Chapter 25
“Didn’t you say her background was clean?”
“Yes. Flawless, without a single blemish.”
Helion slumped over his desk. Then, with a languid sigh, he exhaled a low, drawn-out Hmm…
What should he do with this cat?
Katie was too exceptional, too immaculate. In every way, she couldn’t help but be suspicious.
By all rights, he should’ve locked her up and tortured her until her true identity was laid bare… but this woman was still too valuable to discard like that.
“Leave her be for now.”
“Huh? Are you serious?”
“There’s something I want to confirm.”
At first, it was curiosity. What kind of face could have ensnared that fool Damian?
But the moment he saw those dull, watery gray eyes, his curiosity twisted into something more primal—an interest laced with arousal.
‘With a face like this, no wonder men lose their minds.’
Even after seeing countless women, his own body—which had always remained indifferent—stirred for her. If that was the case, rousing Damian’s wouldn’t have been difficult at all.
The problem was that once he solved this question, another one took its place.
For instance—what shade would the skin beneath her damp undergarments be? What expression would she make if he forced his length between those lips that spilled moans from just a touch?
So, tearing Katie apart would have to wait a little longer.
‘Yes. Just a little.’
It wouldn’t take long. His interest was as thin and fleeting as a thread that could snap at any moment.
After all, once he had her, the curiosity would vanish anyway.
* * *
Guard duty wasn’t particularly difficult. In some ways, it was even easier than Katie’s life as a mid-rank knight in the Dawn Palace.
All she had to do was stay by Helion’s side and focus on his safety. No need to wait on other high-ranking knights, no need to run pointless errands.
Of course, at first, the other knights had plenty of complaints.
“Dame Katie. From the looks of it, you’re also a mid-rank knight—so why are you in the royal guard?”
By principle, mid-rank knights weren’t eligible for the royal guard.
Yet here was a knight who had only been in the order for three years, already securing a spot in the guard. It was only natural for others to question the special treatment.
But Katie silenced every doubt with sheer skill.
“Curious? Then challenge me to a duel.”
After facing a few knights that way, the complaints about her vanished. The occasional sight of her dragging blood-soaked corpses out of Helion’s office certainly helped too.
“Why hide this kind of ability all this time?”
For those who questioned her, she gave a simple answer.
“You know the rumors about His Highness Damian and me. I didn’t want to draw any more attention.”
The name Damian had a powerful effect. Everyone would trail off with an “Ah…” and nod awkwardly.
Most of them would mumble something vague and quickly disappear, as if afraid that saying the wrong thing might get them dragged off by the guards.
‘Who knew the day would come when I’d be grateful for that bastard toying with me?’
Still, she hadn’t expected this flimsy excuse to work even within the royal guard.
Did they really think skill was all that mattered?
Neither Cheche, nor the other guards, nor even Helion himself pressed her further about her true abilities.
Even when she took down assassins in a single strike, even when she flawlessly detected poison every time, all they did was shower her with dazzling praise—admiring her smooth movements, joking that her nose was as sharp as a dog’s.
Everything was going too smoothly. But within that smoothness, Katie only felt unease.
That was precisely why, even after joining the royal guard, she didn’t engage in any information-gathering activities and remained strictly focused on her duties.
‘Don’t act rashly.’
Helion’s office was practically a banquet hall of secrets—overflowing with intelligence any spy would covet.
In the war between the Empire and the Kingdom, Helion had been the hero leading the charge at the forefront.
Perhaps because of that, at least when it came to matters of war, he seemed to possess more information than even Damian, who stood at the center of power.
Even now, it was the same.
“A letter from the Bat.”
Edward, the vice-captain of the royal guard, handed Helion a small, folded piece of paper.
Helion unfolded it, leaned back deeply into his chair, and began reading. His posture was so slouched he looked like he might slide right off the seat, and his expression was far too relaxed for someone reading what should have been an important missive.
But after days of guarding him, Katie knew better. He was a predator hiding his claws beneath that laziness.
His disheveled clothes, always missing a button or two. His unsteady gait. His habit of draping himself over any surface, looking utterly indolent.
Hidden beneath that carefully crafted exterior was a mind sharper and more calculating than anyone else’s.
‘No need to risk showing curiosity. I’ll find out eventually anyway.’
Katie deliberately avoided looking at the letter, focusing instead on the windows—like the other guards, who were always on alert for assassins.
But the moment Edward spoke again, she found herself wide-eyed, staring straight at the paper before she could stop herself.
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