The courtyard held its breath, the knight's words echoing, unwelcome and heavy.
"Your elder brother had asked you never to be late for your classes."
A hush fell, one that even the warm breeze refused to break.
Selena's lips parted, her expression faltering.
Though a princess, she hesitated—unwilling to make a scene. But Raven's brow twitched.
'A guard? Daring to pressure the princess like this? In public?'
He knew this was how it was supposed to be, but he couldn't let it be.
'I can't let the first normal girl I met face such a situation.'
Above all, he had to save her as the protagonist.
So, before Clara could act, he moved.
He calmly stepped forward, not rushing. But the air shifted around him.
"That's enough."
His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the air like a blade.
Selena blinked as if someone had yanked her out of a haze.
The knight, who had frozen at Raven's words, turned to him with caution. He could feel the weight of that gaze—the gaze of a Vaise.
