Hong Lu was the young leader of Paris, rumored to have been raised in a noble family from the East.

Stories about him were always full of rumors. Some said he was born in a palace adorned with silk and jade, while others whispered he was royalty from across the sea, but no one truly knew his past.

What was certain, however, was that Hong Lu was the young cleric standing at the highest point of Notre Dame in Paris.

He always smiled softly and never lost his kindness toward anyone. He seemed to understand human sorrow as he embraced those who repented. Yet, he was a man who left no emotion in his own heart. He was always strangely composed.

Hong Lu sought order. He excluded gypsies and viewed them as heretics. This did not stem from hatred. To him, the world was merely a passing landscape; he took interest in no one, believing his actions were simply for the sake of maintaining order in Paris.

The event that overturned Hong Lu's world occurred at the Festival of Fools.

In the middle of the square, the bell-ringer had become an object of ridicule. People placed a ridiculous crown on his head and burst into laughter, and even children cheered while throwing stones. The bell-ringer pleaded with Hong Lu to save him, but Hong Lu merely looked down from the cathedral steps with a faint, indifferent smile.

Then, a person stepped forward through the crowd.

A woman dressed in gypsy attire. Guest helped the staggering bell-ringer and untied his ropes.