The carriage carrying Non and Emily departed from the mansion with elegance, apanied by a small squad of knights on sturdy horses, esc the vehicle with impeccable precision.

  Emily sat quietly, watg how the guards moved with discipline around them, f a human shield that prevented anyone from getting close.

  As they left the affluent district of Upper Vindenhall, Emily noticed several curious onlookers peeking from their doors and windows, watg the spectacle of nobles and important figures being turned away at the mansion’s gates.

  “I’ve never seen so many nobles in one pce…” Emily thought, feeling a bit small in parison to the otion now surrounding Non’s life.

  But what caught her attention most was how everyone’s gaze seemed fixed on the carriage.

  Murmurs, whispers, and specutive gnces followed them with every step.

  As the carriage moved forward, the city of Vindenhall began to fade behind them.

  Soon, they left behind the cobblestoreets and mansion facades, entering broader paths lined with fields and rolling green hills.

  Within mihe sery transformed into dense forests, where tall trees and the shadows cast by their opies created a calming atmosphere.

  Emily couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the view.

  As they ventured deeper into the wooded region, Emily peeked out the rear window, watg as Vindenhall shrank in the distanbsp;

  From there, it seemed so small, an insignifit city pared to the vast ndscape stretg before her eyes.

  Turning her head forward, she saw how the road widened, surrounded by majestic trees and, occasionally, graceful hills rising in the distanbsp;

  “Non,” she said suddenly, breaking the silenside the carriage. “Where exactly are we going?”

  Non, who seemed lost in his own thoughts, looked up calmly a her gaze with slightly sleepy eyes.

  “We’re going to Novark, the capital.”

  Emily’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Novark? We’re going there?” she asked, uo hide the excitement and slight nervousness in her voibsp;

  The capital of the Kingdom of Valenfort ce she only knew from rumors and stories people told at the bakery.

  The heart of the nation, a pce of power ah, home not only to royalty but also to the most iial people in the kingdom.

  “And… what are we going to do there?”

  Non looked at her for a moment, carefully sidering his words.

  “I have a couple of things to take care of,” he murmured evasively. But after seeing the genuine curiosity on Emily’s face, he decided to tinue. “Also… the princess mentioned something iing in her letter. There’s a healer in Novark who might… treat my dition. Apparently, it could speed up my recovery.”

  Emily eechless.

  “Your dition?” she repeated in a whisper, as if it were a straerm she still didn’t fully grasp. Her mind slowly processed what Non had said. “There’s someone who … heal you faster?”

  “Yes, but it’s fidential,” Non crified, l his void looking at her seriously. “The kingdom doesn’t want too much being known about my state. It would be a problem if wot out.”

  Emily nodded, uanding the delicate nature of the matter.

  The idea that someone like Non, who seemed to have unusual potential, was in a promised state would be dangerous information in the wrong hands.

  “That makes sense,” she said slowly. “But… are we going to see that healer now?”

  Non shook his head.

  “Not immediately. First, we o go to a church.”

  “A church?” Emily asked, frowning in fusion. “Won’t that attrauch attention? If everyone’s already talking about you, going to a chur the capital…”

  Non smiled faintly, as if he had anticipated that .

  “The church will be closed to the public when we arrive. Just for us.”

  Emily’s jaw nearly dropped in surprise.

  “Closed just for us? How is that even possible?” Emily excimed, with a mix of disbelief and amazement.

  Non looked at her steadily, his expressioral but with a hint nation.

  “The princess,” he replied simply. “She has her own is at py. She said closing the church for a couple of hours is the least she do to make sure everything stays under trol.”

  Emily felt as if the reality around her was crumbling.

  Was the princess’s influence really that powerful?

  Closing a church, mobilizing staff and guards…

  What madness!

  “This… is way bigger than I thought…” she murmured, more to herself than to him.

  “I know,” Non admitted, before looking at her with a serioushat uled her. “But for now, I need you with me. Your presence… helps me stay focused.”

  Emily blinked, surprised.

  “My presence… calms you?” she repeated, stunned.

  What was that supposed to mean?

  How could she, a mere baker, have any influen someone like Non, whose life was… so plicated to uand!?

  Before she could dig deeper, the carriage jolted violently. Emily g to the edge of the seat, looking around in arm.

  The sounds of shouting and thudding echoed from outside, apanied by the metallic csh of swords.

  “What’s happening?” Emily asked, leaning out the window.

  From her position, Emily could see the knights esc the carriage g with a group of hooded figures that had emerged from the forest.

  The horses neighed, retreating in fusion, and the carriage itself rocked violently as the knights struggled to repel the attacks.

  “Non,” she excimed, looking at him with her heart rag. “They’re fighting!”

  Non sat up in his seat, the se with a disturbingly calm demeanor.

  “Rex,” he said, his voice so sere almost seemed inappropriate for the situation. “Nothing’s going to happen.”

  But to Emily, the situation was anything but calm.

  The carriage tio shake, and the sounds of battle intensified.

  There was no way this would end well if they stayed surrounded!

  With her heart ihroat, Emily could only watch helplessly, w what kind of danger Non’s presence had drawn this time.

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