Just as Javien took a few steps toward the cave entrance, his demon ears suddenly twitched.

The knight’s steady stride came to an abrupt halt. The relaxed, amused aura he had shown Olivia only moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by a gaze so cold and serious it could freeze blood.

His right hand instinctively clamped onto the hilt of his sword.

Seeing Javien’s sudden shift, Olivia became anxious. She held her breath, trying to make herself small behind the black cloak that still swaddled her body.

From outside the fog-shrouded cave, the rhythmic sound of a large number of horses approaching could be heard.

It wasn’t just that; the clatter of iron armor proved that the group approaching was no ordinary troop.

"Javien..." Olivia whispered, full of worry.

"Stay there. Do not come out," Javien commanded shortly, his voice shifting into the authoritative tone of a General.

He stood tall at the mouth of the cave, completely blocking the outside world from seeing Olivia.

Suddenly, a group of knights mounted on black horses emerged from the fog of the forbidden forest.

Their armor was different from that of the standard Duke’s household knights it was covered in deep, jagged gashes, colored pitch-black, and bore the insignia of an elite frontline unit.

As soon as their leader spotted Javien’s silhouette at the cave entrance, he yanked on his horse’s reins, bringing the beast to a sharp halt.

The lead knight jumped down, followed by a dozen armed guards behind him.

Olivia held her breath inside the cave. She knew exactly who they were! As a reader of the original novel, she was well aware that before Javien became Lady Ophilia’s personal knight, he was a General of war feared and ruthless on the battlefield!

Zap!

In perfect synchronization, every single guard in black armor knelt on the wet ground, bowing their heads in deep, solemn respect before Javien.

The atmosphere of the forbidden forest turned intensely magical and tense.

"General Javien!" The lead guard’s voice boomed, shattering the dawn silence.

"Forgive our tardiness! We sensed your energy signature last night and breached the forbidden forest immediately!"

Javien stared coldly at his former subordinates. Even though he had long since abandoned his position as General, his aura of leadership and ruthless power still clung to him so tightly that not one of the guards dared to look up into his violet eyes.

"Where is Duke Herold?" Javien asked, his voice low and icy enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.

"Our main force has surrounded Duke Herold’s secret estate on the edge of the forest, General.

We have also eliminated the remnants of the assassins who escaped last night," the lead guard reported firmly.

However, the lead guard’s gaze accidentally flickered into the cave, and he flinched slightly when he saw a woman (Olivia) sitting there wrapped in their General’s black cloak.

In all their years fighting under Javien’s command, their General had been famously anti-woman and never allowed anyone to touch his prized cloak!

Seeing the guard’s eyes drift toward the cave, Javien’s violet eyes narrowed sharply, brimming with a lethal threat. He deliberately shifted his body to completely shield Olivia from view.

"Don’t look where you shouldn’t, Captain, if you still value your eyes," Javien warned, his voice eerily calm but radiating the killing intent of a demon.

The lead guard broke into a cold sweat and quickly bowed his head even lower to the ground.

"F-Forgive me, General!"

Olivia, hearing the threat to gouge out eyes, covered her mouth from inside the cave.

Oh my god... my favorite character is so savage when his ’General’ persona comes back out! I’ve got goosebumps!

Javien cleared his throat slightly before glancing briefly toward the cave, catching sight of Olivia, who was trembling in fear but secretly in awe of how incredibly sexy the ’General Javien’ visual was.

"Prepare the most comfortable carriage at once. We are returning to the Duke’s estate," Javien ordered the guards outside.

"Yes, General!"

The journey back from the forbidden forest had to be handled separately to maintain their secrets and status at the Duke’s residence.

Even though Javien’s heart ached to let Olivia out of his sight, the elite knight prioritized the protection of her reputation above all else.

On Javien’s strict orders, Olivia was placed on a separate horse, accompanied by a female knight Javien trusted implicitly to steady her weak body throughout the trip.

Javien rode his own horse at the very front, leading his formidable armored troop.

Throughout the silent journey, even though they were separated by distance, Javien’s violet eyes would periodically drift backward, ensuring the female knight was keeping Olivia safe.

The silence was profound, yet it felt heavy with unspoken meaning that only the two of them understood.

Not long after, the group slowed their pace before coming to a complete stop at the wide plaza near the main gate of the Duke’s estate.

The area was chaotic, filled with dozens of guards and high-ranking household staff.

In the main corner, Lady Ophilia and Celine stood with pale faces. Lady Ophilia was shaking with fear while Celine tried to calm her, neither able to sit still while waiting for the return of her favorite personal maid.

Not far from them stood Duke Herold. The old man was acting ’cool’ as usual, his hands clasped behind his back, projecting an expression of feigned concern for his household staff, even though it was all a staged performance.

