Night slowly descended over the Asheville Estate.
The western skies darkened beneath deep silver clouds while cold winds drifted softly through the towering manor windows carrying the scent of distant rain and autumn forests. Lanterns throughout the estate gradually illuminated one by one, casting warm golden light across marble corridors and polished black floors while servants hurried quietly preparing noble carriages and formal arrangements for the evening banquet.
Tonight—
The Citadel nobles gathered.
And House Asheville would attend.
Inside the upper mansion corridors—
Kel calmly walked toward Reina's chambers.
Unlike earlier during territory inspections, he now wore full formal noble attire once more. The black aristocratic coat layered over silver-lined fabric emphasized his sharp figure perfectly while subtle crimson embroidery rested near the cuffs and collar like hidden traces of royal authority.
Even without trying—
He looked dangerous.
Not because of power.
Because of presence.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly muttered:
"You really look like someone nobles would gossip about for weeks."
Kel calmly walked beneath the dim lantern lights.
"That sounds exhausting."
"It definitely will be."
Eventually—
He stopped before Reina's chamber door.
Then lightly knocked.
"Reina."
For several moments—
Only quiet movements echoed from inside the room.
Then finally—
Her voice answered softly from beyond the door.
"Not yet."
Kel blinked once.
"I'll be ready in half an hour."
Silence.
Then—
Kel slightly frowned.
"Half an hour?"
His voice carried genuine confusion now.
"Reina, you should already be prepared by this point."
Inside the chamber—
Reina immediately sighed helplessly.
The sound of drawers opening and fabric moving echoed softly from behind the door afterward.
Then her voice answered again:
"Kel…"
A faint exhaustion lingered beneath her tone.
"We women require time to prepare ourselves."
Another pause followed.
"We are not men who simply wear clothes and go anywhere immediately."
Kel quietly considered that statement.
Then calmly replied:
"Most noblemen use more makeup than you."
Silence.
Then suddenly—
A soft laugh escaped from inside the room.
"Oh."
Reina sounded amused now.
"I forgot."
Another pause.
"…Because I've never once seen you using makeup."
Inside his mind—
Sairen burst into laughter.
"She got you there."
Kel ignored her immediately.
Eventually—
He calmly left Reina's chamber door afterward before walking downstairs toward the mansion's main hall.
The atmosphere throughout the estate had changed entirely now.
Servants moved carefully carrying formal fabrics and jewelry boxes while distant musicians quietly prepared near the entrance chambers for noble departure traditions.
Meanwhile—
The main hall itself remained mostly empty.
Warm lantern light illuminated enormous marble pillars while soft shadows stretched across elegant carpets and silver-framed portraits decorating the walls.
Kel quietly sat near one of the side tables afterward.
And there—
Unexpectedly—
A thick cooking book rested abandoned beside a tea tray.
Kel slightly tilted his head.
"…Why is this here?"
Inside his mind—
Sairen sounded amused.
"Probably some servant forgot it."
Kel quietly opened the book anyway.
And surprisingly—
He became interested almost immediately.
Ancient western recipes.
Southern spice integration.
Noble desserts.
Rare seafood preparation techniques.
Kel calmly flipped through the pages while silently analyzing ingredient structures and cooking methods with the same focus he usually applied toward warfare and politics.
Inside his mind—
Sairen sounded helpless now.
"You analyze food recipes like forbidden cultivation manuals."
"Some combinations are inefficient."
"You are impossible."
Meanwhile—
Time slowly passed.
Then eventually—
Footsteps echoed from the outer entrance corridor.
Two knights entered the hall.
The same two Kel sent earlier for investigating the village chief.
Both men immediately straightened upon seeing him.
"Lord Herald."
Kel calmly closed the cooking book afterward.
"Report."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
The warmth within the hall became colder somehow.
The two knights visibly carried restrained anger already.
One of them stepped forward first.
"Background investigation completed."
His jaw tightened slightly afterward.
"That village chief…"
Another knight continued quietly:
"…is completely rotten."
Silence filled the hall.
Kel calmly listened.
The knights continued one by one.
"He secretly supplies village girls to outside buyers."
"Nobles."
"Merchants."
"Even criminals."
The atmosphere darkened further.
"He sells women as slaves."
"Uses debt manipulation against poor families."
"Threatens villagers who resist."
The first knight's fists tightened violently.
"He also personally abuses women inside the village."
Another pause.
"He's addicted to it."
Another knight spoke afterward, disgust clearly visible within his expression now.
