Emily followed Isolde into the mansion, curiosity in her every step. Although she had been there before, everything seemed different today. Where she once saw only a few servants moving silently through the hallways, now there were far more people around. But what really caught her attention was the presence of armed knights—something completely unusual.

These weren't the typical city guards; they wore more refined armor and seemed specifically trained to protect someone important.

Emily couldn't help but feel disoriented. Yesterday, Nolan's house seemed like any other mansion in the neighborhood, so discreet it could have gone unnoticed. But now, not only was it surrounded by guards outside, but there was also additional security inside.

“This… changed a lot,” she muttered to herself, loud enough for Isolde to hear.

“Yes, things have changed quickly,” the maid replied, not stopping as she led Emily towards the dining room. “The princess sent more staff and security. Nolan didn’t ask for it, but he couldn’t turn it down. There are more eyes on this house now than ever before.”

Emily nodded slowly, still processing everything she was seeing. The situation was becoming more confusing, but she didn’t have time to keep wondering, as they soon arrived at the dining room.

The door opened softly, and there was Nolan, sitting alone at the long table, with a plate in front of him that he had barely touched. Seeing him, Emily felt a pang of concern. The dark circles under his eyes were much more pronounced than the day before, and he seemed more exhausted, almost on the verge of collapse. He looked like someone who had been battling something invisible all night and had lost.

Emily timidly approached and sat across from him.

“Nolan… did you sleep well?” she asked cautiously.

Nolan looked up for a brief moment, acknowledging her presence with a faint attempt at a smile.

“Yes, everything’s fine,” he replied, but his subdued tone and the way his eyes avoided Emily’s said otherwise.

It was then that Emily noticed something strange: Nolan's right hand was stiff, almost as if it hurt or he was deliberately limiting its movement. Her gaze lingered on it for a second, but she decided not to comment. She didn’t feel comfortable enough to ask such personal questions yet, so she chose to focus on something else.

Trying to steer the conversation in a lighter direction, Nolan spoke up.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“So, did your parents like the gift?” he asked as he took a sip of his drink.

Emily blinked, surprised by the question.

“Oh, well… they’re not my parents, actually. They’re my grandparents,” she corrected gently.

Nolan looked at her with renewed interest.

“Your grandparents?” he inquired, his tone showing a curiosity he hadn’t expressed before. “What happened to your parents?”

Emily was silent for a moment, considering how to respond.

“My parents… abandoned me when I was little. They moved to another nation, far from here. I barely remember them, but I haven’t heard anything from them since.”

Nolan nodded silently, processing what she said. Then, without lifting his gaze much from his plate, he let out a dry, straightforward response.

“My parents are dead too.”

The statement fell like a stone in the room’s silence. Emily looked at him with wide eyes, surprised.

“Wow… and still, you made it this far,” she murmured, a mix of respect and amazement in her voice.

Nolan looked at her for another second, his expression hardening momentarily before returning to his usual reserved demeanor.

“You get used to it,” was all he said before slowly continuing to eat.

Silence settled between them again, until Emily decided to break it with another question.

“Did you have trouble sleeping… I mean, because of everything that happened yesterday?”

“A bit,” Nolan admitted, lowering his gaze again. “But also… the princess has been shifting things around. More new staff arrived this morning. She sent me a letter warning that the next few days will be complicated. Apparently, several newspapers are going to publish news about it.”

Emily’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How does the princess know?” Emily asked, curious.

Nolan set his utensils down on the table for a moment, sighing.

“They have quite an extensive information network. They control part of what gets published in Valenfort, but… this time, it seems the news is spreading quickly. Too many people noticed.”

Emily frowned, thinking about what that meant.

“Did you expect something like this?”

Nolan slowly shook his head as he resumed his meal.

“No. I assumed there would be some reactions, but not this soon. Honestly, this is beyond our control.”

As he said this, Emily noticed that Nolan seemed to be rubbing his right hand, as if it hurt. The clumsy way he moved his fingers indicated he must have gone through something difficult, but once again, she decided not to pry.

‘Better not get into his business,’ she thought.

When Nolan finished his plate, he leaned slightly toward her.

“When you’re ready, come to my room. We have to go to another church soon.”

The statement surprised Emily, who had barely taken a few bites of her food. She hadn’t even really started eating!

Emily quickly swallowed what was in her mouth and nodded, nervous.

“Yes, sure. I’ll eat as fast as I can.”

Seeing her so flustered, Nolan let out a faint laugh. It was an odd sound, almost muted, but genuine.

“Relax, don’t choke,” he said in a more relaxed tone before standing up and leaving the room.

Emily, still with her meal half-finished and surrounded by servants watching her in silence, let out a sigh of resignation.

‘Damn… I don’t want to make him wait…’ she thought as she began to eat quickly. She didn’t care if she looked a mess or if she was getting her dress dirty. All she cared about was not delaying Nolan any further, who seemed to be dealing with far more than she could imagine.