"Is it... this late already?"

Anna stepped down from the old man's carriage and instinctively glanced at the sky.

The crimson sunset cast brilliant afterglow upon the now-calm waterways, lending a touch of dazzling color to a city restored to peace.

Time had passed so quickly it felt almost surreal—from dawn to the waning moments of twilight, seemingly in the blink of an eye.

Though part of the reason was the long conversation she had with the old man, what truly made her feel time had flown... was probably what she had done with her junior under the shroud of the Dark Moon Mist.

When one’s mind soars to the heavens, time always seems to rush by.

As this thought crossed her mind, Anna’s cheeks flushed slightly.

Never in her two decades of life had she imagined her first time would be so intense, so thrilling.

In the arms of her beloved, the beauty of the moment threatened to dissolve her entirely.

Not to mention... about the last part, she was mostly the one taking initiative.

"Tch. It’s all because my junior wouldn’t keep his hands to himself."

A fleeting trace of bashful exasperation glimmered in Anna’s eyes as she promptly shifted all the blame onto her mischievous junior.

Yet that momentary expression of absolute, ethereal allure left even the silencers—accustomed to keeping their emotional distance—momentarily spellbound.

"By the way, where is my junior?"

Her gaze reflexively swept the surroundings, but she couldn’t spot that person her heart held dear. Turning to Kinzer nearby, Anna inquired, "Where’s Moen Campbell?"

Kinzer, as one of the swordsman’s confidants, understood the elder’s intentions to a degree. Thus, he treated Anna with significant respect.

He pointed directly toward a well-adorned carriage.

"Over there. With the Campbell family members."

"I see," Anna said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Even though she hadn’t located him at first glance, she realized she’d already begun to panic.

Such a lack of composure—it wasn’t like her at all.

She was truly falling deeper and deeper.

Anna directed her gaze toward the carriage, luxurious and ornate, even down to the magnificently majestic horse pulling it.

As expected of something from the Campbell family—every detail exuded propriety fitting of their status.

"The Duchess, huh?"

The elder's earlier words echoed softly in Anna's mind.

...

Knowing it wasn’t appropriate to interrupt internal discussions of Moen's family, Anna waited quietly to the side.

After all, it wasn’t as if Moen would suddenly run off with some other woman—what was the harm in waiting a bit longer?

But as time dragged on, a faint sense of unease crept up on her.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, falling once again upon the carriage as she murmured under her breath, "This carriage... its enclosure is awfully secure. If the goal is to ensure their conversation isn’t overheard, a soundproofing spell would suffice. Why... go to such lengths that not even a silhouette can be seen?"

...

...

Inside the carriage.

Under the watchful gaze of you-know-who, a frenzied battle encompassing five thousand words concluded.

The storm had passed.

Perhaps it was because both the one above and the one below had been thoroughly nourished—along with the consumption of a certain skin-enhancing essence—Ann looked especially radiant, nearly glowing with beauty.

She remained quietly nestled in Moen’s arms, as if unwilling to part even for a moment, her breaths shallow and husky. Her eyes brimming with affection, she gazed up at him with a sultry stare.

"Young Master," she asked softly, "did you enjoy it?"

"I... I did. Enjoyed it immensely," Moen replied, head tilted back, his expression an odd mix of laughter and tears.

"It’s just... my legs feel weak."

"Well, you exuded such an awful stench down there that I absolutely had to clean you thoroughly," Ann pouted in a rare, girlish manner, her tone playful, though her disheveled face was anything but proper.

"...Your sense of smell truly defies comprehension, Ann. How did you pick up on everything?" Moen thought, too exhausted to articulate.

He tilted his head back again, focusing on absorbing the medicinal energy flowing within him. Without it, he doubted he’d even be able to stand, let alone walk.

Ann also stayed quiet, resting against Moen’s chest with her chin in her palm. Her gaze softened, fixating on his face with flickering emotions. It was hard to tell where her thoughts wandered.

In the dim, rose-hued lighting of the carriage, serene silence enveloped them. Only a faint aroma lingering in the air and a few residual droplets scattered about bore testimony to the tempestuous clash moments earlier.

"Young Master," Ann called softly.

"Hm?"

"I’d like to request some time off."

"Oh... wait—huh?!"

Moen abruptly lifted his head, gazing at Ann in shock. "You said..."

