The scent of roasted duck filled the Ironblood manor from the kitchens as a middle-aged woman turned the savory-scented bird on a spit. She wore glasses and had brown hair in a low bun with a white bonnet to keep her hair from falling into the food, and wore a lovely lavender floral pattern dress with an apron over it so it would not get dirty. Ann Comcombe was a lovely human and a wonderful cook whom Charles had hired many years ago, and she dutifully made nutritious and delicious meals for the noble family.

“Are you done pouring the soups?” she asked Helen, a pink-haired, blue-eyed light elf who worked as a kitchen maid.

“I just finished with the garnish,” Helen answered, “Presentation is important, as you taught me.” She then proudly showed the soup garnished with some parsley, making Ann smile.

“Good job,” she complimented, “now serve it immediately while they're still hot.” 

Helen grabbed the tray and headed towards the dining room along with another kitchen maid, an Ursa (bear beastman) by the name of Penny, who volunteered to take the other tray of soup over. 

“I’ve been hearing rumors that Lady Irene is in charge of solving the princess’s death,” she asked as they made their way to the dining hall. “Is that true?”

“I think the Jornos outside the gates this morning, and the lady herself sneaking out in Mrs. Mina’s wagon, is a big give-away,” the light elf pointed out.

“For real! I bet the lady would solve this in no time; she’s very smart and insightful!” Penny continued, growing excited, “I’d bet you 10 silver it’s the butler!” 

Helen looked at the Ursa maid with a raised eyebrow, “You’ve been reading those murder mystery books again, haven’t you?” she asked, annoyed by her coworker’s excitement over this serious matter.

“Not my fault, Lady Ella recommended some good fiction to pass the time when off duty!” Penny argued in her defense.

“There’s nothing wrong with a good book,” Helen continued, “just understand it’s not always the butler.”

“I'm not the one who started that cliché!” Penny definitely replied.

“Cliché or not, I highly doubt a 70-year-old human butler with bad knees would be physically able to kill the princess,” Helen pointed out as she opened the door in front of them.

“You're no fun!” Penny grumbled as they entered the dining hall and quietly served the first course to the family.

Dinner among the rich and aristocratic societies in Artamita consisted of several courses, starting with a light soup, followed by fish or seafood, then the main course, including roast beef, lamb, or fowls of all kinds (there were also some animals like a wyvern or Kraken that Irene had no idea could be eaten), various vegetables afterward, and Irene’s personal favorite, dessert consisting of puddings, ices, meringues, and pastries of all kinds, and then finally cheese, nuts, and fruits along with coffee or tea were served. Though Irene found it weird that cheese was served after desserts, as they were served before dinner in her old life when her parents hosted parties, she still enjoyed the meals the cook made for them very much.

Once the kitchen maids served everyone and left the room, the family said grace, thanking the Great Mother for her bountiful blessings she bestowed on the family. Once done, everyone enjoyed the soup. Lucas was among the family as he tended to come every few days to dine with his family. Today was no exception after Charles contacted his son on the Orb about Irene’s discovery. Everything felt quiet, except for the slurping of the soup.

“So…” Irene finally spoke up, breaking the silence, “have the court wizards finished investigating the princess’s chamber room?” she asked Lucas.

“They just finished a few hours earlier,” he answered, “Other than the magic coming from the light crystals, there’s not a single trace of any other type of magic whatsoever.” 

“Well, we can check that off the list,” Irene said with a small smile. “Now, when is a good time to tell the king and queen?”

"Probably some time after the funeral,” Charles spoke up, "they both have enough on their plates.”

“But for how long?” Gessabella asked, “We need to rip the bandage off sooner or later, I’d say sooner so we can throw his royal rear behind bars.”

“Unfortunately, that will never happen, as he is royalty,” Ella pointed out.

“Don’t remind me,” Gessabella grumbled as she shoved some soup into her mouth.

“That's not a lady's way of eating!” Magnolia scolded her eldest daughter. 

“Could you spare me the etiquette lesson for tonight?” the redhead asked as she shot a glare at her mother, “It’s hardly the time for that.”

