After closing some of the distance between them, the knight felt the urge to rush forward and seize her hand, relief sparkling in his eyes. Yet he could not muster the courage. The memory of the fellow he had seen with the lady was already fading, little by little, without him realizing it, while the lady remained distracted by his presence, finally able to place a face to the voice.

“My lady… It’s really you. Thank God you are well. We feared the worst.”

“Oh… Sir Kola, it’s you. I’m sorry I made you worry, but there really is no need for all this drama. I only left for a few hours. Besides, I left a note explaining where I was. You shouldn’t have troubled yourself so.”

“What? A note? We weren’t told anything about it.”

“We? What do you mean by that? Did something happen in the pa—?”

“Apologies, my lady, but this isn’t the place for such a conversation. I’ll explain everything on the way back. Please, follow me.” The knight cut her off, making it clear that the market was not the place to continue their discussion. After expressing his concern, he motioned for her to follow, still unaware that her wanderer was no longer beside her.

“Okay… Just give me a minute to…”

She looked beside her, but could not see him. Her words died in her throat as she stared at the empty space where he had been. Puzzled by his sudden absence, she wondered why he had left, and a wave of disappointment settled over her.

She tried to maintain her composure. There was no point in making a scene, especially with Sir Kola waiting for her and whatever urgent matter he needed to report. She told herself that she could not afford to be sad, yet her face stubbornly betrayed her.

“I’m sorry. I can’t continue the escort beside you, but I’ll be watching from afar, just in case your knight in that skinny uniform messes up. At least until you get home safely.”

“Consider it me keeping my word. So, smile and go with him. A gloomy face doesn’t suit a Radiant like you.”

The wanderer’s voice came through the crowd, though he remained hidden among the people not far away. He had sensed the distortion in her energy caused by the sudden change in her emotions and used a secret art known as Fade Whisper.

The technique created a private channel between two people by tuning their energies to the same frequency. Once linked, their voices could pass freely between them, unheard by everyone else. It was a common technique among assassins, who used it to relay information without exposing themselves.

Upon hearing him, she recognized the voice immediately. She knew it was the wanderer, yet she could not understand how she was hearing him when she could not see him. Thinking he must be nearby, she looked around again, but found no trace of him.

An anxious feeling rose within her. His words left her with mixed emotions.

“You sure know how to put a lady on edge… You meanie. You better keep your word and make sure we meet again… Meanie.”

Her voice trembled as her eyes grew watery, though she fought to keep herself composed. She had no idea that he could hear her response.

“I can hear your dirty whisper, Lady Pervert.” His teasing voice made her bite back a smile.

“However, you shouldn’t worry about that. With a smile like yours, I’d be a fool not to seek an audience with you again.” He paused before continuing.

“So, don’t worry. This isn’t goodbye. But you should be on your way now; it’s getting late. I won’t tease you about your prince charming if you start walking now.”

She felt overwhelmed, excited for reasons she herself could not explain. His words carried far more weight than they should have, especially considering how little she knew about him. Yet, strangely, she felt almost no concern about that. Instead, she wondered whether he felt the same way.

Her expression shifted from anxious to excited, then curious, before returning to excitement as she remembered what he had said about her smile.

The knight watched her in confusion. He had no idea what was happening. She had stopped in the middle of her sentence, whispered to herself, and now wore an expression that seemed to change every few seconds. He felt increasingly uneasy, but standing there in silence would solve nothing.

“My lady… Are you okay? You seem distracted. Is something wrong?”

“Oh! Apologies, Sir Kola. I was just, huh… hearing a happy whisper. It’s nothing to worry about.” She answered with a radiant smile.

The knight relaxed, relieved that she was apparently fine, but her strange choice of words and unusually cheerful expression unsettled him. For a moment, she seemed like a stranger to him.

He wondered whether she understood the consequences her actions could have for the Kingdom and its people. Yet he could not remember that she had not been alone when he first spotted her in the market square. He concealed his thoughts and waited for her to begin walking.

“Let’s go. It’s getting late. You can report the issue as we go, Sir Kola.”

“As you wish, my lady.” He ignored his doubts and followed her lead as they left the market square.

The wanderer followed at a distance, moving among the crowd behind them. Once they reached the streets where the nobles lived, he climbed onto the rooftops. There were few people outside the mansions, and guards stood at nearly every entrance.

The street was heavily guarded, but because his presence remained hidden, there was little chance of him being spotted. He used his senses to assess the situation, relying on his ability to detect emotions and other changes in a person’s energy.

He kept watch over the lady from the rooftops, carefully staying outside the guards’ lines of sight. Avoiding them proved so easy that he became slightly bored, though he was relieved everything was going smoothly.

Meanwhile, Sir Kola explained the situation as they walked. Her brother had believed she was missing after she not seen all throughout the day. Her room and the palace was checked and found no trace of her. The matter was reported to the general, who immediately concluded that she had been abducted.

