"It seems that before long, you'll be receiving a call from Elder Jin regarding what you've just done," Ain remarked.
The bodyguards immediately stopped laughing and slowly turned toward the source of the voice. Their expressions shifted instantly to panic.
They bowed their heads.
"M-m-my lady... we... please forgive our actions," they stammered.
Ain observed their faces—pale and smooth as peeled hard-boiled eggs.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and switched it off. "How about we let Elder Jin go mad and why not mix some flour with rotten eggs to create a foul stench?" Ain suggested, handing the phone to Syaf.
Ain then walked back inside the house.
The bodyguards lifted their heads and exchanged glances. "What 'Our Lady' said... she's actually right," they whispered.
"Ahem!" Syaf coughed, signaling them to be quiet. The bodyguards fell silent once more.
"You all are really—" Syaf began, but Dian pulled he inside.
"Come on! You can punish them later," Dian said, trying to save her friends.
Syaf allowed Dian to pull him along. Before stepping inside, Dian gave a thumbs-up to his friends, signaling his own approval of their antics.
The bodyguards returned the gesture, giving thumbs-ups to Dian and to one another.
From inside the house, Ain watched the whole scene with a smile. "What's the harm in letting them stir up a little trouble for me? I can always clean it up for them," she thought to herself.
"My lady, there are red roses here for you," said Uncle Min.
Ain turned to look at the flowers. "They've been quiet all this time, but it seems they're finally emerging—likely because of that invitation," she murmured.
Ain took the red roses. Dian and Syaf stopped walking toward Ain when they noticed the flowers she was holding.
At that moment, Syaf began trying to read Ain's expression. A sense of worry started to take hold of her.
Ain placed the red roses into a vase that already contained a variety of other flowers.
She then walked toward her room.