“Guessabella is right, dear,” Charles interrupted as he held his wife’s hand, “This is hardly the time for this.” He could tell the poor woman was shaking a little, still in shock from the revelations just hours ago.

Magnolia took a deep breath, “I'm sorry,” she apologized to her daughter, “I guess I'm still shaken up from earlier.”

“It's shaken all of us,” Gessabella responded, “We've known Alex for years; it's hard to imagine he'd do something this horrible.” 

“It’ll definitely break their majesty’s hearts when we tell them,” Lucas added.

There was silence for a few seconds until Violet spoke up, “Are there any rules that a royal or noble can’t confess to their crimes if they want to?” she asked out of curiosity. 

Charles scratched his chin, thinking for a moment, “Not that I'm aware of,” he replied, “but I highly doubt Alex would be willing to confess.” 

“Is there a way to trick the prince?” Matthew asked his father.

BOOM!

A loud explosion was heard from outside, causing everyone to stand up all at once and look out the window to see smoke rising from one area of the garden.

“What was that?!” Magnolia asked, heart pounding in her chest from that shock.

“EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!” A familiar tiny pixey zoomed by and landed like a meteor on the table in front of the duke.

“Iris, what’s going on?” Charles asked, completely dumbfounded.

“There’s an intruder in the gardens prowling around!” Iris explained, “Helen and Penny spotted him and are dealing with him as we speak, but he’s quite nimble for a big guy.”

“By any chance, is the intruder a Shere?” Irene asked apprehensively.

“Actually, yes, he is. How did you know?” the fairy asked in surprise.

“Call it a gut feeling,” Irene explained, “Earlier, when I was interrogating the staff members, I saw a Shere guard with my pocket mirror guarding the doors, glaring at the Usagi maid, and later Alex assigned him to watch over Lilith and me during interrogations, and I noticed him eyeing the Usagi maid with my mirror.” Everybody looked at each other with terror in their eyes. 

“He wouldn't,” Jessabella growled.

Irene nodded, “He would if he suspected I knew.” 

“Over my dead body!” Magnolia shouted, now seething with anger. She was ready to rumble with that Shere, but Charles stopped her.

“Calm down, dear,” he said, “Remember the plan for when something like this happens?” He then turned to Iris, “Gather all the servants in the household with our gear.” 

The Pixie flew off in a heartbeat, and a minute later, all the servants ran in with the family’s gear and weapons.

“Get ready to fight,” Charles said, sounding calm and serious. Duke Ironblood taught all his children how to fight in case of a situation like this. Soon, everyone was geared up. Charles and Lucas with their rapiers, Jessabelle with her spear, Ella with her two daggers, Magnolia with her bow and arrows, and Irene with her two fans. “You stay behind and protect your younger brother,” Charles instructed Violet, who held a short sword.

“But I want to see!” Matthew complained.

“I know a secret spot where we can see the battle,” Violet whispered in his ear to calm him down before turning to their father. “Leave it to me, Father,” she told him as she took her brother by the hand down the hallway along with a few servants.

“Alright, everyone,” Charles called everyone's attention, “This is not one of our normal practice drills,” he reminded them, “This is the real deal, and you will likely get hurt. But be not afraid, remember your training, trust each other, watch your corners. And do not underestimate him, and you will come out alive.”

Everyone nodded their heads, ready for the fight.

“Now let's show that assassin what happens when they mess with an Ironblood!” Charles shouted, his sword in the air.

And with that, the family marched on to battle.

Outside the gardens, both Helen and Penny were handling the buff Shere assassin but found it hard to lay a mark on him. 

“How…can someone…that big…be that fast?” Penny asked, hands getting sweaty from her iron-cawed gauntlets.

“Well, tigers are known to be quite nimble big cats,” Helen responded, “So it makes sense that Sheres are just as fast!” She tried to aim her wand, firing fireballs, but even she wasn’t having any luck as the Shere kept dodging them. 

Not even Magnolia could hit him when she shot an arrow, whizzing past him as he dodged effortlessly. The Shere glared at the middle-aged duchess as she was now surrounded by her family, all geared up, ready to take him on.

The Duke walked right up to the assassin a few feet in front, “I suggest you turn tail and run, assassin,” he told him, “or you’ll learn the hard way why no one messes with an Ironblood.”

