[Music recommendation: PIXIE-T - Follow The Sun]

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After spending a great deal of time exploring the bustling market district of Aria and enjoying various local cuisines of the country, one could easily say Aliana had bought out an entire boutique.

The sheer number of shopping bags Gavriel was carrying was a testament enough. Above all, Gavriel simply could not understand how the vast majority of those bags contained gifts for other people rather than items for herself.

Still, judging by the joyful mood she was in, he simply complied like a perfect husband-to-be.

The evening sun was setting by the time they finally walked back to the roadside where their car was parked, casting a warm, amber glow across the snow-dusted streets.

"This city is just so beautiful. I really had a wonderful time today," Aliana commented, looking over at Gavriel. "Thank you for showing me around. Because of you, I was able to see places I hadn’t even thought to explore."

He simply hummed in acknowledgement before asking, "Are you tired?"

Aliana shook her head lightly. "No, there is still one final destination left on my itinerary."

"And what would that be?" he asked, keeping his eyes trained ahead as he scanned the surrounding crowd.

Not once had he lowered his guard the entire time they had been out.

Even though he had acted more like a silent bodyguard than a companion, Aliana was deeply grateful for the immense patience he had exercised for her sake.

Yet, as much as she was content with his constant presence, she really wanted him to loosen up. She could sense that his mind was always working, constantly on high alert, as if he were ready to intercept a threat at any given second.

A slight pang of guilt gnawed at her heart, making her wonder if his hyper-vigilance was because she had been kidnapped right under his nose before.

Which was precisely why she had selected the perfect next location for them to unwind.

"You’ll see," she replied with a sweet smile, intentionally withholding the details.

Gavriel raised a brow at her but said nothing in return.

As they drew closer to where the vehicle was parked, Aliana caught sight of a small roadside stall selling intricate charms just a short distance away.

Gavriel noticed the curiosity lighting up her eyes once more and said, "You can go take a look while I put these bags in the trunk."

Her eyes snapped to him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, I’ll join you, but don’t go anywhere else." The warning in his tone didn’t escape her notice, and she could only sigh inwardly, knowing the guard was back.

"Don’t worry, I won’t go anywhere else. I’ll only have a quick look."

With that, she headed toward the stall while Gavriel kept his eyes fixed on her until she reached the vendor and began skimming through the products.

Meanwhile, he stopped behind the parked car across the street and opened the trunk, carefully stacking the shopping bags one after another.

While he was occupied with that, Aliana continued browsing through the charms laid out before her.

Just then, a distressed cry rang out from not too far away. "Somebody stop him! He took my bag!"

Aliana snapped her head to the right, only to see a man pushing through the crowd and sprinting directly toward her. Irritation flared in her eyes at the sight of him shoving women and the elderly carelessly.

The moment the thief tried to dash past her, Aliana sharply extended her heel. But at that exact second, another woman did the same in perfect, mirror-like synchronisation.

The thief never saw it coming. With a startled curse, he stumbled over their feet and crashed face-first onto the pavement.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd before nearby police officers rushed forward and pinned the man to the ground.

"Alright, you’re done for," one officer growled as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and snapped them around the thief’s wrists.

Aliana scarcely registered any of it because her attention had already shifted elsewhere.

Right in front of her, a pair of deep blue eyes was holding her gaze with an intensity that made the noise around them fade into the background.

The mysterious woman was dressed entirely in elegant, pure white winter clothing. A thick, furry white muffler was wrapped high around her neck, and a woollen cap covered her head, leaving only her beguiling deep blue eyes visible to the world.

’What is it... about this woman?’ Aliana found herself tongue-tied as her skin tingled with a sensation as though a low electric current was running through her body.

When Aliana didn’t speak, the woman’s eyes crinkled with a hidden smile. "That was quick thinking," her soft, ethereal voice chimed, sounding almost musical.

Aliana blinked. "I can say the same," she replied, unable to tear her eyes away from the woman.

The captivating woman regarded her quietly before leaning forward ever so slightly. "You should be careful, my dear."

