She had even gotten into a big argument with the rest of Rainbow Bonds over this.
But Laila hadn’t even given her a chance to explain—
“Hmph, and now you show up pretending to be all kind? Here to gawk at Lady Irene’s misery, is that it?”
Laila’s fingers curled around a lock of her ice-blue hair that fell beside her cheek.
Her eyes—matching that same cold hue—were filled with hostility.
“Go back. My lady won’t see you.”
“No, I just came to convince Irene to return—”
Laila paused, then snapped coldly,
“So insincere. Just you, by yourself? After all you did to hurt her so deeply, you think a single sentence can erase everything like nothing happened?”
“How shameless can you be?!”
Laila had seen it.
Even though Irene wore makeup today, the red rims around her eyes hadn’t been fully covered.
No.
She would never give these people another chance to get close—to hurt her lady again.
Without waiting for another word, Laila turned around and ordered the coachman to resume the journey.
All Helga could do now was watch helplessly as the carriage grew smaller and smaller in the distance—
Just like the distance between their hearts.
Yes, the rumors had been started by them.
Helga had objected at the start.
But in the end, she couldn’t go against Serena.
After all, Serena was the party leader.
And besides—
Irene’s final words when leaving the party…
“I never found any joy in being part of this adventurer’s team.”
That sentence…
Felt like a dagger driven straight into her heart.
What did she mean by that?
Two and a half years of life and death together, all the joy and hardship—
To Irene, was it all meaningless?
Lies.
She said they were companions.
So what did they even mean to her?
What Helga hadn’t expected—
Was that the rumors would spread so quickly.
And when news came that Irene had been publicly dumped by the crown prince and exiled by her family…
Helga had been utterly stunned.
She’d never thought the consequences would be that serious.
According to Serena and the others, the most it would do was make Irene unwelcome in any other party—
That she’d be stuck, without anyone willing to take her in.
But Helga—overcome by guilt—had decided to go in person to apologize.
To try and bring Irene back.
And yet—
Serena didn’t see it that way.
In fact, before she’d left, they’d gotten into a huge argument over the whole thing.
And now, her teammates’ voices still echoed clearly in her mind…
“Stop right there, Helga! Where do you think you’re going?!”
Serena slammed her wineglass onto the table, her crimson eyes blazing like fire.
Helga halted at the door, her chest heaving with frustration.
“Where else? I’m going to explain things to Irene. We’re supposed to be companions! Isn’t this something we can resolve with a conversation? Does it really have to come to this?”
“Hmph. Companions? Has she ever treated us like companions?!”
Serena’s voice was filled with fury.
“Sure, she’s useless in battle except for handling logistics, and yeah, she’s got her share of bad habits—But did any of us ever complain?”
“Think about it! When she left, did she even give a damn about what we said? What did she think of us? That’s what she thinks of companions?!”
Helga lowered her eyes slightly, but still spoke up:
“I’m not saying Irene wasn’t in the wrong, but Serena, don’t you think you’ve gone too far?”
Serena fell silent for a moment… but still stood her ground.
“…If she’s willing to come back and apologize, I’ll admit my part in this too. But she’s the one who messed up first. She needs to make the first move!”
Helga’s gaze flickered.
She’d always been more sensitive, more perceptive than the others.
She could already imagine how deeply Irene must have been hurt after what happened last night.
If they kept this stubborn standoff going any longer—they might lose her for good.
Serena… you’re too proud.
If this keeps up, there really might be no going back.
She turned, pleadingly, to the other two.
“Lothswytha, Reggiliv… you can’t possibly agree with this, right?”
Priestess Lothswytha remained kneeling before the miniature goddess statue, bathed in holy light.
Her eyes flickered briefly, but she said nothing, still deep in silent prayer.
She was always the quiet one.
Passive, indecisive.
Clearly, asking her was pointless.
“Reggiliv… we can’t lose Irene. For two and a half years, we supported each other. We survived all those trials together…”
“And that’s exactly the kind of confidence Irene had—the kind that let her leave the party like we meant nothing to her,”
Reggiliv’s voice was ice cold.
And what she said—
Helga couldn’t make sense of it at all.
“Since Irene-chan said it herself—that she never enjoyed being in a party with us—then why should we even try to get her back?! I don’t know what’s going on in her head, but I’m not forgiving her that easily!”