As soon as they arrived, the female knight helped Olivia down from the horse with extreme care.

Olivia’s appearance draped in Javien’s oversized black cloak and with the clear sight of severe bloodstains soaking through her bandages made Lady Ophilia let out a small gasp before she rushed toward them with Celine.

Seeing that Olivia was still alive, Duke Herold narrowed his eyes for a split second before quickly shifting his expression to one of deep, paternal sympathy. He stepped toward Olivia with the air of a concerned master.

"Oh, heaven’s sake... Olivia," Duke Herold’s voice sounded deeply anxious, his eyes fixed on Olivia’s bloodied shoulder.

"Are you alright? Thank goodness you survived the assassin’s attack last night. I was truly worried about you."

The words of gratitude flowing from Duke Herold’s mouth sounded incredibly sincere to everyone gathered in the plaza.

However... in the dark recesses of Duke Herold’s true mind

Oh... look at that, Delia, your plan failed again tonight. How interesting.

Duke Herold smirked inwardly, never having expected that a well-orchestrated assassination attempt using mind-control magic could be shattered so easily by a mere knight.

Hearing the plastic sincerity of Duke Herold’s voice, both Olivia and Javien showed no signs of being fooled.

Olivia merely bowed her head slightly, pretending to be weak to respect the old man’s status, while Javien had dismounted and stood tall beside Olivia like a stone statue. Neither of them was buying it.

They both knew exactly what dirty tactics and ulterior motives the ’bastard Duke’ was hiding behind his mask of kindness all along!

Javien glanced sharply at Duke Herold from the corner of his eye, his violet eyes glowing with a silent, lethal warning.

’Smile while you still can, you old geezer. Your time will come soon enough,

Javien’s demon heart whispered with cold vengeance.

"Olivia! Oh, tell me where it hurts!" Lady Ophilia rushed forward, tears streaming down her face at the sight of the heavy black cloak soaked in blood.

Lady Ophilia’s trembling hands reached out to touch Olivia’s face, completely ignoring her own status as a high-ranking noble in front of the crowd.

Celine, standing by, bit her lip to hold back tears, quickly helping to support Olivia’s other, limp arm.

"L-Lady Ophilia... I’m okay... please forgive me for making you worry," Olivia replied weakly, her voice deliberately kept thin and frail to maintain her act in front of Duke Herold.

Watching the drama unfold, Duke Herold cleared his throat, trying to reclaim the attention of the plaza to maintain his persona as a ’wise master.’

"Ophilia, calm yourself. You are a Lady; do not lose your composure in front of the guards," Duke Herold chided with a tone he made sound stern yet gentle.

He looked back at Olivia with a plastic smile.

"Olivia, since you have returned safely, I will order the royal physician to treat your wounds. You are lucky that Knight Javien managed to track you down in the forbidden forest."

Javien, standing as rigid as a pillar of armor beside them, only offered an empty, violet-eyed stare.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Duke," Olivia replied softly, her head bowed toward the damp ground.

However, before Duke Herold could continue his performance, Javien’s heavy, armored footsteps moved forward.

The sound of shifting iron cut through the atmosphere, causing Duke Herold to flinch and fall silent.

Javien knelt on one knee before Duke Herold a formal sign of respect from a knight but his violet eyes looked up, staring directly into the Duke’s pupils with a gaze so sharp it carried the lethal aura of a former General of war.

"Lord Duke," Javien’s voice boomed, low and deep, making the guards behind the Duke instinctively shrink in fear.

"The remnants of the assassins who attacked last night have been dealt with by my elite unit. However, I discovered some peculiar evidence at the scene... evidence of dark magic that is quite well-known within this Empire."

Javien paused, letting his gaze linger on Duke Herold, whose expression turned tense in the blink of an eye.

"I will lead the investigation myself to find the mastermind who dared to touch a staff member under the protection of this household. I hope..."

Javien continued, his lips curling into a thin, cold, and flat smile,

"...that you do not mind granting me full authority."

Boom!

That subtle threat from Javien completely shattered Duke Herold’s ’act cool’ mask! Behind her black cloak, Olivia nearly laughed hysterically.

Serves you right, you old geezer! Did you think you were the only one who could act? Take that General Javien just gave you a death warning to your face!

Duke Herold clenched his jaw, his hands behind his back balling into fists until his veins bulged.

He knew it Javien wasn’t just investigating; Javien was warning him that he already knew about Delia’s involvement!

"O-Of course, Knight Javien. Do whatever is necessary," Duke Herold replied, his voice trembling as he tried his best to maintain the remnants of his ego before turning to the other guards.

"Take Olivia to the infirmary at once!"