“El!”

  Karel turned around and waited for the assistant to catch up to him then Cashile handed an invitation. “There’s a banquet to be held by the Liafor in Deorya City.”

  Karel hummed in acknowledgement and quietly received it.

  The blond handed the invitation to Kani ter that night and saw how he stiffened.

  The Liafor branch family in Deorya, also headed by his father, successfully partnered themselves with the Kingdom of Shirazi. With it, they decided to hold a banquet to celebrate their success. As a son of the current master of the said house, they required Kani’s presence.

  “It’s a month from now.” He held onto his forehead. “I hate attending these events.”

  “Don’t worry about your attire. I’ll have someone from Kuju tailor it.”

  “That’s not the point—”

  “You must attend, right?”

  He scrunched his nose. “I would need to escort someone.”

  “You don’t need to, and I’m coming along.”

  With furrowed eyebrows, he turned to him, “What?”

  “And leave you alone in the den of pretentious humans?” Karel scowled. “No, Kani. No matter what, I will accompany you.”

  He folded the letter back to the envelope and sat down. “Alright, we’ll follow your arrangements.”

  A few days before they traveled to Deorya, Karel fetched their attires and accessories from Kuju.

  “This is…” Kani gaped when he saw the formal attire dispyed.

  He truly loved the military uniforms he borrowed from Karel when they visited the empire and now, Karel specifically tailored one for him.

  Karel fixed it on the mannequin and turned to him. “I chose the best for you, Master. I hope you like it.”

  White, bistre and gold attire, high leather boots and accessories with the golden beryl gems, nearly the same color of his eyes.

  He clenched his fists and pursed his lips. His mind reeled at the situation he’s currently in. “Karel, this is too much. I’m merely attending a celebration—”

  He shook his head lightly, interjecting, “You’re a distinguished merchant yourself. It’s not bad to funt sometimes.”

  “You…”

  “It’s a gift.”

  Kani huffed and shook his head.

  I really can’t win against you.

  Both men traveled to Weissdel as per Kani’s wish to not expose Karel’s identity despite the tter’s protests about it. Once they boarded the ship to Deorya, an argument between them began. While Deorya was a safe pce for Karel, knowing most of them knew of his identity, for Kani, however, it’s the total opposite. His family’s influence in Deorya might not be on par with Karel’s authority, but the fact still sent him to the edge realizing he’s stepping in his homend—the pce he once fled from.

  “I am your bodyguard, master.”

  Kani still shook his head in disapproval. “Even so.”

  Shudders ran on Kani’s spine once they stepped down from the ship. His fists curled in anxiety, jaw taut and breaths bored. Karel narrowed his eyes seeing his distraught mien but said nothing and only led them to the Imperial Office.

  “Wait here for a moment. I need to talk to an official.”

  “Please don’t take—”

  He held onto shoulders firmly. “You’re safe here in this building, don’t worry.”

  Right, this is the Imperial Office and he’s reted to the imperials.

  When he entered the room, the Ramayan appointed as an official in the said trading city saluted him, “Your Highness! I mean—ahem—Sir Karel. It’s been a while!”

  He gestured to forego the formalities. “What about the task I gave you beforehand?”

  “As you’ve said. I restricted the Immortals entry to the Eastern States and cooperated with Duke Alexandro Streya since that year. As of now, he became the head official of the Administrative Office, repcing the Grand Duke who was involved with the sve auction incident.”

  “And the Immortals’ reaction?”

  “Most of them showed their gratitude about it and others asked to return to Ize. I informed the Overseer of Ize Region about the situation and, well…” He sighed forlornly. “She’s definitely angry about it.”

  “Her hatred for humans is as vast as our world. We can’t bme her for acting like that when the incident happened.”

  “I believe so too, Your Highness.”

  “Anyways, if they want to return, coordinate with them and ask help from the imperials. I will sign a paper of recommendation for you to use in case I won’t be able to visit on time. Just make sure to pcate the Overseer of Ize well.”

