She's really strange.
All this time, she had acted like she didn't care about anything. Cold. Detached. Uninterested.
Yet anyone with eyes could tell that wasn't the whole truth.
Not after everything I'd seen today.
Not after rescuing Tia and Renna.
A truly heartless person wouldn't have bothered. They would have handed the children over to the city guards and considered the matter finished. It was the practical choice. The efficient choice.
Yet she had personally escorted them back to their mother.
Not because she had to.
Because she wanted to.
The woman I had seen was ruthless, cold, and terrifying enough to make anyone twice before crossing her path. She wielded fear as naturally as breathing and spilled blood without the slightest hint of hesitation when she deemed it necessary.
And yet…
That same woman had knelt before frightened children, spoken to them gently, and made certain they returned home safely.
The image she showed to the world and the person hidden beneath it refused to align.
The pieces fit together, yet somehow formed two entirely different people.
One was a monster spoken of in fearful whispers.
The other was who she never spoke of and showed kindness when no one was looking.
The contradiction should have frustrated me.
Instead, it only made her more difficult to understand.
"The hell are you staring at like some creep?"
Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I hadn't even noticed when she'd walked over.
"As if you have anything worth staring at."
Smack.
Pain shot through the back of my head. I rubbed the spot and glared at her.
Before I could respond, she turned and started walking.
"Let's go, vermin. We still have one more place to visit."
I stared at her.
I genuinely thought we were done for the day.
Apparently not. Just how long does she plan on dragging me with her?
"Where exactly are we going this time?"
"You'll see."
That was all she said before hopping into the waiting carriage.
I sighed and followed.
As the carriage began moving, I found myself studying her again.
There was no way someone like her was an amateur. The way she fought made that obvious.
Every movement was too precise.
She had the instincts and experience of someone who had spent years on battlefields.
Someone who had survived far more fights than any person should.
Someone who—
My thoughts came to an abrupt halt.
Cecilia had stretched out across the seat opposite me without a care in the world.
One arm tucked behind her head as a pillow.
Completely relaxed.
Far too relaxed.
I immediately turned my head toward the window.
"Hello? Have you forgotten I'm still here?" I said. "Sit properly, will you?"
It wasn't that I was interested.
Far from it.
It was simply basic decency to look away. I wasn't some shameless lecher.
She blinked before looking down at herself.
Then a smirk slowly appeared.
"Relax."
She lifted one leg slightly, her dress riding up. "I'm wearing tights underneath."
The smirk widened.
"Did you think I wasn't wearing anything?"
I felt my eye twitch.
Her laughter filled the carriage.
"How cute."
"You're impossible."
I decided silence was the better option.
Unfortunately, it wasn't. The amusement slowly disappeared from her face.
When she spoke again, her voice was quieter.
More serious.
"Tell me something."
I glanced back at her.
"What?"
"Now that you know the temple was involved in this incident..." she said. "What are you going to do? No, what will you do?"
The playful atmosphere vanished completely.
Her gaze remained fixed on the carriage ceiling. Yet somehow it felt sharper than before.
"It's not like you can attack them."
She raised her hand lazily.
"Or confront them."
Then she lowered it again.
"Not without solid evidence."
A pause.
"And even if you somehow managed to do that..."
Her eyes shifted toward me.
"You'd be branded a traitor."
The words settled heavily inside the carriage because she was right.
I couldn't simply march into the temple and accuse them of it.
Not without proof. Not without consequences. And those consequences wouldn't stop with me.
The orphanage would suffer too. The children would suffer.
The people under my care would become targets.
After a long silence, I finally spoke.
"You're right."
My hands tightened slightly.
"I can't do anything."
The admission tasted bitter.
"But that's not the only reason."
I looked out the window.
The first rays of morning sunlight were beginning to spread across the city.
"I can't make a move until I know everyone at the orphanage is safe."
The carriage fell silent again.
For once, she didn't mock me. Didn't argue. She simply listened.
And somehow, that silence felt heavier than any answer she could have given.
The carriage gradually slowed before coming to a stop.
A moment later, there was a polite knock on the door.
"We have arrived, my lady."
Cecilia stretched lazily, raising both arms above her head as though she hadn't spent the entire night fighting.
If not for the blood staining her dress, no one would have guessed she had been battling through the night at all.
"Finally," she muttered. "Let's get this over with quickly."
She rose from her seat and looked toward me.
"Do you want to come inside the manor, or would you rather wait here?"
Manor?
I frowned.
Whose manor?
If I remember correctly, there weren't any noble families permanently residing in this territory. Most of the estates here served as seasonal residences or vacation homes.
The only exception would be—
The Lord's Manor.
My eyes narrowed.
