“Where did this wild girl come from? Get lost! We are under orders from the Earl—”
Before he could finish, his vision blurred!
Lyra didn’t bother wasting words. She moved so fast she left an afterimage. With a burst of power from her feet, she launched herself into the group of guards like a cannonball!
She used no weapons, relying only on her fists and extreme speed.
*Thud!*
A fist slammed hard into the jaw of the nearest guard. Without even a grunt, he toppled backward.
*Clang!*
She sidestepped a scabbard swung by another man, driving her elbow deep into his ribs. The faint sound of cracking bone echoed as the man doubled over in agony.
*Whack!*
With a crisp, clean spinning kick to the third guard’s temple, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground.
The leader was horrified. He drew his sword to strike, but Lyra was faster!
She ducked beneath the blade, braced one hand on the ground, and locked her legs around his ankle like a pair of scissors. She twisted with sudden force!
*Crack!*
“Argh—!”
The leader screamed as he hit the ground, clutching his twisted ankle and rolling in pain.
The entire sequence happened in the blink of an eye.
By the time Freya steadied herself by the carriage door, several of House Elwin’s guards were strewn across the ground. They were either unconscious or groaning in pain, completely incapacitated.
Only Lyra remained standing, breathing slightly hard. She brushed nonexistent dust from her hands, a look of satisfaction on her face as if she had just finished a good warm-up.
Old John watched the scene with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open far enough to fit an egg.
Lyra turned back to Freya. The fierce, cold expression vanished instantly, replaced by a trace of pride and caution, like a puppy seeking a reward.
“Boss, it’s settled! The pests who were bothering your sleep have been cleared out!”
Freya: “…”
She looked at the guards groaning in pain on the ground, then at Lyra’s ‘please praise me’ expression. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
What welled up in her heart first was astonishment at Lyra’s efficient, brutal combat prowess, followed by a flicker of warmth—Lyra was standing up for her without any hesitation.
But immediately after came a deeper worry.
‘Injuring the guards sent by my father… even if they were the ones who forcefully blocked the carriage, this undoubtedly escalates the conflict. The mask is off.’
How would her father react?
Freya eventually sighed, stepped down from the carriage, and scanned the scene.
“They were just following orders.”
“So what if they were? They tried to take you away by force, Boss!” Lyra curled her lip, dismissive of the concern. “Besides, they were disturbing your rest! They deserved the beating!”
Freya shook her head, saying no more.
She walked over to the guard leader, who was clutching his ankle and drenched in cold sweat. She crouched down, her voice calm but carrying an undeniable chill.
“Go back and tell the Earl that I am unwell today and have returned to House Dale to recuperate. If there is nothing urgent, we can talk tomorrow. If anyone else attempts to block my path by force without permission…” She paused, her gaze sweeping over the guards scattered across the ground. “They will have to bear the consequences.”
Enduring the intense pain, the guard leader looked into Freya’s cold purple eyes. He couldn’t help but shiver, nodding repeatedly.
“Old John, let’s go.”
Freya stood up and climbed back into the carriage.
Lyra hopped in after her and closed the door.
The carriage bypassed the moaning guards and continued toward House Dale.
Silence returned to the carriage, but the atmosphere had shifted entirely.
Lyra was still a bit excited, but seeing Freya’s quiet, pensive profile, she gradually settled down.
“Lyra…” Freya spoke suddenly. “Next time… try not to be so heavy-handed unless they truly threaten our lives, alright?”
“Oh…” Lyra responded. She sounded a bit reluctant, but she nodded nonetheless. “Understood, Boss. I’ll try to hold back.”
‘But if anyone else dares to move against the Boss,’ Lyra thought to herself, ‘I don’t care who sent them—I’m hitting them anyway!’
Freya rubbed her temples.
Tonight was truly an eventful night.
She looked out at the deep darkness. The silhouette of the Dale Mansion was already visible in the distance.
—
By the time the carriage pulled through the gates of the Dale Mansion, the night was late, yet the estate was brightly lit.
Aru the butler was waiting personally under the porch. His usually steady face carried a rare gravity and a hint of anxiety.
Seeing the carriage stop, he quickly stepped forward to meet it.
“Miss, you’re finally back!”
Aru kept his voice very low. His eyes quickly swept over Freya’s slightly disheveled clothing and pale face before glancing at Lyra, who stood behind her looking spirited but clearly having just exerted herself. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Lord Calanso is waiting for you in the study… and—” He paused, lowering his voice further. “Earl Elwin is here as well.”
‘Father? He followed me here so quickly?’
Freya’s heart sank slightly.
It seemed the guards Lyra injured had already sent word back, or… her father had intended to come to House Dale tonight to ‘resolve the issue’ as soon as she returned from the Imperial Palace.
“I understand, Grandpa Aru.”
