No one knew what had happened, except for Illiya and Darius.
The former had been keeping a close watch, while the latter, with his exceptional combat skills, was sharp enough to perceive the traces of the attack.
"I've merely experienced a decline in my magic level. And yet, according to your words, I'm practically a cripple, useless person who can't do anything."
A lazy voice sounded from a distance.
When everyone turned to look, they saw a man clad in a silver magic robe stepping out of a carriage emblazoned with the Taeharin family crest.
This man was none other than the so-called "cripple," the eldest young master of the Taeharin family.
The hood of his robe was pulled up, concealing his face.
Only a neatly tied black hair ribbon could be seen, peeking out from beneath the hood.
"When I woke up, I thought I had arrived home. But instead, I found myself stopped at the city gate. I was so startled—I almost thought the city lord was summoning me for something important."
The Taeharin family's eldest young master feigned a startled expression, but his tone remained utterly calm, without a trace of fear.
His words, however, were laced with sharp mockery.
He was outright ridiculing those attempting to annul the engagement.
They weren't the city lord, yet they were acting as if they had the authority to block his entry into the city.
One might even think Haneulseong City had changed rulers overnight.
He was also making it clear that these people weren't even qualified to meet him.
The only one who could summon him without prior notice was someone of the city lord's standing.
Only a fool would fail to grasp his meaning.
Both Illiya and Darius understood it all too well—and they could barely hold back their laughter.
The eldest young master of the Taeharin family, however, continued speaking as if he were oblivious to the awkward atmosphere.
"Before I even had time to process things, I heard someone talking about breaking off an engagement. That's when I started feeling really confused. As the supposed protagonist of this discussion, how is it that I didn't even know I was engaged? Come on, don't mess with me! I still need to find a wife! You might not want one, but I sure do!"
His last words were spoken with a firm, righteous conviction.
However, his blunt mention of the word "wife" left the onlooking elves utterly dumbfounded.
Humans… are this open about such things?
Darius's current mood was hard to put into words.
Before coming to Haneulseong City, he had always heard that the eldest young master of the Taeharin family was a lone wolf with the arrogance unique to geniuses—someone who disliked socializing and devoted himself entirely to make himself stronger.
There was an old saying: hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once.
However, now that he had seen him, he almost wished he hadn't.
After encountering an elf so different from the image he had in mind, seeing the disillusionment that Young Master Taeharin shown to him, he didn't seem so hard to accept.
Come to think of it, he wasn't exactly a proper swordsman himself.
Darius was just about to turn his realization into a joke for his employer when he noticed that the elf was staring at him in sheer terror, even taking several exaggerated steps back to increase the distance between them.
Darius: …???
What on earth had the elf imagined in that short span of time?
Darius wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his lips twitching as he spoke with clear helplessness, "Hahaha, I don't think I look that scary, do I? Or… did I, as a bodyguard, do something so unacceptable that you can't stand to be near me?"
Is it really necessary to stand so far away from me?
Of course, that last part was something he would never say out loud.
If the elf got mad, his paycheck might be in jeopardy.
Illiya's ears twitched.
Just as he was about to take another step back, his foot hesitated midair, and then, as naturally as possible, he moved forward again.
If not for his evasive gaze, no one would have noticed his embarrassment.
Realizing his small action had been caught, Illiya unconsciously tightened the hand hidden under his wide sleeves.
"Ah? Of course not! Sir Darius, you clearly look like a very competent swordsman—a righteous and kind person, without a doubt. If only you didn't have that scar on your forehead."
"So in the end, it really is my scar that bothers you, huh?" Darius sighed in exasperation.
As expected, elves were all about appearances.
Was being obsessed with looks a requirement to be an elf or something?
Noticing the change in Darius's expression, Illiya quickly changed the subject.
He glanced around, his sneaky movements resembling a squirrel peeking out to inspect its surroundings.
When he confirmed that no one else was paying attention to them, he immediately scooted closer to Darius and tugged lightly at the swordsman's sleeve, signaling him to bend down.
Being underage had its disadvantages—he was always shorter than everyone else.
Darius still remembered how his scar had been looked down upon.
Feeling the slight pull on his sleeve, he decided to ignore it.
Even if Illiya was his employer, he still had the right to be upset.
Fine, he'd wait three seconds before responding.
Any longer, and he risked a pay cut.
Once the swordsman finally leaned down, Illiya asked the question that had been bothering him since earlier.
"So, are all humans this open? It honestly makes us elves feel a little ashamed."
Elves, when they developed feelings for someone, expressed them in a more poetic way.
For example, they would carefully select the finest piece of paper, write something subtle like, "The seeds I planted have blossomed into beautiful flowers. May I invite you to see them with me?" and then leave it at their beloved's doorstep.
They would also place the most beautiful flower from their garden on top of the letter.