After lunch, when everyone had finished chatting and the plates were cleared, Riley stood up and called his won together with a calm gesture.
His presence was enough to quiet the room instantly.
"I’ve secured a house in the city," Riley announced, his voice steady and decisive.
"Pack your things. Once you’re ready, we’ll head to our new ho."
For a brief mont the girls blinked at him—and then excitent broke out like a small wave.
Sarah clapped her hands, Ivy gasped in delight, and Grace exchanged bright, eager smiles.
The thought of finally having a ho—an actual ho—after everything they had gone through felt like a miracle.
All except Evelyn. She alone didn’t smile.
She stepped closer to Riley, her fingers nervously gripping her sleeves.
"Riley... may I ask you sothing?"
Riley turned to her, his expression gentle. "Of course."
"I heard the people downstairs talking earlier," she whispered, eyes flicking away before returning to his. "They said... they said you killed all fifteen of those n last night. Is that true?"
There was no hesitation. Riley nodded.
"I did," he said calmly.
"They were scum of the earth. They preyed on the weak and thought they could get away with it." His gaze softened slightly, seeing the worry in her eyes.
"You don’t have to worry, Evelyn. They’re gone now, and no one will co after us because of them."
Evelyn swallowed, still pale, but she nodded slowly.
She trusted him—even if what he did scared her a little.
With the matter settled, Riley went to his room and packed his belongings.
He was efficient, folding clothes, storing weapons, and checking everything with a practiced motion.
The girls, anwhile, moved back and forth through the hallways, giggling softly as they prepared their own things.
For all of them, this was the first ti that they were going to have a house in a big city like this.
Once everything was ready, Riley ca downstairs.
The innkeeper peeked out from behind the counter like a frightened mouse.
He had seen the bodies outside earlier as he was the one who threw them out.
He knew exactly how dangerous Riley was.
Riley placed a few gold coins on the counter.
"For the rooms. The als. Thank you," he said, his tone matter-of-fact.
The gold coins were more than the innkeeper anticipated to earn.
The innkeeper bowed his head repeatedly.
"Y-yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Please co again—ah—actually, never mind—just... thank you!"
Riley didn’t respond. He simply walked out.
The girls followed him into the bright afternoon light—and then all of them froze.
A grand carriage stood waiting at the entrance.
It glead under the sun, its polished wood glowing a deep mahogany.
The golden trims reflected light like small flashes. The horses were powerful, purebred beasts with snow-white coats and thick manes.
Even the air around the carriage seed to scream wealth.
The driver—an elderly man with sharp eyes and noble posture—stepped forward at once.
"Are you Master Riley?" he asked respectfully. "I have been sent to escort you to your new residence. Please, allow to handle your belongings."
He moved with surprising speed and grace, lifting each bag as if they weighed nothing.
The girls stared at him, then at the carriage, and then at Riley with growing awe.
They climbed in, settling onto the plush seats inside.
The interior was just as luxurious—red velvet cushions, detailed carvings, small crystal lamps on each wall.
Sarah touched the seat beside her and nearly squealed.
"Master Riley... this is too much," she whispered.
Riley only smiled faintly. "You deserve comfort. All of you."
The carriage began to move, rolling smoothly through the cobblestone streets.
People turned their heads as it passed, murmuring to each other.
They could tell—whoever was inside was soone powerful, soone important.
After nearly twenty minutes, the carriage slowed and finally ca to a stop.
The driver stepped down and opened the door for them.
The girls stepped out—and gasped in unison.
Towering before them was a vast mansion, easily among the largest in the entire city.
Its walls were built of pale stone, polished to a shine. Elegant pillars frad the entrance.
A grand fountain sat in the courtyard, spraying crystal-clear water into the air.
Flowers of every color lined the walkway, their scent drifting on the breeze.
Guards in pristine uniforms stood at the gate, straight-backed and disciplined.
They bowed the mont they saw Riley.
"Welco ho, Master Riley," the captain said.
The girls stared—so with tears in their eyes.
Riley looked at the mansion for a mont, his expression unreadable.
Then he turned to them and said with a quiet smile:
"Let’s go inside. This place... is ours now."
The mansion had five servants in total, all dressed in crisp uniforms and standing in two straight rows at the entrance.