  The official huffed in exasperation. “I will leave it to Her Imperial Highness instead.”

  The official gave him a bnk paper and he wrote the letter of recommendation. After signing and stamping it with his seal, he also imbued it with magic to avoid any misuse of authority. He handed it to the official as he stood. “Use it well. The other immortals need our help after all.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  Seeing Karel approaching him with a somber look on his face, the brunet stood up and nervously told him. “They’re staring.”

  He gnced at the other people staring at them and they looked away. “They’re curious. I rarely got company after all.”

  “If you say so.”

  “We still have three hours before the banquet.”

  Kani nodded, still dispirited about setting foot in his childhood home. “We should prepare then.”

  Karel held his shoulder. “Cheer up, master. If anything happens, I will be right beside you.”

  That’s not it. I don’t want you to witness how pathetic I am in front of them.

  The carriage arrived timely in the Liafor Estate and everywhere Karel id his eyes on, it dispyed extravagance. The imperials themselves possessed immense amounts of wealth but never boasted it to such an extent. Karel huffed but he’d give it to them—the Liafor really lived up to their reputation.

  They stopped in front of the rge doors and the attendant stiffened on his position upon recognizing Kani.

  “Master Kani,” the servant saluted awkwardly.

  “Hello, kindly announce my arrival?” and presented the invitation trapped between his fingers.

  “Yes, Master Kani. And this man?”

  “He’s my personal bodyguard—”

  Karel shot the attendant a gnce, clearly warning him. “I’d prefer it if you don’t announce my name.”

  “Master Kani!” announced the attendant and every guest turned their heads towards the door’s direction.

  There entered the oldest son of Fergus Liafor and the noble elf Mapiya.

  His long brunet hair was tied to a small braid near the ends and his amber eyes stood out like the golden amber details of his exquisite attire. The heels of his boots ccked against the marble floor and he confidently walked in, comforted by the thought that Karel walked alongside him. In the blond’s presence, none dared do anything outrageous against him.

  Murmurs arose as they ogled at his lithe yet beautiful figure. Fergus Liafor, however, stared at him indifferently.

  Right after Kani entered, the man following him quietly also earned a bit of attention. The Ramayans among them, however, shrank back when they recognized him.

  Blond hair like golden straws of hay, crimson red eyes like rubies and the conspicuous choker on his neck contrasted his pale skin. Everyone noticed how he stood beside Kani without outshining him, but instead, the two men became distinctive because of their contrasting demeanor.

  “Why is he here?” another guest murmured.

  One woman hid her face behind the folding fan. “Oh Queen Mother Raise, why is a shadow here?”

  “Let’s move to the back. We need not to be caught up in this.”

  The atmosphere turned somber upon Kani’s arrival in the hall and the older Master Liafor moved forward to receive him, albeit awkwardly. Kani said nothing but intently gazed at his father during the stiff pleasantries.

  More guests arrived and once everyone was now in attendance, the banquet began in full swing after the short remarks.

  Kani stood on one side as the other guests flocked around and initiated a conversation with him. He also recognized the elven women who fussed over him, some of them accompanied his mother before while a lot of young women vied for his attention. On the other hand, Karel stood nearby him, but not enough to hinder the others from approaching the master.

  Fergus Liafor then interrupted his talk with the other guests and Kani frowned. He also noticed the woman following him and internally scoffed.

  Surviving in the Liafor household became his priority after his mother’s death and never indulged himself in any intimate retionship. He fancied some dies, true, but he really found no reason to pursue them. He became more inclined in making his businesses prosper, at the same time, to travel around Trojka.

  During that short moment, he noticed Karel observing his father intently, gauging his actions.

  Fergus Liafor stood before him and gestured to the woman beside him. “I have someone to introduce to you—”

  “I’m not interested in marriage, Master Liafor.”

  The guests nearby gasped at the address.

