When he turned around, just as he’d expected, Kain’s face came into view, cold as frost. The blue eyes that had once been as calm as the sea stirred faintly, as if towering waves were gathering within them.

For some reason, Roy should’ve been resentful that his plan had been ruined. But when he saw the displeasure in those blue eyes, he didn’t tease Kain any further. Instead, he asked rather timidly, “How did you know I was here?”

Elfie meowed twice at just the right moment, puffing out her chest as if expecting praise.

“Oh, so you’re the one who snitched…”

“Come on.” Before Roy could finish, Kain grabbed her wrist and hauled her to her feet, as casually as if he were grabbing his own lazy Cat by the scruff. Then he headed for the tavern door without looking back.

“Hey, at least wait until I’ve finished my drink!”

Roy hadn’t expected her deputy to react so strongly. She instinctively resisted, stopping the navy officer dead in his tracks.

Even after the Devil’s curse had turned her into a woman, she’d retained about seventy percent of her original strength.

Kain turned back, somewhat bewildered. He clearly hadn’t expected his captain to be so strong. But then he remembered the awe-inspiring tales of the Golden-Eyed Devil he’d heard from his fellow soldiers, and the confusion in his eyes vanished at once. In its place, a strange feeling rose in his chest.

Ever since he’d met this captain, she seemed to have been hiding her true strength, putting on the air of someone lonely and fragile. Paired with that heaven-given face, it was an awfully convincing act. But Elizabeth Roy had never been some fledgling in need of protection. She was the fiercest sea hawk in the Eastern Sea Region.

Kain’s gaze seemed to see right through everything, and it made Roy uneasy. She asked cautiously, “What is it?”

Kain seemed to snap out of a dream. He shook his head and said, “Nothing. I was just wondering where you got the money to drink.”

“Of course I don’t have any money. This baron paid for everything.”

Roy nodded toward the baron, whose face had turned rather grim, then added, “And these two good gentlemen even gave me some chips. See? That money on the table is what I won. They just invited me to their estate. Want to come along?”

The baron had finally lost patience. He stood up, his expression darkening. “My lady, you didn’t mention this male companion earlier.”

He scrutinized the young man who’d barged in and spoiled everything, his brown eyes sunken deep in their sockets. It didn’t take long for him to identify the man as a down-on-his-luck naval officer. What soldier drawing a salary from the Empire would wear a uniform this shabby?

His confidence restored, he sneered. “Besides, my estate doesn’t welcome men.”

“You’ve got it wrong. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s just my deputy—”

Roy raised an eyebrow, instinctively catching the flaw in the baron’s words. But before she could say anything, the brother who’d been silent beside him swept his hand across the table and knocked the glasses to the floor. Shattered glass and blood-red liquor sprayed everywhere, drawing shrieks from the women in the tavern.

“You drink my brother’s liquor, spend my brother’s money, and now you pull this stunt. Don’t tell me you’re going back on your word?” the baron’s brother said viciously. The burly attendants behind him saw their master lose his temper and immediately put their hands on their sword hilts, slowly closing in.

The lively tavern fell silent in an instant.

The troublemakers watched with eager interest, while the timid ones edged toward the exit, afraid a wooden table or chair might come crashing down on their heads. Only the two people in the most secluded corner remained seated, their eyes fixed on Roy and Kain.

His brother had torn away any chance of smoothing things over with such brutality. The baron frowned for a moment, but quickly resumed his false smile. His gaze stayed fixed on Roy as he spoke in a pleasant tone. “You did give your word, my lady. Going back on it so casually is hardly proper noble etiquette. As for you, sir, I’d advise you to step aside for now. My attendants’ swords don’t know how to tell friend from foe.”

I’m no noble. Who cares about those painfully stuffy manners?

Roy thought in silence. She didn’t voice her objection, though. Instead, she watched Kain’s calm face with interest, curious to see how her deputy would handle this.

“How much money did she spend?”

Kain didn’t so much as glance at the attendants slowly closing in. He fixed his cold gaze on the baron’s pale face, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.

“What, you think you can settle this with money? You really don’t know when to quit.”

The baron finally dropped his friendly act. Everyone in the tavern knew the young baron, who often vacationed on Fran Island, was no good. He simply liked to wear that look until he’d caught his prey.

The tension in the tavern grew heavier by the moment. The armed attendants at the front had already drawn their silver swords halfway from their scabbards. The silver-white blades gleamed in the warm red light, their edges glinting coldly.

Just as the clash was about to erupt, the tavern door was kicked open with a bang, and everyone froze mid-motion.

More than twenty soldiers rushed into the tavern. The man at their head shouted angrily, “Who’s causing trouble? I finally get a day off, and now this crap!”

As it turned out, one of the people who’d slipped out of the tavern earlier wasn’t a customer but a bartender. He knew that neither he nor his boss could afford to offend the baron. To keep the damage from getting too bad—or stop anyone from ending up dead—he’d had no choice but to go find the major. On the way, though, he ran into a group of soldiers who were heading to the tavern for a drink.

In the Orlan Empire, a nation that revered strength, soldiers held an exceptionally high status, especially those on active duty. Generally speaking, even a high-ranking hereditary noble wouldn’t deliberately make trouble for a soldier. You could never know what kind of temper the officer behind him might have.

So when the soldiers stormed into the tavern, the attendants hurriedly sheathed their silver swords and began exchanging awkward glances.

The anger on the baron’s face instantly turned into an awkward smile. He stepped forward to greet the newcomer. “Captain Todd, what a surprise. It’s really nothing serious. This lady drank on my tab and now she wants to leave without paying. You have to admit, that’s not very fair.”

“So it’s you, huh? I was wondering why you’d behaved yourself for a few months. Looks like you’re back to your old tricks…”

Todd glared at him. He clearly knew the baron well, and had locked eyes on him as soon as he entered. Sure enough, the trouble was his doing again.

After saying that, Todd turned away in irritation and looked in the direction the baron had pointed.

There’s a saying: sometimes, looking is the last thing you should do. When the captain saw the young man he’d parted from not long ago, he wanted to give himself a good smack. Why had he looked at that jinx of a baron first?

“Y-Young M-Master…” The captain tried to laugh off his embarrassment. The soldiers standing beside him didn’t dare so much as breathe.

Kain wasn’t particularly angry. He gave Todd a slight shake of the head, said, “Handle this yourselves,” and led Roy toward the tavern door. His captain’s body was taut, and beneath her lowered eyelids lay a nearly indifferent killing intent.

“It’s all right,” Kain reassured her in a voice only she could hear. “I’m here.”