The Truth in the Moonlight

If you were strong enough to smash through iron bars with your bare hands, we would've been better off fighting the royal guard.

Allow me, the highly experienced Cristelle de Montua, to share with you a useful tip.

Underground cells are usually cold and damp, so it's best to spread some cloth underneath you before lying down.

Otherwise, you'll catch a cold easily.

About the situation we're in...

...And about Haydee.

You suddenly disappeared from your room. You gave us quite a fright, and here you are!

That would also explain why no one on the streets recognized her.

...The princess had already been stricken with a mysterious illness long ago and could no longer leave the palace...

In fact, she had spent so long confined that even leaving her room had become difficult for her...

Which is why only a palace guard could vaguely recognize Haydee's face.

Viewed that way, everything falls into place.

And if my theory is correct...

Here! The flowers I planted are here too!

Wow! I want to show Father and Mother too!

But if that possibility is true...

...Why? Where in the world is Morcerf?

If this isn't her doing...

Then the source of the power sustaining this world must be—

Besides, if you answer honestly, I'll give you this.

It's a device for telling time. Plus, it's made of gold, so even if you don't know how to use it, it should still fetch a nice price on the market.

And here I thought you were complete frauds...

I'd like to hear about the princess' condition.

So unfortunately, I can't answer your very first question.

I'll just toss out a few conjectures about the princess, and you can tell me whether I'm right or wrong.

One day, the princess suddenly came down with a severe fever, one that couldn't be quelled by any medicine or herb.

As time passed, she began seeing hallucinations more and more often.

She became unnaturally driven by her desires. Sometimes, she'd even lose all reason and go on a rampage.

She may even have begun emanating some kind of strange dark aura.

And then, by sheer coincidence, a passing sage offered her help. Am I right?

We searched the sage's chamber, but the sage wasn't there.

Where is the sage now?

The sage is no longer here.

However, judging from the traces left behind...

We believe the princess' illness swallowed the sage whole as well.

...

Then I have one final question.

Would you mind looking out the window?

When I first met Haydee, I thoroughly searched the ruins where I found her.

The ruins of a mysterious ancient kingdom that had vanished into thin air, as if its very existence had been erased...

I intended to determine what kind of destruction had befallen it from the remains.

Because that might have taught me more about Morcerf, who orchestrated the kingdom's downfall.

Contrary to my expectations, I found nothing that could serve as a useful clue.

However, there was one thing that stood out to me.

From all indications, the kingdom must have possessed a powerful order of knights. It's far too strange.

Don't you agree?

She didn't die. She left.

Since she had her fun, the only thing left for her was to wipe the slate clean.

In fact, she might have already started the process by now.

If my theory is correct, Haydee is...

When I found Haydee, I...

...

If we destroy it, we should be able to escape this place.

Our highest priority is to recover Haydee quickly and then get out.

...Ufufu. Though I suppose getting out of this cell before the whole place collapses on top of us comes first.

Did it follow us all the way here from outside?

Either way, it's true that we need to find Haydee as well.

With that statue leading the way, even the Royal Guard won't be able to stop us so easily. We can use it as a shield.