Dark Moon Third Arc (Fallen Heart) - 29. The Quiet Garden II (Patreon)

Third Arc (Fallen Heart) - 29. The Quiet Garden II

As Lady Belle's eyes searched for his shadow that couldn't possibly be in that place, her heart grew even more lonely. The gentle wind that brushed her face and hair felt even more painful. After a while, she lowered her head.
'What have I been thinking?' she thought in sadness. She realized she had been torturing herself with an empty hope that had never existed in the first place, but her heart refused to let it go.

Meanwhile, as Cley and Claire followed Lady Belle, they looked around them restlessly. Indeed, they realized the Black Devil soldiers were following them secretly, but that didn't mean they were safe.
"The dance should be over by now, how about we go back to the hall, My Lady?" asked Claire, as soon as she noticed two unidentified shadows approaching them and hiding behind the bushes. Fortunately, with the garden's new look, the twins could be aware of their location and every move. And Cley, as usual, his hands were on his sword and prepared to pull it.

After a long breath escaped Lady Belle's mouth, she agreed.
"All right," she replied. She left without saying anything to her father, so she decided to come back soon so her father wouldn't worry about her.

Lady Belle had just turned around when a sharp gust of wind brushed the side of her hair.
"What's that?" asked Lady Belle in shock. Her head turned to the direction where the wind had disappeared. Although it wasn't clear, she was sure something had passed her earlier.

But the twins quickly moved behind her to cover her view of the 'wind'.
"It's only a wind, My Lady," said Cley as he put on a smile as best as he could.

"It's getting cold here. Let's go inside, My Lady," Claire added quickly in a slightly panicked tone.

It was an arrow from a soldier to kill an assassin who appeared near them and now, another soldier was pulling the corpse and hiding it. In addition, a fierce battle between a soldier and a trained assassin also occurred in another part of the garden. They desperately covered it so that Lady Belle wouldn't make a fuss there.

Lady Belle frowned suspiciously for a moment before letting it slide.
"Let's go back inside." The night indeed was getting cold and with her off-shoulder dress, the cold air bit her body easily.

They had just walked a few steps when the twins realized another assassin had escaped their scrutiny. The assassin peeked out from behind the bush with his hand ready to throw his dagger at Lady Belle. A Black Devil soldier opposite them just realized it and immediately raised his bow. Likewise with Cley who immediately shifted his hands on his sword again and Claire who was ready to pull Lady Belle. But it was too slow.

Unexpectedly, a black lance suddenly pierced the assassin's neck before he threw his dagger and it killed him instantly, leaving a rustling sound of leaves as his body fell between the bushes.

"What's that?" asked Lady Belle as she turned to the source of the sound and stopped her steps.

"It must be that naughty squirrel, My Lady. I heard there's a squirrel here. Since it's harmless, the king let it stay here," Claire reasoned. Her eyes and Cley's glanced to the sky. They soon realized a black eye hovered above them, watching and listening to what they were saying and doing. Not only that, but they also realized the black lance that killed the assassin was also the Demonic Arrow spell. There was only one person they knew who had those two skills, the king.

The twins exchanged glances and smiled in relief.

Seeing the strange smiles of the twins, Lady Belle turned to the sky where they were glancing. But she only found a faint dark aura that disappeared like smoke, even then she wasn't sure of it since the night was dark and it happened too fast.

"We have to go inside, My Lady. You will catch a cold if you stay here too long," Cley said again. Even though all the assassins in that place were dead, that didn't mean the place was safe.

"Fine." After that, they walked back to the hall.