[5 p.m., I’ll be waiting in front of the Rohilton shop at Kitten Port.]

Kyla held the note sent by Maryville and headed to the port in the early evening. She had expected the weather to be hot as summer approached, but the sea breeze turned quite chilly as the evening set in.

‘Good thing I listened to Everett and brought a thick shawl.’ 

She wrapped the shawl tightly around herself and waited in place.

In the distance, a loud ship horn, deep like an elephant’s call, echoed. Kitten Port was a massive harbor bustling with trade ships coming and going. Sailors in boots, nobles returning from long journeys, and hired workers wearing gloves to carry cargo moved about busily.

To avoid causing trouble for them, Kyla had dismissed most of her guards, keeping only a minimal escort.

After all, once she met with Maryville, they were supposed to ride a carriage to the shopping district, so she wouldn’t need much protection.

“What time is it now?”

“It’s 6 o’clock.”

“Since it’s a large ship, I suppose unloading the cargo is taking longer.”

Maryville was the kind of person who kept appointments punctually, especially as a businesswoman. There had to be some other reason she wasn’t here yet.

“Hey! Move out of the way!”

It was the peak season for trade in Blanverque. Kyla passed the time watching wooden crates three times her height being hauled around. Then 7 o’clock came.

“My lady, shouldn’t we head back now? It’s getting dark.”

Her feet, swollen from wearing high heels, were aching. Standing still in those shoes was even more torturous than walking.

Some shops were beginning to close. The owner of the Rohilton shop stepped outside and asked,

“My lady, would you like to come in?”

“No, I’m fine.”

The shop owner tipped his hat politely and went back inside. As soon as the lights of the Rohilton shop were turned off, darkness swept in.

Even the sailors seemed to be finishing up for the day, tying their ships to the dock and heading home.

“Hmm, could something have happened?”

It wasn’t unusual for a trade ship to arrive later than scheduled. Kyla asked Mary to go inquire among the sailors whether the ship had arrived.

Now surrounded by darkness, Kyla stood close to the alley wall, watching Mary scurry off into the distance.

That’s when she heard a strange sound behind her.

Clatter.

“Raiden, are you there?”

She called out the name of her ever-present escort, peering cautiously into the shadowy alley.

‘It’s a little creepy in there.’

Raiden usually followed her like a shadow, unnoticed yet always near. She had hoped to strike up a bit of conversation with him in this eerie situation, but—

A voice came not from the front but from behind her. 

“What are you doing here?”

“Eep!”

Someone grabbed her shoulder, startling Kyla so much she jumped in place.

Turning around, she found Haiden standing there. 

What was he doing at the port at this hour? It had already felt eerie, so she wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or even more scared. At any rate, Kyla clutched her still-trembling heart and gulped.

“Your Grace, you scared me!”

“I was the one startled—seeing you alone in a place like this, I thought you’d lost your mind.”

Haiden crossed his arms and looked down at her. It was dark, so she couldn’t see clearly, but he didn’t exactly look pleased to see her.

“Why did you follow me here? Judging by your reaction, you do realize this might be dangerous.”

“Me?”

There was clearly a misunderstanding. She needed to clarify it right away.

“I didn’t follow you.”

“What about your escort?”

Well… she had reduced her escort but didn’t dismiss them entirely. She found herself unsure, too.

Raiden was the kind of knight who would never disappear without a word unless something serious happened. He was known for his professionalism. Then again, maybe something urgent came up.

“I know this sounds dumb, but I really don’t know where he went.”

Kyla pointed with her chin toward Mary, who was chatting with some sailors nearby.

“Still, my companions will return soon. I didn’t come alone, so you don’t need to worry about me, Your Grace. Please continue on your way.”

But Haiden didn’t seem to believe a single word she said.

Well, it made sense. She’d been trailing after him like a puppy begging for snacks the past few days—who would believe her now?

“This place is where dangerous people gather to conduct backdoor deals once night falls. If you get hurt while following me around like this, it’d put me in quite a difficult position.”

“It’s not like I was following you…”

“I’ll assign you some of our guards.”

“…Wouldn’t having your guards around be even more dangerous?”

“And being alone with me isn’t dangerous?”

He let out a low chuckle and summoned four of the White Lions to escort her.

The White Lions were the kingdom’s most elite knights, renowned for their unmatched swordsmanship. Even when they trespassed into the Count’s territory before, only three had been sent. But now there were four?

