Lenko trembled, the shake in his hands betraying the fear coiled tight in his body, but he did not back down. He stood his ground, his chin lifted in a defiance that made his voice all the steadier when he answered.
"As… as per the kingdom's law, you have to protect the royal bloodline. It doesn't matter if they're not your ward... you're a knight of the crown before anything else."
The white-haired man, let out a soft, humorless laugh as he drew his sword. Metal hissed against the scabbard, the sound sharp enough to make Yona's skin prickle. He stepped forward, slow and deliberate, each footfall eating the space between them.
"Royalty, you say?" His voice was almost mocking, tinged with cold curiosity. "Funny. I only see one here. And she's not in any danger."
His gaze slid to Yona, golden eyes narrowing, and she flinched as though those eyes pierced right through her. A question lingered in them, unspoken but heavy... Why are you here?
Then, without warning, he moved.
