Livvi watched as Edita Delmon approached her and Scarlett. The older woman stopped in front of them, her eyes scrutinizing them both before fixating on Scarlett.

“Lady Hartford,” she said sharply. “A word.”

Scarlett merely appeared to study her for a moment. “A word, you say?”

“Lady Delmon—”

“Miss Knottley, if you could excuse us, I need to speak with the Baroness.”

Livvi couldn’t even say anything before she was interrupted by the woman. Hesitating, she glanced at Scarlett. Thoughts about her friend’s response to her question were still swirling in her mind, but Edita Delmon emitted an aura that didn’t allow for objection. If Livvi refused to go, it might escalate whatever this scenario was further. But she also wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to leave the two of them alone, either.

“There is no need to be concerned, Livvi,” Scarlett said. “You can go.”

Livvi looked back and forth between Scarlett and Lady Delmon for a breath longer, then reluctantly nodded her head and turned around to walk off. As she began following one of the paths leading to a different part of the garden where the venue was held, she took note of the nobles she passed by and who appeared to be casting curious glances towards the scene behind her.

After covering some distance, she glanced back as well and saw that Lady Delmon’s expression had soured due to whatever conversation the two were having. Meanwhile, Scarlett maintained her usual cool demeanor.

Livvi wasn’t sure what had transpired between the two of them prior to this, but seeing this, she felt uneasy leaving them like that. It was all too easy for someone of Lady Delmon’s standing to pressure minor nobles into doing what she wanted at events like this.

Livvi stopped, surveying the garden and the people gathered along the lake bank. Eventually, her gaze settled on her father’s stocky figure. The bald-headed man had relocated from where she had left him before, but he was still engaged in conversation with people she was familiar with. That was good. She knew they wouldn’t mind if she briefly borrowed her father. Her brother appeared to have wandered off elsewhere, but she didn’t need his help at the moment anyway.

Approaching her father and his company, the man turned away from the group to look at her. “Are you done speaking with the Hartford girl already?”

“We did not get much opportunity to talk,” she replied, glancing at her father’s companions. “Would it be alright if I stole my father’s attention for a short while?”

None of them objected as she brought him away, though the man himself held a deep frown on his face as he followed her.

“What is this about, Livvi?” he asked.

“I’m not entirely sure. I simply felt it would be best to intervene before things escalated.”

Livvi had heard about Scarlett’s actions during the Elysian Proclamation and witnessed it firsthand when the woman confronted Count Soames the previous day. It was clear that her friend wasn’t afraid to offend even those with far greater influence, and while Livvi believed Scarlett knew what she was doing, the intricacies of high society often led to grave consequences for even the tiniest of mistakes, even for those who were experienced.

Her father’s frown only deepened when he realized where she was leading him, transforming into a scowl when he spotted Lady Delmon standing opposite Scarlett.

“I suggest you reconsider your words just now, Scarlett.” The woman’s annoyed voice reached them as they approached.

“What is there to reconsider?” Scarlett replied. “I believe I have already made my stance on the subject clear. It is up to you how you choose to respond to that.”

“My husband and I have overlooked many things, but your inflated ego is proving too much. Do not think that you can do whatever you want simply because you have gained a few new allies.”

“I can assure you that my words would have remained the same, even without considering any recent acquaintances I might have made.”

Livvi froze, a sense of foreboding running down her spine as she listened to her friend’s words. What was Scarlett thinking? She was quickly losing confidence in Scarlett’s judgement.

Lady Delmon fixed the red-haired woman with a piercing gaze. “You have truly crossed the line this time.”

Livvi’s father cleared his throat loudly as the two of them approached. “Edita, I see you have taken up the habit of publicly berating the younger generations now that you’re getting on in years. That temper of yours is the same as always. Be careful not to pop a vein.”

The woman spun her head to look at them, the irritation evident in her eyes as they briefly rested on Livvi before shifting to Livvi’s father. “This does not concern you, Lord Knottley.”

“And thank Ittar for that,” the man replied. “I’d be the one liable to pop a vein if it did.” He glanced at Scarlett. “But my daughter had something she wanted to tell me, so I don’t think I will be leaving until she has.”

Lady Delmon’s attention returned to Livvi, who met her gaze and chose to remain silent for the time being. Eventually, the woman let out an annoyed huff and looked back at Scarlett. “Carefully consider what it is you are doing, Baroness. I believe you are already well acquainted with my son’s character, so don’t hope for more than you can get.” With that, she spun around and walked away, not sparing them a second glance.

