Before Nonna came to stay at the family estate, Courtney would spend most of her days in bed. And even when she was up and awake, she would sit in a rocking chair, staring out absently into the garden.
Today, however, she was dressed and sitting up on the sofa, which was a significant improvement.
“Mom will be back in a month, right?” Nonna asked.
“That’s right. The days will pass by quickly.”
“Yeah, it’ll fly by. She’ll be home just in time for the Saint Floren Festival. I hope we can all go together.”
“That’ll be nice.”
But Victoria wouldn’t be home before then—the most critical part of her mission would take place that day. However, Jeffrey had made sure not to let this show on his face when he replied to Nonna.
“Make sure you do as Aunt Blythe says, Nonna.”
“I will. I’m being good. Aren’t I, Aunt Blythe?”
“Yes, Nonna is a very well-behaved young lady. Please don’t worry, Jeffrey.”
To an outsider, it would have looked like a peaceful, heartwarming family gathering. Jeffrey was very pleased at the positive effect Nonna was having on his mother.
But Nonna had a secret, and only Edward knew about it.
At night, Nonna would sneak out of her room and meet Chester, Victoria’s liaison to the Third Order.
That was because Chester trained with the girl every evening.
It was all happening under Edward’s watchful eye, although Nonna was unaware he knew.
That night at ten o’clock, when the house was silent, Nonna quietly opened her bedroom window. She pushed it wide and stood on the windowsill.
She wore fingerless leather gloves, black riding pants, and a navy sweater Victoria had knit for her. On her feet, she wore soft, short leather boots. Her long golden braid was tucked into her sweater.
“Good thing Mom loves navy blue,” she muttered to herself as she kicked off the windowsill, swinging her arms. She leaped effortlessly onto a branch of the elm tree outside her window, the leaves rustling softly as she landed.
She stayed still for a moment, blending into the tree as though she were part of it. The Asher family guards didn’t notice her.
“All right. Here we go.”
She slid down the trunk, ran across the garden, and easily climbed over the stone wall.
A horse was waiting for her on the other side of the wall, as usual. Sitting atop the animal was Chester, and together, they would ride to his house, which was behind Lady Yolana’s estate.
It all started the day before Nonna had gone to Edward Asher’s estate. Mike had visited Chester and made a surprising request.
“Keep an eye on a twelve-year-old girl?”
“She’s no ordinary twelve-year-old girl. She beat me in a sparring match. Don’t underestimate her. Watch her for a while, especially at night. We’ll have a problem on our hands if she sneaks out.”
“What do you mean, she beat you? How is that even possible?”
“She’s unbelievably skilled at martial arts. She once took down five men barehanded. I hate to admit it, but if she’s armed, that could make her even stronger than either of us.”
“Stronger than you…” Chester was about to dismiss it all as a joke but shut his mouth when he saw the serious expression on Mike’s face.
Chester was fifty-five years old and retired from his job as an operative. He had devoted his entire life to his work and had never married, and he was finding himself with too much time on his hands during his retirement. So when Mike had approached him about taking on the role of liaison, Chester eagerly agreed.
He understood the importance of his role, but Victoria rarely visited. He ended up spending most of his time on his woodworking hobby, carving birds and other animals out of wood.
He was getting quite bored of it. So when Mike said he had a new mission for him, Chester was excited—only for his face to fall after he heard the details.
He wasn’t sure if Mike noticed his disappointment or not.
“Anyway, I want you to keep an eye on her for now. She’s Victoria’s daughter, so her safety is the top priority.”
“That’s fine, but what should I do if I catch her sneaking out?”
“She’s probably overflowing with energy. Spar with her if you have to. She might end up disrupting our mission if she doesn’t let off some steam.”
“All right.”
How ridiculous, Chester thought as he went on duty the next night, standing outside Edward Asher’s estate. The girl stayed on the second floor, and he gazed up at her window. There was no balcony or railing up there.
So how could she even sneak out?
As Chester stood at the edge of the road, he saw the girl slip out of her room on the very first night. She perched her slender body on the edge of the windowsill before effortlessly leaping onto a nearby elm tree.
“Hey, that’s dangerous! What does she think she’s doing?!”
The girl slid down the elm tree and disappeared behind the wall.
Now he had to figure out where she was going. The servants’ entrance was around the corner and some distance away.
What should I do? Head to the entrance or stay here? Chester frantically asked himself.
But Nonna soon reappeared atop the wall. Chester hurried and hid around the corner, watching her closely.
She silently jumped down from the two-and-a-half-meter-high stone wall and began walking briskly. Her movements alone made it clear she was no ordinary girl. She wore dark clothing that blended seamlessly into the night.
The noble district was full of walls, offering no good opportunity to tail her discreetly.
“Well, I’ve got no other choice. She’s just a kid, so I’ll approach her openly.”
Chester decided not to conceal his footsteps as he walked toward the girl.
Nonna noticed him immediately and turned around. She dropped into a strange stance and glared at him intently.
“Don’t worry, I’m not suspicious.”
“That’s exactly what someone who’s suspicious would say,” she replied.
“No, I mean it. I’m an acquaintance of your mother. You’re Victoria’s daughter, aren’t you?” Chester thought that would reassure her, so he was startled when he began to feel open hostility from the girl.
“Aha! So you’re one of the guys who are after my mom, huh?”
“N-no, not at all! I swear!”
“Stop right there. Don’t come any closer, or I’ll attack.”