—his lordship—

I can sense you. Very, near. Near...ear....r....

"Stop it." Elvira wittered under her chin, wanting for this snag of water to stop, and the hitching voice in her head to sojourn.

The fire from her heart didn't leave any burn marks to her, hitherto making it impossibly cold as she kept walking while the soldier's alerted for distinguisher equipment to stop the blazing soldier who had stopped her.

She should have listened to her mother and not come out on such a messy day for a gloomy weather. Nonetheless, it was a done deal, and now she only hoped for an immediate shelter, but the soldier's from earlier didn't leave her-add on of a suspicious fire in the middle of the rain, wasn't another throw fit act of magic by Y'Llama the greatest illusionist of all times-and as result she could hear the loudest banging of their boots against the hard road made of cut rocks.

"Stop right there!"

Hesitation for just a second could possible bring one an early death than predestined.

That is why she ran, for her life, against the rain, in versus to the trees which were running too in her peripherical, along with the bread in her hand which she is due to give Ysabelle, with the anticipation to outrun them without another fire.

Which would have worked out well only if it weren't for her three-layered skirts which were weighing five times the usual as being soaked in rain water; Oh, how easier it would have been if she too would be in breeches like Graffin.

Life, she exhaled a snort and stopped her marathon against herself.

This was just so funny. The rain, the voice, the run, and just everything. She let out a laugh and then composed herself before the soldier's approached her.

"What did you do to him?" One, of them asked not before pulling out his sword and pointing in her direction.

She felt the need to be scared, but seemingly her brain has decided to drop its necessity, and she found this whole ordeal waggish.

Maybe this how it feels whenever the old woman is exhausted after she fails to learn anything out of the transformation, or whatever lesson's she has been being provided with.

The other one who was having a toe to head assessment of her drenched self, and momentarily his eyes lingered longer than the courtesy requirement on her full breasts-probably enjoying the view on the counter of carrying out his duty-men, being men, she seductively gave him a smile when asked for her name.

"That is not important right now." The open swordman scolded hiss subordinate, while the chaos from afar of the burning man deterred their hearts.

Her heart.

It felt like burning again.

This can't be happening. "Not now." She told herself, straining her chin muscles to control the heat in herself.

"Name young lady, and what are you doing out alone in the rain?" The subordinate enquired again, even after the warning from his other mate.

They lacked coordination and it wasn't a good idea to let them know her name.

"Christine." She offered. "Last name." He asked, and this time she understood he wasn't interested in her, he was probably interrogating her right now, and his eyes on her chest might be because of the burnt fabric.

Last name?

She didn't remember anything of the moment which she could lie of. There were tons of families she had known and not one name popped out into her head right now.

The pressure of the glare from the officer, and the tip of the sword made her burst out the first thing she could comprehend.

"Cobbler. Christine Cobbler."

"What a pristine name, but I haven't heard of a Cobbler from decades. Now, how was the man set on fire?"

Cobbler: She must've heard it somewhere from her mother and seemingly it frightened the swordsman as the tool of death got lowered.

"I do not know." The officer stared at her, and she maintained the rapport because she didn't want him to notice her hair.

"Maybe there is a witch around." She said with a laugh, hoping to lighten the matter and take leave.

The hot blood flowing inside her making it impossible for her to stand still. She felt she is about to fly if not for her heavy clothes.

"This is no joking matter. We are about to lose a comrade's life." He sternly replied, making her believe that her plan had backfired, neither seduction nor jokes worked well with him.

These men are made of steel and only power of status can deter them.

At the moment she wished she had such a power, to control him.

You don't deserve to live. Don't even dream of attaining power. . power... over....ver...rr......

Involuntarily her hand rushed to her head wanting the noise to stop. Biting her lower lip she strained her closed eyes to open and not the officer's get extra suspicious of what already they claim of her.

"What is that?" The officer roughly pulled her hand holding the bread. She jerked him off, this was unacceptable to be done with any lady.

"What -" Her head immigrated to the deepest mining sector only to match the deafening noise of the breaking rocks.

"What do you think you are doing?" A voice from behind her spoke; something that held authority beyond these mere officer's and one which could be poisonous if not obeyed.

