"So, if I understand what you are saying, then it means Yuki is in danger. And the incident from before will occur many more times from now on?" Mrs. Adlerian asked with knitted brows and a down casted mouth.
Treyton nodded slowly, his eyes bearing a hint of concern and anxiety.
"But what did the patrolling soldiers say when you handed to them the intruder? Did they tell you anything?" Mrs. Adlerian pressed for any relevant information.
Treyton shook his head, "Nothing…" he muttered. "All the information I got were from the intruder. I am not sure what their intentions are or how many others there may be, but he seemed confident when he said he was not the only one after Yuki."
While Treyton spoke with their mother, Jacek and Yuki sat together, a shady air surrounding them. Jacek bit his finger nails nervously, his legs juddering under the center table while he eyed Treyton and his mother agitatedly.
Yuki on the other hand was much calmer, in spite of that, her expression was much darker than her brother's. As soon as she felt Jacek's shaking leg against her own, her expression cleared before she glanced at him. Yuki put her hand on his thigh slowly, then gave it a light press. The act attracted Jacek's attention to her.
"Calm down…" Yuki mouthed to Jacek when he beheld her.
Jacek's brows creased. He slowly brought his head close to Yuki and whispered, "I think your identity has been exposed…"
"I think so too," Yuki whispered back with a frown.
That was the only conclusion that could be drawn from the whole affair. She always believed her transgressions would catch up to her one day, still, was it not too early for that? What gave her away? How many people knew that she was the masked raven? Was she doomed already?
Echt had three primary implicit rules that all commoners lived by without questioning, these were; first, the only relationship allowed to exist between nobles and commoners was a master-servant relationship and nothing else. Second, commoners cannot enter Beicheden for any reason except if they served a noble and had a crest of the noble family they served. Last but not least, status was obtained at birth. Status was unchanging. One cannot take on any other status than what is obtained at birth.
Yuki had no less than six Beichan lovers aside all the men from Beicheden she had escorted over the years. Her fair skin and mature figure also made it easy for her to take on the guise of a Beichan woman with a wild and unrestrained secret life. Those were two rules broken already! And then, though she had not intentionally entered, there was also the time Yuki was taken to Beicheden by the duke.
If her identity has been truly exposed, there was no way she was getting out of that unscathed, considering how the nobles revered themselves and their rules. She was doomed!
Seeing the darkness that characterized Yuki's face as she sat in a daze, it was Jacek's turn to tell her to calm down. "We will figure something out, do not lose your composure!" Jacek whispered close to Yuki's ear.
"What are you whispering about!" Mrs. Adlerian hissed when she took notice of Jacek's sneaky behavior.
"Do not tell me this whole issue has something to do with you? You are not the cause of this, right? You wouldn't peril your sister's life, right?!" Mrs. Adlerian's face switched from worry to rage after detecting a remorseful look on Jacek's face.
"Jacek!" Mrs. Adlerian cried out.
Regarding how Jacek affirmed their mother's words with his silence and expression, Yuki put her own worry aside and jumped in. "It is not like that, mother! Brother was only expressing his regret for not protecting me properly. This has nothing to do with him!"
Mrs. Adlerian's gaze held Yuki's sincerity; her anxiety was appeased by knowing her son had not placed his innocent sister in harm's way. A loud sigh of relief left her mouth. "This is not your fault, Jacek. We will figure something out together," she comforted her son and herself.
Treyton observed the siblings with narrowed eyes, diverse emotions dallying on his handsome face.
"If you will let me, I am willing to guard Yuki until the situation is properly resolved," Treyton suggested abruptly.
The mother and siblings simultaneously looked over at Treyton, all wearing baffled expressions.
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Adlerian questioned with raised brows.
"Guard? Like a guardian?" Jacek added on, in confusion.
Treyton smiled faintly. "All men in Gouna are trained to protect the town, thus, I can assure you that I am quite capable of fending off a few men who may attempt to bring harm to Yuki. So yes, I mean to be a guardian of a sort to Yuki," Treyton announced while staring at Yuki intensely.
Yuki returned Treyton's gaze with a blank expression. Although her expression did not betray her thoughts, her reddening ears proved her embarassment.
"You will?" Jacek spoke while ignoring the irky spark between Treyton and his sister. "Will you truly guard Yuki?"
Treyton nodded without hesitation, "I am willing to, if you will have me assume such a role."
"Absolutely! Why would we reject such an offer?!" Mrs. Adlerian exclaimed and clamped Treyton's large hands, an excited and appreciative look on her face.
Jacek wore a grateful smile as he watched his mother eagerly thank Treyton. Time and time again, he had come to Yuki's aid when they found themselves in a tight spot. Treyton really was a wonderful person, and Jacek hoped that he could repay him one day for the hand he offered whenever he and Yuki needed it.
"Then you are moving in with us?" Mrs. Adlerian asked amidst her excitement.
Jacek's smile froze on his lips. Why did he not think of that possibility? If Treyton was to protect Yuki and protect her well, he had to move in with them, right?
"Though I hate to intrude, that seems like the only choice we have," Treyton stated.
All the while, Yuki remained quiet, loitering in her thoughts. She was grateful for Treyton's thought; she truly was. But, if the person after her was any one of her lovers, did they stand a chance? They were Beichans; the people at their disposal were numerous. How long could Treyton protect her for?
…
Treyton moved in with the Adlerians the same night. He was given an empty room to occupy while he lived with the family. Mrs. Adlerian had Yuki move into her room with her in the meantime because Yuki's room was not to be trusted.