Glenn was the first to stand, and Lisa wasted no time jumping in with a suggestion. Instead of heading straight back to work, why not take Nadia out to the newly opened marketplace?
Nadia quickly refused, saying she still had responsibilities to handle. Unexpectedly, Glenn extended his hand and invited her himself.
Soon the two were dressed in simple robes, blending in as ordinary nobles, quietly walking side by side through the lively market.
It was peaceful for about five minutes.
Out of nowhere, someone bumped into Nadia. At first it seemed like nothing. But then the whispers started spreading. People began recognising her. The Marchioness of Winterpel. The Duke's daughter.
A man suddenly charged forward, raising a bucket of filthy water, ready to throw it at her. Protecting his wife, Glenn swiftly slammed the man to the ground.
The man did not back down. Even pinned, he shouted at the top of his lungs, calling Nadia a spy, an enemy of the north. He warned Glenn not to be fooled by her. His voice cracked as he revealed the truth. His brother had died because the Valajet family had forced northern knights into deadly battles.
The tension hung heavy in the air. Before things could escalate further, an older woman rushed in. It was his mother. She dropped to her knees before Glenn, begging for forgiveness. Through trembling breaths she explained that her eldest son, Henry Clark, had died during the Kalai expedition, but insisted that Nadia was not to blame.
Glenn slowly loosened his grip and spoke. He remembered Henry. A man who had fought bravely under Winterpel's banner and stood on the front lines. He told the grieving mother that her son had died with honour.
At that, she broke down completely.
Glenn then turned to Nadia, checking whether she was all right. She quickly nodded, brushing it off and asking him to let the matter go. He listened. Not only that, he gently reassured the mourning mother before stepping away.
It was a harsh reminder. No matter what Nadia did, the north carried deep scars because of her family. She understood. Helping them would not magically earn their trust overnight.
After that intense day, Glenn threw himself into training, swinging his sword over and over as though he were trying to cut through his own thoughts. The incident in the marketplace would not leave his mind, especially the pain his people still carried because of the Duke.
He knew the truth. The Duke was cruel. Nadia had done nothing but help Winterpel, and yet she was still a Valajet. Someone who, no matter how innocent she seemed, was tied to the very man who had caused so much suffering.
He dropped his sword, shaken by his own thoughts.
Right on cue, his knights walked in and immediately noticed something was off. They asked the obvious question. Why was he not with Nadia?
One look at his face and they already knew the answer. So they did not sugarcoat it. If he kept pushing her away, he was going to regret it. Someone as loyal and devoted as Nadia did not come around twice. And if he let her go, that was on him.
Nadia had her trio of matchmaking maids, and Glenn had these three.
Even with their blunt advice, Glenn's struggle did not disappear. He knew Nadia was everything a man could hope for. And that was exactly the problem. The second he allowed himself to feel something for her, guilt hit him just as fast. How was he supposed to face his bedridden father, or the memory of his late mother?
To be clear, he did not blame Nadia for what her father had done. But falling for the daughter of the man responsible for his mother's death? That was a line he could not cross so easily.
So he did the only thing he thought he could. He buried his feelings.
If Glenn had only looked a little closer, he might have realised that Nadia had never truly been treated like family either. Calling that Duke a father felt like a stretch.
That evening the two sat across from each other at dinner. But not a single word was exchanged. The silence was thick, and Nadia knew that the incident at the market was still weighing on him.
Trying to ease things, she gently told Glenn that he did not need to worry about her. But he would not engage. Not even a little. That only made her more uneasy.
Refusing to let it fester, Nadia pressed on. She told him they could not keep avoiding things like this. They needed to talk, to actually understand each other. She reassured him again that she had meant what she said, that she would always choose him over her father.
However, just as she was about to open up about how abusive her father was, Glenn suddenly yelled at her to stop.
Nadia went still, completely stunned. Even Glenn looked taken aback by his own reaction. Realising what he had done, he quickly apologised. Nadia nodded, accepting it. But the sadness in her expression did not fade.
The truth was, Glenn was not lashing out at her. He was struggling with himself. After all, he was beginning to fall for her. And she was the daughter of the man who had taken his mother's life.