Though Arthur hadn’t interacted with Falls much, he actually found him… rather decent. The day Falls dropped them off at this courtyard, he had even kindly told them to reach out if they needed anything. When he handed over the confidential assessment materials from Mr. Drake, he’d patiently explained what to pay attention to. Arthur couldn’t understand why everyone seemed so terrified of him. Clearly, Solivair and the others had misunderstood something. And Arthur knew full well—Solivair was only standing in Falls’ way and pleading for him because he needed Arthur to find Lynn. With a quiet sigh, Arthur took Ashley’s hand and walked to the gate. “Mr. Solivair,” Arthur began calmly, “we’re really just staying here. This is the first day we’ve stepped outside. We didn’t damage any of the plants—” But before he could finish, the others erupted with indignant rage. “How dare you! Lying in front of Mr. Falls? You must be out of your mind!” “Do you even know who Mr. Falls is? And you dare lie to his face?” “It’s one thing to try and fool us—but you think you can fool him? You’ve insulted all of us—and him most of all!” “Unbelievable! Acting so brazen in front of Mr. Falls—you must have a death wish!” “Kneel and apologize! Maybe if Mr. Falls is in a good mood, he’ll make it quick for you!” They played the role of outraged defenders with exaggerated theatrics, as if Falls needed their help. Falls himself looked thoroughly unimpressed. He still had a job to do. Once he delivered this item, he had to return to Mr. Drake. He had no time for this nonsense. Amid their clamor, Falls stepped around Solivair and walked toward Arthur. The air turned ice-cold. Solivair’s heart dropped.The others, meanwhile, lit up with excitement. Their eyes gleamed with anticipation, silently screaming: Yes! Do it! Cut him down—make it brutal! Solivair tried to move, to get in Falls’ way again, but the man’s long legs made that impossible. He was already too close to Arthur. In only a few strides, Falls was standing before him. And then, in front of everyone’s eager gazes—and Solivair’s horrified expression—Falls slowly reached for his waist. The tension peaked. The crowd could barely hold back their smiles. Some had already started grinning in anticipation of the bloodbath. Solivair, consumed by his obsession with Lynn, threw himself forward with a reckless cry, desperate to stop Falls before he could fire. But to everyone's complete and utter shock— Falls didn’t pull out a weapon. He pulled out… a small notebook? With a gentle expression, Falls handed it to Arthur. “Mr. Arthur, this is from Mr. Drake.” His voice was warm. Friendly, even. Nothing like the freezing tone he’d used moments earlier. His entire demeanor softened—something none of them had ever seen before. The air froze. Everyone’s glee shattered instantly, their grins cracking like broken porcelain. Solivair, still mid-lunge, abruptly twisted away at the last second. At the same time, Falls, sensing someone lunging at him from behind, instinctively dodged. Solivair crashed face-first into the dirt beside Falls. Now his front side was injured to match his still-healing rear. A perfect symmetry. Falls turned and glared coldly. “Solivair. What do you think you’re doing?” His voice was sharp as ever—nothing like the warm tone he’d just used with Arthur.Stunned, Solivair quickly recovered. Years of surviving by instinct kicked in. Grimacing, clutching his aching spine, he scrambled to his feet and stammered, “Mr. Falls, I just… tripped! Apologies, my apologies!” He bowed and apologized over and over, praying the cold-faced captain wouldn’t end him on the spot. That was all it would take—a single bad mood. The others finally shook off their daze. They looked at each other, incredulous. Then, desperate to fix the narrative, they began to shout again. “Mr. Falls, wait! They did trespass into the restricted garden!” “We called them out earlier, and they refused to leave!” As if worried Falls had forgotten their “crimes,” they scrambled to list off Arthur and Ashley’s supposed offenses, hoping to stir his wrath again.