Vol 1 Chapter 18: Intentions That Grow in Silence

The night was too quiet. There was no sound of crickets, only the sound of the valley wind gently caressing the leaves. Inside a small inn room in the Rose Valley, Clara sat hugging her knees on the bed. An oil lamp burned dimly on the side of the table. Her notebook was open, but no pen moved.

Her hands were shaking. But not because of fear.

Because of confusion. Because of doubt. Because… touched.

—

I Can No Longer Be Neutral...

Clara stared at her reflection in the window. The gaze—sharp, practiced, as usual. But beneath it all, there was a confusion that was starting to grow into something deeper.

“I’m a detective,” she whispered softly. “I’m neutral. I don’t take sides.”

That is the principle. That is what makes her trusted by the people and the nobles. Law above all.

But now?

Now, she was caught red-handed by her own heart.

I'm starting to take sides.

Not because the Blood Rose Princess was beautiful. Not because Caelan was sweet and hugged her like a little sister. But because...

Because behind all the murders, Clara felt that Marry was more deserving of the title of 'guardian of the law' than anyone else in the kingdom.

—

Caelan and the Unquenchable Spark...

That little girl, with her tiny hands and her unworldly laugh, had ignited something within Clara. A feeling that had been long lost.

The desire to protect.

Previously, Clara had always protected laws, systems, and institutions.

But now...

She wanted to protect someone.

Not because of the law. But because of love. Because of respect. Because of the secret belief that the world is too dark to let the only light left go out again.

—

Memories of the Past...

Clara stared at the ceiling of her room. Her childhood flashed. When her mother smiled fakely. When her father shouted in the middle of the night. When she looked out the window and asked: "Is this world real?"

She grew up and chose to become a detective. Because that was the only way she knew to fix the world.

But now, as she saw Marry and Caelan sitting together in the field, chatting only about flowers and the weather, Clara realized:

Sometimes, the best way to improve the world is to protect the smallest, most pristine parts of it.

—

Report to Elvyn...

Tomorrow, Clara will return to the capital. She will submit an "incomplete" report. She knows that, as a detective, she has distorted part of the truth.

But...

What good is honesty if it hurts the people who most deserve to live in peace?

Clara took a pen. Then she wrote slowly:

"There were no signs of the fugitives. Their tracks were lost in the middle of the forest. It is strongly suspected that they were killed by wild animals in the forest. There were no traces left behind.

Or it is strongly suspected that they died due to internal conflict between criminals. There is no evidence of involvement of the valley residents."

She paused for a moment. Then added underneath:

"This area is safe. Very safe. Safer than the capital. And I advise you not to send anyone here."

—

Promise in the Heart...

Before going to bed, Clara reopened the small book where she wrote down the names of the criminals who were still at large.

The last page was blank. Then she wrote something she had never imagined before.

Personal mission: Protect Marry and Caelan from the shadows of the past.

She closed her book.

That night, Clara quietly changed. She was no longer just a detective. She had become a protector without a uniform. An eyewitness to the truth that was not recorded in history.

—

An Unspoken New Beginning...

The next morning, when Marry was carrying supplies for the journey home, Clara simply said:

“I will return to the capital. But not to leave. Just to take care of unfinished business.”

Marry smiled softly. As if she knew.

“Caelan will be waiting for you.”

Clara lowered her head. Then she said softly,

“I will return. Not as a supervisor. But… as someone who wants to see you two happy.”

And Marry, for the first time, called her not “Miss Clara,” but:

“Thank you, Clara.”