Her fingers twitched again and again, irritation bleeding through every movement. Her body shook at an alarming rate, the effort of holding her anger together plainly costing her. Her blue eyes blazed with a deadly intensity that left no question, she could strike her enemy dead at a glance.

"Sh—she did what?"

Leomaris leaned into his seat, caught somewhere between amusement and concern. Hazel’s reaction was something, but then so was the sheer amount of loyalty behind it.

An uneasy smile tugged at her lips. "You let her live because you wanted me to hunt her down, correct, Young Master?"

Leomaris let out a soft giggle, though unease lingered in it. "Not really. I need her alive to confirm something in the future."

His words, and just like that, her expression settled calmly, as though the woman overflowing with malicious intent moments ago was someone else entirely.

"If that is the case, then I see no issue. I can kill her in the future for her blasphemy."

Leomaris’s expression didn’t shift. What Adeline had done had made him realise something he’d never properly stopped to consider.

Watching Adeline wear Hazel’s face had made one thing clear: how much the real Hazel meant to him.

Everything Adeline did was wrong, and not subtly wrong either. The lack of professionalism. The absence of the care and devotion that came so naturally to Hazel. Every bit of it had made his blood boil.

It was something he’d never have cottoned on to had Adeline not shown up. A few months, that was all he’d had with Hazel in this world. To Hazel, they’d known each other for years. But those few months had planted something in Leomaris that ran deep. Hazel was the sister he never had.

Finally, he smiled. ’I think I’ll have to treat her to dinner sometime. Adeline enjoyed that side of me after all.’

"Would you like to hear my report now, Young Master?"

Hazel’s words snapped Leomaris out of his daze. He motioned politely.

Hazel was seated across from Leomaris in the living room. She adjusted herself and sat up straighter, composure settling over her like second nature.

"I wasn’t sure what kind of members you’d be interested in, and although you left everything in my hands, I still aimed to select individuals who meet your expectations. I settled on three ladies and two gentlemen."

Leomaris mulled it over. Where she’d found them he couldn’t say, but he had every reason to believe they’d serve him well enough. What concerned him most was their strength and whether their loyalty was worth a damn.

"I’m sure you are worried about strength and loyalty, but you mustn’t worry about that at all, Young Master. Your name, Jester of the End, is everywhere these days... even larger organizations have taken notice of you, believing you are a Philosopher."

She gave her words a beat.

"These members were eager to belong to someone as powerful as you, though I made it clear you would not grant them your presence until they had proven their worth."

His brow furrowed, and his expression darkened along with it.

"How exactly did you ask them to prove their worth?"

"I asked them to protect this mansion, Young Master. Since Lady Rosay is still hibernating, we cannot leave it solely in Lancet’s hands. They do not know each other’s identities, but they possess the mask of Laughing End, allowing secure communication to ensure mission success."

A soft smile tugged at Leomaris’s lips. Good news, this. He only had the one day before he’d be off to train under Instructor Moon, and the thought of Rosay left without protection if her enemies came knocking hadn’t sat well with him.

Hazel’s sharp thinking was already edging him toward a deeper appreciation of her.

"Well done, Hazel. How strong are these individuals? If any third-year cadets were to attack, no weakling would stand a chance."

Hazel moved with quiet deference, a small gesture that said not to worry.

"One of the first things Master Sebastian taught me was how to identify stronger individuals. I saved one from being killed by a gang of thieves. He isn’t a mage, but he is experienced and good at hunting.

"The other man is slightly older. I approached him when he was leaving a pub after spending all his money on rat-baiting. He is a Magician with over two decades of experience. He required funds to acquire ingredients needed to reach the Sorcerer rank. It was a viable arrangement, as I promised payment.

"Two of the ladies were slaves taken from the northern mountains. They believe they have deep ties to the wilderness. In short, they are barbarians."

Her expression stayed professional, though the discomfort of what she was about to say had something slightly off creeping into her manner.

"The next was a highly ranked noble. She is strong enough to hold her own against me, and she is a Magician as well. But it is strange, she approached in the darkness after seeing my mask. I refused her, yet she followed me for days... so I gave in."

Leomaris scratched his chin for a moment. That was strange. Either she had a hidden agenda, or she’d come from a family that had her feeling well and truly oppressed, looking for a way out. If it were the latter, she’d be a good ally to have.

"What family is she from?"

Hazel’s expression took a saddened tone.

"I’m sorry, Young Master. She refused to tell me. She said she would only trust you with her family’s name."

Leomaris sighed. This made things more complicated than he needed right now. For her to square up to Hazel like that, this was something she’d die protecting without a second thought. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"So a hunter, a gambler, two barbarians, and a noble... hmm?"

Hazel motioned positively.

"Let us trust them to protect the mansion for the time being. We have no alternative but to leave that responsibility in their hands."

If they did their job well, he’d have one less thing to fret over where Rosay was concerned, leaving him free to focus on Instructor Moon, who was fast becoming his most pressing threat.

A knock came at the door soon enough. Hazel excused herself and went to see to it, but the expression she came back with told Leomaris everything, it wasn’t good.

"Uhm— Duke Godfrey needs your presence right now, Young Master."

Leomaris’s eyes went wide, and his chest seized. He opened his mouth more than once, the words dying in his throat each time, until he finally managed to force them out.

"Father?"

Hazel nodded.

His jaw tightened, the fear in him plain enough to see. Hazel clocked it and found she couldn’t quite meet his eyes.