The discussion between Lady Elara and Noah didn’t last long. In summary, she simply ordered him to prepare himself mentally while she took care of the rest.

  Only after she left the room did Eyolian realize that her curiosity was about to break through the ceiling. But before she could even express it, Mr. Eldric beat her to it.

  "What is this about?" he asked, his curiosity seemingly a step ahead of Eyolian’s.

  Noah sat back down on the couch, his expression unchanged, as if their curiosity was something he had expected.

  "The siege is worse than it seems from the outside," Noah said, his tone unshaken despite the weight of his words. "And with every passing second, we’re only being pushed back, getting more and more trapped. So, to improve the situation, I suggested to Lady Elara that I be the person this terrorist group is demanding, since we haven’t found anyone matching their description within the town walls. At the very least, it might give us a slight advantage, and maybe even reopen communication with the capital."

  Noah turned his gaze to the imperial knight, who had remained motionless at the side of the room.

  "The old knight said that if he leaves the formation set up by the group, he’ll be able to reestablish contact with the capital."

  Noah then looked back at Eyolian and Mr. Eldric’s stunned expressions before flashing them a small smile.

  "So, I proposed doing this in exchange for something."

  Eyolian’s curiosity only grew when she heard the word "exchange." She would have thought this was a reckless plan by Noah, something driven by a desire for personal gain, but that wasn’t the impression she had of him. Then again, she didn’t know him well enough.

  On the other hand, Mr. Eldric knew Noah much better than she did, so his concern was understandable. He opened his mouth, his expression slightly hesitant.

  "I appreciate your initiative to help, but isn’t this dangerous? You’re not even an awakened."

  Even as he voiced his concern, his hesitation suggested he was curious about what Noah was getting in return.

  Noah picked up on that from Eyolian fist and before Mr. Eldric, and decided to ease their curiosity.

  "If I do this, and we get out of this situation in one piece, what I’ll gain isn’t small. First, all complications from the balcony incident will be erased—for me, Eyolian, and the other girl. The old knight himself promised that. And there are other promises, but those are from Lady Elara. Though honestly, I care more about the first one."

  Mr. Eldric still looked worried, but there was a hint of gratitude in his expression. As for Eyolian, she was thinking about it differently.

  For a moment, she considered that this might be Noah’s way of hiding himself as the real person the organization was after. But she discarded that theory when he mentioned that it wasn’t just the two of them who would be cleared, but also the imperial knight girl.

  "Has the imperial knightess awakened?" Eyolian asked with hidden meaning.

  She already knew that the knight was fine—Mr. Eldric had informed them as soon as they left the cell that morning. But she asked again to confirm her theory.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "Yes," Noah answered, fully aware of her thoughts. He even went a step further to confirm them. "In fact, I spoke with her while I was waiting for the analysis results from Sir Nolver. She’s a delightful girl."

  Eyolian nodded, pretending to be uninterested, but she would ask about it later.

  As for Mr. Eldric, he seemed to have lost track of the conversation the moment Eyolian asked about the imperial knightess. But he didn’t dwell on it too much. His worry about Noah’s choices was still present, and he felt obligated to make him understand what he was doing.

  However, before he could say anything, Lady Elara reentered the room, with Lord Garret following right behind her.

  She cast a quick glance at them before heading toward the imperial knight who had been standing in the room the entire time.

  As for Lord Garret, he came straight toward them, a small smile on his face.

  "My knights were full of praise for Eyolian’s performance during the mission," Lord Garret said as he sat beside Noah, across from Mr. Eldric. "Your swordsmanship and spellcasting were all they talked about after returning."

  Eyolian tilted her head in confusion but quickly came to a realization.

  "The three knights… they returned alive."

  Lord Garret nodded in confirmation. "They returned with a story to tell, but they wouldn’t stop talking about you. So, were you holding back against my children?"

  Before the festival, Eyolian had spent a lot of time at the castle with the Borderward family, training with their children and learning under Lord Garret himself.

  Over time, her talent, which exceeded everyone’s expectations—including her own—caught their attention and interest.

  Eyolian was not blind to the fact that their kindness wouldn’t come without a price. Although her father was a significant asset to the town as an important rune master, she had been receiving the Borderward family’s generosity without offering anything in return.

  She hadn’t thought much about it before, but she had to reconsider the moment she realized she had caught the attention of Cadet, the first heir of Borderward Household.

  Eyolian didn’t hate the boy—he was fair to everyone—but she would rather die a thousand times than even entertain the thought of being with someone from the Empire.

  And things only got worse. After that, every member of the family began seeing it as a done deal, save Lady Elara, she never liked her to begin with.

  That’s why she needed Noah to play the role of her lover.

  She understood why House Borderward might see her that way. She was indebted to them, no doubt. But that didn’t mean she would go along with their assumptions just because they thought she owed them.

  "I wouldn’t say that. I just adjusted quickly in real combat," Eyolian responded politely, knowing full well that no one would buy her words. No one adjusted that quickly to the point of killing without hesitation. That’s not how life worked.

  Lord Garret didn’t seem to believe her, but he didn’t push further. "If you say so."

  Instead, he turned his gaze to Noah, who had remained silent the entire time.

  "Have you thought about what you want, boy?"

  Eyolian noticed that he didn’t ask whether Noah still wanted to go through with this or not. He skipped straight to what Noah wanted in return, as if backing out was not even an option.

  Eyolian didn’t like that. Neither did Mr. Eldric. But Noah didn’t seem bothered.

  "Don’t pressure him too much," Mr. Eldric said from the side.

  Noah gave him a small smile before turning to face Lord Garret.

  "He’s right, don’t pressure me. Just focus on surviving. After all, I’ll be putting my life in your hands."

  Mr. Eldric still looked worried, but he remained silent in the face of Noah’s determination.

  Eyolian took the opportunity to speak.

  "Don’t worry, Father. I’ll be going with him too."

  This was the perfect chance to announce their relationship. Though she would leave it vague for now, she would let their minds wander. Why would Eyolian go with Noah? That kind of question.

  Mr. Eldric turned to Eyolian, his eyes wide. He was about to refuse immediately, but the image of her fighting was still fresh in his mind. She was more than capable of protecting herself—and anyone else with her.

  Even so, his concern remained. And if he allowed her to go, Aileen would kill him.

  Eyolian met his eyes and said, "I’ll convince Mother."

  That wasn’t the real problem in Mr. Eldric’s eyes, but he kept quiet for now. He didn’t want to discuss such matters in a public room.

  Lord Garret’s eyes were on Eyolian, full of curiosity. Her words had piqued his interest. But he didn’t ask anything just yet—Lady Elara was approaching them.

  She stood before them, scanning each of them for less than a second before announcing,

  "We’ve made contact. The meeting place is set for tonight, past midnight."