Julian’s skin crawled. He didn’t look up even when he knew exactly where the assassin was. He couldn’t.

If he showed even a hint of suspicion, the master-rank killer would vanish back into the darkness. Instead, he turned a page of the book, his fingers trembling just enough to be convincing as a ’sickly tutor’ lost in thought.

He felt it before he heard it—a shift in the air pressure, a faint scraping that was quieter than a mouse.

Then, a floorboard creaked. Not in the hallway, but from the darkness of the walk-in wardrobe.

Julian’s heart hammered against his ribs. He forced himself to cough, a weak, rasping sound, and reached for the glass of water on the side table. As he did, he caught a glimpse of a reflection in the silver tray.

A thin, dark shape was descending from the shadows of the ceiling, moving like a spider.

Julian felt a bead of cold sweat roll down his neck, but he still didn’t call out. He didn’t move. He just gripped the glass, waiting for the shadow to act out his mission and, fortunately, get caught.

"So," a voice whispered, so low it felt like a hallucination. "The little bird is finally alone."

A figure clad in matte-black leather dropped onto the rug at the foot of the bed, his face covered with a black mask, and held a long, needle-thin rapier coated in a dark, oily toxin, glinting in the firelight.

The assassin didn’t rush; he walked forward with the arrogance of a man who thought his prey was already dead.

"Your father sends his regards, Julian Von Astrea," the man sneered, raising the blade, and Julian wondered, what kind of assassin says the name of his client?

He was very arrogant and confident, believing there was nothing that could stop him from taking Julian’s life, so he had no worries about disclosing the identity of the client.

"He says it’s better for the family if you stay a tragic memory. It will... benefit them."

Julian gulped, looking the man in the eye, his fear replaced by a sudden, cold clarity.

"My father is a fool," Julian said clearly. "And so are you."

The assassin thought it was Julian’s last struggle to act tough despite being a cripple and a weakling.

"Yes, act out all you want. Your fate is sealed." He said.

"That’s right. My fate is sealed. But it’s not by your hands." He narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in them as he bought enough time for the Duke to swoosh out of his hiding place.

Before the assassin could even register Julian’s intentions, a massive shadow appeared behind him.

"Why the—"

He quickly turned, his rapier ready to stab whoever was behind him, but his arm got caught, and next was the back of his neck.

The assassin struggled but didn’t even budge. The grip of the man who had caught him was so firm it was like molded steel.

But who could it be?

He made sure to search the place with his mana, but detected no one. He did detect the child hiding in the washroom, but no one else, so how...? How was the Grand Duke behind him already?

"Ghak—!" He grunted, the breath leaving his lungs, and then the Duke slammed his head down into the floor.

The assassin’s vision literally swam as blood spilled from all openings on his face. He was done for.

"Don’t kill him," Julian suddenly said as he sensed the Duke was going to slam the already defenseless assassin’s head into the floor again.

The Duke looked at Julian, and Julian said,

"We need a witness. My father sent an assassin; this is enough to get back at him."

The assassin, despite nearly losing his consciousness, heard this and then gritted his teeth.

He couldn’t let himself get caught. If he did, it would be against his code as an assassin.

He already screwed up with his arrogance, so if he gets caught and then put on trial against his client, it would ruin his already hard-earned reputation as the rapier reaper.

’I can’t get caught,’ he thought, and then planned to end his life himself, but Julian already saw this coming.

He read enough books to know the next thing the assassin would do, so before the assassin could take any poison hidden in his molar, or stand himself, Julian said,

"You have to knock him out right away, Your Grace."

The Duke did not ask questions and then struck the assassin in the back of his neck, sending his eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.

Julian’s heart was racing. He did it. He faced the assassin and didn’t die.

Well, it was the Duke who faced the assassin, but he cleared it regardless.

Ding

> [Quest: ’SILENT SHADOW’ COMPLETED]

> [Calculating reward...]

Julian stared at the system window displayed in front of him. This... was new.

The quest had been sudden and didn’t give him a list of rewards, so he imagined this was just the system trying to increase his chances of survival with a warning.

But now it was calculating his reward.

The heavy doors were pushed open, and Julian’s heart leapt from his chest. After what had just happened, everything was keeping his senses on high alert.

The Northern knights, led by Kaelen, rushed in and, on seeing the passed-out assassin, the Duke, who was brushing his wrist after just almost pounding the assassin to death, and Julian, who was sitting upright with his eyes frantic and searching.

Kaelen immediately got on one knee and bowed his head. The other knights followed as well.

"We have failed to protect this room, Your Grace." They echoed, but the Duke did not respond, turning his head to look towards the washroom.

"Lucius," he called. "You can come outside now."

After a moment of silence, the little boy walked out of his hiding place and then looked around, scanning the situation.

When he saw the assassin on the floor and the rapier, his protective instincts kicked in, and he skipped towards Julian’s side.

"Were you scared hiding alone?" Julian asked, holding the child and brushing his hair back. ’I know I was.’

But Lucius shook his head, trying to be the big man here.

This eased Julian’s heart a little, and a small smile played on his lips. They managed to survive the night; that was all that mattered.