The lobby's murmur, which had risen to a fever pitch at the mention of "the Crown Prince," suddenly died down as Maria reached the dorm entrance.
A strange silence fell. No one smiled. No one blinked.
Students who just yesterday called Maria "jinx" and "dangerous" and avoided her were now staring at her with open mouths.
Maria descended the steps outside the dorm. Her bag weighed heavily on her shoulder, and her eyes burned from lack of sleep, but she held her head high.
At the bottom of the stairs stood Edward.
The Commander of the Royal Guard, with that white and gold uniform and medals shining on his chest, was like a sun against the gray cobblestones in front of the dormitory. He could have been stiff and military as always. He could have summoned Maria with a simple nod.
But he didn't.
When Maria approached, Edward took a step forward. He put aside his hard, commanding look and, with a warm and respectful smile, bowed his head slightly, like a nobleman greeting a lady.
"I was expecting you."
Then, he did something that drew a gasp from the crowd.
He reached out and took the heavy school bag off Maria's shoulder.
"Allow me to carry this. The carriage is waiting."
Maria was startled.
Edward... what are you doing? You are the Commander-in-Chief. Carrying an academy student's bag?
But when she looked into Edward's eyes, she read the hidden message. Edward was telling every single person present in the lobby:
"This girl is not alone. This girl is under the absolute protection of the Royal Guard. Anyone who looks at her the wrong way answers to me."
Maria gave a faint smile and allowed Edward to play her bodyguard.
"Thank you, Commander."
They walked toward the carriage with hundreds of eyes following them. Maria's standing at the Academy had shifted from outcast to untouchable in a matter of seconds.
The carriage door closed, and the noise of the outside world was cut off.
The carriage moved slowly over the cobblestones, leaving tracks on the snowy ground. The interior was velvet-lined, warm, and infinitely soft. It smelled of fine leather and the gentle scent of sandalwood.
Maria sank into the seat. Her body, still grappling with the tension of the past few days, gave in to the feeling of this sudden softness.
There was silence for a few minutes. Edward sat opposite her, watching her carefully.
"Feeling better?"
Maria sighed.
"I'm alive. And that's a big achievement in your Academy."
A low chuckle escaped Edward.
"I heard there were some adventures last night too. Rumors of a 'Wandering Spirit' in the dormitory."
Maria's stomach dropped, but her expression didn't change.
"People are imaginative, Commander."
Edward didn't continue. Maybe he understood, maybe he didn't want to ask. His face became more serious.
"Arthur returned from his trip last night."
Maria's ears perked up.
"Trip?"
"Yes. He spent the last two months in the South (Solareth) for alliance negotiations. While you were on trial. Last night when he arrived and read the full trial reports... the servants said he didn't sleep until morning. He was very restless. He wanted to come to the dorm right then, but I stopped him."
Maria looked at her hands.
"So that letter... the letter you sent to Madame Vance..."
"That was my own decision."
Edward clasped his hands together.
"I can't stop Varon's politicking, but I can stop injustice. When Arthur found out what happened, he was angry why we didn't inform him sooner. But I told him you handled it yourself."
Maria gave a bitter smile.
"Thank you, Commander. If it weren't for that letter, I'd be in a cell right now."
Edward nodded.
"You are my soldier, Maria. The Royal Guard doesn't abandon its troops."
Maria looked out the window. The capital drifted past outside the window.
Warmth spread through her chest. The feeling that finally, her feet were on solid ground.
But at the same time, a terrible fatigue came over her. The stress of the trial, the grueling days after, her efforts to restore her lost reputation, and last night's operation... all piling up at once, and her body's energy was depleted.
Edward, seeing Maria's silence and fatigue, decided to distract her mind from the events. He put his hand in his military coat pocket and took out a small, folded map, spreading it on his knee.
"We won't enter through the public entrance. The private palace gardens are designed like a labyrinth to stop assassins."
He gestured to the empty seat next to him.
"Come sit here. You can't see the details from that distance. I want to show you the security routes and blind spots of the Royal Guard. A good bodyguard must memorize the map before their feet touch the ground."
Maria, who couldn't resist a strategic lesson even in the peak of fatigue, rose from her seat and sat next to Edward. The warmth of Edward's body and the smell of his uniform's leather felt strangely safe. She leaned over the map to listen to the Commander's explanations, unaware that this very proximity and safety would be the prelude to her body surrendering to sleep.
The cradle-like motion of the carriage and the pleasant warmth inside acted like a lullaby.
Maria tried to stay awake. Tried to be alert like a bodyguard.
Must not sleep... must listen to Edward... must be ready...
But her eyelids had become heavier than lead weights.
Her head slowly dropped. She jerked awake once, but the next time, she surrendered.
Her body went limp.
Her head tilted and rested gently on Edward's strong, armored arm.
Edward froze.
He went rigid. His military instinct said: "Physical contact! Danger!"
He was used to dealing with rough soldiers and wild monsters. He wasn't used to a creature so small and delicate leaning on him.
He looked down.
Maria was asleep. The mask of "Genius Strategist" and "Tough Bodyguard" had fallen from her face.
Now she was just a little girl. With long eyelashes, a slightly open mouth, and dark circles under her eyes showing how much burden she had carried.
Edward's muscles slowly relaxed.
Something tightened beneath his ribs. A feeling he had forgotten for years. Since he lost his own daughter in a great incident.
The hand that usually held a sword lifted, hesitant.
But then, with incredible caution, he unfastened his white cape and gently pulled it over Maria's shoulders so she wouldn't get cold.
He looked at the girl's black hair.
He no longer saw her as the "Royal Guard Project" or the "Weapon of the Future."
She looked too small beneath the weight she carried.
Edward whispered under his breath, so quietly even he could barely hear himself:
"Sleep well, little soldier... This time, I promise... this time I won't be late. I won't let anyone hurt you."
Maria stirred in her sleep and unconsciously grabbed Edward's rough hand.
Edward didn't pull his hand away. He just gave a faint, almost fatherly smile and stared at the horizon.
The carriage stopped with a soft jolt.
Maria jumped awake with the movement. She opened her eyes and was confused for a few seconds.
The scent of masculine cologne and the roughness of uniform fabric were under her cheek.
She raised her head and froze.
She'd slept the whole way on the arm of the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Guard. Her drool had even dampened the corner of Edward's white cape slightly.
Maria sat up straight instantly. Her face burned with shame. Her cheeks flushed.
Damn... I'm a bodyguard! How could I be so careless as to sleep in the middle of a mission?
"I... I'm sorry, Commander! I didn't realize when..."
Edward didn't even look at his shoulder. He adjusted his gloves with complete composure, as if nothing had happened.
"We're here. Get out."
He pretended he hadn't seen Maria's weakness. It was the greatest kindness he could've shown her.
Maria quickly picked up her bag and got out.
The air in the royal gardens was clean and cool. Here wasn't full of stone statues like the Academy; it was full of life.
Edward didn't take her to the main hall. They went toward a massive glass dome structure at the end of the garden.
"Arthur is there. His personal greenhouse. He said he wanted to see you where the walls have fewer ears."