Chapter 7

Aina's shock was clear as she stared at the person before her. "Eh? You?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief.

The figure in front of her merely smiled, seemingly unfazed by the surprise Aina had just experienced and acted as if nothing was unusual, almost pretending to be oblivious to her confusion.

"Why are you here?" Aina asked, unable to comprehend the reason for his sudden appearance.

She had just stepped out of the carriage, intending to have dinner at a building chosen by the courier. The courier had picked the place, not Aina, since this was her first time traveling far from home.

Her carriage was already outside the capital, though still within the Audellian kingdom, but as Aina stepped out, she was immediately confronted by the very knight who had guided her from her residence's gates to where the carriage waited.

Now, Aina was face-to-face with Alan, wearing a black hooded cloak.

"Why are you here?" Aina repeated, her confusion growing as Alan continued to smile without a trace of guilt.

"I'm doing a task given to me by Lady Olivia," Alan replied simply, adding to Aina's confusion.

The answer was the same as when they first met, and once again, Aina found herself unable to understand his presence.

What was Alan doing here? Had he followed her? Wasn't his job just to escort her to the carriage?

"Did you follow me here?" Aina asked, bluntly trying to confirm her suspicions.

"Yes," Alan answered shortly, as though not wanting to elaborate, yet clearly entertained by Aina's reaction.

"I thought your job was over once I got in the carriage," Aina said, giving Alan a piercing stare.

Alan chuckled but said nothing, instead handing Aina a folded black cloth.

Aina raised an eyebrow, suspicious of his actions. Was Alan purposely trying to make her curious?

"What's this?" she asked, reluctant to take the cloth.

"A hooded cloak," Alan replied. "You need to wear it so you aren't easily recognized by others. It will help you avoid problems if someone happens to recognize you. Even though we're outside the capital, there's no guarantee someone won't spot you here."

Reluctantly, Aina took the cloak from Alan, moving slowly, still unsure.

"Put it on," Alan encouraged, pulling his hood back to reveal his face.

"Why are you taking your hood down?" Aina asked, completely baffled by Alan's actions.

Alan shrugged. "It would be suspicious if I kept my face hidden too. We would attract attention that way."

He smiled and continued, "At least if you wear the cloak with your hood over your head, I can ease suspicion by taking mine off. It would look odd if we were both walking around with our hoods up."

Aina replied skeptically, "What if someone recognizes you? They'll probably wonder why you're here and not with the Crown Prince, or at least, they'll be curious since you're someone relatively well-known."

Alan opened his mouth to respond, "I've often been away from the prince. The prince himself sends me on many Missions."

"But do you reveal yourself when carrying out orders from the Crown Prince?" Aina asked, her gaze still serious.

Alan smiled, "You're quite sharp, Lady Aina. I always try to keep a low profile and not attract attention when I'm on Prince's orders."

Aina narrowed her eyes, studying Alan carefully. "Then why are you doing the opposite now?"

"Because I'm not carrying out orders from the prince," Alan answered simply.

Aina clenched her jaw. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked quickly toward the building where she intended to have dinner.

She did not put on the cloak Alan had given her, nor did she care to entertain him further. She was irritated by his response and the way he made light of his task for Olivia compared to his serious demeanor when working for the Crown Prince.

Aina understood that Alan probably didn't consider Olivia's tasks as important as the Crown Prince's, but that didn't mean he should disregard his duties.

Once inside the building, Aina saw several people sitting at scattered tables. Spotting an empty one, she hastily made her way over and sat down.

To her surprise, Alan followed her and sat at the table across from her without asking.

Aina immediately shot him an expressionless look. "Could you not sit here?" she asked flatly.

Alan chuckled, but complied with her request, standing up and moving to a table behind hers, now sitting with their backs to each other.

"Lady Aina, are you angry with me again?" Alan asked, speaking from behind her.

Aina fought the urge to scoff. She hadn't expected Alan to sit at a table behind her.

She retorted, "The way you're asking from behind me is extremely rude."

Alan laughed again, seemingly enjoying the moment of teasing her.

"What else can I do? You asked me not to sit at the same table," he replied.

Aina's irritation grew. Alan had this uncanny ability to respond to everything she said in the most infuriating way.

But she couldn't fully express her frustration. Not because she cared about maintaining noble decorum, but because she remembered how Alan had helped her escape.

"Fine, Lady Aina," Alan said with a mock sigh. "I'll wear the cloak to make you stop being mad."

Aina didn't try to suppress a sigh. She turned to look at Alan, who had indeed pulled his hood back up to cover his face.

She didn't believe for a second that Alan would stop annoying her. She knew he enjoyed finding ways to provoke her.

All of this only added to her frustration. She knew she had been played by Alan, and it bothered her more than she cared to admit.

She might have been a runaway noblewoman from Audellian, but she had once been the crown prince's chosen partner, the best woman in the kingdom.

She shouldn't have to endure being treated this way.

"So, Lady Aina," Alan continued, "Would you wear the cloak I gave you? It's for your good." He added, "A lot of the men here are staring at your face openly."

Aina glanced around the room, and sure enough, many eyes were focused on her, especially the men.

She then glanced down at the cloak resting on the table.

Reluctantly, she finally put it on, pulling the hood over her head to shield her face from the prying eyes.

"Are you also wearing your hood because so many women are watching you?" Aina asked, returning Alan's earlier words.

"Maybe," he answered simply as if he didn't want to engage further.

Aina rolled her eyes inwardly. Could she hold back from complaining more about Alan's annoying behavior?

What kind of relationship would they have moving forward?