Reggiliv turned to Helga, her eyes dark as the midnight sea.
“Besides, if we’re the ones to bow our heads first and apologize, then Helga, what happens to our dignity as an S-Rank team?What about our reputation?”
“What do you think public opinion will be like then? We, the members of Rainbow Covenant, will be labeled as the ones in the wrong! We’ll lose our standing not just in the Kingdom—but across the entire continent!”
“Think it through. Serena’s right—Irene made the first move, so she has to be the first one to back down!”
Helga’s voice trembled with rage:
“I don’t care about reputation. What matters more than companions?!”
She slammed the door behind her, her voice echoing through the hallway:
“Fine. If none of you will go, then I will bring her back myself! And when I do, you’re all going to talk it out properly!”
But reality was cruel.
She left full of resolve—and didn’t even get to see Irene’s face.
At this point, Irene clearly had no intention of speaking to any of them.
Could it be… she’d truly had enough of them all this time?
Was being in a party with them really that miserable?
“Irene…”
The autumn wind whispered through the city, rustling golden leaves along the cobblestones.
Helga stood frozen on the capital’s streets, her eyes lingering on the vanishing carriage at the edge of her vision, unable to say a word.
*****
Meanwhile—
Inside a nearby palanquin, Serena threw down the white bouquet of lilies in her hand, stomping it viciously under her heel.
She had seen it—how Irene ignored Helga’s plea completely and left without a word.
So last night’s declaration wasn’t just angry talk.
Irene really did hate her…
And probably all of them.
If that’s the case—what was there left to hold onto?
The pathetic part was—
She had actually chased after her, ready to reconcile.
As long as Irene apologized for what she said last night,
Serena had even been prepared to face the consequences of spreading those damaging rumors.
If Irene wanted to punish her, to yell at her, to hate her forever—so be it.
But now…
“Fine, go then! Never come back! It’s not like I needed you anyway!”
She muttered under her breath.
In her fiery eyes, emotions flickered like embers.
“Just a glorified errand girl… Without you, this team will only get stronger!”
Beside her, Rosseviser still wore her usual dazed and adorable expression.
She merely let out a soft sigh and shook her head.
*****
Question: Why do bandits rob travelers?
Answer: For money, obviously.
Question: Then why would bandits try to ambush a fully armed noble convoy, or a caravan with heavy escort?
Answer: Unless they’ve been kicked in the head by a donkey, they wouldn’t be that stupid.
Armed caravans, even if robbed successfully, would cost the bandits dearly.
And bandits weren’t in this line of work to die for glory—they just wanted to make a living.
So why would they be foolish enough to target a convoy flying the Raven Marquis’s banner?
After all, as one of the Kingdom’s top military officials, the Raven Marquis held command over powerful forces.
Who in their right mind would dare lay a finger on her entourage?
It was no different than pulling a tiger’s whiskers.
From Irene’s point of view, these people were just asking for death.
And yet—here she was, watching as a group of bandit-looking men launched an ambush.
There were roughly fifty to sixty of them—four to five times the size of her escort unit.
Their commander, Knight Captain Ansel, was currently attempting to negotiate.
“You shameless bandits! Do you even know who you’re stopping here? This is the Raven household’s convoy! If you don’t step aside now, and you incur the Marquis’s wrath, your entire mountain gang will be wiped off the map!”
Captain Ansel was already being unusually polite.
Just in case these men were desperate, he’d even handed them a generous bribe.
But… it didn’t seem to work.
With no choice left, he tried to intimidate them again—perhaps they hadn’t noticed the Raven family’s emblem.
That’s when the leader of the bandits—a one-eyed brute—stepped forward.
“Raven’s daughter, huh? Perfect. You’re exactly the one we’re looking for. Lady Irene, don’t resist. You’re outnumbered. Just come quietly and we’ll treat you with courtesy.”
He casually tossed the heavy coin pouch aside without so much as a glance, as if money meant nothing to him.
Captain Ansel was about to argue further, hoping to scare them off—but behind him came Irene’s cold, steady voice:
“Captain Ansel, don’t waste your breath. These men aren’t ordinary bandits. They’re here specifically for me.”
Tftc!
You ruined her reputation, got her engagement cut off, and “had her family exiled her”
Why would she not be furious?!