The general then relayed the information to selected personnel and ordered them to search the entire Kingdom, leaving no stone unturned. Anyone who appeared suspicious was to be arrested, while the entire operation was kept off the books and hidden from the public.

Sir Kola explained that several travelers had already been arrested and might be blamed for the supposed abduction if things were not brought under control. The Kingdom had fallen into turmoil. Homes were being searched in different areas, and people were being arrested for ridiculous reasons—walking strangely, possessing unusual handwriting, or simply behaving in ways someone considered suspicious.

“The lucky ones are being questioned,” he continued. “Others are being tortured. The people might start to react if this continues. That was why I kept searching for you at all your usual stops before I was fortunate enough to find you.”

“It’s ridiculous. Why would they go through so much trouble? I’ll admit I stayed out longer than expected, but I left a note on my bed explaining where I was specifically to prevent something like this. Besides, it’s not the first time I’ve gone out for a while and returned late.”

Her frustration grew.

“This is just an abuse of power.”

“Indeed, I agree. However, there have been several recent attempts to abduct you—more than once this month alone—and the abductors are still unknown. Given that, it’s only natural for people to worry. Besides, criminal activity has been rising for some time.”

“My guess is that the general wanted to seize the opportunity to conduct an investigation. Not that I agree with his methods, but I can’t oppose him as long as he believes it is for the good of the Kingdom.”

“What are you saying? Isn’t the duty of the knights to keep the people safe? If criminal activity is increasing, then you all need to do a better job.” She shook her head.

“Abusing your authority and assaulting citizens will only make things worse. Pulling a stunt like this will throw the entire Kingdom into panic.”

She paused before adding, “Arresting people simply because of what they might be is lazy, reckless, and unjust. I disagree with his methods. It’s barbaric.”

“Indeed, you’re right, my lady. The people should come first. Apologies for thinking otherwise.”

“Either way, when all is said and done, it’s my fault for being late. If I had known my brother would do something like this because I was running behind, I would have tried to return sooner.” Her voice softened.

“I just hope I can still fix this before it’s too late.” She blamed herself for the pain and injustice the people were suffering.

Hearing her words, Sir Kola briefly remembered the figure standing with her when he had first spotted her in the market square. Perhaps that person had something to do with her lateness. He frowned.

He could not remember seeing the stranger leave her side, nor could he remember seeing him when he reached them. Yet he was certain he had seen someone.

“I’m certain she was with someone in the square, but why is my memory of the event so foggy? Something isn’t right.” He considered asking her, then dismissed the idea.

“But it’s not like I can simply ask her about it. That would be crossing the line, wouldn’t it?”

“Sir Kola, are you okay? You seem troubled. I hope it isn’t because of what I said. I admit I overreacted, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.”

“Huh? It’s nothing. Honestly, I just got distracted, that’s all. You don’t need to worry about it.” He smiled, forcing his thoughts aside.

She did not entirely believe him, but she felt that pressing the matter would only make things worse. So she accepted his answer and continued walking beside him Soon, they reached the palace gates.

One of the guards immediately hurried inside to announce her arrival, informing the King that the missing princess had returned.

“The palace, huh? So you’re quite the mystery, my Lady Pervert.”

The wanderer watched from the rooftops, amused by the discovery.

“So, are you a chief from the King’s council? But you’re a bit too reckless and childish for that. Maybe the Queen? What do you think, Olamide?”

“Judging by the outfit and the escort, it’s safe to say she’s the second princess of the Kingdom.” A young man approached from behind, answering the wanderer’s question.

The wanderer smiled. His companion’s answer filled in another piece of the puzzle. Now he had more information to work with, and several recent events suddenly made more sense.

“Now that explains the cause of some of the recent events,” he thought.

If she was the second princess, there were plenty of reasons people might target her. She could represent considerable profit to the right group. Still, he remained unconvinced that money was the true motive behind the group they had encountered.

Olamide studied him for a moment.

“Dare I ask why the young master is here, stalking the second princess of the Kingdom?”

“I’m not stalking her, Olamide. I’m just giving her an escort of sorts.”

“Huh? How does that work from this distance?”

Olamide glanced toward the palace gate, then back at him.

“You know what? Don’t answer. I don’t want to know. The less I know, the better. You’re the young master, after all.” The wanderer chuckled.

With the princess safely inside the palace and Sir Kola still unaware of what had happened in the market square, he remained on the rooftop, watching the entrance.

There was still much he did not understand: the mysterious group, the attempts against the princess, and the strange distortion in his own memories whenever he thought about the knight.

For now, however, one thing was certain. His encounter with the Lady Pervert was far from over.

As he watched the palace doors close behind her, the wanderer felt a faint curiosity stirring within him. He had entered the Kingdom expecting answers about the group, yet had somehow acquired another mystery instead.

The princess had already drawn his attention, and now he wondered what other secrets waited behind those guarded walls, patiently concealed from outsiders like him.