Clang.

Maverick’s eyes darted toward the sound coming from behind him, beyond the hedges. He sensed a presence he hadn’t noticed before.

It must be an accomplice of these men. Maverick raised his sword and slashed through the hedge.

“You dodge quite nimbly.”

The person had not only been hiding silently, waiting for the right moment, but had also avoided his strike. Maverick was convinced Irina was an assassin.

“Speak. Who sent you?”

Irina, who had just been diligently working and was about to eat a piece of cake, found herself suddenly in a terrible predicament. She didn’t even know what had been happening inside the maze garden.

But Maverick, completely unaware of this, thought her trembling performance was masterful.

“Speak.”

As he threatened to cut off her arm if she didn’t, a firework burst with a bang. The woman’s face, which had been difficult to see in the darkness, was revealed.

Due to the firework’s light, her hair appeared golden. And the small mole under her left eye registered distinctly in Maverick’s mind.

Bardor was known for its beautiful women. Among them, the Princess of Bardor was acclaimed as the most beautiful. Well, she was beautiful, but Maverick had felt nothing special about her.

The woman before him wasn’t even more beautiful than the Princess of Bardor. Yet strangely, Maverick felt shaken.

He couldn’t understand why the strength in his hands was slipping away. Before he could regain his composure, Irina kicked him squarely in his center.

“Ugh…!”

Not stopping there, she struck his head with her bag and ran away. Though he wanted to chase after her immediately, Maverick couldn’t get up.

“Haa…!”

Exhaling with rage, Maverick pounded the dirt with his fist. He had always thought falling for a honey trap was the stupidest thing, yet here he was doing exactly that.

“Sir Maverick!”

Soldiers who had somehow heard about his situation rushed over in alarm when they found him. Though the pain hadn’t fully subsided, he forced himself to stand.

“Close the gates. Don’t let even an ant escape. One got away.”

Maverick issued the order while breaking into a cold sweat.

“It’s a woman with a mole under her eye. Capture her immediately!”

⁕⁕⁕

At 10 AM, Irina headed home from work with a tired face. She was two hours later than usual due to identity checks at the gate.

She wished they would let her through faster, but since there had been an assassin the previous night, she couldn’t complain about the guards taking extra time.

“So that murderer was an assassin…”

A chill ran through her body at the thought that she had nearly been killed.

“So, has the assassin been caught?”

After waiting in the long line, when it was finally her turn, Irina asked the guard. The guard, with whom she was usually familiar, greeted her happily but then strangely stiffened.

“Don’t tell me they haven’t caught them?”

Irina asked, noticing the guard’s serious expression. For some reason, the guard’s eyes grew moist.

“Miss Irina…”

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing…”

He gazed at her wistfully and told her she could go. Irina was left with many questions as the guard acted strangely and didn’t answer whether the assassin had been caught.

“Quickly. Leave this place quickly.”

The guard whispered to her as if sharing a secret. When Irina tried to ask what was wrong, the guard’s expression was so melancholic that it was difficult to question him.

“Please stay healthy…”

The guard watched with sorrowful eyes as Irina tilted her head in confusion.

Orders had come from above to find a female assassin with a mole under her eye. That was why they had sealed the gates and were thoroughly checking identities.

The guard should have arrested Irina, who had a mole under her eye, and sent her to his superiors. But the man who secretly loved Irina couldn’t do it.

‘Miss Irina, who always worked diligently and greeted everyone kindly, I never imagined you were an assassin. Please escape from the royal palace and run far, far away!’

The guard suffered heartache as if he were the protagonist of a romance novel.

“Why is he acting like that? Is he envious that I’m going home?”

Irina had no way of knowing the circumstances. Thanks to the guard, she unknowingly escaped danger and was able to trudge home safely.

Her pet dog Riri welcomed her when she returned home.

“Sorry, Riri. I’m too tired to play with you right now.”

After petting Riri a few times, Irina went up to her room, collapsed onto her bed, and fell fast asleep.

When she groggily opened her eyes, it was nearly 4 PM. Feeling hungry, she lazily went down to the kitchen and stopped in her tracks when she saw Bill.

Bill Russ.

Irina thought Bill resembled his mother, Mrs. Russ, as much now as he did in the past. He looked so much like her that one might think Mrs. Russ had given birth to him all by herself.