Livvi overheard her father grumble about being forced into something so pointless, so in her heart she promised to thank him later with some spiced plum cake. Mother’s old recipe always managed to turn his mood around.

Putting those matters at the back of her mind for now, she focused on Scarlett. “I’m sorry if I ended up getting in the way, but it didn’t seem like that was going anywhere good.”

Her friend shook her head. “In truth, I appreciate your assistance. It was far from a productive conversation.”

Livvi studied her for a moment. “What were the two of you talking about?”

“Not much of note. It can be summarized as Lady Delmon attempting to convince me to end my betrothal with Sir Leon.”

Her eyes widened. “She wants you to call off the betrothal?”

Scarlett tilted her head slightly. “Is that truly so surprising?”

“No, it’s not,” Livvi’s father answered in a gruff tone. “It’s about time.”

“Father!” Livvi turned to stare at him, but he merely shrugged as he scratched his beard.

“The Delmons wouldn’t want to maintain their ties to her after what she’s done,” he explained.

“He is not wrong,” Scarlett said.

Livvi gave her friend a concerned look.

“There is no need to feel sorry for me,” Scarlett added. “I must admit that I am not particularly interested in the betrothal or what it entails either. And from my talks with Sir Leon, it seems he shares the same sentiment.”

“You’re…not?” Livvi’s voice betrayed her surprise.

She had never interacted much with Leon Delmon. Her relationship with Scarlett had already become somewhat distant by the time she first learned of their betrothal. She didn’t actually know if the two were close or not. Given what she’d heard about Sir Leon’s personality, however, it didn’t come as a shock to hear he wasn’t enthusiastic about the engagement. But she had expected Scarlett, at the very least, to fight tooth and nail to maintain it.

Even Livvi’s father raised a pair of bushy eyebrows at Scarlett’s admission.

Scarlett waved a hand dismissively. “My circumstances have changed. I no longer have much to gain from involving myself with the Delmons, so there is no meaning in continuing to do so.”

Livvi winced at how casually Scarlett discussed her own marriage. She knew her friend always approached things pragmatically, assessing what she gained and lost from relationships, but it saddened her to see Scarlett talking so nonchalantly about something that could shape and determine the rest of her life.

“You said that Edita wanted to convince you to end the betrothal?” Livvi’s father asked, his eyes narrowing. “I’ve been wondering why it wasn’t called off yet, but seems there was more to it.”

Scarlett met his gaze for a moment. “There is no point in denying it. Yes, there were additional aspects to our arrangement, though the specifics are not something I will share. I am sure that you can understand. Suffice it to say I am currently feeling rather petty.”

The man grunted as if that was about as far as he wanted to involve himself in this conversation and turned back to Livvi. “Was there something else you wanted to talk about?”

She shook her head. “No. Thank you, father.”

His expression softened a little just before he looked away. “Then I’ll be on my way.” With that, he left the two of them alone.

In the silence that followed, Livvi stole a few glances at Scarlett. The woman seemed to expect her to say something, but Livvi was still unsure about which topic to broach. Her thoughts kept circling back to her earlier doubts and concerns.

Not far away, in an adjacent part of the garden, she spotted a few familiar faces standing at the center of a small flower orchard. She pointed them out to Scarlett. “Isn’t that Lady Withersworth and her family? Should we go over and greet them?”

Scarlett seemed to take a moment to observe Livvi, then nodded. “Very well.”

They walked towards Lady Withersworth, who was accompanied by her husband and daughter. She noticed that the woman’s son and grandson, whom she had briefly met the night before, were absent. Hopefully they were safe.

When Lady Withersworth noticed them, a smile appeared on her face. She warmly greeted them upon their approach, and Livvi found a bit of relief in this opportunity to let the conversation flow without having to steer it with Scarlett for a while, just while she was still processing things.

Lady Withersworth expressed her delight at seeing that both Scarlett and Livvi appeared healthy despite the events of the previous night, though she did emphasize the importance of getting enough rest when she noticed the redness in Livvi’s eyes. After that, the woman took the chance to apparently once more thank Scarlett for the assistance she and Evelyne had provided in keeping them safe from the Tribe of Sin during the attack.