‘At this point, it doesn’t even look like an escort—they might as well be going to raid our house.’

Still, it was better than getting into trouble with some stranger after turning down the Duke’s offer.

‘I’ll have to figure out what’s going on once I get back.’

So, Kyla chose to accept the Duke’s escort and walk to her carriage. But of course, she didn’t forget to leave room for negotiation.

“Your Grace.”

A rare chance for conversation. She wasn’t planning to threaten him outright with what she knew, but now was the time to drop a hint.

“Thank you for looking out for my safety.”

“…‘Thank you’ for now?”

“But if you think a little kindness like this will be enough to shut me up, you’re gravely mistaken. I just wanted to make that clear.”

There were too many White Lions around. She glanced around cautiously and whispered so only he could hear.

“I’ll try to arrange a meeting soon. We still have some things left to negotiate, don’t we?”

But the Duke furrowed his brow and spoke loudly in response.

“You’re mistaken, Lady Bailey. There’s nothing left for us to negotiate.”

You couldn’t find a sharper rejection if you tried.

‘What makes him so confident?’

Or had she really misunderstood something?

Then again, she’d heard of people who liked wine, but not of anyone afraid of it.

No… she couldn’t have been mistaken.

“Well then, safe travels.”

Kyla stood there blankly at his shamelessness, while Haiden simply smiled like it was nothing and gently shut the carriage door.

As the door closed, a faint breeze tousled her hair and disappeared.

She sat there staring at the door, and at this point, she was close to cursing.

“Damn it.”

They say no tree stands firm after being struck ten times, but this tree didn’t seem like it could be chopped down with any ordinary axe.

‘Then…’

Kyla’s gaze sharpened like a cat preparing to pounce.

***

Meanwhile, Haiden remained with the rest of the White Lions, ensuring Kyla’s carriage had completely disappeared before turning back to business.

“We inspected the lady’s carriage thoroughly. Nothing suspicious was found.”

He nodded stiffly and reviewed the evidence his subordinate brought.

Soon after, another knight approached quickly, holding a torch.

“We couldn’t find any traces of the assailant. I don’t know who sent the assassin, but they seem to be skilled in handling poisons.”

The item the knight presented was a small glass vial, no bigger than a finger. Inside was a swirling purple liquid. When Haiden opened the vial and let a drop fall, smoke began to rise from the ground as the grains of sand slowly melted away.

“This is a highly effective poison. What happened to Lady Bailey’s escort?”

“Well…”

The knight turned his gaze toward the alley with a sorrowful expression. Behind him was a large cart used for moving cargo from ships.

“It appears he has been poisoned.”

As Haiden approached the cart, he found a brown-haired man writhing in agony, teetering on the brink of death. It was Raiden, the escort knight who had disappeared with Kyla.

“Even if we take him to the temple, we can’t guarantee he’ll survive.”

“Then you take him there right away and do whatever it takes to save him. I’ll go meet with Count Bailey and warn him to increase security.”

He couldn’t allow the fragile peace to be shattered.

Ensuring Kyla Bailey’s long-term safety—and preventing civil war—was one of his most important duties.

As Haiden’s orders were given, all the White Lions hiding nearby emerged, bowing their heads to receive the command. After that, as they searched around the harbor, they found several signs of struggle where Kyla’s escort had fallen.

‘This is serious.’

Haiden felt an inexplicable discomfort as he looked at the droplets of blood scattered on the ground. 

‘If Kyla was affected by this poison…’

Just the thought of it made him feel a sharp pain in his chest. 

‘Why is that?’

After all, she was just a young noblewoman from the aristocratic faction who knew nothing of danger—a woman who had foolishly followed him to such a place, trembling in fear. The image of her standing blankly, waiting endlessly for someone at the dock, lingered in his mind.

‘Let’s stop thinking about it.’

Lately, Kyla Bailey had been buzzing around him, making her presence felt more than usual, which only added to his anxiety. Protecting those in danger was his duty as the leader of the knight order.

‘Yes, it’s all just work. I must not harbor feelings beyond that.’

Haiden reassured himself and decided to focus on his duties once again.

***

On the way back to Bailey’s estate, Kyla was lost in thought. Her escort was certainly not the type to leave his post without a word. Maryville had never once failed to appear at their agreed meeting place without explanation.

‘Something must have happened.’

When daylight broke, she would go back to the dock to check. There must be some way to ascertain what had happened there, and if she used her abilities, perhaps there would be a way to gather some clues.