Another afternoon.
Sunlight slanted across Buck Town.
The streets were as they had been before, packed with soldiers, with hardly any pedestrians in sight. The only difference from the night was the presence of sunlight and extinguished fires in the braziers.
The residents hid in their rooms, cautiously stealing glances.
Shelley still sat on the balcony, gazing down the long streets like a motionless puppet.
A maid pushed open the door to her room, walked out to the balcony, and watered two pots of flowers placed on the railing. Until she finished and left, Shelley never exchanged a single word or even a glance with her. She remained quietly seated, occasionally blinking, with no other superfluous movement.
In just one month, her face had become so haggard that it broke people's hearts.
She had been ordered to sit here so that Gray would see her as soon as he entered the town—for the Guardian Angels stationed in every corner to locate him instantly.