Time passed as Livvi and Scarlett engaged in casual conversation with Lady and Lord Withersworth. Eventually, the pair’s daughter excused herself to meet with some colleagues, and the couple departed not long after due to prior commitments with associates of theirs. Before leaving, Lady Withersworth made sure Scarlett promised to keep in touch and reach out if she ever needed help. Livvi couldn’t fully understand why the woman was so intent on supporting Scarlett, but she was glad that her friend had such a reliable ally, considering everything that had happened.

After the couple’s departure, Livvi had expected she would finally need to come up with a new topic of conversation with Scarlett. But to her surprise, it was as if the floodgates had opened, and strangers started approaching her friend seemingly out of nowhere. Most of them simply wanted to express their gratitude for Scarlett’s actions during the attack.

Livvi began to wonder just how many people her friend had helped the previous night. Over the next half-hour or so, at least a dozen individuals went up to them, some looking uncomfortable but still offering their thanks. Scarlett responded coolly and appeared mostly indifferent to their words, but she didn’t outright dismiss them.

Eventually, after the number of people approaching them had dwindled down, Livvi and Scarlett found themselves in a more secluded area of the garden, which overlooked the lake and its water from a serene patio that sported several different types of flowers around its edges. By this time, Livvi felt like she had finally managed to regain some control of her thoughts and could engage in a proper conversation with her friend.

They ended up discussing some of Scarlett’s recent exploits, including the woman’s explorations of various ruins. It was a topic that surprised Livvi, as she discovered the depth of her friend’s experience in such endeavors. It was simply another change on top of a mountain of others that she never would have expected from the woman before.

After a while, she noticed Scarlett’s gaze shifting in another direction. Following her friend’s line of sight, she spotted a woman in a tunic standing surrounded by a group of people. Livvi felt a sense of familiarity from the woman, but she couldn’t quite place who she was from this distance.

“Is that someone you know?” she asked Scarlett, her curiosity piqued.

“…I suppose one could say that, yes,” the woman replied.

Just then, the person in question glanced in their direction. She was dressed in formal knight attire, with dark hair pulled into a braid, and a sword at her side. Turning to the people around her, she seemed to exchange a few words with them before suddenly turning around and beginning to walk towards Livvi and Scarlett.

Livvi was taken aback when she finally recognized the woman. Dame Iyana Webb.

Was Scarlett even acquainted with a member of the Royal Guard?

“Dame Iyana,” Scarlett greeted as the woman approached them, drawing the eyes of those who had been surrounding the knight earlier.

“Lady Hartford,” the woman replied with a stoic voice, stopping in front of them. Her attention turned to Livvi.

“This is Livvi Knottley,” Scarlett said. “She is an old friend of mine.”

Dame Iyana arched a brow. “Count Knottley’s daughter?”

Livvi nodded. “Yes.”

Scarlett’s gaze shifted to the group the knight had left behind. “Could it be that you used us as an excuse to extricate yourself from more of those ‘incessant solicitors’?” she asked.

The woman glanced back only briefly. “Yes, and it worked surprisingly well.”

“I imagine most of them recognized who I am,” Scarlett remarked. “You might come to regret using that strategy later.”

Dame Iyana locked eyes with Scarlett. “I do not mind.”

Livvi observed their interaction for a moment. “Are the two of you well acquainted?” she asked. They had only exchanged a few words, but it already felt like there was an understanding between them that she couldn’t quite follow. She wasn’t sure what to feel about it.

“We only spoke for the first time last night,” Scarlett answered, surprising Livvi.

The woman turned to Dame Iyana. “Now that you have distanced yourself from those people, there is no need to linger with us any longer than necessary, if you do not wish to.”

The knight surveyed their surroundings. “Here is as good as any other place for now.”

“…If you say so.” Scarlett looked over at Livvi. “Unless Miss Livvi has any objection, I will not chase you away.”

Livvi paused, considering it for the briefest of moments, then smiled. “You are welcome to stay with us.”

She didn’t feel she had a valid reason—or the right—to refuse. Besides, even though it was a bit perplexing, she was also somewhat curious about the dynamic between Scarlett and the knight. Especially if they had only recently gotten to know each other, as they claimed.

Dame Iyana nodded slowly, her expression remaining unexpressive, which Livvi found fitting for the moniker she had been given.

Scarlett appeared to scrutinize the woman. “Seeing that you are here, I presume things went well for you after our parting yesterday?”