Irene could not help but smile at that short speech, combined with the assembling, she felt like they were the superheroes in those movies she used to watch with her birth parents.

“My kill, my right,” the assassin said as he stared at Irene.

That was when the whole family knew it was show time. Charles struck first, running up to the Shere, thrusting his rapier like lightning. But the tiger beastman caught the blade between two clawed fingers and shoved, sending the Duke stumbling back. 

Lucas quickly slid in front of his father, blade raised. “You’re not touching anyone!”

The tiger only bared his fangs in answer.

Magnolia’s bowstring sang. An arrow hissed past the assassin’s cheek, nicking fur and drawing blood. He retreated, steps silent, measuring every exit, every angle.

Jessabella lunged with her spear, sweeping low to cut off his escape. He leapt over the wooden shaft entirely, landing on the spear and springing off it as though it were a step. The impact drove Jessabella to one knee. The eldest daughter cursed under her breath at her failure. Ella was next with her twin daggers flashing up at his ribs. The Shere twisted again—just enough. Her blades grazed him, blood spotting the floor, but his counterblow sent Ella skidding backward. She, too, swore under her breath and prayed their mother didn’t hear that.

The tiger then eyed his prey, Irene. Her fans snapped open with a soft, harmless flutter. The assassin barely looked at them, believing she was too dumb to think the fans would save her—until the first strike sliced across his forearm with steel hidden in silk. His eyes widened. They were not ordinary fans; they were actually Tessens, fans made from sharp steel from Edo, hidden behind the lace. It was Irene’s idea to fool the attacker into thinking she was just an average damsel in distress, only to learn the hard way that looks can be deceiving.

“Not toys,” Irene said quietly while smirking. 

They circled, her steps precise, calculated. Each flick of the fan deflected claws or turned his momentum aside. She wasn't trying to overpower him—she guided him, forcing him toward the center, where the others could press in.

Penny roared, back on her feet, and took the opportunity. She slammed into his side like a battering ram. He staggered—finally off balance.

Helen seized the opening and flung another fireball.

But just as she was about to fling it across the yard, the assassin hurled Penny at the elf maid, and the fireball shot above the tiger man as the bear beastwoman collided with her. The fireball was now hurling towards the manor, specifically an addict window, and they all saw it. Two small figures leaning out to watch the battle, screaming in fear.

“Violet! Matthew!” Magnolia screamed.

Everyone’s eyes widened in horror. But before any of them could move, the tiger man launched upward in a blur, claws burying into the stone wall. Hand over hand, faster than seemed possible, he scaled the manor façade and hurled himself through the window just as the blazing sphere roared past. He twisted mid-air—turning his back deliberately. The fireball slammed into him. 

The scream that followed was raw, animal, and human all at once. He crashed back out of the window, flaming, and hit the courtyard hard. Burning fur filled the air with a sickening smell. Violet’s sobbing broke from above. Matthew shouted for help. Penny was first to reach him, slapping out lingering flames with her gauntlets while trained guards pinned his shoulders and legs. He struggled once, then went slack, breathing raggedly. His back was charred—patches of skin blackened, blistering, ruined.

Poor Helen collapsed to her knees, shaking. “I—I almost—”

Ella knelt next to her. “This is not your fault,” she reassured the elf maid.

Magnolia rushed upstairs. Lucas followed, yelling orders to the servants to get water, bandages, and salves.

Charles knelt beside the assassin, eyes narrowed. “Hold him. But treat the wounds. I want him alive,” his words were calm despite the adrenaline rush. The tiger-man’s gaze flickered up, unfocused, then past Charles—to the attic window. He seemed to relax when he saw the children safe.

Irene stood still, war fans closed at her sides, completely dumbfounded. He was sent to kill her. Every move had been measured, merciless… until the fire veered toward Violet and Matthew. He hadn’t hesitated. He had thrown himself in front of it—like a bodyguard, not a murderer.

‘Why? Why would an assassin save the siblings of his target?’

The question sat in Irene’s chest like a stone as the servants bound the assassin’s burns and carried him away. This was going to be a long night.