The evening had fully taken hold of the city, its streets alive with a restless energy as lanterns flickered to life one by one, casting warm glows over the bustling crowds, while merchants called out to passersby, conversations overlapped into a constant hum, and the scent of food and smoke lingered in the air, weaving together into a living, breathing rhythm of urban life.

Damon walked through it all with steady steps, his presence cutting cleanly through the crowd, while just behind him, Mira and Serena walked side by side, their conversation flowing in low tones as Serena spoke with ease and Mira responded in soft, hesitant bursts.

Damon glanced sideways at them.

Then looked ahead again.

...Tch.

If only that third wheel wasn’t here... I could have proceeded with my plan to make the ’potion pouch’ synchronize better with me.

His pace slowed slightly.

Enough to draw their attention.

"Don’t you think you should leave now?" Damon said casually, his tone directed at Serena.

The reaction was immediate.

Serena turned sharply toward Mira, her expression shifting in an instant as her eyes softened, a faint sheen appearing in them as her voice wavered just enough to sound vulnerable.

"Do... do you want me to leave as well, Mira?" she asked, her tone trembling, "am I... am I bothering you?"

Mira froze.

Her mind clearly unable to process the sudden turn.

"T-this... that... ahh... no... I mean—" she stammered, caught completely off guard.

And then—

It happened.

A blur of motion cut through the space between them as a figure rushed past with sudden speed, a hand darting forward with precision as it snatched the purse from Mira’s grasp in a single fluid movement before sprinting away into the crowd.

For a split second—

Everything paused.

Then Damon moved.

Without hesitation, he launched forward, his body cutting through the crowd with sharp, efficient strides as he chased after the fleeing figure, his focus locking onto the thief instantly.

Behind him, Serena reacted just as quickly, grabbing Mira’s hand to steady her as she began running as well, her voice urgent.

"Are you okay?"

Mira nodded hurriedly, still startled.

"U-um... yes!"

Her gaze shifted ahead toward Damon, who was already gaining distance.

"S-stop!" she called out, her voice breathless, "there is nothing important in that!"

But Damon didn’t slow nor did he react.

He pushed forward, weaving through the crowded street as the thief darted between people, trying to create distance, until suddenly—

The thief stopped for just a moment.

Then dropped the purse onto the ground.

And ran faster.

Disappearing into the crowd without looking back.

Damon slowed to a halt, his steps coming to a controlled stop as his eyes narrowed slightly, watching the direction the thief had taken before his gaze shifted downward to the purse.

He bent and picked it up.

Just as Mira and Serena caught up to him, Mira slightly out of breath.

"D-don’t! T-there is nothing—" Mira began hurriedly, her voice still uneven.

"I got it," Damon said, holding up the purse.

"The thief just dropped it and ran."

Serena’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked at the purse, her expression sharpening with quiet suspicion.

Mira, however, let out a small breath of relief, her face softening into a grateful smile.

"T-that’s good... the thief must have realized he couldn’t run away from you... s-so he just—" she said, trying to rationalize it quickly, "t-thank you!"

Damon didn’t respond immediately.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

And for a brief moment—

They met Serena’s.

The same thought reflected in both of their gazes.

Something about this—

Was off.

Damon’s eyes narrowed slightly as he held the purse in his hand, his gaze shifting briefly toward Serena, whose expression mirrored his own unspoken suspicion.

...It screams suspicious.

What exactly did the thief want?

The thought lingered, unresolved.

Before either of them could speak, Mira’s voice broke in, still a little shaky from the incident.

"L-let’s just go back to the academy for now... I—I don’t want to hang out anymore..."

There was no argument from either side.

Both Damon and Serena gave a small nod, the decision settling naturally between them as they began to move again through the evening crowd.

Then—

Serena’s gaze drifted to the side.

"Oh... Mira, look," she said lightly, her tone shifting as she pointed toward a nearby street corner, "isn’t that your favorite café?"

Both Mira and Damon turned their heads.

There, illuminated under warm golden lights, stood an elegant establishment with large glass windows and refined architecture, its exterior polished and inviting, the name displayed in graceful lettering above the entrance:

"Veloria Lounge — Artisan Café & Confectionery"

Inside, silhouettes of patrons could be seen seated comfortably, the atmosphere calm, refined, and entirely removed from the chaos of the streets outside.

