"Sorry, there was some congestion on the road,"
Qiu Mujin's voice reached them as she extended a hand from the ether, like a ripple in a still pond. As the ripples slowly receded, she had already positioned herself between Prince Ninerthiel and Amin.
Still wearing a common street jacket, her curls casually draped around her, her skin rough and without any luster—yet there was something about her that compelled a second glance. She spoke nonchalantly as if to apologize. Of course, no one truly cared about the traffic delay, or whether her arrival was actually late. What mattered was that she had come, and even though she was just an ordinary woman, even though her slender frame was laughable compared to the colossus before her, it seemed Amin could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Prince Ninerthiel's hand remained extended, his finger still hovering in his palm...
"Are you... the protector?" he asked, expressionless, but eventually pulled his hand back.
