Food was served by age.

Bill, who didn’t want to acknowledge Irina as his superior, cursed the late Sir Russ’s philosophy with every fiber of his being.

If it had been anyone else, he would have argued until he got served before Irina. But Bill couldn’t disobey his father’s teachings, even though the man was already deceased.

Knowing this, Irina smirked as she spooned her soup.

“By the way, Irina, listen to this. Bill might join the Royal Guard, as he’s received recognition from Sir Maverick.”

Irina had been comforting herself with her small soup victory when she saw Bill proudly lifting one corner of his mouth. Her chest tightened.

What a jerk.

He was already making that insufferable face at the mere possibility of joining. If he actually got into the Royal Guard, how much would he brag and torment her?

Just imagining it made Irina feel dizzy.

“I hope things work out well. Bill, you’ll certainly be able to join the Royal Guard.”

Mrs. Russ gazed at her son with honey-dripping eyes, saying how proud she was. While the mother and son seemed to exist in their own world, Irina focused intently on her soup.

The soup was so hot it felt like it would set her insides on fire.

“What kind of person is Sir Maverick?”

Mrs. Russ asked Bill with expectant eyes. The previously confident gleam in Bill’s eyes grew somewhat complicated.

“He’s definitely skilled as a knight. Skilled.”

His unusual emphasis on “skilled” suggested he must have other flaws. Irina quietly dipped her bread in the soup and listened to the conversation.

Though she had pretended to Violetta that she had no interest in Maverick, Irina was curious about the man of rumors.

Maverick had worked as the Royal Guard Commander since the king’s coronation, but Irina hadn’t been working at the palace then. And when Irina entered as a court physician two years ago, Maverick had already left for war.

She had heard he was handsome, but she had never actually seen his face.

“Seeing how the Royal Guard members tremble, he seems like a truly terrifying superior.”

Bill had been under his command for about three weeks during personnel assignments during the war, and Maverick had certainly worked them hard. Bill frowned as if the memory was painful.

“The way he drives people is unbelievable. He doesn’t even treat weak knights as knights, let alone as people.”

Irina quietly smiled as she imagined Bill being driven hard by Maverick. The soup, which had grown slightly lukewarm, tasted delicious.

“Last night while everyone was enjoying themselves, he summoned the Royal Guard who were drunk and out of their minds, then kicked and knocked over those who were staggering and claiming they weren’t thinking straight.”

“Oh my.”

“Of course, if we were ambushed during war while in such a state, we’d all be dead. But the war is over now.”

Bill grumbled as he recalled the previous night’s events.

“I’m fortunate I’m not yet part of the Royal Guard.”

“Why did Sir Maverick summon everyone?”

Mrs. Russ asked, suggesting there must have been a reason.

“Since I’m not yet part of the Royal Guard, I don’t know the exact details, but…”

Irina found his repeated emphasis on not yet being part of the Royal Guard irritating. He wasn’t yet, but soon would be. His pride was palpable and annoying.

“Orders were given to everyone to find a blonde woman with a mole under her eye.”

Bill slurped his soup, saying it was probably related to that.

At the mention of a mole under the eye, Irina flinched momentarily. Mrs. Russ blinked several times and looked at her daughter.

Bill failed to realize that his sister was the very woman Maverick was searching for. It had been so long since he had looked closely at Irina’s face that he had forgotten she had a mole.

Only Mrs. Russ looked at Irina with an expression that asked if they were looking for her. Irina instinctively shook her head.

“I heard from one of the Royal Guard members that she’s an assassin who attacked Sir Maverick and fled…”

At the word “assassin,” Mrs. Russ’s suspicions about her daughter dissipated. In her mind, her daughter was not the type to be an assassin. Besides, her daughter’s hair was brown, not blonde.

“I doubt there’s really a woman brave enough to attack Maverick Pride and escape.”

Bill said this while sitting right across from that brave woman.

“But they did find three assassins’ corpses.”

By this point, Irina realized she was in serious trouble. The murderous man she had encountered was Maverick Pride. Setting aside that misunderstanding, the real problem was what she had done that night.

“Um, well…”

Just as Irina hesitantly tried to say that the person who attacked Maverick might be her—

“He’s vowing to tear the woman to pieces if he catches her.”

