The bustling sounds of the merchants and the people buying and selling stuff can be heard throughout the merry atmosphere of the downtown market of the Emsworth Estate.

They still can see the knights that wore simple clothes and asking people about a certain lady.

​​

Silvester walked towards her and matched her pace and glance at the back where the confused and knitted brows of Sir Edrich can be seen.

"What happened there? What's with the eyes and scars?"

"Well…"

"You knew Cabel are looking for you? Since when? Is that why you prepared that scar? How'd you do that?" Silvester's blue eyes sparkle like he saw a very interesting toy.

Evelyn just sigh and also looked at Sir Edrich before she replied to Silvester when she confirmed that Edrich is still out of it.

"I wondered in the town near the border of St. Prisch Academy where I let my guard down and walked leisurely without my mask on. I didn't know that Cabel was there…��

"So, what happened?"

"Before he catched me, I used the crowd to get out of there... "

"But why is he still looking for you after four years?"

"I don't know…"

She really doesn't know why Cabel is desperate to find her. But she doesn't have time to think about it.

"Anyway… I need to go and meet someone." she said as she looked around.

"Who are you meeting?"

Silvester is asking because he remembers what happened a few days ago where Evelyn said that she would go and meet Carsillion.

"My friend…"

"Is he really a friend? You're not going to do something dangerous, aren't you?" He asked.

"I won't… Don't worry, I'll be quick."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No need, I just need to ask something then I'll come back…"

"Will you be okay when Cabel have spread his knights to find you?"

"You're such a worrywart… I'll be fine. Don't worry."

���Then, let's meet before the clock strikes at 3." he said and looked to the clocktower that can be seen throughout the duchy and the center of the plaza.

She sighs at how someone like Silvester who is someone who always found amusement in everything is worried about her. And without much to say, Evelyn left the two and walked on the opposite side.

***

Evelyn waited at the guild building opposite the merchant guild located near the entrance of the Duchy. Before she walked in, she saw the white legion patrolling the area and remember her father's gallant look when he went to the north border to subjugate the monsters.

She pushed the thoughts while shaking her head. She wanted to ask him about why she was hated and why he decided to ignore her for years but then again, she thought that it was all now in the past.

She walks in and the adventurers stop and look at her with suspicion. Behind the cape and hood, they can sense a pressuring aura when she enters.

She sits at the farthest corner of the guild while the eyes of the adventurers also wonder where she is.

While looking around, she saw one man who was lean but looked strong and asked the clerk some questions while he kept on looking around the building. Evelyn didn't bother to further hear the man's question and decided to order some food.

The adventurers at the ground floor of the guild were just as usual, busy drinking and looking at the person who just entered every now and then, they were wary about her but never thought to disturbed and provoked her.

After a while, when the food that she ordered vanished in her stomach and she was just looking around while she waited, the person that she was waiting for arrived.

With a hood on and the black cape that accentuates his build, he feels her mana in the farthest corner and walks in there.

Evelyn looked up and saw the face that helped her when she was in bind during the fire-storage incident.

"Hi… it's been a while, Chrisfold or should I say Chetri." she smiled and the man took the hood off and the green hair fluttered and his purple eyes can be seen along with his chiseled jaw.

"You still look handsome…" she continued.

Chrisfold chuckles and sits across from her.

"It really has been a while. How's our princess doing?" Chrisfold said and continued.

"You made a big mess at the Academy…"

"Well, that's why I clean it with my own hands… I take responsibility for what my family members did."

"So, you still thought of him as part of your family?" Chrisfold raised his brows while Evelyn took her hood off too.

"Even if I hate the man to the bone, mother considered him as her only family after grandmother died. I should at least be the one to make the judgement.'

Chrisfold isn't shocked because he knows Evelyn's situation. Every contracted spirit that she has contracted knows it.

"But you were reckless… you just killed him when you just got here."

Evelyn just sighs. The man who used to blushed when he saw her and the man in front of him right now looks the complete opposite.

"Stop the nagging okay? I'm here to ask you a question. Before I left the academy, you said you were protecting something within those walls, and you need to be there. Is that one of the keys to the ruins?"

She asked straight away that made Chrisfold sigh.

"Where did my innocent Evelyn go?" he sighs again.

"What innocent? Stop joking around and don't beat around the bush and just tell me. I won't ask any more questions, just that."

"Yes, it's one of the keys to the seven forbidden cities. Why?"

"Nothing, my cousin was just asking about it. Don't worry, if you don't want it to be found out then I won't say it."

"Hmm… is that only the reason?"

"Well, I thought that I can recruit you now that I have my memories back."

"I actually have the thought that I should follow our little princess, right now. We don't want to make the same mistake you see…"

"Heh… you've been acting like old man Gil, tsk! Even though we look the same age."

"I told you this before, but Spirits need to be at least a thousand years old to have a human form."

"Hmm… so, where are the others? I don't remember the faces of the others because all of them haven't transformed yet."

"Well, you already met almost all of them, I'll ask the others to contact you. You have the black stone with you, right?

"Yes… but I still can't feel them. And only you and Gil are the ones I can sense."

"Don't worry about that… it's because it's been so long since they saw you and the connection was pretty much severed, so you will have difficulty sensing them."

"What do you mean about so long? I mean, sure I was gone for almost a decade but for spirits that's like a blink of an eye."

Chrisfold raised his brows and immediately understood what she said.

"I guess Gil hasn't said anything to you yet." He mumbled before he agreed with her to not further talk about the others.

"Anyway, don't worry about them, they will contact you when they see and sense you,"

"Yeah… yeah… so," Evelyn cut him off and asked a favor.

"Well, I have a request, can you spy at the Duchy?"

"You're family's estate? Why?"

"Well, I sense something's off… I just saw my brother mingling with the other corrupt nobles. He's not the type to do that."

"That's…"

"What?"

Evelyn has a bad feeling when she sees Chrisfold hesitate to answer her, but before that Evelyn senses someone looking their way.

She scanned the area and Chrisfold spoke.

"It's 10 o'clock, the guy with a hood on. He's the one who has been looking here. We should get out of here. I'll do what you want and ask about what was happening in the Duchy." He said and stood up.

Evelyn also stood up and placed money for the food. They split up and walked out of the guild. Evelyn walked her way leisurely, but she can still sense that someone is following her.

She walked in the alley where light rarely comes because of the high buildings that come from the shadow casted from the commercial structure of the bustling market.

She waited for the hooded person to enter the alley before she would sneak in an attack.

Thud!

"Who are you?"

Evelyn pinned the hooded man on the wall but before he could answer.

Swishh! Thud!

Evelyn was pushed back when the man countered her attack.

"I don't think I need to answer that question."

Evelyn's now chestnut eyes scanned the man.

"Heh… an assassin? In broad daylight? I wonder who I provoked?" she said, amused at the man.

"An assassin?"

He laughs at Evelyn's assessment.

"I'm not an assassin though?"

"Then? Why the heck are you following me? I don't remember having a creep stalker."

"It was because the lady is beautiful and strong. I was fascinated"

"Oh… so you really are a creep!"

"What? Of course, I'm not… I'm just a wandering man, trying to find a beautiful lady."

"Oh wow. What a f*cking creep."