After sitting in suffocating silence, Eli explained to Juli how the attack would play out.

He kept it brisk, sticking to what he had already concluded on his own.

The attack on the academies as soon as Madame Joanne left Florentine; Irene emptying the garrison to protect the citizens and the students, with Commander Julius definitely riding at the head; the spine of the House’s defense leaving with him. As a result, the estate would sit thin for a couple hours, prime for an assassination of the most important figure of the south, Irene Lagranche.

There might be some other unexpected variables at play, but this much Eli was confident about.

Why did Julius leave the House with his division for a mere attack? It wasn’t just the threat to Navia’s legacy or the people. The attackers were Moonwatchers, mid-ranking members of the Church of the Red Moon. Dangerous and psychopathic, these fanatics never stopped until everything was painted red, even beyond carnage.

Even the mention of a faction thought to be dormant would stir up an ordeal, hence the need for Julius to be at the scene and eliminate the enemies of mankind.

Of course, Eli didn’t mention any of that, or the fact that monsters would be unleashed alongside the cult members out in the wild. There was no evidence suggesting the long-dormant Church would carry out the attack. Besides, those bastards would announce themselves to the whole world during the attack anyway.

Juli, hearing about the inconceivable plan, stayed quiet for a long stretch.

Her hand stilled on the the bedsheet, and her gaze fell to the gap between her knees, drifting far past the floorboards.

"Academies and the House... at the same time..."

Eli watched Juli work through the mess he had haphazardly thrown to her.

She loosened her grip on the bedsheet and slid off the mattress in silence. Her bare feet touched the floorboards, and she drifted toward the window.

Juli rested her forehead against the wooden frame, and then she mumbled under her breath: 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"That bitch."

Eli almost choked on his saliva.

’Woah, Juli. I didn’t know you had it in you.’

He had known her for two days, and he could say with confidence that Juli was the most reliable person he could count on.

She was energetic, crazy, always on cloud nine, but in situations where things got serious, she became the sharpest and steadiest blade in the room.

’The flip really gets me every time.’

Then again, it was just like how Eli balanced himself with his persona as Elise. After completing this diabolical mission the world had given him, he would return and run around his room for a hundred laps, sweating out all the Eli energy that had built up!

He was confident they would return. There was no "if" here, and it should not be in his dictionary. It shouldn’t. He had to remind himself again and again, lest the fear would creep toward his heart and swallow it whole.

Eli looked at Juli. Bathed in the passing moonlight, she straightened, drew in one slow breath, and turned away from the window.

Her eyes settled on him, a glimpse of iron-clad resolve and unquenchable fire.

"What do I need to do, Elise?"

Eli met her eyes, the same intensity flashed in his own.

"You just have to follow my lead."

Juli approached the bed and sat beside him.

"Be clearer."

He sighed.

"We will stay here — in Florentine."

Juli raised an eyebrow.

"Here? Shouldn’t we go back as soon as possible? The academy students aren’t that weak."

Eli closed his eyes tight.

’I know. But the enemies are strong. Cyllene and Ravi...’

He shook his head, his hand ran through his hair.

"No. The academies are vulnerable. Joanne will be away. And last I heard from Haldrin, he is in closed-door training in the Alperine Mountains."

Haldrin Marchena was the Headmaster of the Knight Academy, and he had been absent from academy duties for two months now — it was information he collected from Elise’s memories.

Juli ruffled her hair until it became tangled, and flopped down onto the mattress.

"He still is? That old man... Always locking himself inside a cave for seclusion training whenever he feels like it. He doesn’t care about his students at all!"

Eli huffed a small laugh.

From Elise’s memories, Haldrin was her first mentor in her years at the academy, the one who taught her all the core fundamentals that shaped Juli into an exemplary knight she was today.

By now, Eli had cracked the code on Juli’s heart. The harder she roasted someone, the deeper someone sat in her chest. Strangers got the usual outgoing Juli, friendly and polite, with a little banter on the side if she found a perfect target to tease. Friends, on the other hand, got the full barrage of complaints and exasperated huffs.

’You’re too easy to read, Juli.’

He bloomed a light smile before turning serious again.

"In any case, with the pillars of the academies missing, we need to be present here."

The sheets rustled softly as Juli sprawled out.

"What about the Young Miss? If push comes to shove, you know she would send our soldiers regardless of your warning, right?"

"I know that."

He stared at the floorboards.

"Julius there is enough. Everyone can go."

Juli hummed for a while, deep in thought.

"Letting Linasia lead, huh... I could get behind that."

Julius Holtze, a Six-Song Knight, was more than capable of fending off puny assassins. But it was more trickier said than done.

Eli’s strategy was to hide his knowledge of their plans, luring the assailants out into a trap designed to wipe them out entirely. This plan was hatched possibly years ago, and for a man as scrupulous as Edmond, any unexpected mishap could derail the entire operation instantly.

He was certain those deranged Moonwatchers would attack no matter what. But the assassins were those Eli could not identify. They were likely from one of the three major assassin guilds, or it might even be the Duchess’s own killers.

Just as he was deep in thought, Juli sat up straight and asked:

"But if you can convince Ma Joanne to stay, then wouldn’t it solve everything?"

Eli sat in silence for a moment, then he gave a definitive answer:

"I’m not planning to do so."