บท 112: Shadows of Suspicion

"Achoo!...Ah, it's really getting cold," one of the men muttered, sniffling and rubbing his arms.

"Yeah, the nights are getting colder every day."

Outside the cozy cottage where Rest was currently being bombarded by Celestine's unexpected revelations, six men stood huddled together, their eyes fixed firmly on the small building before them. They weren't ordinary bystanders, though; each of them was a guard or mage in service to noble houses.

The pairs were grouped by allegiance: the first pair from House Rosemary, the second from House Crocus, and the last from House Cattleya. They were assigned here to keep watch over Lady Rosemary and her sister, Yuri, as well as Celestine—a mix of protection and surveillance.