Why would she be here? And why does she sound like she belongs here? Or maybe she acquainted with the lord.
"So?" Cecilia stood by the carriage door, one hand resting against the frame. "Are you coming or not?"
I pushed my thoughts aside and stepped forward.
"I'm coming."
The moment I stepped out, I understood why she had sounded so casual.
The manor before us was enormous.
Elegant white stone stretched across the estate, illuminated by the first light of dawn. The grounds were immaculate, every hedge trimmed with precision, every path maintained perfectly.
More surprising were the people waiting for us.
Rows of servants and maids stood in formation before the entrance.
Not a single one out of place. Not a single unnecessary movement.
The discipline was closer to that of soldiers than servants.
The instant Cecilia appeared, they bowed in perfect unison.
"Welcome back, my lady."
"We have been awaiting your arrival."
I stared.
Then looked at Cecilia.
Then at the manor.
Then back at Cecilia again.
For several seconds, my brain simply refused to process what I was seeing.
"You..."
I pointed toward the manor.
Then the servants.
Then her.
My hand moved back and forth several times.
She blinked.
Then realization crossed her face.
"Oh Right. You don't know."
A smirk appeared.
"I'm the Lord of Luton."
My mind went blank.
"...What?"
She said it so nonchalantly.
As though she had just informed me of the weather. Before I could respond, she turned toward one of the servants.
"Alex."
The man immediately stepped forward.
"Yes, my lady."
"Show our guest the utmost hospitality."
"Of course."
I barely heard the exchange.
I was still trying to process what she'd just said.
Wasn't she supposed to be the heir of the Florence household? How was she also the Lord of Luton?
The more I learned about this woman, the less sense she made.
And somehow, things only became stranger.
What should have been a simple visit stretched into hours.
At some point, I stopped trying to keep track of time.
The atmosphere inside the manor was suffocating.
Not because of luxury. Not because of wealth.
But because of the mana. The entire estate was saturated with it.
Dense.
Oppressive.
Powerful enough that even breathing felt different. Those without mana would be in tremendous pain or in a very rare scenario would die.
Then there were the screams. They echoed throughout parts of the manor at irregular intervals.
Some were short.
Others dragged on. None of them sounded pleasant.
Yet the servants continued their work as though nothing unusual was happening.
No flinching.
No reaction whatsoever. As if hearing people scream inside the manor was an ordinary occurrence.
I didn't know what she was doing. But judging by the sounds, mercy was not involved.
Eventually, the screaming stopped.
Not because whoever was screaming had calmed down.
But probably because there was no one left capable of screaming.
Soon after, we left.
The carriage carried us back toward the Adventurer's Guild.
When it finally stopped, I stepped outside and stretched.
Every muscle in my body protested.
"Finally," I groaned. "I'm free."
She climbed down behind me.
"You are."
She sounded deeply offended.
"I'm not."
She let out a tired sigh.
"I still have an absurd amount of work to finish before returning to the academy."
I looked at her.
Then thought back to everything that had happened during the last day.
The fighting.
The rescue operation.
The manor.
The interrogation.
The children.
Her being the lord of Luton.
Honestly, I wasn't sure what to think anymore.
"You know," I said slowly, "I'm starting to see you in a completely different light."
"Stop joking and go upstairs."
We entered the guild together.
The moment we stepped inside, a familiar voice called out.
"Master, you've ret—"
The words abruptly stopped.
I followed Cecilia's gaze.
A young woman stood frozen behind the reception desk.
Her eyes were locked onto me.
Wide.
Disbelieving.
Like she had seen a ghost.
"Ama," she said casually. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
The woman didn't respond. She continued staring.
Cecilia pointed toward me.
"This person is our guest for the time being. Show him to my office."
Still no response.
"Ama here is one of my most talented recruits," Cecilia continued.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Why wouldn't she be?"
"Do you perhaps know her?" Cecilia asked.
The woman's eyes widened immediately.
Then they became moist.
She took a step backwards.
Then another.
As though she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.
"Know her?" I repeated quietly.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
"That's an understatement."
I looked directly at her. "I've known her my entire life."
She froze.
The memories resurfaced all at once.
Years of them.
"She worked at the temple before suddenly disappearing. So this is where you were."
I took a step toward her.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
Her smile weakened.
"When I couldn't find you, I thought something terrible had happened."
Her eyes glistened.
"I'm just glad you're safe."
For the first time since seeing her, genuine relief appeared on my face.
"Safe and sound."
A beat of silence followed.
Then Cecilia spoke.
"Not for much longer."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Her voice wasn't loud. It wasn't threatening.
That somehow made it worse.
Cold.
Emotionless.
Like she was stating an unavoidable fact.