Freya’s voice remained steady, but the coldness at her fingertips betrayed her inner turmoil.
“Lyra, come with me.”
“Yes, Boss!” Lyra replied immediately, her eyes turning sharp with vigilance.
She also realized something was wrong. That father of hers, who was so mean to the Boss, had actually chased her to her grandfather’s house? What was he trying to do?
Led by Aru, the two of them walked through the oppressively quiet corridor and arrived at the study door.
The heavy oak door was tightly shut, but the faint sound of a low-toned conversation leaked out. The tone seemed far from pleasant.
Aru knocked softly and then pushed the door open.
“Master, Miss Freya and Miss Lyra have arrived.”
Inside the study, the fireplace blazed brighter than usual. The flickering flames cast the elongated shadows of two confronting figures onto the walls.
Grandfather Calanso sat in his usual chair. His silver hair seemed to burn with anger under the firelight. His face was grim, and his sharp eyes stared directly at the man standing across the desk.
Earl Hezdi Elwin had his back to the door, his posture straight but radiating suppressed fury.
Hearing the sound, he spun around abruptly.
His face looked even worse than it had at the Imperial Palace—a sickly sallow mixed with exhaustion and an explosive, offended rage.
When his gaze landed on Freya, that anger almost became physical, ready to burst forth.
However, when he saw Lyra standing behind Freya—who didn’t back down and even tilted her chin slightly to meet his gaze—that anger was instantly overwritten by a deeper emotion, a mix of wariness and loathing.
“Freya Christo Dale!”
Hezdi’s voice was like suppressed thunder, exploding within the study.
“Look at what you’ve done! Publicly losing your composure in the Imperial Palace and defying His Highness! And now, you’ve even allowed this senseless wild girl to injure the guards of House Elwin! Do you still have any respect for me as your father?! Do you have any regard for family rules?!”
A barrage of accusations rained down on her, carrying long-accumulated anger and the anxiety of a situation spinning out of control.
Calanso huffed loudly, slamming a hand down on his armchair.
“Hezdi! Watch your words! This is House Dale, not a place where you can berate my granddaughter at will! As for those guards, if they hadn’t been bold enough to forcibly intercept a carriage of House Dale on the streets with the intent to harm Freya, how could they have brought such humiliation upon themselves?!”
He pushed back without mercy, placing the blame entirely on the ones who initiated the interception.
“Intent to harm? They were merely ordered to invite her back!” Hezdi turned to Calanso, his chest heaving. “Father-in-law, is this how you’ve taught her? To become so arrogant and lawless?! She even dared to reject the Marriage Contract personally proposed by His Highness! Do you have any idea what that means?!”
“Marriage Contract?” Calanso sneered. “That was just Ross’s wishful thinking! If my Little Star doesn’t want it, no one can force her! That includes you, Hezdi Elwin! As for what it means? It means my granddaughter has the right to choose her own life instead of becoming a pawn in your political games and that shady ‘Temple Plan’!”
The words “Temple Plan” were like a drop of water into a boiling vat of oil. Hezdi’s face instantly turned hideous, revealing a flash of panic at having his secrets exposed.
“You… what nonsense are you talking about?!”
“Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, you know the truth in your heart!” Calanso stood up. Although he was aged, the aura of a man who had spent years on the battlefield was not inferior to Hezdi’s in his prime. “The people of the Holy Temple have been in and out of your study frequently lately. Did you think you could hide it from anyone? Did you really think I’d be ignorant of what you’re planning?! Hezdi, I’m warning you—don’t let those ethereal promises and pressures cloud your mind and lead you to do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life, something that will bring shame upon House Elwin!”
The atmosphere in the study almost solidified during the tense standoff between the two family heads.
Freya watched it all silently.
The argument between her father and grandfather ripped away the mask of hypocritical warmth, exposing the core conflict in its rawest form—the pressure from the Imperial Family, the schemes of the Holy Temple, her father’s choice, and her own will and destiny.
She took a deep breath and stepped forward, standing in the center of the two clashing gazes.
“Father, Grandfather.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was exceptionally clear, carrying a strange piercing quality that brought the argument to an abrupt halt.
Both men looked at her.
Freya first looked at Hezdi. Her pale purple eyes were calm and waveless, yet they made Hezdi feel an inexplicable pressure.
“Father, regarding what happened at the Imperial Palace tonight, I was indeed feeling unwell and left early. If there was any impropriety, I will explain it to His Highness myself.”
She paused before continuing.
“As for your guards, they intercepted my carriage on a dark street without clearly stating their purpose and maintained a forceful attitude. My assistant reacted out of an instinct to protect me. While her actions were extreme, they were not without cause. If you believe their behavior was blameless, Father, then I have nothing left to say. However, if you intend to pursue accountability for this or use it to force me into a decision against my will, then please forgive your daughter, for I cannot comply.”
She is a f#cking coward.