The mont Riley and the girls crossed through the gate, the servants bowed deeply.
"Welco ho, Master Riley!"
Their voices were synchronized, practiced, and filled with respect.
The girls froze behind Riley, wide-eyed in disbelief.
It felt as though they had stepped into the ho of a nobleman—or perhaps even into royalty.
Riley, however, simply smiled. He had only requested three servants from the Duke.
Nothing extravagant. Nothing unnecessary. Yet the Duke had sent five and many guards outside too.
A quiet ssage hidden behind an act of generosity.
The Duke wasn’t rely accommodating him—he was securing him, binding him closer, making sure Riley’s identity and secret stayed hidden from any ears but his own.
Five servants ant five pairs of eyes loyal to the Duke... and by extension, loyal to Riley.
Riley accepted it smoothly, acting every bit the master of the house.
His confidence was effortless, his steps unhurried, as if he had always lived in places like this.
The girls, on the other hand, didn’t know how to react.
When the servants moved forward and offered to take their bags, they panicked.
"N-No, I’ll help with the cooking!" Sarah blurted, stepping aside with her luggage clutched tightly.
"I’ll help clean also," Ivy added nervously, her voice cracking just a little.
"I wanna sweep the floor!" Grace volunteered almost desperately, as though afraid soone might think she was lazy.
Two of the servants blinked in surprise. Another stifled a small smile.
Clearly, they were not used to guests insisting on doing chores.
Riley chuckled under his breath. He had expected this.
The girls had moved from surviving day to day to living in an actual mansion.
Such a leap in lifestyle didn’t co without confusion.
"Relax," Riley said gently. "You don’t have to do anything. Just settle in."
But his reassurance only made Sarah and Grace blush shyly, while Ivy continued eyeing the servants distrustfully—as if unsure whether it was really okay to be served like a noblewoman.
Perhaps the only one unfazed was Evelyn.
She walked calmly through the doorway, her eyes scanning the interior with a controlled expression.
Grand chandeliers hung from the ceiling, glittering like captured stars.
The marble floors shimred beneath their feet. Carved wooden staircases curved gracefully up toward the second floor.
Rich tapestries lined the walls. The air carried a faint scent of flowers and polished wood.
Evelyn didn’t gasp or whisper or cling to Riley’s sleeve like the others.
She carried herself with a quiet familiarity, as though she had once glimpsed such comfort in her village days.
Yet sothing about her was... off.
As the servants escorted them deeper inside—past the dining hall, the sitting rooms, the garden-view corridor—Evelyn’s expression grew more distant.
She wasn’t admiring the mansion. She wasn’t enjoying the luxury. She was thinking.
Thinking about sothing heavy.
Sothing that pulled her thoughts inward like a tightening knot.
Riley noticed it imdiately. He always noticed the smallest shifts in people’s expressions.
Still, he let Evelyn be with her thoughts for now.
The others were thrilled:
Sarah couldn’t stop touching the embroidered curtains.
Ivy stared at the chandeliers like she was afraid they might fall on her.
Grace kept peeking into every open doorway with childlike wonder.
But Evelyn... she kept lowering her head, lost in silent contemplation.
The day went on and...
Riley discovered the gold coins neatly stacked inside a lacquered chest in the master bedroom—far more than he expected.
The Duke had truly gone above and beyond.
Riley closed the lid quietly, already calculating how long the fortune would last and how it could support the girls.
The rest of the day passed peacefully.
The servants prepared a sumptuous dinner—roasted at glazed in herbs, soft bread still warm from the oven, sweet fruits arranged like jewels on silver plates.
The girls ate with bright faces, unable to hide their excitent as they explored their new life.
By the ti night fell and the mansion lights dimd, everyone retreated to their own rooms, overwheld by comfort they had never dread of.
Riley lay back on the soft bed, hands behind his head, thinking the night would pass uneventfully.
He was wrong.
Knock.
Knock.
The sound was soft, hesitant—almost trembling.
Riley opened his eyes.
A woman’s voice floated through the wooden door.
"Riley... are you still awake?"
Her tone carried a mixture of nervousness and determination, as though she had spent hours debating this mont and had finally, finally made up her mind.
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