You should understand that some secrets are like a deep well. Once something falls in, it's best… to let it sink to the bottom forever."
His gaze shifted towards the window, in the direction of the Moon Shadow Courtyard.
"That 'Luna' from the South… she is a very special girl, isn't she?"
Barton gave him one last, deep look. Then, he turned and leisurely left.
Liam stood there alone, a coldness seeping into his bones, as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
Every word his uncle had said was like a heavy hammer, striking his heart.
"...a new matron…"
"...sink to the bottom forever…"
A terrible thought exploded in his mind!
He burst out of the room like a madman, out of the main building, and ran desperately towards the abandoned ancient well in the Moon Shadow Courtyard!
He leaned over the edge of the well and looked down.
In the cool moonlight, a woman's face, bloated and white from being submerged in water, stared up at him from the dark surface. Her long black hair was like seaweed, tangled around her. The shallow cut on her neck, now open and raw from the water, was especially gruesome.
Liam couldn't bear it any longer. He knelt by the well and retched violently.
It was a long time before Liam managed to stumble to his feet and make his way back to his quarters, devastated.
As he was passing through a secluded corridor, a figure emerged from the shadows.
"Lord Liam!"
It was Hakon. He had clearly been waiting for a long time, his voice laced with anxiety.
"Why didn't you go to the old place? I found some clues about the girls' families…"
Liam slowly stood up. He looked at the loyal old soldier before him, but his mind was uncontrollably filled with the image of the bloated, pale face at the bottom of the well.
"Enough, Hakon," his voice was weary and hoarse, as if drained of all strength.
"But, my lord…" Hakon looked at him, confused. "We're so close to the truth!"
"I said enough!" For the first time, Liam's voice was almost a roar. He grabbed Hakon's shoulders, his usually warm eyes now filled with a deep fear and pain.
"This… ends now. Don't investigate any further."
Hakon stared at him in shock.
Liam didn't explain, just looked at him, his eyes full of warning.
"I don't want to see any more 'accidents.' Do you understand?"
Hakon was silent. He looked at Liam's fear-stricken face, then towards the Moon Shadow Courtyard, and finally, seemed to understand.
He could only bow his head.
"…Yes, my lord."
When Barton returned to his study, the cold expression on his face was gone, replaced by a calm certainty of victory.
High Priestess Morgana and the white-bearded Greymane elder were already waiting there.
"Lord Barton!" the Greymane elder stood as soon as he saw him, furious. "The matter of the Black Forest is not yet resolved, and now people are dying in the castle! The matron of the Moon Shadow Courtyard, and those missing girls… what is going on?!"
"Calm yourself, Elder," Barton sighed, his face showing a look of concern. "This is exactly what I was worried about. I just learned that someone has been secretly investigating the High Priestess. It seems some malicious individuals are deliberately trying to stir up trouble, to divert our suspicion from the real enemy."
"I see!" the Greymane elder said, realization dawning on him. His face, red with anger, turned towards the Moon Shadow Courtyard. "It must be that southern 'soul-binder'! Nothing like this ever happened before she came!"
"There's no proof yet," Barton placated him. "But… we are running out of time. We must find a way to counter the monsters in the Black Forest as soon as possible."
Just then, a black raven flew in through the window and landed on Morgana's arm. She untied the secret message from the raven's leg and unrolled the small parchment.
It contained two lines of text:
"'Moonlight Healing' ability confirmed, possesses powerful healing. Alpha's grievous wounds have been healed."
"Target can identify the 'Rest in Peace' runes in the Wailing Canyon."
"Perhaps the way to counter them is not in the Black Forest," Morgana, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, her voice as calm as a still well, "but right here among us."
She handed the parchment to Barton. A fiery glint instantly lit up Barton's eyes.
"She can actually read the ancient suppression runes…" Barton murmured to himself, then looked at the Greymane elder. "This is too much of a coincidence. She had just arrived at the canyon and recognized the ancient runes that can 'soothe' the dead souls. And immediately after, the Alpha was ambushed and seriously injured there…"
"What?!" the Greymane elder exploded in a rage upon hearing the news. "The Lord Alpha was seriously injured because of this 'southern' offering!"
Connecting this to Barton's words, he instantly understood. "She is definitely up to something! No wonder a half-blood who can't even shift dared to go to the Black Forest! She probably deliberately led the Lord Alpha into a trap!"
"She is our Luna, after all, Greymane," Barton immediately put on a pained expression. "Even if it really was her, we would still need the Alpha's personal order to deal with her."
"I understand!" the Greymane elder trembled with rage. "Lord Barton, Lady Morgana, rest assured! I will not allow her to continue to bring disaster to the North!"
With that, he stormed out of the study like an enraged bull.
After the door closed, only Barton and Morgana remained in the study.
The look of concern on Barton's face instantly vanished, replaced by a cold smile.
He looked at Morgana and said slowly, "It seems our Elder Greymane has prepared a grand 'welcome ceremony' for our returning heroes."
Morgana said nothing, just slowly burned the parchment with the words "Silver Frost Blood" in the candlelight, until it was nothing but ash.