Giving her the cold shoulder

"My Lady... Unfortunately... Master Egon is occupied today as well..."

Inside the adjacent estate, Adela could discern the Lanarkian guards from the rest with a single glance. And by the way this guard squirmed uncomfortably, she deduced that he was indeed a Lanarkian.

"...Thank you," she replied with a subdued voice before turning around with a troubled heart.

"M-My Lady, I can escort you back on horseback," the guard offered.

She looked over her shoulder and offered a smile, "Thank you, but I prefer to walk today."

The journey back was fraught with thoughts about a certain beast.

Adela was appalled by his persistent childish behavior. She tried hard to suppress thoughts of the intense kiss they had shared the other night, but she couldn't deny that it was a transformative experience she had undergone.