Every trace of warmth vanished from Amarila's face.
Her body stiffened instantly.
The relief in her eyes disappeared, replaced by something else.
Fear.
A fear so immediate and genuine that it made my stomach twist.
She slowly turned toward Cecilia.
The colour drained from her face.
As though she already knew exactly what Cecilia meant.
As though she had seen this before.
Cecilia remained completely indifferent.
Unmoved.
No one questioned what Cecilia meant.
Not a single person.
As if they already knew exactly what was about to happen.
As if the outcome had been decided long before the words were spoken.
Neither Cecilia nor Amarila said another word.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
The ticking of the clock became the loudest sound in the room.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
A proper fifteen minutes must have passed.
Fifteen agonizing minutes of absolute silence. Before I foolishly broke it.
In the heat of the moment, I had forgotten something important.
We weren't exactly close. We weren't friends.
And we certainly weren't on terms where I could freely meddle in her affairs. Just because she saved the children. I let myself forget that fact.
Unfortunately, by the time I realized that—It was already too late.
"Don't you think you're overreacting?" I asked.
The words sounded far louder than I intended.
"So what if Amarila worked at the temple?"
I stepped forward and grabbed Cecilia's shoulder from behind.
Cecilia didn't turn around. She didn't even acknowledge that I had touched her.
She simply ignored my very existence.
As if I wasn't standing there. As if I didn't exist within her orbit.
A cold chill ran down my spine.
Then I felt it.
Cold steel against my neck.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
I froze.
"Take your filthy hand off our master before I cut it."
Kerrigan's voice was calm.
That somehow made it more threatening.
I slowly glanced downwards. The blade was pressed against my throat.
Close enough that a single movement would draw blood.
"This matter does not concern you," Kerrigan continued.
His tone never changed. "Back off before you get hurt."
"It does concern me."
I didn't move. Didn't back down.
"I've known her my whole life."
My eyes shifted toward Amarila. "She was the kindest person in the temple."
The words came naturally because they were true.
"The warmest person there."
Memories surfaced one after another. Countless moments. Countless acts of kindness.
"How can I not come to her defence when she's helped me more times than I can count?"
Silence followed.
Then Amarila finally spoke.
"Asier... it's fine."
Her voice was quiet.
Almost gentle.
"You don't have to say anything on my behalf."
The words hit harder than they should have.
"How can I not?"
The question left me before I could stop it.
Broken, Frustrated and Hurt.
For the first time since meeting her again, Amarila lowered her gaze.
And somehow that hurt even more.
Cecilia finally spoke, her voice echoed through the room.
Cold.
Absolute.
"Kerrigan. Restrain him and take him upstairs."
"Understood."
There wasn't even a hint of hesitation.
A magic circle appeared beneath my feet.
By the time I realized what was happening, it was already over.
Chains of mana wrapped around my body.
My arms. My legs. Every movement was sealed instantly.
No opening. Nor any chance to counter.
"Damn it!"
I struggled anyway. Pointlessly.
"I'll get you for this!"
The restraints tightened.
"You'll be paying for this!"
Kerrigan effortlessly lifted me as though I weighed nothing.
"You hear me?!"
My glare locked onto Cecilia.
"You cold-hearted witch!"
Still—She never looked at me.
Not even once.
As if my anger wasn't worth acknowledging. As if my outrage was beneath her notice.
The last thing I saw before Kerrigan carried me upstairs was Amarila standing in the center of the room.
And Cecilia facing her.
The atmosphere had become suffocating.
The moment I disappeared, silence fell once more.
Then Cecilia spoke.
This time her voice was even colder than before. So cold it barely sounded human.
"Now that the annoyance has left."
Her eyes met Amarila's.
Unblinking.
Merciless.
"Tell me."
A pause.
"Would you willingly go to the underground prison?"
The room seemed to grow colder.
"Or would you like to be escorted there?"
No anger. Nor hostility. Just a question.
One that sounded more like a sentence.
"The choice is yours."
Amarila didn't hesitate. Not even for a moment.
She lowered her head. "I'll go by myself."
She didn't resist, nor pleaded for mercy. Just accepted her fate quietly.
The silence that followed felt endless.
Then Amarila turned and walked away.
Only after she was gone did Cecilia move.
Her hand slowly curled into a fist.
For a moment, she simply stood there.
Silent.
Still.
Yet something fragile flickered across her expression—something far more painful than anger.
Hurt.
The kind that came not from an enemy's blade, but from the words of someone whose opinion mattered.
Someone she had trusted. Someone she had relied on.
Her jaw tightened.
A faint tremor ran through her hand.
Then—Boom.
Her fist crashed into the nearest pillar.