“……”

“……”

The siblings, seeing each other after a long time, stared blankly at each other without exchanging greetings. If Mrs. Russ had seen this, she would have smacked her for not warmly welcoming a brother who had just returned from war.

I thought he was already unusually large for someone in our family, but now he’s returned as a bear.

Irina silently observed Bill while thinking this. His size was inherited from their grandfather, who had reportedly died young in an unfortunate accident during a jousting tournament.

Thanks to this, Irina, who was one year older, had been overpowered by Bill’s strength and size since childhood.

‘I don’t want a weak sister; I want a strong, cool older brother!’

As if things weren’t upsetting enough, Bill would whine to their mother with such words every day, severely wounding Irina’s pride.

‘Give birth to one. Give me a brother!’

And his voice was so loud. Irina’s soft voice was always drowned out by Bill’s.

The two had opposite personalities as well. Bill, who enjoyed wielding swords outdoors and attracting attention, hated sitting quietly to read and study. Conversely, Irina loved reading books quietly and disliked drawing attention to herself.

The only thing they had in common was their mutual dislike for each other. They had always been awkward at home and pretended not to know each other outside.

“When did you get back? I was so exhausted after my shift this morning that I went straight to sleep.”

But since her brother had returned after four years, Irina, as the older sister, spoke first. Bill’s brow furrowed in response.

“……”

“……”

Irina turned her back on her unresponsive brother and grabbed some bread to eat. If Mrs. Russ had seen the siblings acting this way, she would have scolded them about their relationship, but fortunately, she wasn’t present.

“Hey, Irina Russ.”

Bill’s voice had become raspier than Irina remembered. Even though he was just speaking normally, his voice was so loud that it seemed to echo throughout the kitchen.

“Is that all you have to say to family who barely returned alive from the battlefield?”

Startled by the sudden criticism, Irina squeezed her eyes shut and spat out the bread she had just bitten into.

“I’m glad you returned safely. Mother was very worried.”

“…Forget it. What did I expect from you?”

Bill repeatedly clicked his tongue, apparently dissatisfied with Irina’s response.

“What is wrong with you?”

He had done this occasionally when their father, Sir Russ, was alive, but now Bill openly addressed Irina as “you.”

“You can’t even speak warmly like Mother. How will you ever get married?”

Then Bill echoed Mrs. Russ’s words, saying she would soon pass the marriageable age. How could he resemble his mother not only in appearance but also in speech?

“I’ll try.”

“You always say you’ll try but never actually make an effort!”

Mrs. Russ, who had just entered the kitchen, overheard the conversation and became angry.

“Bill, aren’t there any suitable unmarried knights among your comrades?”

Mrs. Russ asked her son in a sweet voice while tasting the soup she was cooking.

“It needs just a bit more salt to be perfect.”

Mrs. Russ told the elderly maid and turned back to her son.

“If we leave her like this, your sister will die an old maid.”

“Even if it’s Mother’s request, that’s difficult. Why should I be resented for introducing someone?”

Bill frowned and clicked his tongue. Watching them make requests and refusals about her as if she weren’t present, Irina felt exasperated.

“But if your sister remains an old maid, it will become an obstacle to your own marriage.”

When the word “obstacle” came from Mrs. Russ’s mouth, Irina felt a pang in her stomach. Bill glanced at Irina with contemptuous eyes.

“You’re never any help to the family. Don’t go around telling people you’re my sister. Actually, don’t even mention the Russ name.”

Anyone watching might misunderstand and think Irina had stolen money from home, squandered it gambling, and then returned.

That’s how cold Bill’s gaze toward her was.

“I’ll make sure not to cause you any trouble.”

“Your very existence is trouble, so why speak as if you’re something special?”

Irina felt a surge of anger but took a long breath to calm herself. She became strongly determined to work as many night shifts as possible next month to earn money.

“I’m not acting special. I’m just saying I’ll try too.”

Forget marriage—I’ll save money and move out first, even if it means being an old maid forever.

Suppressing her boiling emotions, Irina spoke calmly. Though she had been hungry, her appetite had completely disappeared, and she no longer felt like eating anything more.

As she was about to leave with the bread she had bitten into, Mrs. Russ made her sit down.

“That’s right. Now that Bill has returned, Irina, don’t just say you’ll try—actually make an effort.”

The elderly maid placed a bowl of hot soup in front of Mrs. Russ first, then in front of Irina, causing Bill’s face to crumple.