“It depends on how you define the word,” Dame Iyana replied.

“You appear to have all your limbs still intact, at the very least.”

“I did not face any opponents skilled enough to pose a threat in that regard.”

“I suppose the Tribe of Sin saved their more formidable members for the battle that took place in the ballroom, then.”

“That is what I gathered afterward.” The knight crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Their aim was to keep me occupied.”

Scarlett's gaze wandered once more to the spot where Dame Iyana had been surrounded by people before. The crowd there had dispersed by now, Livvi noted.

“Regardless, you ensured the safety of a large number of guests,” Scarlett said. “I would not consider that a complete waste of time.”

“My father has spoken highly of your skill on several occasions,” Livvi chimed in. “I am sure your presence proved invaluable to all of us.”

Dame Iyana directed her attention to Livvi, studying her for a few seconds before speaking. “It’s reassuring to hear that Count Knottley holds me in high regard. He is well known among the knights at Dawnlight Palace.”

“He is?” Livvi didn’t know that. “My father often told me he can’t compare to Sir Crowder of the Solar Knights, or any of the knights among the Royal Guard, for that matter.”

The knight cocked her head to the side briefly, as if considering it. “He is mostly known for being the only one besides His Majesty who can silence the Captain. I have witnessed their sparring matches as well, and the Count is a skilled knight in his own right.”

Livvi gave her a puzzled look. She assumed the woman was referring to the captain of the Royal Guard. Livvi had only met the man on a handful of occasions when he had visited her father in Freybrook, but she had never gotten the impression that he was someone who needed ‘silencing’.

“From what you shared related to the First Sword, it seems you face considerable challenges in your role as a Royal Guard,” Scarlett said, eyeing the knight.

Dame Iyana nodded seriously. “I intend to have him removed from his position in due course.”

Livvi blinked, her eyes widening. What was she hearing?

“Was that another ‘joke’?” Scarlett asked.

“No,” the knight answered.

“I see.” Scarlett seemed unfazed by that response.

Now, Livvi couldn’t help but stare at both of them. Was it okay to openly discuss such matters? She wasn’t even aware of any tensions within the Royal Guard. Wasn’t this cause for concern?

“That old man always talks about starting a workshop for his woodwork,” Dame Iyana continued. “I have been thinking it would suit him well when he retires.”

Livvi frowned. Sir Swale was slightly younger than her father, if her memory served her right. There had been previous captains who’d held the position well into their sixties, so she didn’t see why the man couldn’t continue for another decade or so.

“You appear to share a close relationship with him,” Scarlett said.

Livvi turned her attention to her friend, puzzled by her interpretation of the situation—

Dame Iyana nodded. “He raised me after my family died.”

Livvi paused. It seemed like she had been the one to misunderstand the situation.

“Sounds like a pleasant person,” Scarlett said.

“Questionable,” the knight responded. ”He can be, but there are many qualities that leave one wanting.”

Livvi studied her for a moment. “That is actually something that appears to be rather common in those that my father calls friends.”

The woman looked at her. “Then perhaps it is the Count who has questionable preferences in forging camaraderies.”

“That would not surprise me.”

Livvi turned to her friend in slight surprise. “Scarlett!”

Her friend simply shrugged her shoulders lightly. “I merely spoke from what I know of his personality.”

Livvi pursed her lips together. It wasn’t as if she could deny it…

She let out a small sigh. “Rather than discuss the aspects of my father’s character, perhaps you could continue where you left off earlier, Scarlett? It might interest Dame Iyana as well, even. I myself was rather intrigued to hear more about those excursions you spoke of.”

Scarlett eyed the two of them for a second, with Dame Iyana not saying anything in objection, then nodded her head. “Very well.”

From there, the woman delved more into the topics related to her recent adventures, some of which truly surprised Livvi to hear, which then developed into Dame Iyana also sharing some of her experiences as a Royal Guard and Livvi telling some stories she had heard during her time in the Shields Guild.

From time to time, Livvi would find herself watching Scarlett as her thoughts wandered back to the questions she had, but she didn’t know what she wanted to do with those questions. She didn’t know where this would go in the future. She didn’t want to pry too much.

But she also hoped that there wouldn’t have to be a repeat of the past, where she barely spoke to her friend for years.

For now, though, she would let concerns and curiosities be. This was neither the time nor the place. And from there…she would have to see.