Morning came slowly to the quiet valley.
Soft sunlight filtered through the tall trees surrounding the river. Birds chirped somewhere in the forest, and the gentle sound of flowing water filled the air.
Inside the small wooden cabin, the fire in the fireplace had almost burned out.
Princess Mirza Aurelia Valemont slowly opened her eyes.
For a moment, she forgot where she was.
The wooden ceiling above her looked unfamiliar. The bed she was lying on was simple and rough compared to the luxurious chambers of the royal palace.
Then the memories returned.
The chase.
The bandits.
The man with the black sword.
Mirza quickly sat up.
"Rob Albrecht..."
She whispered the name quietly.
Last night she had barely slept. Her mind had been filled with thoughts about the man she had met.
The legendary knight.
The Shadow Knight.
But he had refused to help her.
Mirza sighed softly and stood up.
She walked toward the door of the small room and opened it slowly.
The main room of the cabin was already filled with the smell of food.
Rob Albrecht stood near the fireplace, cooking something in a small iron pan.
He didn't look like a legendary knight.
He wore simple dark clothes.
His hair was slightly messy.
And his movements were calm and ordinary.
If someone saw him like this, they would never imagine that this man had once been the most feared warrior in the kingdom.
Mirza stepped into the room quietly.
"Good morning..."
Rob didn't turn around.
"Sit."
Mirza blinked.
"You always talk like that?"
Rob shrugged.
"It's efficient."
Mirza couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
For the first time since yesterday, the tension inside her chest eased slightly.
She sat down at the wooden table.
A moment later, Rob placed a plate in front of her.
Simple bread.
Cooked fish.
Nothing fancy.
But Mirza realized she was starving.
"Thank you," she said politely.
Rob nodded slightly and sat across from her.
For a few minutes, neither of them spoke while eating.
Finally, Mirza gathered her courage again.
"Rob."
He stopped chewing.
"That's not my name."
Mirza raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
He took another bite.
"My name is just Rob."
Mirza smiled faintly.
"That's exactly what I said."
Rob sighed quietly but said nothing.
Mirza leaned forward slightly.
"So you really are Rob Albrecht, right?"
Rob looked at her calmly.
"I told you yesterday."
"I'm not a knight anymore."
"That wasn't my question."
The two of them stared at each other across the table.
Finally, Rob spoke.
"...Yes."
Mirza's eyes widened slightly.
"You really are him."
Rob Albrecht.
The man whose name once echoed across battlefields.
The man who had trained countless soldiers.
The man who had personally protected the royal family many years ago.
Mirza lowered her voice.
"When I was little... my mother used to tell me stories about you."
Rob frowned slightly.
"Stories?"
Mirza nodded.
"She said there was once a knight who protected the kingdom from shadows."
"A knight stronger than entire armies."
"A knight people called the Shadow Knight."
Rob's expression darkened slightly.
"Fairy tales."
Mirza shook her head.
"No."
She pointed toward his right hand.
"That scar proves it."
Rob looked down at the mark on his hand again.
For a moment, his mind drifted to the past.
The training.
The battles.
The oath he had sworn as a young knight.
And the friend who had stood beside him through all of it.
Roni Alexander Valerian.
Rob clenched his hand slightly.
Mirza noticed the change in his expression.
"...You're thinking about someone."
Rob looked up.
"That's none of your business."
Mirza didn't back down.
"That friend who died."
The room fell silent.
Rob's eyes became sharp.
"How do you know about that?"
Mirza swallowed nervously but continued.
"Everyone in the kingdom knows the story."
"The war ten years ago."
"The battle of Crimson Valley."
"The battle where the greatest knight of Aurelion lost his closest friend."
Rob stood up slowly.
The chair scraped against the wooden floor.
"Enough."
Mirza flinched slightly.
But she didn't stop.
"Roni Alexander Valerian."
Rob froze.
"That was his name, right?"
For a moment, the air inside the cabin felt heavy.
Rob turned toward the window.
His voice was quiet.
"...Yes."
Mirza spoke gently.
"You left the kingdom after that battle."
"You abandoned your position."
"You disappeared."
Rob stared outside at the river.
"I didn't abandon anything."
Mirza tilted her head.
"Then why did you leave?"
Rob didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he spoke after a long pause.
"Because knights are stupid."
Mirza blinked.
"...What?"
Rob turned toward her again.
His eyes were colder now.
"We fight."
"We bleed."
"We die."
"And for what?"
Mirza didn't respond.
Rob continued.
"Politics."
"Power."
"The greed of nobles."
He pointed toward the distant horizon.
"That war five years ago?"
"It wasn't necessary."
Mirza frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Rob's voice became darker.
"That battle formation we used..."
"...was leaked."
Mirza's eyes widened.
"You mean-"
"Someone betrayed us."
The fire crackled loudly in the silence.
Mirza slowly understood.
"And you think..."
Rob finished her sentence.
"...Duke Cassius Dorian Valemont."
The name felt heavy inside the room.
Mirza's hands tightened on the table.
"That's impossible..."
Rob laughed quietly.
"Is it?"
Mirza hesitated.
"The Duke has always been powerful but"
"He controls the ministers now."
"He controls most of the army."
Mirza lowered her eyes.
"...Yes."
Rob looked at her calmly.
"Then ask yourself something."
"Who benefited from that war?"
Mirza didn't answer.
Because deep down...
She already knew the truth.
Rob picked up his cup and finished the last of his tea.
"Anyway."
He walked toward the door.
"Finish eating."
Mirza looked up.
"Where are you going?"
Rob opened the door.
"Fishing."
Mirza stared at him in disbelief.
"Fishing?!"
Rob looked back at her.
"Yes."
"The river still exists."
"Fish still live in it."
Mirza covered her face with one hand.
"I'm asking you to save an entire kingdom...
"And you're going fishing."
Rob shrugged.
"That sounds like a you problem."
Then he stepped outside.
Mirza stared at the door in shock.
For the first time since yesterday...
She felt slightly angry.
She stood up and walked toward the window.
Outside, Rob walked calmly toward the river with a fishing rod.
Mirza clenched her fists.
"Unbelievable..."
But deep inside her heart...
She still believed something.
The legendary Shadow Knight could not be this indifferent.
Not really.
And somewhere far away from the cabin...
Several armored riders moved through the forest.
Their leader spoke coldly.
"Search every path."
"Princess Mirza must be nearby."
One of the soldiers nodded.
"Yes, Commander."
"And what if we find anyone helping her?"
The commander's expression became cruel.
"Kill them."
The hunt was getting closer.