Eyolian stood in the room designated for her family in the Borderward Castle, facing an open window. Her eyes meticulously followed raindrops from the sky until they struck the ground.

  Of course, she couldn’t track every single one—it was a heavily rainy night—but she traced each drop that caught her interest.

  It was a time-wasting hobby, yet it helped her mind relax.

  This time, there was no Noah around to stand in front of her like he had done in the cell, blocking her view.

  This time, the one standing before her was someone far more sinister. And not only did she block her view, but she was also scolding her.

  “Don’t zone out while I’m talking to you! Look at me!!”

  Eyolian did as she was ordered, pulling her gaze away from the raindrops to meet Lady Aileen’s angry expression.

  In the room, Mr. Eldric sat on the bed, holding little Elowen in his arms. Even though she was practically hiding, a bright smile adorned her innocent face.

  “Now, I want you to explain to me why you would think it’s a good idea to… be with that Noah!” Lady Aileen’s voice was barely restrained. Eyolian could practically feel the anger radiating from her body.

  Eyolian shifted back slightly. The thought of jumping out the window and ending this all crossed her mind, but she managed to suppress the impractical idea.

  She had dealt with Lady Aileen’s nature for years now—she could handle it now too.

  After all, Lady Aileen was only worried about her safety and the identity Eyolian had spent years building within the Empire.

  “Why not? Why are you so against the idea? It’s not like he’s a bad person to deserve this reaction from you.”

  Eyolian knew that wasn’t the answer Lady Aileen was expecting, but she said it anyway. It was genuinely how she saw Noah.

  In Eyolian’s eyes, Noah was an interesting person, non-threatening, and generally a good guy.

  Lady Aileen’s gray eyes only grew sharper, and her voice dropped into a whisper. “You know why. I can sense danger before I even see it! And that Noah will bring nothing but trouble—that’s if he isn’t the trouble himself.”

  Eyolian had no response to that. Lady Aileen’s instincts surpassed anyone Eyolian had ever met.

  So, she couldn’t simply dismiss her words. From the first day Noah arrived, she had been pushing her husband to get rid of him. But the latter refused to do so unless his wife gave a logical reason.

  And Eyolian was inclined to follow Mr. Eldric’s stance.

  She felt a little guilty toward the woman before her—Aileen was only trying to protect her. But her protection had always been overwhelming. Eyolian wanted some freedom for herself.

  “I’m sorry to do this to you, but I won’t break things off with him without a valid reason. He has been nothing but good—to me, to Mr. Eldric, to Elowen, and even to you.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Eyolian avoided looking into Lady Aileen’s eyes. Deep down, she felt a bit ashamed.

  Lady Aileen didn’t say anything for a while, but her slightly parted lips and widened eyes showed that she was hurt by Eyolian’s words.

  But more than hurt, she was disappointed. How could she be so naive—she of all people?

  When Eyolian finally met Lady Aileen’s gaze, she understood the look on her face. Her heart clenched in her chest, and she felt the need to explain.

  “I… I just need some freedom. I’m so tired of being caged all the time. I want something interesting for once… Please!” Eyolian pleaded.

  She wasn’t sure how things had reached this point, but the little girl inside her had come out.

  This was no longer just about escaping the expectations of House Borderward. It was about more than that.

  She wanted some freedom. She didn’t want to go back to her dull life, hiding from a danger that might never come.

  And Noah was the perfect choice. He was interesting, knew things she didn’t, and had more to say beyond empty chatter. She could learn a lot from him.

  Lady Aileen remained silent for a little longer, assessing the sincerity of Eyolian’s expression.

  But in the end, even she had to take a step back.

  With a deep sigh, Lady Aileen said, “Fine, but under one condition. This Noah… I will have a very long conversation with him. I’ll know who he is, what he is, what he’s trying to do—everything about him. Otherwise, forget about this.”

  Despite her initial agreement, the caution in Lady Aileen’s tone had not disappeared—it had only grown stronger.

  Eyolian stepped forward with a smile on her face and hugged Lady Aileen. “Thank you, and don’t worry, I’ll be more than careful. I promise. And I love you.”

  Lady Aileen returned the hug but quickly pulled away.

  She was still angry, and she couldn’t take it out on Eyolian right now—she had already given her permission against her will.

  So instead, she turned toward her husband, who sat on the bed with a small smile, playing with Elowen, who was clearly delighted by Eyolian’s news and her mother’s reluctant approval of Noah.

  Lady Aileen hesitated for a moment, unsurprised by her family’s happiness. But she quickly regained her sharpness.

  She looked at her husband, who adjusted his expression as he faced her, and pointed at him.

  “You! I will also have a conversation with you. Don’t think I don’t know where that foolish stubbornness of hers came from.”

  Mr. Eldric wore an expression that said, What did I do?

  But Eyolian had already turned back toward the rain outside, shifting her focus away.

  What did she think of Lady Aileen’s demand?

  She didn’t care much. That would be Noah’s problem to handle.

  But Eyolian would be there when it happened—for the fun of it, and out of curiosity.

  Facing the window again, Eyolian lifted her head to the sky, gazing at the moon.

  Soon, she would be leaving with the group Lady Elara and Lord Garret had gathered.

  Her reason for going wasn’t entirely because Noah would be there.

  Her curiosity about this mysterious organization had grown as well—especially when the assassin she had killed claimed they had seers among them.

  Of course, Eyolian didn’t believe that.

  The god who had watched over the Astrolise Kingdom since its inception was dead long ago. Eyolian had seen his corpse. And from that god’s power, the ability of foresight had spread. His death meant the end of prophecy or visions in any form.

  Still, the assassin had spoken with absolute certainty, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.

  ‘It’s unlikely… but I have to see it for myself!’ Eyolian thought.

  She turned toward Lady Aileen.

  She hadn’t told her about leaving yet.

  She considered not telling her at all, but she thought better of it. She didn’t want to face the woman’s wrath.

  More importantly, she didn’t want to face her disappointment.

  She glanced at the moon outside for a moment.

  There were still a few hours left until midnight. But Eyolian had to start now, or she would never get enough time to convince her.

  That is, if she could.

  “There’s one more thing…”

  Eyolian spoke loud enough to get everyone’s attention.

  And she did—especially Mr. Eldric, who immediately knew what Eyolian was about to say.

  He was slowly shaking his head to stop her.

  But Eyolian ignored him and focused on the curious, slightly annoyed expression on Lady Aileen’s face.

  “I’m going with Noah outside the town.”

  Lady Aileen took the words calmly at first.

  But as her expression tensed, a sharp scream escaped her lips.

  “WHAT?!!”