The impact shook the entire chamber.
Marble shattered beneath her strike. Stone erupted outward in every direction as a web of fractures raced across the pillar's surface.
Dust and debris rained down around her.
She didn't move, didn't looked at the destruction around her.
Her head remained lowered.
Shoulders rigid.
As if she were holding herself together through sheer force of will.
The ruined pillar was nothing compared to the damage left behind by those words.
Because wounds inflicted by enemies were easy to endure.
You expected them. You don't give them any value as they don't matter as much. But when the blow came from someone you trusted—
Someone whose presence had become a source of comfort in a life that offered little of it—
There was no armor for that.
No defense.
Only silence.
And the crushing weight of disappointment.
The shattered marble at her feet was merely the smallest glimpse of the storm she was desperately trying to keep buried inside.
—
"I suggest you stay here with the children if you don't want to make our master even more upset than she already is."
Kerrigan's voice remained calm as he dropped me onto the floor like a sack of grain.
The restraints dissolved a moment later.
I rubbed my wrists and shot him an annoyed look.
You call that upset? It's more like she's out for blood.
The door opened behind me.
"What exactly is happening downstairs?" Nox asked as he stepped into the room.
"I heard quite a commotion."
"My lord."
Kerrigan bowed respectfully.
"Master is very upset."
Nox's expression immediately changed.
His gaze shifted toward me.
A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
"Did that insect do or say something to Lia?"
He tilted his head in my direction.
The look alone made it clear that if the answer was yes, my life expectancy would become very short.
"Certainly not."
Kerrigan's answer came instantly.
"As if I would allow that to happen while I was present."
The amount of disdain he managed to fit into that sentence was impressive.
His gaze briefly flickered toward me.
"It's Amarila."
The hallway immediately became quieter.
"She worked for the temple."
Nox froze.
His expression darkened.
"That's not good."
For the first time since I'd met him, genuine concern appeared in his voice. I know what he sounds like when he's enraged.
"Lia depended on her quite a lot."
His eyes lowered slightly.
"She must be devastated."
Neither of them spoke after that. The atmosphere felt heavy like everyone was waiting for something.
Only a few moments passed before,
Cecilia walked upstairs
The cold, terrifying woman from downstairs was nowhere to be seen. What remained in her place was nothing more than a girl—quiet, exhausted, who searched for a moment of solace in a world that rarely offered her any.
Without saying a word, she walked straight toward Nox, then quietly buried herself against him seeking comfort, refuge.
Nox didn't say anything. He simply wrapped his arms around her.
Gentle.
Protective.
Like he'd done it countless times before slowly rocking her back and forth. The same way one would comfort a frightened child.
For several moments, nobody spoke. The room remained completely silent.
Then Cecilia mumbled something. Her voice muffled against Nox's chest.
"Kerrigan."
"Yes, Master."
"Don't treat Amarila the way we usually do."
The hallway became even quieter.
"Only use truth potions if she refuses to cooperate."
A pause.
"And use them moderately."
Her fingers tightened slightly against Nox's shirt.
"I don't want her mind to be damaged."
Kerrigan bowed immediately.
"As you command."
He turned and left without another word.
Nox sighed softly then looked toward me.
"Why don't you stay here with the children?"
He snapped his fingers and the last remnants of the restraint spell vanished completely.
"They're in the room behind me."
I glanced toward the door.
Then back towards them.
Nox gently patted the top of her head.
"And you, my princess."
The title sounded so natural coming from him that it caught me off guard.
"Why don't you take a bath and have your wounds looked at?"
His voice softened further.
"I'm sure the effects of the potion will be wearing off soon."
Cecilia nodded against his chest.
"Okay."
Then she quietly went inside a room.
I stared after her for several seconds.
"Where in the world does she qualify as a princess?" I muttered.
"I heard that."
His gaze finally shifted toward me. "I suggest you don't make her any more upset than she already is."
His tone was calm yet there was something heavy behind it.
Something warning me.
"How would you feel," he continued quietly, "if someone you trusted for years had been lying to you from the very beginning?"
The question hit harder than I expected.
I opened my mouth.
Then stopped.
Because I already knew the answer. I wouldn't be able to trust them again.
Not completely. Maybe not ever. The words never left my mouth.
Instead, I lowered my gaze and remained silent.
As though my silence had answered for me.
The hallway fell quiet once more.
After a few moments, I walked toward the door behind him.
My hand rested on the handle.
For the first time since this whole mess started, a feeling of guilt settled in my chest.
Maybe...Maybe I shouldn't have said any of that. Maybe I shouldn't have said I knew Amarila.
I opened the door quietly and stepped inside, closing it behind me without another word.
To be continued.....