She stared at the sky, eyebrows furrowing. "What’s going on?" she muttered.
A faint residual wind brushed her cheeks. It wasn’t natural. The air felt charged. Her instincts, sharpened from years of battle and command, screamed danger—not from the storm, but from what had caused it.
She turned toward Janet like a blade drawn from its sheath, eyes narrowing dangerously. Her gaze wasn’t inquisitive—it was accusing.
"What is this?" she demanded, voice cold and steady.
"How can a Baron reach such a stage?"
Janet stiffened, her breath catching in her throat. There was no time to explain it all. Roland was still recovering. He couldn’t be disturbed. But Erina was dangerous, and worse, she was cautious.
’What should I do? Should I tell the truth?’ Janet’s mind raced.
Erina took a single step forward, hand reaching behind her. The steel glint of her sword peeked out from the hilt as her aura surged. Janet’s skin prickled. Her instinct had turned to suspicion.
’No, she’s misunderstanding!’ Janet panicked.
And then the worst thought struck her—Erina must not have known that Roland was the one who informed Count Wellington about the cultists. Without that crucial piece of information, she must think that the Weiss Estate was behind it all.
Just as Erina’s fingers wrapped around her sword hilt, Janet stepped forward and spoke loudly, voice pleading but firm.
"Lord Erina, please..calm down. It’s my husband. Baron Roland is breaking through right now.I can assure you,it’s him."
Erina froze mid-motion, her eyes flashing with disbelief. Her grip loosened slightly, though her stance was still on edge.
"Sir Roland?" she said, lips parting. "He’s breaking through? You mean that caused this heavenly phenomenon?" Her tone shifted from sharp to skeptical. "You’re not lying to cover something, are you?"
Janet stepped closer, arms shielding her chest as she lowered her head in sincerity. "Of course not. Husband is breaking into the realm of the Transcendent Knight."
Even Erina’s soldiers behind her exchanged stunned glances.
Erina blinked rapidly. "For real?" she echoed. "That’s... the tenth rank."
"It is," Janet nodded, standing her ground.
Erina’s mouth parted, the disbelief written across her face as clear as daylight. She stared at Janet like she was mad.
"This is a Barony," she said. "An outskirt territory at the edge of a declining kingdom. There’s no way someone here is reaching the tenth rank. Do you know how few even among Dukes reach that stage?" Her voice cracked with tension. "Would such a man hide in a forgotten land?"
Janet clenched her fists. "I can swear a Mana Oath," she said firmly.
That made Erina falter. Her doubts didn’t vanish, but something in her own warrior’s instinct warned her not to act recklessly. Still, her thoughts spiraled. If what Janet said was true, it was something incredible. If it was false, she might be letting a threat go.
But before her turmoil could resolve, something shifted in the wind.
A sharp crack, a ripple in the air and tore through the garden.
A blur shot through the space between them like a thunderbolt. Janet’s eyes widened as Erina instinctively jumped back, sword finally drawn mid-air.
A blast of raw wind exploded as the figure landed.
The impact shattered part of the flagstone underfoot, dust and pebbles flying in all directions. Erina’s sword glinted as she landed in a crouch, ready to strike.
"WHOOOOOO" she cried out, assuming the worst.
But what she saw next made her choke on her own words.
A man tall, strong, radiant with a terrifying but composed aura stood behind Janet, arms wrapped around her waist. His face was hidden for a moment as he nestled his head gently against her neck.
"Dear... did you miss me?" Roland’s voice was low, warm, and devilishly smooth.
Janet’s shoulders trembled. Her eyes welled up, and without a word, she leaned back into his chest. The sheer release of tension—the anxiety she had kept hidden, the worry that something might’ve gone wrong—all of it rushed out at once. Tears slid down her cheek as her body melted into his arms.
She didn’t need to say a thing.
Roland’s hands were firm yet tender, holding her like the most precious treasure in the world. The embrace was silent, intimate—and powerful.
Then, the man lifted his head—and looked at her.
Erina’s heart skipped.
His eyes were not normal. Deep pools of pressure, calm yet unreadable. They bore into her like swords, not with hostility, but with weight.
It was like standing before a predator not one about to pounce, but one who could kill without moving.
Erina had fought beasts, cultists, even ducal knights.But she had never been looked at like that before.
Roland didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t even take a step forward.
But the smirk on his face was devilish, and the sharp edge in his words made her flinch.
"So, tell me, woman..." His voice was like steel wrapped in velvet. "Who are you... making noise in my home and scaring my woman?"
The soldiers behind Erina instinctively took a step back.
Erina opened her mouth to reply but no words came out.
She didn’t know whether she was embarrassed, afraid, or stunned. Maybe all of it.
Janet, still in Roland’s embrace, chuckled softly. "Dear... this is Lady Erina Wellington. She came to investigate... and maybe cause some trouble."
Roland’s gaze didn’t break. "Oh, Count Wellington’s daughter?"
Roland slowly let go of Janet and stepped forward. "Then I suppose I should be a bit more polite."
He extended a hand calmly. "I am Baron Roland Weiss of the Apus Village. Welcome to my home."
Erina stared at his hand for a moment... before slowly reaching out to take it.
As their hands touched, she felt it again—that pressure.
But this time, it came with a small smile and warmth.
And the slightest tingle up her spine.