The Fallen Knightly Nobility

(Hailiya Shield!)

That afternoon, Bai Ye carried two letters to the address Nearl had given him—a manor estate.

The manor's metal gates were tightly shut. Lush green vines wound freely around the black fence, and through its bars, he could see weeds overrunning the courtyard, even swallowing the stone path.

Bai Ye pressed the doorbell and waited for a while. A simply dressed blonde girl soon approached with light steps and opened the gate for him.

"Hello, may I ask who you are?"

The girl looked curiously at the unfamiliar woman before her, dressed in a man's trench coat and wearing a hat, tilting her head slightly.

Bai Ye discreetly sized her up as well. She had a dazzling head of blonde hair, and her face resembled Nearl's. She was probably the younger sister Nearl had mentioned.

Still, Bai Ye found it rather strange. As far as he knew, the Nearl Family had produced countless legendary knights. In Kazimierz, they absolutely qualified as nobility—a prestigious household.

Yet a family like this had its owner personally answering the door. That was hardly normal.

Moreover, the manor was clearly in a state of long-term neglect. It was indeed in rather poor shape.

Steadying himself, Bai Ye handed over the two letters and said, "Hello. I'm Nearl's friend. She has already explained the specifics in the letters."

"Friend? I don't know... Ah, wait. The Nearl you mean—is that Margaret?" The girl froze for a moment before quickly realizing who he meant, her face filled with surprise.

She had not heard any news of her sister for a very long time. Their last contact had been because of their grandfather's passing.

"Mm, that is indeed her name. But where we are, we usually address each other by our codenames."

Bai Ye knew Nearl's real