"It stopped being private when you made it a public spectacle," Jolthar replied calmly.

He stopped a few feet away, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp.

"And from where I’m standing, it looks less like a conversation and more like harassment."

Tyren’s face flushed darker as he stared at the young man who wasn’t even half his age. In his fit of rage, he had failed to notice the two men who were with him.

"Who the hell are you to—" He stopped mid-sentence as recognition dawned.

"Wait... You’re that baron. The one from the papers. Kaezhlar brat!!"

"I am," Jolthar confirmed, smirking.

"And you’re Lord Tyren Saeona, a man currently causing a scene by grabbing a woman who clearly wants nothing to do with you. How about you let go of her arm before this gets more embarrassing for you than it already is?"

The crowd had gone quieter now, sensing the shift in dynamics. Several people whispered Jolthar’s name, clearly recognizing him from recent headlines.

"This is between me and my wife," Tyren insisted, though his grip on Elmesona’s wrist loosened slightly.

"You have no right to interfere."

"Soon-to-be-former wife," Jolthar corrected.

"From what I understand, the separation papers are being processed. Which means she’s not your property, and grabbing her against her will is assault, not marital discourse."

Elmesona was staring at Jolthar now, her eyes wide. She hadn’t said anything yet, but Jolthar could see gratitude mixed with curiosity in her expression.

All this time, everybody was watching, but none dared to interfere, and they were even having a hard time looking away from the unfolding drama. They saw it as entertainment, seeing a lady of noble house getting shamed by her husband.

There is a cruel truth to human nature — suffering entertains more than joy ever could.

Tyren’s face twisted with anger and humiliation.

"I don’t need some upstart baron telling me how to handle my own marriage. Especially not one who’s apparently collecting women like trophies. I’ve heard about your relationships with the Aravain widow and that Matriarch woman."

The crowd murmured at that comment.

Jolthar smiled slightly—not offended, but amused.

"The difference," Jolthar said smoothly, "is that the women in my life choose to be there. They’re with me because they want to be, not because legal documents force them to tolerate my presence."

He took a step closer. "Can you say the same? Because from where everyone here is standing, it looks like Lady Elmesona is trying very hard to get away from you."

Several people in the crowd nodded or made sounds of agreement.

Tyren’s face twisted with ugly expressions as he felt anger rising in him. He was losing the public opinion battle, and he clearly knew it. He wanted to make fun of Jolthar but instead he was the one getting

"This is none of your concern," Tyren repeated, but his voice had lost its confident aggression. He was on the defensive now.

"You made it everyone’s concern when you decided to have this argument in the middle of a public street," Jolthar replied.

He looked directly at Elmesona, his expression softening. "Lady Elmesona, are you here by choice, or would you prefer to leave?"

Elmesona found her voice, which came out steadier than Jolthar expected given the circumstances.

"I would very much prefer to leave."

"Then I suggest you release her," Jolthar said to Tyren, his tone still calm but carrying an edge now. "Immediately."

Tyren’s hand tightened on her wrist reflexively — a last petty assertion of control. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"And if I don’t? What are you going to do, attack me in front of all these people?"

"I won’t need to," Jolthar replied.

"I’ll simply stand here and let everyone watch you continue to restrain a woman against her will. Let them see exactly what kind of man you are. I imagine the story will spread through the capital by evening—how Lord Tyren Saeona publicly harassed his estranged wife and had to be shamed into releasing her by a stranger."

The threat was subtle but devastating.

Tyren was already a subject of gossip due to his gambling and failures. Having this incident become common knowledge would destroy what little reputation he had left. It was all already a mess and making the headlines tomorrow won’t make his image better.

Tyren’s face went through several expressions — rage, humiliation and impotent fury. He knew that he couldn’t win against Jolthar as he was stronger than him. Obviously, Tyren was aware of that fact. He looked around and noticed that people were staring at him with a very judgmental gaze, and Tyren didn’t like that.

Then, finally, his hand opened and he released Elmesona’s wrist.

She immediately stepped back, rubbing the red mark his grip had left.

"This isn’t over," Tyren said, trying to salvage some dignity.

He looked at Elmesona and pointed his finger at her and continued saying, "The separation won’t be finalized. I’ll contest it. I’ll drag this out for years if I have to."

"You do that," Elmesona said quietly, her voice carrying more strength now.

"My solicitors are better than yours, and my family’s resources are far greater. But if legal battles make you feel important, by all means, continue."

She turned away from him, clearly dismissing him as irrelevant. Her eyes went to Jolthar, and for a moment, they simply looked at each other.

Jolthar saw intelligence in those eyes, and pain poorly hidden, and strength that had been tested too many times. And underneath it all, curiosity about this stranger who had intervened on her behalf.

"Thank you," Elmesona said softly.

"You didn’t have to do that."

"I know," Jolthar replied with a slight smile.

"But watching someone be bullied by a man, even if he was her husband, wasn’t how I wanted to spend my afternoon."

He glanced at the still-gathering crowd.

"Would you like to leave this scene? We’re heading to the temple district. You’re welcome to join us until you’re safely away from... this situation."