"I said I want to take some time off, to step down temporarily from being the head maid of the Duke Residence," Ann replied gently.

"Really?" Moen frowned, clearly baffled.

Since she began serving as his personal maid at the age of eight, Ann had never once mentioned taking a leave of absence. Naturally, her sudden statement left him incredulous.

"Is there something specific you need to do?"

"...You could say I’d like to visit my hometown for days."

"Do you even have any relatives back in your hometown? Why have I never heard you mention them?"

"If I go back and take a look, I’ll find out, won’t I?" Ann reached out to stroke Moen’s face. "Don’t worry, Young Master. It’s not as though I intend to leave the Duke Residence permanently. I only wish to part ways for a little while. It’s fine—since you’ll be at school for most of this period, we wouldn’t see much of each other anyway."

"...Would you like me to assign protective escorts for you?"

"No need."

Ann shook her head lightly, her voice steady. "Me myself is more than sufficient for self-defense."

"Very well. If this is truly what you want, I have no reason to stop you." Moen pondered for a moment before breaking into a warm smile.

"Take care on the road, and... come back soon. No matter whether you find your kin or not, know that the Duke Residence will always be your home."

Ann’s delicate face froze briefly, her expression softening as she locked eyes with Moen's sunlit warmth. After a long pause, she rested her head against his chest, murmuring softly:

"Young Master... it’s that kind of tenderness that unconsciously makes people fall for you."

...

...

After another brief moment of intimacy, Ann applied a touch of perfume to herself and Moen, tidied their appearances, and finally allowed Moen to disembark from the carriage.

By then, night had already fallen.

As Moen stepped out, he wasn’t watching his surroundings but unexpectedly collided with a soft, familiar embrace.

"Junior."

The familiar voice filled his ears, playful yet meaningful.

"Chatted for quite some time, didn’t you?"

"Ha... haha, yes. Quite some time indeed." Moen stiffened, pulling away from the embrace with an awkward smile.

"We were discussing some matters of utmost importance to the Campbell family’s survival. Very serious matters."

"Is that so?"

Anna’s tone carried an undercurrent of something undefined. Moen followed her gaze and saw her looking past him—fixated on something behind him.

Swallowing nervously, Moen turned to glance back. Sure enough, Ann stood at the door of the carriage, now properly attired in her pristine maid uniform. Her hair elegantly gathered, she embodied a poised and graceful image as she locked eyes with Anna.

"Anna Kablin."

"Ann."

"Long time no see."

"Indeed, isn’t it?"

"I see."

Anna lightly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her face serene yet with a smile that seemed to hide countless meanings. Her voice remained calm:

"Goodness, I step away for just a short while, and already there’s a stray cat sneaking bites. How troublesome."

"Funny, that’s almost exactly what I was going to say," Ann replied with a flawless smile of her own.

"As straying cats really do come from everywhere."

"..."

"..."

A silence fell between the two women.

Their expressions didn’t waver an inch, still curved in polite, harmless smiles—like close friends chatting about favorite dresses.

And yet Moen, caught in the middle, had broken into a cold sweat.

A slight breeze swept through, and the chill only made him tremble more.

He tried subtly withdrawing, half-turning to escape.

But his arm was firmly linked with someone else’s.

"Today is a special day, so let’s not make a fuss about such things for now," Anna said, smiling brightly. "Come, Junior, let’s return to the academy."

"Hold on." Ann stepped forward, blocking her.

"Young Master is injured. He should be returning to the Duke Residence for proper rest."

"The academy infirmary is fully equipped for care."

"The Duke Residence offers the finest resources."

"..."

"..."

Their eyes met once again.

This time, as Anna’s gaze sharpened, it was as if a glowing full moon rose behind her. Shadows at her feet twisted and writhed ominously. Meanwhile, the faint hum of vibrating steel emanated around Ann, and even the weapons of the silencers seemed disturbed, trembling uncontrollably in their sheathes.

And yet, the women's outward expressions remained as before: calm, smiling, utterly unperturbed.

Moen, however, felt a sob welling up within him.

An incessant blaring sound of impending doom reverberated through his consciousness, leaving his mind in turmoil.

Then... suddenly, the warnings ceased.

As if even his instincts had resigned to their fate.

Because the two women had shifted their gazes to him, speaking in perfect unison:

"Junior (Young Master), what do *you* think?"