The gentle warning immediately sent a sense of unease through Aliana. The woman’s gaze lowered to Aliana’s chest before she continued in the same calm tone. "That kind of energy, if left unchecked, can destroy a person from within."

Before she could ask what the woman meant, a familiar voice suddenly cut through the crowd.

"Ana!" Gavriel’s deep, commanding voice sliced through the commotion.

Aliana’s eyes instantly snapped toward the sound. He was already cutting through the thick crowd, his expression dark and tense until he reached her side.

He spun her toward him, his sharp, icy blue eyes scanning her frame for injuries. "Are you alright?"

"I am," she responded instantly, taken aback by how visibly riled up he was.

But even as she reassured him, her eyes drifted past his shoulder.

She looked toward the spot where the mysterious woman had been standing.

And... nothing.

The woman was gone.

A small knot formed in Aliana’s stomach.

Her gaze swept across the crowd, searching between passing strangers and clustered pedestrians. Yet no matter where she looked, she couldn’t find even the slightest trace of a woman dressed in all white.

It was as though she had simply vanished.

Gavriel noticed her sudden distraction, his hand gently squeezing her shoulder, "Ana, what is it? Who are you searching for?"

"I..." She paused, her brows knitting in confusion as she replied, "There was a woman dressed in all white. She helped me stop the thief."

Gavriel scanned the surrounding crowd with sharp eyes.

When his eyes failed to find anyone dressed in all white, he looked back down at her. "I don’t see anyone fitting that description."

Aliana pursed her lips, and a nagging feeling tugged at her mind.

Those eyes... those hauntingly beautiful eyes belonged to someone she had definitely seen somewhere before.

She just couldn’t place it.

Before she could dwell on it further, Gavriel moved closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Let’s leave."

Noticing the tension still lingering beneath his calm exterior, she simply nodded and followed him back toward the car.

As she settled into her seat, her thoughts remained occupied by the mysterious woman and the unsettling warning she had given.

Completely unaware, two pairs of eyes watched the couple from the rooftop of a building overlooking the street.

The two figures were beautiful, even though they remained shrouded in their winter clothes.

The woman with the striking red eyes turned to her side, murmuring, "That was close. You should have been more careful, Eve. Your husband won’t be happy if he hears about this."

The woman called Eve didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze remained fixed on Aliana until the car door closed. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Only then did her attention shift to Gavriel as he approached the driver’s seat.

"I was careful," she replied calmly.

There was a thoughtful note in her voice as she continued. "This is interesting. I never expected to meet someone like them out here."

For several moments, she studied Gavriel in silence. Then the blue in her eyes gradually bled into a luminous shade of gold as she whispered, "His energy... it is far greater than the the dark lord we fought."

The red-eyed woman beside her widened her eyes in genuine shock. She looked from Eve back to the man below. "Do you think he is the one responsible for all those grotesque activities happening in the city lately?"

Eve’s eyes narrowed into calculating slits. "I’m not entirely sure." Then, a sharp smile curled the corners of her lips. "But if he is the one responsible, I will personally ensure it marks the end of him."

As soon as she said that, she suddenly felt it.

Far below, Gavriel’s eyes immediately snapped toward the rooftop where they stood.

As his sharp gaze swept the edge, he found nothing but empty stone. Yet, he could have sworn he had felt an incredibly powerful presence only a second ago.

He stood there for a moment longer, searching for any anomaly, but when he found nothing unusual, he quickly got inside the car with Aliana’s safety in mind and zoomed off into the traffic.

The moment they left, the thin golden veil covering the two figures slid away. The woman with the platinum-blonde hair and red eyes released a heavy sigh, muttering, "Good Gods, that was close. So much for a peaceful ladies’ day out to shop."

Eve chuckled softly, amusement dancing in her eyes as she glanced in the direction Gavriel had left.

"How interesting," she mused. "He actually sensed me."

Then a fond smile tugged at her lips as she added, "Anyway, let’s go. I miss my husband already."

The woman beside her rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything, Eve vanished from the rooftop in a flash of golden light, leaving only a few lingering sparks behind. The other woman stared at the empty space for a moment before shaking her head once more and disappearing as well.