Mysterious man

The rest of the Ravenshield family members waited patiently in Lady Irene's room as the physician carefully examined her. The orb he carried glowed its usual shades of green and then blue, indicating that Lady Irene was in perfect health. The physician turned to the gathered family members with a perplexed expression.

"I can't seem to determine what's truly wrong with Lady Irene," he admitted. "According to my examination, she is physically fine. At this point, it is safe to assume that her condition is not physical but mental." He began packing away his tools as he spoke.

Lady Victoria's face twisted with fury. "You can't be serious! Are you suggesting that my daughter is faking it?" she bellowed, her voice rising with indignation.

The physician quickly shook his head. "No, my Lady. I am suggesting that whatever the young Lady experienced may have been too traumatic for her. My medicines cannot help with that, but perhaps the love and care of her family might."

The marchioness took a deep breath, visibly calming herself. "Of course, we will do everything we can to help Irene overcome this traumatic event. But I cannot believe we are allowing Ivy to escape without punishment for what she did to her sister." Her sharp gaze shifted to the marquis, who had opposed punishing Lady Ivy before hearing her side of the story. Though he harbored no love for his eldest daughter, he was a fair man, unwavering in his judgment. He may have been a poor father to Lady Ivy, but he was a just marquis.

"Mother, don't be mad at Sister. I'm sure she had a good reason for what she did," Irene spoke softly, her voice laced with gentle concern, playing the part of the caring and loving sister.

Lady Victoria sighed, brushing a hand over her daughter's hair. "Oh, my poor child, you're too kind for your own good. You can't always justify what your sister does. This time, she crossed the line."

"Mother is right, Irene. You can't always take Ivy's side. That vile child doesn't deserve your kindness," Liam spat, his disgust evident.

Irene inwardly smiled, but outwardly, she maintained her saintly facade. "But she's still my sister. Even if she doesn't love me, I love her enough for the both of us."

A sudden urgent yell interrupted the moment. "My Lord!" One of the knights from the training grounds rushed into Lady Irene's room, panting heavily.

Liam scowled. "How dare you enter so unceremoniously? The Lady is unwell! What if your shouting startled her?!"

The marquis ignored his son's outburst and turned to the knight. "What is the matter? Did something happen?"

The knight straightened, catching his breath before replying, "A red light was seen emanating from the armory. The knights are unable to open the door, and…" he hesitated.

"And what?" the marquis pressed.

The knight hesitated for only a moment before answering, "Lady Ivy and her maid are inside."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Then, disbelief rang through Lucas's voice. "What? Did you say Ivy is in the armory?"

The knight nodded. It was no secret that Ivy despised being anywhere near the training grounds, let alone the armory. Their reactions were expected.

Without wasting time, everyone rushed to the armory—all except Lady Irene, of course. When they arrived, the knights had finally managed to force the door open. The sight that greeted them left them frozen in shock.

The room was a disaster. Armor, shields, and swords lay scattered across the floor as if a storm had torn through. In one corner, Anya lay unconscious. At the center of the chaos was Lady Ivy, also unconscious, her hand covered in blood.

"What happened in here?" Lady Victoria asked, her voice devoid of concern for the two unconscious girls.

"The katana… it's missing!" a knight shouted after noticing the absence of the sacred blade that had once been displayed at the heart of the armory.

Every gaze shifted toward Lady Ivy, her bloodied hand resting lifelessly against the cold floor. A single question echoed in their minds: Was she still alive?

No one moved, so fixated on Ivy that they failed to notice when the physician arrived, summoned by someone from the crowd. He hurried to her side and checked her pulse.

"She's alive," he announced, swiftly tending to her injuries. He stopped the bleeding, bandaged her hand, and checked for any life-threatening wounds. Finding none, he sighed in relief. "Get the Lady to her room," he instructed.

One of the knights lifted Ivy's limp form and carried her away. The physician then turned to Anya, examining her for injuries. Finding nothing concerning, he ordered her to be taken to the infirmary for further inspection.

"Both Ladies are not in any danger. Lady Ivy passed out due to blood loss, and Miss Anya lost consciousness from a collision with the wall," he informed them.

Lady Victoria scoffed. "Great, not even a cursed object could rid us of her," she muttered under her breath.

Marquis Ravenshield exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Was I afraid of losing my daughter? he wondered before shaking off the thought. He turned to the crowd, even the maids who had gathered to gawk.

"There is nothing more to see here. Get back to your work and training. Ensure this place is cleaned immediately," he ordered before turning and walking away.

Lucas frowned as he watched his father leave. "What on earth was that girl even doing here?" he asked his brother.

Liam shrugged. "No idea. She's probably just doing it for attention."

Without another thought, the brothers departed, utterly indifferent to what had just transpired. The marchioness followed suit, and soon, the armory was empty except for those assigned to clean up the mess.

No one noticed the presence of an old man standing at the back, watching the scene with sharp, knowing eyes. A former general, his gaze remained fixed on the spot where the katana had once rested.

"So, someone in this family was capable of freeing you," he murmured to himself. Then, with a soft chuckle, he added, "Who would have thought? The so-called useless daughter of the Ravenshield family… was your choice. I wonder what you saw in her."

With one last glance at the empty pedestal, the old general turned and walked away.