Wanting to show him the shells, I started running back toward him when I noticed him suddenly running toward me at a fast pace.  ‘What’s going on?’  

Feeling a surge of fear, I slowed my pace, and Edwin quickened his.  

I considered turning around and running in the opposite direction but knew I wouldn’t get far, so I forced my feet to stay put.  Even so, I couldn’t muster the courage to run toward him either.  

“The distance between us closed rapidly, and Edwin’s hardened expression became more and more distinct. A chill ran down my spine, and my legs froze, making me stop in my tracks. Edwin’s expression immediately turned fierce. Overwhelmed by fear, I squeezed my eyes shut, and I suddenly felt someone grab me as if pulling me into their arms. Startled at first, I soon relaxed, recognising the familiar scent.At the same time, the surroundings became noisy.  

‘Young Master!’  

I heard someone calling out and splashing water.  

Curious about what was happening, I tried to look, but I couldn’t see anything from within Edwin’s embrace. Despite running, Edwin wasn’t out of breath at all, and he continued to hold me tightly. I clung to him, unable to even lift my head, my heart pounding wildly.  

‘Haa…’  

A hot sigh came from above me, and I shrank further. My mind raced, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t figure out why Edwin was angry. A cold chill ran down my spine as I wondered if this was the end of our trip, including the garden exhibition.A few moments later, Edwin loosened his grip, lifting my face with a gentle hand. I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze, so I looked down, only for him to lightly tap the corner of my eyes. With no other choice, I raised my eyes, and Edwin let out a small sigh.  

Fortunately, his expression wasn’t as terrifying as before, but his usual smile was absent.  

‘That was close,’ he muttered.  

Confused by his words, I tilted my head, but Edwin picked me up with one arm and turned around.  ‘Young Master, are you all right?’  

Finally, I could see where the commotion was coming from. Not far away, a boy who seemed to be in his early teens sat on the sand. Unfortunately for him, the waves were lapping at his legs, soaking his pants. A few men and a woman around him looked unsure of what to do. Fortunately, the boy stood up before his pants were fully drenched. Standing, he was almost my height, with a fairly solid build.‘What on earth is going on?’  

While I stood there, perplexed, Edwin walked over to the boy. The men around the boy stepped forward, forming a protective barrier between them.  

Only Beryl stood close to us while the rest of the Wolf Knights kept their distance.  ‘You can’t even control a kid—how incompetent,’ Edwin said coldly.  

‘You’re being rude,’ one of the men, likely the boy’s protector, stepped forward. Though he was in plain clothes, his build and demeanour suggested he was a knight assigned to the boy. The woman standing next to the boy appeared to be a maid.  

‘Rude? You almost let my bride get hurt, and you call me rude?’  

Edwin’s tone was icy, and his smile grew sharper, clearly revealing how angry he was.  ‘I admit that our young master almost collided with your wife, but no accident occurred, and the lady is unharmed, so there’s no reason to be so discourteous,’ the man said politely but firmly.  

‘If I hadn’t intervened, they would have collided. You wouldn’t have been able to stop that kid,’ Edwin said, his cold gaze shifting to the boy, who paled. The boy’s knight quickly stepped between them, breaking Edwin’s line of sight.  Understanding the situation from their conversation, I finally noticed a ball the size of a child’s head lying nearby.  

‘Ah, so that’s why Edwin ran over.’  

The way he had rushed toward me had been terrifying—it had made my skin crawl. But realising it was all to protect me made my heart flutter.  

However, his next words put me on edge again.  

‘I think I deserve some compensation.’  

Beneath his half-closed eyes, Edwin’s blue irises gleamed ominously.  Sensing danger, the knights protecting the boy placed their hands on their sword hilts.  

‘There was no harm done, so compensation is unnecessary. You’re being unreasonable,’ the lead knight protested, his face serious.  

‘You can’t see how shaken my bride is? Can’t you imagine how frightened she must have been?’ Edwin spoke with mock concern, caressing me in a way that was clearly for their benefit.  

‘This is all because of you,’ I thought, embarrassed and flustered as I looked away from the knight.  

‘If your young master had collided with my bride, her delicate body would have been seriously hurt.’  

Edwin’s voice remained pleasant, but his tone was sharp.