Chapter 34 - Impartial Judgment
The guards entered the room, worried—and a little frightened—wondering if this could be the start of another incident. Their eyes swept over the entire room, and nothing seemed out of place—nothing except for Guang Ai, kneeling on the floor in panic.
"W–what happened?!" one of the guards asked, while another ran over to assist Ai.
Noah merely shrugged—not out of disdain, but because the guard's bewilderment was mutual, after all. He then replied,
— I was meditating alone, as far as I can remember.
Upon noticing the injury on Guang Ai's wrist, the guard stood up, exclaiming,
— What have you done to Miss Ai's arm?!
He touched the sheath of his sword and shot a menacing glance toward Noah.
The guard found himself in a delicate predicament. On one side was one of the family's most important members, and on the other, a direct guest of the leaders along with his daughter. Touching his sword already had been an overreaction—even if it was merely reflex.
Seeing the situation, the other guard quickly left the room, running to fetch Arthur so that he could handle the matter personally.
"Hey, I already said I was here alone. I don't know when or why that girl came in. And her arm..." He glanced at her briefly before adding, "She probably tried to touch me when I wasn't looking—that's all."
"She tried to touch you? That's ridiculous! Miss Ai would never do that! Everyone knows that touching someone during meditation is dangerous and can cause a Qi deviation."