"This young lady is a prime suspect of putting one of our comrades on fire just a few minutes back. So, we are investigating the matter." The swordsman replied to the man who just arrived, clothes slightly wet, followed by a carriage with a bald footman on the ride; explains the clothes situation.

"In the middle of the road, in this heavy downpour?"

The soldier's kept mum on this question, more like, suddenly realising where all of them were at the moment.

"This is not how Aspein's government treats woman. And are you telling me that my lady Martha put a man on fire in this rain?"

The loss on the officer's face put away the pain in her head.

Then the comprehension of her name came back when awareness crept in that he had just called her Martha. This will only lead to more suspicions. Was he here to save or destroy the whole plan?

One would never know.

And logically he had point; fire and water are feasible lovers, and a fire under the presence of water sounds ridiculous like elephant's having two trunks.

"Lady Martha?" The stern officer discarded the fire logic and trapped the naming ceremony.

"Aren't you Christine Cobbler?"

This only drove her crazier. "I lied."

"Anyone would. Soldiers aren't that trustworthy!"

The man cribbed at the two officers making her want to laugh, anyways, the footman came and provided a long jacket to the man, whose face wasn't clearly visible from her position, but he was tall, a little less than two meters.

"And funnily the slogan for you people is-Trust, resilience and discipline keeps the citizens safe!"

He laughed on his wit, while she offered a smile in the nightlight, liking his sense of handling the situation.

Resilience, Trust and Discipline was the order...derr.....rrrrr......

"Stop it." She gasped, then realised that the man was in the process to put on the jacket over her shoulder's, now standing still, with concern shining in his demur. "Is something wrong Lady Martha?"

Martha? Where did he even find such a name!

"Yes. Yes, my lordship." That's the easiest way to avoid knowing what title he held, because she wasn't interested, nor she had the requirement.

But she was definitely thankful.

Also not understanding why did he get down himself from the carriage when footmen exist.

"Lordship." His laugh sounded breathy, as she took the coat from his hands, finger's callused from holding some knife continuously, she observed when their hands touched.

"If you are done with your weirdest interrogation, better go and put out the fire you are claiming."

He dismissed the soldiers with a sarcastic tone, which she didn't appreciate, but she knew that the fire was not going to hurt the soldier, like it hadn't hurt her anytime, like it didn't do any harm to any previous causalities too.

"Thank you... "

"Lordship." He suggested with a humorous vibe.

She rolled her eyes, as he motioned for her to follow him to the carriage.

"A lady shouldn't be walking in the rain in the middle of nowhere especially at night. Give me the address and my footman shall drop you."

Technically for her this wasn't a middle of nowhere but due to the rain it seemed like a nowhere area though.

"I appreciate your concern, but it will be way scandalous for our reputation if we share a carriage, my lordship."

He laughed, firstly at her befitting addition of lordship in the statement, and then on the assumption she had made of the offer he had proposed.

"I will take a walk."

"In this rain?" She seemed too shocked by his confession, and a bit embarrassed of her take on the situation.

"I don't take a lady to my home unless kissed."

Her already burning heart skipped a beat because of his brazen flirting out of the blue, and the thrill of the sentence sounding so scandalous; urgh, why did he have to be such a charming gentleman?

"My Lordship!" She protested with a chide.

"Oh no. Don't. Is that bread from Zui's?"

She felt her food to be threatened when he recognised the bread, she has specifically saved all this time, even while running away.

If he knew the bread, does that mean he is around from here?

"Yes."

"Hm. I really am awe in woman wearing these many garments that sometimes make them impossible to stand still. Salute and respect!"

She smiled at his statement and hopped into the carriage with the help of the strength of his right hand; the wet palm of his subsided the burn of her body, which surprised her. This was the first time something like this happened.

Her body only cooled down after a duration of twenty to twenty-two hours after it starts burning, like a break of fever, but it was cooling down now. And she knew it wasn't the rain.

"Where to Lady ..."

She bit the inside of her cheek knowing he was finally asking her name.

"Twins alley." She replied without the answer he wanted to hear.

"I hate the rain. I couldn't hear your name just now."

A smooth gentleman, was he?

"Christine Cobbler." She sticked to her earlier discovery of name she had conjured herself.

He let out a chuckle. "The real one."

"You can call me Ysa."

And she lied.