Snow White with the Red Hair (赤髪の白雪姫)

Excuse me.

A letter has arrived for Obi from Prince Zen of Clarines.

From Zen?

Miss, there will be trouble if you attend the ball.

Apparently, Mihaya got some information.

The boy looking for you and someone who appears to be his companion

are coming for you at this castle--

Shirayuki, found you!

A-A pretty boy?!

Well, it's true this is how I look,

but for you both to say that in unison on our first meeting...

Who are you?

A-Are you Kazuki?

Oh? You've heard of me?

I want to introduce myself, but that can wait till later.

Miss, go outside!

Obi!

Someone!

Let go of me!

Sorry, just stay still.

Are you a guard?

Who knows?

That guy's fighting evenly with Itoya?

If he's from the castle, we have to leave him behind...

Guards!

Move!

Shirayuki?

Sorry.

Bas... tard...

Obi! Obi!

Obi! Obi!

Obi!

It can't be helped. I'll have you go to sleep for a bit.

What do we do...?

What do we do, Eugena? Shirayuki's...

Guards! Guards! Guards!

"Episode 17: Prologue of the Quietly Twisting Night"

Sakaki! Shirayuki is still nowhere to be found?

Yes, we are continuing to search, but once it gets too late into the night...

The king has also heard about it. Why don't you sleep for a bit?

If I sleep now, I will only see nightmares!

She was just with me!

She looked like she was having fun.

So why?

At this rate, I will not be able to apologize enough to Zen.

Shouldn't I go and look as well after all?

Please do not. It would be wiser to send the soldiers guarding you to look.

Obi... Are you all right? Obi?

Obi!

Where's Shirayuki?

She was taken by those two.

The soldiers followed them, but apparently they lost them in the forest...

They are looking for her now.

The ball was also cancelled.

I'm sorry. If we had not gone into the room at that time, this wouldn't have happened...

It's not your fault, Your Highness.

How long was I out?

About an hour.

Obi, you should still be laying down--

Did anyone come from Clarines?

No, I have not heard anything.

Shall I check?

Yes, please do.

Yes, sir.

It's all right. Shirayuki will come back.

Really?

Of course.

It's already late. You two should go to bed.

Okay...

The master and the others should be heading here now...

When will they get here?

This was for Shirayuki...

Shirayuki...

You still haven't gone to bed?

What is that piece?

It was the dance piece I prepared for Shirayuki.

Just about now, we should have been...

Shirayuki is the only one who takes me seriously,

coming at me straight on, sometimes too honestly.

I haven't been able to return anything.

I couldn't even protect her in my own castle.

There is still time.

There should be something that only you can do for Shirayuki, Prince Raj.

Miss!

Come in!

Yay, this is convenient. We have connecting rooms.

Let me know if you need anything, Miss.

Yeah, you too!

Jeez, why did I have to come, too?

We'll have you cooperate with us until we find that boy, Kazuki.

Yeah, yeah.

There are a lot of fires burning.

Yeah.

Let's hurry!

I have come from Clarines! I am Zen Wisteria.

We have been expecting you, Prince Zen.

It is as I said in my letter.

I would like to see Shirayuki immediately.

About that...

Thank you for seeing me, Raj.

Th-Th-Thank you for c-coming a-all this way...

I heard about what happened to Shirayuki from Sakaki.

U-Uh... A-About that...

I apologize.

Huh?

I had heard troubling reports of people after Shirayuki,

but I only investigated them in Clarines.

I should have also told you about it...

No... I am the one who should be apologizing.

I'm sorry, Zen.

Even though she was a guest of mine...

Did Shirayuki spend her days here pleasantly?

Y-Yes, she spent time doing things she found interesting.

Did she smile?

Yes.

I'm glad...

Raj, I would like to act immediately.

Will you take me to the room of Obi, who accompanied Shirayuki here?

Prince Raj! Prince Raj, there is something I must report.

Obi disappeared?!

Yes, he said he wanted to rest until morning,

but when I went to check on him earlier, he was nowhere to be seen.

Has Obi heard what happened?

Yes, he heard when he woke up...

Did he follow them...?

There's no doubt they entered the forest.

They probably took a path where people would not see them.

Hoof prints.

They even went so far as to break into the castle.

We may be up against a large organization.

Do you have any idea who it could be?

One of the possibilities is a troublesome group that has overrun the east sea.

The Claw of the Sea, right?

Very good, Prince Raj.

You may have only been studying national affairs for a few days, but it seems to have paid off.

Are you being sarcastic at a time like this?

The Claw of the Sea.

I've heard that name before.

Yeah.

They are bandits who collect tolls at sea without permission

and conduct underhanded dealings to evade landing inspections.

They deal not only in money,

but in people that have special abilities or especially good looks.

Those whose looks stand out act as tools or bait for the kind of fishing they do.

That boy Kazuki said he wasn't after her for her red hair, though.

We don't know if that's true or not.

It would be better to try somewhere likely than to look randomly.

If you want to investigate the Claw of the Sea, then the first place you should go is...

...the mountains, right?