Chapter 59 - 58 - An Affinity Unannounced
Riven turned his head.
From the cobblestone path that cut through the yard toward the estate’s back gate, a woman stood with her arms crossed, displeasure written clearly across her face. Her pale blonde hair was neatly tied back. She wore a deep blue dress adorned with silver patterns on the chest—clearly noble attire. From her haughty posture and scrutinizing gaze, she was no ordinary person.
A short distance behind her trailed a quiet servant, keeping pace. It seemed she was the woman’s personal maid.
The noblewoman approached with firm steps. Her shoes struck the gravel lightly, but each step carried the air of someone confronting an intruder, not greeting a guest.
"Answer me!" she barked again. "Are you a new servant? Or a thief sneaking in at dawn to steal? If so, you’ve chosen the wrong estate."
Riven frowned. But he didn’t respond right away. His breathing was still heavy, and more than anything, he was trying to calm his emotions rather than react to the woman’s arrogance.
"I’m not a thief," he replied flatly.
The woman narrowed her eyes, then glanced at the sword still in Riven’s hand. "Then why are you swinging a blade in the Valderacht family’s courtyard as if it were your own? Who are you?"
Riven raised an eyebrow and replied coldly, "Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first before demanding someone else’s name?"
A twitch crossed her brow. She hadn’t expected a common-looking man to talk back.
"I am Lyrienne Valderacht," she said curtly. "Daughter of the current head of this house. And you... don’t look like someone who belongs here."
Riven had suspected as much.