Karel arrived in Penzak after he settled the affairs in Masih. The faint moonlight spilled into the room and Kani slept comfortably on the bed. He discarded his outer robes, changed to his dress shirt and id down beside the brunet.

  As he settled beside him, Kani roused up, tired eyes blinking wearily when he stirred. “Welcome back.”

  “Go back to sleep,” he muttered.

  Kani hummed as he scooted closer and the blond caged him in his arms. Once he smelled the familiar scent the man had, Karel shut his eyes close.

  Sleep always comes easy when I’m beside you.

  “We need to travel to Piaten tomorrow since I will be renewing the contracts with the businesses I’m supplying the textiles with.” Kani put on his outer clothes. “How about the matters in Masih?”

  “Besides the King thanking you for the help, you will soon know more details about it.”

  “I’m gd everything went well.”

  After their preparations, the two decided to buy some necessities for their journey to Piaten and Kani heard the gossip.

  “Have you heard of the news?”

  “What news?”

  “They discovered a sve auction in Stavros!”

  One of the women excimed, “A what?”

  “According to the victims, someone rescued them by destroying the auction!”

  “Really?”

  “Duke Alexandro Streya led the operation but he also admitted someone helped him in destroying the pce and rescued the victims.”

  Kani stopped on his tracks then looked at Karel.

  “What is it, master?”

  “I can put two and two together. That’s your aim in Stavros?”

  “I merely strolled around, Master. I’m quite intrigued by their history after all.”

  That’s partly true.

  With the former Kingdom of Livariel’s connection to the once glorious empire in the northern continent, he intended to gather more information about the incident that befallen upon the continent. The Empire of Kresimir was wiped out of the map literally, according to what he heard. At the same time, he also wanted to learn more about the Kingdom of Travis who went against the said empire despite the disparity in their militaristic capabilities and power.

  During his journey to the said continent a few centuries ago, the empire had already fallen from its glory and Travis—

  “Karel?”

  “Yes, Master?”

  Kani looked elsewhere and hummed. “Nothing.”

  Karel looked at his profile and noticed his scrunched nose. He really might have been too hard on him the past days.

  “What do you think about going to the empire a few weeks from now?”

  Kani looked at him, surprised by his words. “Not a bad idea.”

  “You hesitated for a little bit.”

  He shot him a gre.

  “It’s just for a change of pace, master. Besides, you asked me a little while ago if I could accompany you—”

  He huffed. “In the future, I said.”

  “A few weeks from now is the future.”

  Kani groaned in frustration.

  Now, he’s back to his usual self.

  Few months had already passed since the incident in Stavros and the issue had yet to die down. The news reached the temple and they investigated on their own while condemning svery and illegal practices. The Pontiff even swore to punish the suspects to bring justice to the victims.

  The news also circuted about Duke Streya vehemently rejecting the said investigation and clearly reiterated having their own sovereignty and a foreign force like the temple had no right to meddle in their affairs.

  Preposterous as it might be for the Pontiff, he withdrew all of the temple’s people in the said state, decring Stavros to be an enemy of theirs and Karel ughed at the absurdity of it. He only wished luck for Duke Streya to be able to hold his ground within the next few years.

  Karel huffed to himself after those thoughts.

  If also not for his status in the empire, he would definitely challenge the Great Temple of Ena. Showing condemnation to such inhumane practice when its officials also lent in making the svery auction possible truly disgusted him.

  “They preach to people about doing acts of kindness and yet they can’t do it themselves? Hypocrites.”

  Kani looked over when he heard him mumble those words.

  Karel never hated humans and the said race actually intrigued him. As he learned what they truly were capable of, he couldn’t help but be astonished by what those humans could achieve during their mortal lives. To top it all, they proved to be greedier, eviler than his race.

  “Master, this is Cashile.”

  “Come in.”

  Cashile handed the letters and put down the other documents near the edge of the table. “Letters accompanied by compensation had been sent from Masih.”

  Amber eyes looked at the blond sitting on the window sill while reading. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing much. Just accept them.”

  “Thank you, Cashile. Are there any more?”

  “Piaten gave us some of their products. A thank-you gift for the renewal of contracts.”

  “I will sort them out ter. Thank you, Cashile.”

  “Yes, Master. Is there anything else you would like me to do?”

  “Two weeks from now, I will be traveling again to Ramaya with Karel. Please prepare. Ah, and the business proposals, don’t forget to bring me the documents. I’ll review them before we leave.”

  “I understand, Master.”

  “Weissdel is bustling as ever,” Karel remarked, a little bit annoyed. Two weeks passed uneventfully and their trip to Ramaya, as Karel suggested, finally came.

  “No matter what you say, we will travel back to Deorya on a ship and I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

  Karel huffed and saluted him. “As the master wishes.”

  The ship departed earlier than the usual schedule to avoid the upcoming storm in Weissdel. In the next few days, both men reminisced about the first time they met.

  “I first met you when I was returning to Astadvran.”

  Karel hummed. “And I return to Ramaya with a companion now.”

  Kani smiled to himself as he looked away.

  And I don’t find that idea bad.

  They arrived in Deorya at night and discreetly walked towards the rge Gateway. As they approached it, only now Kani noticed its humongous size. If one stared at the swirling void it showed, it literally could hypnotize anyone.

  “Are you ready?”

  Kani swallowed, still intimidated by the rge portal before them. “Yes.”

  The blond grabbed his hand which prompted him to follow. When he opened his eyes next, they stood near the pza in Maya City.

  Kani slightly looked up. “Even when I first came here, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the Imperial Castle.”

  “Why is that?”

  He took a step forward. “It felt mysterious.”

  “Would you like to visit the castle instead?”

  He gnced up again. “Can we do that?”

  “Of course.”

  He scrunched his nose hearing how confident he sounded. “Is it alright?”

  “Yes.”

  He pondered, a finger on his chin. “Maybe next time?”

  Karel chuckled. “If you say so. How about our estate then?”

  “Estate?” he echoed, puzzled.

  “Holy Father of Kureus,” Kani muttered once he saw the glorious estate right in front of them. Karel chuckled to himself hearing his reaction and opened the carriage’s door. He offered his hand to Kani and the tter gdly accepted it.

  He gaped. “This is…”

  “Just follow me, come on.”

  When the rge doors opened, lines of maids and butlers greeted them, “Greetings—“

  “Drop the formalities,” Karel cheerfully interrupted. “Can my mansion accommodate us?”

  “Yes, young master. We always kept it tidy even in your absence.”

  “That will do. Kindly tell my uncle of my arrival and I will seek him out soon.”

  “Yes, young master.” The head butler bowed. “If you need anything, you can inform me.”

  “Sure, dear butler,” he replied in a sing-song. “Ah, dinner for us?”

  “Yes, young master.”

  Karel led Kani to the other side and walked down the covered pathway. They crossed a bridge with a rge manmade pond underneath with colorful fishes swimming freely.

  “Isn’t this an overkill for a dukedom?”

  “No, it isn’t. There’s no rule saying that you cannot outshine the imperial castle.”

  Kani chuckled. “Maybe they allowed you because of your contributions.”

  “Probably.”

  After some more turns, they arrived at another mansion surrounded by nature.

  “This is…”

  Karel walked ahead and beckoned him to enter as he opened the door, “Welcome to my abode, Kani.”