“We’ll have to hear it from those who return. Though it’s probably best not to dig too deep.”

“Hmm.”

Evie noticed that Kana briefly glanced at Cordelia and Riden. It seemed to imply that the conflict between the two princes was the cause. She wisely kept her mouth shut.

Ethan, the Empire’s top sword master, also didn’t miss that glance. His eyebrows twitched slightly as his suspicions were confirmed.

“So, even the young ladies see it that way.”

“Yes.”

Kana affirmed. Although she didn’t explicitly state it, everyone knew the truth. The three stood silently, waiting.

After a long wait, they saw figures approaching from afar. Letie was riding with Richard, followed by their escorts and northern knights.

Celia burrowed into Kana’s embrace.

[Kana, mission accomplished!]

‘Good job, Celia.’

Kana petted the spirit and dismissed her. Letie, initially startled by the spirit’s sudden disappearance, spotted the waiting group. Her golden eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh my. Miss Kana and Miss Evie, you were waiting too?”

“Of course. We were very worried.”

“I’m glad you returned safely.”

“Yes! Thank you all for waiting.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Letie jumped off her horse and hugged Kana and Evie tightly.

Richard, still on his horse, and Ethan, who felt left out, awkwardly watched their friendship blossom.

“Ahem.”

Richard’s cough broke the hug. Letie returned the horse to Ethan.

“Thank you, Duke Cardium. It was an excellent horse.”

“…Sure.”

Ethan retrieved his horse.

While the female protagonist created a peculiar atmosphere by explaining the situation to the northern duke sub male lead, Kana and Evie courteously greeted the exhausted Second Prince.

“Greetings, Your Highness the Second Prince.”

“Ah, Lady Kana Round and Lady Evie Reas? Nice to meet you.”

The male protagonist’s blue eyes were sharp. Despite his disheveled silver hair and worn-out clothes, his striking beauty and piercing gaze were unmistakable.

Kana and Evie respectfully lowered their eyes. Richard focused on Kana.

“Lady Round, I heard your spirit was the cloud-like wind. I owe you.”

“You flatter me, Your Highness. I was merely assisting Lady Letie.”

Kana humbly gave credit to the female protagonist. Since she had initially helped Letie, the male protagonist was just an added benefit. Richard responded nonchalantly.

“Regardless of the reason, it ended up helping me, didn’t it? You’re quite modest.”

“Haha, thank you.”

She offered a formal smile to the male protagonist.

The awkward and tense atmosphere was broken by the female protagonist. After explaining the situation to Ethan, Letie cautiously addressed Kana.

“Miss Kana, thank you so much. The spirit and sword you lent me were crucial in returning safely. But the sword broke during a fight with a monster… Would it be alright if I compensated you with a spirit stone?”

“Of course. If Lady Letie is safe, what does one sword matter?”

Kana shrugged. Because she received a fan-shaped auxiliary magic tool from Kiriel, she wasn’t worried about equipment.

Letie stared at her blankly before bursting into a refreshing laugh.

“Miss Kana, you’re so bold. I’ll make sure to repay you in the future.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Kana winked. She was satisfied, knowing that the female protagonist would keep her promise according to her character setting.

Letie exchanged glances with Evie and chuckled. The atmosphere naturally warmed up.

At that moment, the communication device in Kana’s bag flashed. She discreetly checked it.

It was Kiriel’s code. Although it bothered her a bit, she decided not to answer until the situation was resolved.

‘If he asks why I didn’t answer later, I’ll just say I was busy. There are too many eyes watching right now.’

Many of the top-priority characters were present. She ignored the flashing communication device and pushed it deeper into her bag. Letie noticed and asked curiously.

“Miss Kana, did you receive a message?”

“Oh, it’s not urgent. I’ll respond once I return.”

“I see.”

Given the chaotic situation and everyone’s busyness, no one questioned her explanation. Evie clapped her hands.

“I’d love to hear what happened, but… maybe we should rest first. How about we all head back?”

“Sounds good. Miss Evie and Miss Kana must be tired from waiting for me. You should go quickly.”

Letie patted Kana and Evie’s backs. Kana and Evie bid farewell to those remaining and left. As the two supporting characters departed, Riden and Cordelia approached the protagonists.

Evie glanced back and whispered to Kana.

“Miss Kana, the atmosphere seems tense. Will it be alright?”

“It’s not our place to intervene, Miss Evie. And Lady Letie will handle it wisely.”

Kana’s expression was calm. Having confirmed what she needed to, she trusted the main characters to handle the rest.

Evie nodded cautiously, reassured by Kana’s confident demeanor.

They comforted each other and then took their respective carriages back to the inn.

* * *

When Kana got off the carriage and headed to her room, Lena, who had been anxiously waiting, rushed out.

“My goodness, Miss. How did you end up so late? The other young ladies and participants returned, but you only left a message saying you’d be late. I was so worried!”

“Sorry, Lena. There were circumstances.”

Kana smiled awkwardly. Knowing Lena’s concern was genuine, she didn’t feel offended. Lena anxiously checked her condition.

“You weren’t in danger, were you?”

“Of course not. I value my life.”

Leaving the novel before her task was complete would be troublesome. Kana swallowed those words and smiled. Lena, seeing her lady looking a bit tired but otherwise fine, nodded.

“Since you say so, I’ll believe you. You must be tired from being late, so rest well.”

“Okay.”

Kana washed up with Lena’s help and changed into comfortable clothes. After finishing dinner, Lena left to let her rest.

Just as she was about to enjoy a proper rest, the communication device she had placed on the table started flashing noisily.

Kana took a deep breath and answered the call. Before she could speak, Kiriel’s voice came through, sounding irritable.

— Miss Kana, why are you only answering now?

“I was busy. I just got back to the inn and was about to rest.”

— Did something happen at the monster hunting festival?

His question was sharp. Kana hesitated, wondering how much to reveal. As the silence stretched, Kiriel spoke coldly.

— Never mind. I’ll come and hear it myself.

“What? No, why suddenly…”

The communication device cut off, leaving Kana’s question hanging in the air. She chuckled wryly and put the device away.

Soon, there was a soft knock on the door. Kana instinctively knew it was Kiriel.

She sighed and spoke.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Kiriel, dressed in a white shirt, black pants, and a loosely fitted navy jacket, walked in.

He casually sat on the sofa in the corner of her room, acting as if it were his own room.

‘At least he announced himself and knocked. Better than just appearing out of nowhere like before. But what about the inn’s security? It’s useless against Kiriel.’

Kana closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and spoke.

“Lord Kiriel, did you use teleportation magic?”

“Of course. It’s the fastest way.”

He answered nonchalantly, smiling brightly.

‘…Where do I even start with this?’

Kana rubbed her forehead.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit too casual to visit at this hour?”

“Only you will know I visited, so what’s the problem?”

Kiriel waved his finger side to side. The unusually quiet atmosphere suggested he had used magic effectively. Kana sat on the bed and sighed deeply.

Kiriel suddenly stood up from the sofa and approached her. Startled by the sudden closeness, Kana flinched as he lifted her chin with his fingers to examine her closely.

The moonlight streaming through the window cast a mystical glow on his handsome face. Kana’s eyes widened in surprise.

‘Why is he getting so close all of a sudden?’

No matter how attractive and indifferent his gaze was, it was uncomfortable. She was too close to move back or speak.

Finally, Kana swatted his fingers away from her chin and raised an eyebrow.

“Lord Kiriel, you do realize that was rude, right?”

“Apologies. I noticed something different and wanted to check.”