The next afternoon, Solved found himself restless.
The conversation with Sera had left questions he couldn't shake — but dwelling on them wouldn't help. Better to move. Observe. Let his mind work on something else.
Solved strolled around the palace grounds, hands in his pockets, boots crunching against the gravel path.
He stopped near the gates, watching as carriages rolled in and out, their polished crests gleaming under the afternoon sun.
But one cart without a crest stopped just outside the gates — being questioned, restricted.
Solved's eyes narrowed. No crest. No fear.
Either stupid… or important, Andrew? This too vague but it's explainable, Solved thought,
Beside him a carriage halted. The emblem — gold and crimson, shaped like a coiled serpent — caught his eye.
A noblewoman stepped down, her dress whispering against the stone. It was a deep shade of violet, trimmed with silver lace — elegant but not ostentatious. The kind of fashion meant to command attention without asking for it.
Her blue-ice eyes met his briefly — mild, but assessing.
He tilted his head, offering a faint smile.
Her gloved hand lifted gracefully.
"It's nice to finally meet you in person," she said, offering her hand. "I'm Maggie."
"Nice to meet you—" Solved paused, shaking her hand. "Solved."
She tilted her head, lips curving slightly. "That's… a unique name."
"Thanks," he replied flatly.
"How are you finding your stay so far?" She tucked her hair behind her ear, silver strands catching the sun.
"Good. Entertaining," he said, with that half-smile that made his sarcasm sound like charm.
"I'm glad to hear that," Maggie said. "Though I don't think we've given you a proper welcome."
"No, it's fine," Solved said. "You've done enough—" his eyes narrowed slightly, "—like making sure I'm not properly caged yet."
Maggie blinked, a hint of amusement flickering before she could mask it.
Before either could say more, a loud crash erupted near the gate. Shouts followed — guards rushing to intercept whatever caused it.
Solved's gaze sharpened instantly, instincts kicking in.
Maggie, however, brushed it off with the calm of someone used to chaos. "Don't worry," she said, turning back to her carriage. "The guards can handle it."
Her butler helped her up
"Sure," Solved said. "Though…" he tilted his head, saring at the gate. "It'd be a shame if what they're fighting isn't… human."
That made her pause.
Her butler looked uneasy. "My lady—"
Solved's eyes didn't move from Maggie. "You're a noble, right? Which means you've had training. Magic, at least basic?"
Maggie frowned slightly, caught between pride and suspicion. "Of course. Why?"
"Then humor me," Solved said, a half-smirk tugging at his lips. "If what's happening over there is magical, show me what a noble mage can do."
He turned slightly, the golden glint of his system flickering across his eyes. "You want to protect your reputation, right? Imagine the royal court hearing that Lady Maggie fled during a minor disturbance."
Maggie's eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening me?"
"Suggesting," Solved said smoothly. "And maybe asking for help. You nobles love the word 'duty,' don't you?"
Her butler tried to intervene, but Maggie raised a hand, silencing him. She exhaled, straightening her posture.
"Fine. You have one minute, detective."
"Plenty," Solved said, smirking faintly as they both turned toward the commotion.
As they approached the inner gate, chaos erupted.
A man in a dark cloak stood alone, facing a dozen royal guards — sword still sheathed.
He moved like water. Every strike, every sidestep, perfectly measured.
Guards fell back one after another, shouting orders that went unheard.
"See? Not magical. Just wasting my time," Maggie muttered, unimpressed.
But Solved didn't reply.
His eyes narrowed — that stance, that rhythm… it was familiar.
The way the man pivoted, the way his weight shifted before each counter — Andrew.
It had to be.
He couldn't see the man's face under the hood, but every move screamed recognition.
The guards began to regroup, surrounding the fighter again, blades drawn.
Solved's expression hardened.
If this keeps up, someone's going to die — either him or them.
And if it really was Andrew… this would end badly.
He turned—Maggie was already walking away.
Damn it. He had one shot to stop this.
"Wait!" Solved called, jogging after her.
She turned, brows raised. "What now?"
"Can you neutralize him?"
Her eyes narrowed. "And not let the guards handle it? They're already on it." She tilted her head—the guards were not handling it. The cloaked man danced through them effortlessly.
"If you help, you can stop him before someone dies."
"Why should I?"
"Because his sword's still sheathed," Solved said quickly. "He's trying not to kill. That means he's not here to cause chaos."
Maggie studied the fight again, her gloved hand twitching. Still no move.
"Come on," Solved hissed under his breath. "Before he does something stupid—"
A twang split the air.
An arrow cut through the man's hood, ripping the fabric. He turned sharply toward the archer—face still shadowed—but a guard lunged at his ribs. The cloaked fighter blocked with his sheathed blade, then deflected another strike from above.
"He's going to do it…" Solved muttered.
Steel flashed—he could see it coming.
"Now!" he shouted.
Maggie's hesitation broke. Her hands glowed bright blue, threads of energy spiraling from her palms.
At that instant, Solved's vision shifted again—the world of white threads unfolded before him.
Her outline shimmered with power, glowing blue. In her palm, the threads converged into a snowflake sigil—intricate, cold, and alive.
The air turned frigid.
Vushhh—
Solved's vision snapped back to normal.
A burst of blue light shot from Maggie's palm, slicing through the air.
The cloaked man froze mid-swing—literally. His sword hung inches from a guard's neck, ice crystallizing up his arm. Even the guards paused, staring wide-eyed as frost spread across the ground.
"Thank you," Solved said, exhaling.
Maggie lowered her hand, her breath misting in the air. "Why worry about someone you don't even know?"
Solved gave a faint smirk. "Guess I'm too kind."
She scoffed, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Let's see if he was worth saving."
When they reached the frozen man, the guards quickly bowed and stepped aside, avoiding Maggie's gaze.
She looked at them, disappointment flashing in her eyes. "Struggling over one man," she muttered under her breath.
They stopped before the frozen figure. His body was encased in ice, his hood still drawn low over his face. Solved stood a step behind Maggie, watching quietly.
"Well," Maggie said, tilting her head toward him with a teasing edge, "let's see the face of our Robin Hood, shall we?"
Solved gave a small nod, his heartbeat thudding in his ears.
Maggie reached out and pinched the edge of the hood like it was a rag, lifting it slowly.
The fabric slipped back—revealing the man's face.
She froze, her eyes widening, the color draining from her cheeks before a faint pink crept up her ears.
Solved gently stepped forward, moving her aside to get a clearer look. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he exhaled, almost in disbelief.
Solved's breath caught as he finally saw the man's face.
"Andrew…" he whispered.
At the same time, beside him, Maggie took a step back, eyes wide.
"Marcus?"
Both their voices overlapped—different names for the same face.
Silence fell. Slowly, they turned toward each other, confusion flickering in their eyes.
The air between them felt heavier than before.
Neither spoke.