Bill nodded, saying that Maverick Pride was exactly the type of man who would do such a thing. Irina’s confession retreated back down her throat.

What should I do? It seems I’m being terribly misunderstood as an assassin. Should I go to Maverick and explain I’m not an assassin?

No, that would be stupid.

Irina swallowed hard and thought intensely. What exactly had she done to Maverick that night?

She had kicked him in the groin and struck his head. Even if she wasn’t an assassin, attacking the Royal Guard Commander alone was a serious crime.

Of course, Maverick had grabbed her collar and threatened her first, but he was a man with enough power to make birds fall from the sky.

If he accused her of trying to end the Pride ducal lineage, Irina would have no escape.

“Even when I was leaving the castle, they were in an uproar because they hadn’t found the woman. Since I’m not yet part of the Royal Guard, I could come home, but those who are members probably still can’t go home.”

And Maverick was searching for her with fire in his eyes to punish her for that crime. Irina’s mouth went dry.

“Ah, hmm. That must have been tough. It will get even harder when you join the Royal Guard.”

Irina pretended to rest her chin on her hand while covering the mole under her eye. Bill frowned at her awkward tone.

“What do you know to pretend you understand?”

First he complains I’m not warm enough, and now he complains when I show sympathy. What a pain.

Irina glared at Bill while diligently covering her mole.

“He’s so stubborn that he sometimes doesn’t even follow His Majesty’s orders.”

Bill continued to badmouth Maverick without noticing Irina’s mole.

To summarize Bill’s words, Maverick Pride was a man who was cruel to enemies and merciless to allies. Moreover, he was so persistent that once he marked someone as an enemy, he would pursue them to the end and kill them.

And now that man is hunting me?

Irina felt a chill down her spine. As she listened to the story, her soup had grown cold.

“But isn’t it impressive that you’ve been recognized by such a person?”

When Mrs. Russ said this, Bill’s furrowed brow finally relaxed.

“It’s not quite like that. Just that he noticed me as somewhat decent.”

Despite all his complaints, Bill apparently wanted Maverick’s recognition.

“I stood out in a certain battle, and he’s been keeping an eye on me since then.”

Bill’s shoulders tensed with pride. Mrs. Russ clapped her hands together in delight.

“Then shouldn’t we invite Sir Maverick for a meal?”

When Mrs. Russ asked this, Bill pondered. He had been thinking he should greet Maverick properly and try to make a good impression. But there was one obstacle to inviting him home.

Bill glanced at Irina.

“If you tell me the date of the invitation in advance, I’ll make sure to clear my schedule that day.”

Irina glanced at Mrs. Russ as she spoke. She meant she would adjust her work schedule to be absent if given advance notice. Bill smirked at this.

“Then I’ll speak with Sir Maverick and see how things go.”

Mrs. Russ was delighted, unaware of the glances exchanged between the siblings.

Irina said she was finished eating and would go up first, leaving the harmonious mother and son behind as she went to her room.

This was not the time to be thinking about invitations. She needed to come up with a plan immediately. Irina paced back and forth in her room, anxiously considering her options.

“The best thing would be to quit my job as a court physician and hide at home…”

Irina muttered before shaking her head vigorously. Suddenly quitting would actually be more suspicious. If the Royal Guard burst in, she might be dragged away without any chance to explain.

“Bill wouldn’t defend me. Absolutely not.”

Bill would more likely get angry and say he knew she would ruin the family, rather than take her side.

There was one fortunate aspect, though. Apart from the mole under her eye, Maverick seemed to have mistaken her hair color as blonde.

That made sense given how dark it was. Even Irina couldn’t recall whether Maverick’s hair had been dark brown or black.

“The only person who saw my face clearly was Sir Maverick, so I just need to avoid him well.”

Irina went to her dressing table and examined herself in the mirror. The mole under her left eye was the main problem.

Two days later, Irina went to work at the royal palace without her mole. The guards didn’t suspect the court physician with brown hair and no mole.

“Phew.”

After passing through the castle gates while feeling extremely tense, Irina exhaled deeply.

Covering the mole with makeup—this method was working. Feeling relieved, Irina headed to the infirmary.