Elmesona hesitated, clearly weighing propriety against the desire to escape. Her eyes searched Jolthar’s face, looking for something.

What she found surprised her.

There was desire there—she was experienced enough to recognize when a man found her attractive. But it wasn’t the leering, possessive hunger she’d seen in so many eyes over the years. It wasn’t the calculating assessment of what she could provide or how she could be used.

It was a clean, clear and respectful gaze.

For some reason, she wasn’t repulsed by his gaze. Maybe it was because he stood up for her or getting defended by someone for the first time made her ignore it.

He looked at her like she was a person first, a beautiful woman second. Like he saw her as someone worth protecting, not because she was weak, but because it was the right thing to do. There was appreciation in his gaze but also genuine concern and something that looked like understanding.

It had been so long since anyone had looked at her that way.

"I will take you up on your offer then," Elmesona said, making her decision.

"Thank you, Baron Kaezhlar."

"Just Jolthar is fine," he replied, offering his arm in a gesture that was both courteous and supportive.

She took it, and together they walked toward the carriage.

Behind them, Tyren stood impotently, his face a mask of humiliation and rage, but he was unable to do anything without making the situation worse for himself.

Milan stepped forward as they approached.

"Lady Elmesona, we haven’t met; I’m Prince Milan. This is my brother, Prince Andrion. Please, join us."

Even though they were princes, they weren’t known to many as they lived outside the imperial palace, and except for their title, they weren’t treated as most princes.

She looked startled but composed herself quickly.

Milan, seeing her expression, said, "Lady Elmesona, Jolthar is a guest of mine, and he is staying with me. We were traveling together to the temple, and then we saw the commotion and stopped to see."

"Your Highnesses," Elmesona said, bowing slightly despite her obvious distress.

"I’m grateful for your intervention."

"Our intervention," Andrion corrected with a grin, gesturing to Jolthar.

"We just followed. He’s the one who decided to play knight-errant."

Milan glared at Andrion, but he just shrugged while Jolthar was subtly gazing at the elegant lady.

Next, they helped Elmesona into the carriage, and Jolthar settled beside her while the princes took the opposite bench.

The coachman, who had watched the entire scene with wide eyes, quickly got the carriage moving.

As they pulled away from the dispersing crowd, Elmesona took a shaky breath. Now that she was safely away, the composed facade she’d maintained was cracking slightly. Her hands trembled as she smoothed her dress.

"I apologize for making you see such an unsightly scene," she said quietly.

"Tyren has been... difficult about the separation. He shows up wherever I go, makes scenes, and tries to pressure me into reconciliation or at least into a settlement more favorable to him."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Jolthar said firmly.

"His behavior isn’t your responsibility."

"How often does he do this?" Milan asked with concern, ignoring Jolthar who was trying to make a conversation with her.

"Several times a week," Elmesona admitted.

"My solicitors have filed complaints, but nothing seems to stop him. He has just enough legal standing as my still-husband to avoid serious consequences."

"That’s appalling," Andrion said.

"Can’t the family do something? The Saeona business is significant, isn’t it?"

"It was my family’s business before I married him," Elmesona explained.

"My father built Jarhca from nothing. When I married Tyren, it was supposed to be a partnership, but..."

She trailed off, clearly not wanting to detail her failed marriage.

"But he turned out to be worthless," Jolthar finished bluntly.

Elmesona looked at him with surprise, then let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob.

"Yes. Exactly that. Worthless, lazy, and increasingly bitter about the fact that he contributed nothing while my family’s business continued to succeed."

"And now he’s trying to extract as much as he can through the separation," Milan concluded.

"While simultaneously tormenting me publicly," Elmesona added.

"I think he enjoys it — making me uncomfortable, reminding me that he still has some power over my life even if our marriage is ending."

The carriage rolled through the streets in silence for a moment.

Then Jolthar spoke, his voice carrying quiet conviction.

"He won’t bother you again."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Elmesona’s eyes were wide with surprise and confusion. "What?"

"I said he won’t bother you again," Jolthar repeated calmly.

"Or if he does, it won’t be for long. I’ll make sure of it."

"Jolthar," Milan said warningly, "you can’t just—"

"I’m not threatening violence," Jolthar interrupted.

"I’m stating a fact. There are ways to handle people like Tyren that don’t involve breaking laws or making things worse. Trust me."

Elmesona was staring at him with an expression that was difficult to read.

"Why would you help me? We don’t even know each other."

Jolthar met her gaze directly. "Because you deserve better than to be harassed by a man who refuses to accept that you’ve moved on. Because watching that scene made me angry. And because—" he paused, then continued with complete honesty "—from the moment I saw you at the market, I wanted to know you better. This isn’t how I imagined our first conversation, but here we are."

The bluntness of the statement left Elmesona speechless.

Andrion was grinning, clearly enjoying the drama.

Milan looked resigned, as if he’d expected nothing less. Moreover, he thought Jolthar was really shameless to take advantage of a lady who was in despair.

"You’re very direct," Elmesona finally said.

"I’ve found that honesty saves time," Jolthar replied with a slight smile.

"And life’s too short for games when you meet someone who genuinely interests you."

Elmesona’s cheeks had colored slightly — not the flush of embarrassment, but something warmer. She looked down at her hands, then back up at him.

"You’re unlike anyone I’ve met in this city," she said quietly.

"I’ll take that as a compliment," Jolthar replied.

"But I wasn’t complimenting you. You should hesitate sometimes."

Jolthar just smirked, not taking her words to heart.

While Milan and Andrion were smiling, seeing how the lady had commented about Jolthar.

The carriage continued toward the temple district, carrying four people instead of three, and a connection that had been sparked in the most unlikely circumstances.

Behind them, in the street where the confrontation had occurred, the crowd dispersed with a new story to tell—about Baron Jolthar Kaezhlar defending Lady Elmesona from her worthless husband, about the elegance and quiet strength of the intervention, about the way they had looked at each other.

By evening, it would be all over the capital.

And Tyren Saeona would discover that humiliating his estranged wife in public had consequences he hadn’t anticipated.