"No, no, I wasn't planning to fire."
Seeing that both the elderly Bloodkin and the Bloodkin dressed as a coachman looked utterly terrified, Shade hurriedly explained. The old man only became even more frightened:
"You really are carrying a gun!"
As they spoke, a third person entered from outside. He wore brown leather boots, a crisp formal suit, and a top hat adorned with gold thread. He was a very distinguished gentleman. Frowning as he appeared in the doorway, he surveyed the situation in the warehouse corridor:
"A thief? What could you possibly steal from here?"
Then he spotted Shade, who wore a mask and was clearly no ordinary person, and immediately drew a black pistol from his waist:
"Don't move!"
The gleaming muzzle was aimed at Shade. The other man stood in the autumn morning sunlight, and Shade's eyes had yet to adjust to the brightness, preventing him from seeing the man's face clearly at first.
"Oh, you've got quite the nerve! This is a royal vineyard. Do you know whose property you're stealing?"
The middle-aged man in a black coat and immaculate attire barked:
"Surrender now, or else—"
Shade's eyes gradually adjusted to the light outside, allowing him to see who held the gun. He froze, never expecting to actually encounter someone he knew here:
"Mr. Bernhardt?"
"You know who I am? Then raise your hands at once and hand over your weapon, sir. Be respectable! Neither of us wants a conflict."
"I'm—"
Shade spoke as he raised a hand to remove his mask, but Armand Bernhardt misunderstood the gesture and immediately said:
"Don't move! You have the right to defend yourself against everything you've done, but everything you say—"
"I'm—"
"You dare covet royal property? You're truly bold. Raise your hands right now! Honestly, there's nothing here