The villagers stood frozen, their previous confidence shaken by Kyle's sharp words.
They had expected an easy mark—a naive noble who would hand over coins with a few well-placed sob stories.
Instead, they found themselves staring at soone dangerous, soone who was not only unimpressed by their tricks but completely uninterested in playing along.
'T-This is not good. We cannot go against an angry noble. S-Should we try and back down now?'
So of the villagers exchanged nervous glances, clearly trying to figure out how to salvage the situation.
A few of the more desperate ones opened their mouths, perhaps to shift bla or plead innocence, but before they could utter a word—
Clank.
The heavy sound of tal boots against dirt rang out as the Head Knight appeared.
Clad in full armor, her imposing presence silenced the crowd instantly.
The mont the villagers recognized her, their expressions turned from nervous to downright fearful.
The Grand Duchess's personal Head Knight was soone not to be trifled with.
In an instant, the villagers bowed.
"Head Knight! We were just—"
They scrambled to shift their tone, hoping she would take their side.
But before they could spew more half-truths and excuses, the Head Knight turned toward Kyle, ignoring them completely.
She inclined her head slightly toward him.
"Young Lord Armstrong, do you require assistance? I noticed the situation with the villagers and the beast you hunted. I was considering stepping in, but I saw no need."
She said smoothly.
Her words hit the villagers like a hamr.
She had been watching.
Which ant she had seen everything.
There was no point in lying now.
Their faces paled, their bodies tensed—then they bolted.
Not a single one stayed to argue or make excuses.
They ran, scattering like frightened mice.
Kyle watched them go, his expression unreadable.
The Head Knight crossed her arms and turned back to him.
"You're not going to stop them?"
She asked, arching an eyebrow.
Kyle shook his head, completely unbothered.
"They're not worth the effort. I got what I ca here for. Doing any more would be too troubleso for ."
He said.
The Head Knight blinked, montarily taken aback.
Any other noble—including herself—would have seen this as an insult.
A group of lowly commoners had tried to scam and extort a noble, and yet Kyle wasn't even upset.
Most nobles would have demanded compensation, or at the very least punishnt. But Kyle?
He acted like it was nothing.
She could not tell if it was admirable or foolish of Kyle. But one thing she could agree on was the fact that it made her feel a little bit concerned for Kyle Armstrong.
'He's asking to be taken advantage of. Looks like I'll have to keep my eyes on him at all tis.'
"You're really just going to let them go?"
She asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Kyle glanced at her, then smirked.
"There's no need to punish soone who already knows they've lost."
His words held a casual cruelty, but also a deep level of confidence.
The Head Knight couldn't argue with it.
Still, she found it strange.
Kyle Armstrong was not like any noble she had ever encountered before.
And for so reason, she couldn't look away.
The Head Knight watched the villagers disappear, her expression unreadable. She then turned to Kyle, her sharp gaze studying him carefully.
"We should head back now. Spending more ti out here won't be of any help to us."
The Head Knight frowned at Kyle's words. His indifference bothered her.
As the Grand Duchess, it was her duty to ensure that nobles were respected and that commoners understood their place.
But she could not act out as herself while she was pretending to be the head knight.
If Kyle refused to act, then she would handle it herself once she was in her 'real form.'
"Very well. Then I will report this to the Grand Duchess. It is my responsibility, and I will not let such behavior go unpunished."
She said, her tone firm.
Kyle simply shrugged.
"Do whatever you want."
he said, turning away as if the whole situation was nothing more than a passing thought.
The Head Knight clenched her jaw. His casual dismissal irritated her.
But at the sa ti, it intrigued her.
______
By the ti they returned to the inn, news of the incident had already spread.
Whispers filled the streets. Everyone was talking about it.
Kyle Armstrong, that useless and ill-tempered noble, had been wronged by the villagers—and yet, he had done nothing in return.
It made the villagers uneasy.
Was he truly that kind, or was he simply biding his ti before delivering an even harsher punishnt?
People avoided Kyle and the Head Knight, their gazes filled with fear and uncertainty.
Inside the inn, the tension was thick.
One of the servers, a young man with nervous hands, hesitated before stepping forward. He looked at Kyle with unease in his eyes.
"Y-Young Lord, If I may ask… w-what are you planning to do to the village?"
The server stamred.
Kyle, who had been calmly sipping his tea, glanced up at the server with a blank expression.
"…What?"
The server swallowed hard.
"I-I an… after what happened… w-we were wondering what kind of punishnt you would give us."
Kyle blinked.
Then, after a long mont of silence, he sighed and set his cup down.
"You're thinking too much. I don't have ti to bother causing trouble to a village as small as yours."
He said simply.
The entire inn fell silent.
Even the Head Knight looked at him in surprise.
The server gawked, completely thrown off by Kyle's answer.
"Y-You don't?"
"No. I don't have ti to waste on petty matters."
Kyle said flatly, taking another sip of tea.
The shock that rippled through the room was almost palpable.
The villagers had expected anger. Retaliation. Punishnt.
Instead, they were t with nothing.
And that terrified them even more.
It wasn't long before a collective agreent spread throughout the village.
Kyle Armstrong… was too kind.
A pushover.
But he was still a noble who had shown them rcy
.
And so, as a sign of gratitude—and fear—they decided that they would no longer bother him.
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