"Any man who opposes him disappears."
"Several bodies were found previously near forest routes."
"The villagers are terrified of him."
Silence consumed the hall afterward.
Only the faint crackling of lantern flames echoed softly beneath the enormous ceiling.
Kel quietly sat there without expression.
Yet somehow—
The stillness around him became frightening.
Inside his mind—
Even Sairen sounded colder now.
"…Disgusting."
Meanwhile—
The knights waited carefully.
Then eventually—
One cautiously asked:
"…Any orders, sir?"
Kel slowly lifted his gaze afterward.
His dark eyes reflected the lantern light quietly.
Then softly—
He asked:
"What do both of you think should happen to a man like that?"
The knights blinked slightly.
One immediately answered carefully:
"Lord Herald… if I may offer my opinion—"
Kel interrupted calmly.
"I didn't ask for your opinion."
The atmosphere sharpened instantly.
Kel slowly stood afterward.
Then quietly—
He continued:
"I asked what you would do."
Silence.
Kel's voice lowered slightly afterward.
"If someone treated your mother that way…"
Another pause.
"Your sister."
"Your wife."
The lantern flames flickered softly.
"How would you feel?"
The two knights immediately stiffened.
And slowly—
Anger surfaced openly within their expressions now.
Real anger.
Not political.
Personal.
One knight's voice turned rough.
"…I would kill him."
The second answered immediately afterward.
"So no one else suffers because of him again."
Kel quietly observed them.
Then calmly asked:
"And afterward?"
Another pause.
"What if people call you monsters?"
The knights looked toward him without hesitation this time.
"If becoming monsters protects our family…"
The first knight clenched his jaw tightly.
"…then we're willing to become monsters."
The second knight stepped forward slightly.
"Lord Herald…"
His eyes burned with restrained rage.
"Give us permission."
"We'll kill that sick old man ourselves."
Silence filled the hall again.
Then finally—
Kel nodded once.
"You have permission."
The atmosphere immediately sharpened afterward.
Kel's voice became colder now.
"Kill the chief."
"Hang his head at the center of the village."
Another pause.
"Leave a written list of every crime."
The knights listened silently.
Then Kel continued:
"And tell the villagers this clearly…"
The lantern shadows moved softly across his face.
"In Asheville Territory…"
His voice remained calm.
"…under Reina Asheville's rule…"
The hall itself seemed colder now.
"…there will be no injustice."
"No innocent will suffer."
Another pause followed.
"And eliminate everyone directly involved with him."
The knights immediately straightened.
"…Understood."
Then suddenly—
Kel added one final sentence.
"Remember this carefully."
His gaze sharpened.
"We are not killing him for revenge."
Silence.
"We are killing him so no one dares repeat this again."
The knights bowed deeply afterward.
Then immediately left for their mission.
And only after they disappeared—
A quiet voice echoed from behind one nearby marble pillar.
"…Why didn't you tell me?"
Kel slowly turned afterward.
And there—
Reina stepped into view.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
Dressed already for tonight's banquet.
A long black noble dress lined with silver embroidery wrapped around her figure gracefully while silver jewelry reflected softly beneath the lantern lights. Her hair flowed beautifully behind her shoulders while calm silver eyes remained fixed directly toward him.
Yet beneath that calmness—
Hurt lingered quietly.
Kel instantly understood.
She heard everything.
From the beginning.
Reina slowly walked closer afterward.
"…Do you consider me some fragile glass cup…"
Her voice lowered slightly.
"…that can shatter so easily?"
Kel opened his mouth slightly.
Then stopped.
Because she was right.
This entire situation centered around her territory.
Her people.
Her rule.
Yet he handled everything himself again without involving her.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly muttered:
"She's angry because you protected her by excluding her."
Kel remained silent internally.
Meanwhile—
Reina quietly stood before him beneath the lantern light.
Waiting.
And eventually—
Kel finally answered softly.
"…Tomorrow…"
He calmly looked toward her afterward.
"…we'll go there together."
The atmosphere quieted again.
"You'll decide how this matter should be handled."
Another pause.
"And after that…"
Kel's voice softened slightly.
"I'll only advise when you ask."
Silence.
Then finally—
He lowered his gaze briefly.
"Otherwise…"
A faint tired smile appeared.
"…I'll simply oversee."
Reina quietly stared at him afterward.
And slowly—
The hurt within her expression faded little by little.
Because she understood something painful.
Kel protected people instinctively.
Even from things they had the right to face themselves.
And sometimes—
That included her too.