Mira’s eyes lingered on it.

Drawn unconsciously as Damon noticed.

His gaze sharpened further as he turned slightly toward her.

Then—

Without warning, he reached out and grabbed her hand.

"If it’s Miss Mira’s favorite," he said smoothly, "we should definitely go in."

Mira startled slightly at the sudden contact.

"B-but—" she began.

Damon didn’t stop.

He simply pulled her along as he walked toward the entrance, Serena following just behind with a quiet, unreadable expression.

A soft chime rang as the door opened.

And they stepped inside.

The interior was as lavish as its exterior suggested, with soft ambient lighting casting a warm glow across polished wooden floors, elegant furnishings arranged with deliberate spacing, and a quiet hum of refined conversation filling the air, while neatly partitioned private cabins lined the sides, offering a sense of exclusivity and privacy.

Damon led them into one of those cabins, the space enclosed yet comfortable, with cushioned seating and a small table set between them.

They sat.

Mira still slightly flustered.

Serena composed as ever.

Damon leaned back slightly, his expression returning to its calm neutrality as he looked at Mira.

"Order whatever you want, Miss Mira," he said.

Mira opened her mouth to respond—

But before she could speak—

A hushed voice from the adjacent cabin drifted through the thin partition.

"Hey... you know what I heard about that Damon guy in Class S?"

The moment those hushed words slipped through the thin partition separating the cabins, the atmosphere inside Damon’s space shifted in a way that did not need to be spoken aloud, as though an invisible thread had tightened across the room, drawing every ounce of attention toward the voices beyond, while the ambient sounds of the café—the clinking of porcelain, the low hum of conversations, the soft footsteps of attendants—seemed to fade into a distant blur.

No one in the cabin spoke.

And yet, all three of them listened.

"...Hmm? Oh, you mean the heir of Duke Valecrest?" the second voice came, laced with mild curiosity, as if trying to place the name properly.

"Yes," the first replied immediately, carrying a certain eagerness that bordered on excitement, "that one."

There was a brief pause, as though the speaker was leaning in closer, lowering their voice further, savoring the weight of what they were about to say.

"Have you ever wondered why the duchess died so suddenly?"

The question did not feel casual.

It lingered.

The second voice responded after a moment, uncertain yet attempting to sound informed.

"Hmm? I just heard my father say it had something to do with a sudden mana collapse..."

A soft, almost mocking chuckle followed.

"Hehe... that’s what everyone knows," the first voice said, the tone dipping into something more conspiratorial, "but I heard from someone... it was actually because of Damon... that his mother died."

Inside the cabin, Mira’s fingers tightened unconsciously against the fabric of her dress, the words settling heavily in her mind as her gaze shifted toward Damon without her realizing it, her eyes searching his face for any sign—any crack—that might reveal the truth behind what she had just heard.

Damon, however, remained completely still.

His expression did not change.

Not even by a fraction.

But beneath that composed exterior, his thoughts moved swiftly, sharply, aligning pieces that had not made sense just moments before.

...So this is what it’s about.

The thief... the purse... the precise location...

...They led us here.

His gaze lowered ever so slightly, his mind continuing its quiet analysis.

But what exactly are they trying to achieve...?

The voices from the adjacent cabin did not stop.

Instead, they pressed further. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"...Huh? Where did you even hear that from?" the second voice asked, now more alert, more invested, "is it even true?"

"Of course it’s true," the first replied without hesitation, their confidence growing as if feeding off the reaction, "why do you think Duke Valecrest treats him so coldly... even his own son?"

There was a faint scoff, followed by a slight shift in tone that suggested the speaker was enjoying every moment of this.

"I even heard that he’s preparing Damon’s younger brother to take over as the heir instead."

The second voice reacted immediately, disbelief slipping through.

"No way..."

"Oh, there’s more," the first voice continued, stretching the moment deliberately, as though building anticipation, "do you want to know one more thing...?"

A pause followed.

Just long enough to draw the listener in.

"...about his fiancée... or should I say, ex-fiancée?"