Joon-Ho's period study at dawn. Close-up of his hand turning a small iron key in a wooden desk drawer; the folded will and three sealed envelopes lie inside, partly hidden under a ledger. Candle stub, ink pot, and papered window bars visibl

Top panel: Sera enters the bedchamber with a tray, grey-blue dress and apron, face calm, hands steady; Joon-Ho stands by the window in noble coat with the thin gold cord at his throat. Bottom panel: Joon-Ho does not face her fully, keeping

Top panel: Sera bows precisely, neither hurt nor surprised, tray angled in her hands, the single loose hair strand by her temple visible. Bottom panel: after she exits, Joon-Ho stares at the closed door, candlelight cutting his face into ha

Top panel: Aldric stands beside the study desk with a neat stack of carriage papers, brass keys at his belt; Joon-Ho sits with ledgers open. Bottom panel: close-up of Joon-Ho looking down at the ledger margin while Aldric's watchful eyes re

Period noble estate exterior at dusk: stone manor with torchlit gates, bare autumn trees, wet gravel drive, carriages without modern features, servants in plain livery. Joon-Ho steps down from a Renatus carriage alone, dark blue coat, silve

Top panel: long torchlit reception hall with narrow banners, creditors and minor nobles clustered in period coats, no modern items; Joon-Ho stands near the entrance alone. Bottom panel: close-up of Joon-Ho's composed face as an unseen Lord

Panel 1: creditors lean in like polite wolves around Joon-Ho in the torchlit hall, their faces mostly anonymous. Panel 2: Joon-Ho turns away from the main staircase, ignoring a folded map corner peeking from his coat pocket. Panel 3: he sli

Top panel: curtained alcove, small period table, two wine cups, Joon-Ho slides a folded debt note across to a minor baron whose face is partly cropped, ringed hand visible. Bottom panel: close-up of the baron's hand taking the paper while J

Top panel: in the reception hall, two anonymous witnesses observe the minor baron holding the folded note while Joon-Ho speaks; torches throw hard shadows across stone pillars. Bottom panel: tight close-up of Joon-Ho's mouth curling in a co

Top panel: Joon-Ho walks alone down a narrow stone corridor toward the carriage exit, cloak edge trailing, the hall behind him receding. Bottom panel: close-up of wall torches guttering in a draft, hard shadows stretching across wet flagsto

Panel 1: Joon-Ho passes the dark side passage, turning his head too late. Panel 2: a hooded period servant steps out, face mostly hidden by rough cloak shadow, one hand low. Panel 3: close-up of a plain dagger pushed into Joon-Ho's right ki

Top panel: the hood shifts just enough to show the anonymous carriage driver's plain face for half a breath, torchlight cutting across his cheek; he is not a named character. Bottom panel: Joon-Ho falls to the stone floor, one hand at his s

Floor-level view: Joon-Ho lies on his back on the torchlit flagstones, face pale and stunned, dark blue coat open, silver brooch near the spreading blood. The hooded attacker is gone; only empty corridor, guttering torch, and red pooling bl