cha 2 The Girl Outside the Silken Chain.

Noha leaned back in his large leather chair and rubbed his forehead, trying to recall. “Nora…? Yes, I think I’ve heard a few things about her. She’s one of the higher ranks of Red Moon and has already participated in several demon extermination missions.”

Mrs. May hesitated, her hands tightening slightly around the edge of the tea tray. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, clearly nervous. “Yes, Master Noha… Miss Nora is an excellent hunter.” May nodded softly. “So what about her?” Noha asked.

“Well… Miss Zara is Nora’s Guardian Officer,” May said carefully. “Is that so?” Noha looked down at his tea. “I never thought she would take on the responsibility of becoming a Guardian Officer.” “Well, Miss Zara has been having trouble balancing both work and looking after Nora. It would be a good opportunity to help Miss Zara, since you are also a Guardian Officer yourself.”

Noha thought quietly for a moment.

“Well… I never really understood why she insists on doing so many things at once, but yes, this could be a good opportunity, as you said.” He lowered his gaze slightly. “I don’t think I’m particularly capable of being a Guardian Officer…i was lucky that the boy under my care is very capable. but it’s better than doing nothing to help her.”

May nodded along before hesitating again. “But Master Noha…” may added. “Yes?” noha ask.
“…Nora is not under the Silken Chain Bond.” Noha froze mid-sip. His crimson eyes widened as he slowly lowered the teacup onto the desk with a sharp clink.

“What?” His voice turned cold instantly. “She’s not bound by the Silken Chain?” He straightened in his chair, tension visible in his shoulders. “And Mother agreed to this?” May gently shook her head. “No. The Lady of the House opposed it. But Miss Zara refused to back down. She even threatened to call off the marriage. In the end, your grandfather personally allowed the exception.” Shock and uneasiness crossed Noha’s face. “Grandfather himself intervened?”

A long, heavy silence filled the room.

“So Zara became a Guardian Officer and already took in a child hunter…” His brows slowly tightened. “And when exactly did all of this happen?”

“…3 year's ago just few weeks after your marriage,” May answered carefully. “At the time, you were… bit busy with work.” may said carefully. “…Right.” Noha leaned back again, one hand covering part of his face as old memories surfaced in fragments:
Zara waiting for him at the dinner table, and trying to start conversations, standing quietly outside his office late at night. And every single time… He had been too busy with work to truly notice her. Now she had even left home under the excuse of a business trip. noha's voice lowered.
“I knew something had changed…” A quiet pause followed. “…but I never paid attention to it.”
Noha slowly clenched his hand into a fist. I was such an idiot.

After a long silence, he finally sat upright again.

“May. Get me all the information we have on Nora.”

“Yes, Master Noha.” May bowed politely, quickly clearing the tea set with graceful movements before leaving the room. Once the door clicked shut, Noha’s serious mask finally cracked.
He picked up his phone and stared at Zara’s profile picture of her standing in an open flower garden, dusty pink hair swaying gently beneath the sunlight, calm blue eyes looking somewhere beyond the camera. His thumb brushed softly across the screen.

“How do you always manage to get things your way…?” he whispered tiredly. A small, weary smile tugged briefly at the corner of his lips before fading away.

Knock. Knock.

“Come in,” Noha said as immediately, composing himself again. His expression returned to its usual cold, unreadable state as he straightened his posture and adjusted his loosened tie.
May entered quietly and placed a very thin file onto his desk.

“Here is all the information we currently have on her, Master.” Noha picked it up and flipped through the pages. “This is it?” Noha asked. “This is just basic information.” noha sais as put the file back on the desk. “Since Miss Nora is under Miss Zara’s direct authority and is not bound by the Silken Chain, we were unable to investigate further,” May explained calmly. Noha let out a frustrated sigh.

“This is ridiculous. She’s only twelve years old, yet she has got the title of the Witch of the Battlefield? and what does this title even mean? i never head of this title.”
His red eyes scanned the pages more quickly. "and it look she does?" noha slowly read's the flie “Magical artifact testing, battle strategy development, demon extermination reports, military intelligence observation… and more?” He paused. “How is a child involved in this many things?”

The room fell silent again.

Noha closed the file and lightly tossed it onto the desk. “So what university did she graduate from?” he asked half-sarcastically. May smiled faintly, trying to remain composed. “She never attended university, Master. Miss Nora is homeschooled and takes online classes.” may said.

Noha leaned back once more, staring at the ceiling with a long sigh as he ran a hand through his silky black hair, making it even messier. “So where is she? Is she currently on a mission?” Noha finally asked.

“We do not know, Master Noha. Miss Nora comes and goes as she pleases and generally does whatever she wants. Miss Zara never seemed particularly bothered by this, so we have no reliable way of tracking her movements.”

“What?” Noha’s brows twitched slightly in annoyance. “She just does whatever she wants? Does she even understand what having a Guardian Officer means?”

“Well…” May smiled faintly. “Miss Nora is very similar to Miss Zara. …Very difficult to control.”
Noha stared silently for a moment before letting out a tired breath. "like zara ha?" noha become soft after hearing zara's name.

“Well then…” He stood from his chair and buttoned his coat neatly. “Looks like I’ll have to find her personally.”