  Fergus Liafor frowned. “What did you call me?”

  “Did you not say back then that you don’t have a son named Kani?”

  The gasps turned louder when they heard his words while Karel’s expression turned grimmer.

  “No wonder, he never returned to the Liafor until now,” murmured one of the guests and the others agreed.

  Kani never missed any banquet the Liafor held before his coming-of-age. When he turned eighteen, his own birthday banquet was the st occasion he attended.

  On that same day, Fergus Liafor never acknowledged him as the heir. While Kani already accepted the fact that he couldn’t inherit the family, it still hurt him to know about it. On the other hand, he’s gd that they casted him aside and let him leave. He managed to escape their clutches and made a name for himself.

  Kani became a renowned merchant on his own, earning everything he currently possessed through blood, sweat and tears.

  “You really have the audacity to set foot in here? It wasn’t enough that we gave you education and put up with you?” The mistress shouted from the opposite side while she stomped her way towards them.

  “Mother, calm down, will you? The guests are watching!” His stepbrother followed his furious mother and turned to Kani.

  His younger sibling scowled. “Just leave, will you?”

  Kani gritted his teeth as he pulled out the invitation from his coat and showed it for everyone to see. “I’m formally invited, so why should I leave?”

  The guests murmured among themselves as they saw the same invitation as theirs.

  “Truly impudent!”

  The mistress snatched the gss from the passing servant holding a tray and spshed it towards Kani.

  To his surprise, he took a step back but the liquid never reached his clothes. It ricocheted to the mistress and the drink spilled on her dress instead. She dropped the gss on the floor, shattering sounds echoed around. The mistress scowled at Kani in disdain, eyes widened and lips trembled in anger.

  Kani stared back, equally surprised. He turned to Karel nearby him and just by the grave expression on his face, he knew he did it.

  “You dare use magic on me!” yelled the mistress and approached him with the intent to inflict physical harm. In the end, she only met with an invisible wall protecting Kani.

  Some of the guests watched in awe, seeing how the invisible wall hindered the mistress from assaulting Kani. If this banquet had been held in Astadvran, Kani would have been arrested for using magic arbitrarily, even if it’s for protection. However, they currently stood in Deorya, a nd of the empire, and using magic was considered legal.

  “The former Madam was graceful and kind. Just where did Master Liafor pick up this mannerless woman?” the other guests said in hushed voices.

  “Did you know? A lot of them suspected that Madam Mapiya was murdered, not caught up in an accident!”

  “I heard about that too.”

  “Madam Mapiya is surely turning in her grave right now if she knew what that bitch is doing to Kani!” one of the elven women spat out aloud.

  Another elven guest chimed in, “It’s also about the same time that bitch came to the Liafor household and they favored her more than Madam.”

  “Poor Madam Mapiya.”

  The elven women clenched onto their fists and fans. “Kani suffered all these years and has the audacity to do this to him? Right in front of us? How shameless!”

  The brunet backed up to the pilr as the woman continued to assault him in the presence of the guests. In the end, they took the mistress away to not further damage her reputation.

  As matters settled down, no one among them offered an apology to Kani and it irked Karel more. He pressed his fingers together to snap them then—

  “I know your mother practiced Elven Magic, she must have passed on some knowledge to you.”

  Kani said nothing in retort, not when Karel could murder anyone now.

  The guests watched about what’s going to happen next with rapt attention and only then they noticed the blond man approaching Kani with measured yet graceful steps. His coattails swayed with his movements and the serious expression on his face scared them away.

  “If I knew you’d be treated like this, Master,” he stressed the word master, earning gasps from the Ramayan guests, “I could have burned the invitation letter instead. Since, we’re already here, why don’t we burn—”

  “El.”

  Karel harrumphed and hid Kani behind his bulkier figure. “I will overlook this once but if something happened to Kani, even just a strand of his hair missing, the Liafor would be wiped out from the face of Trojka instead.”

  The Ramayans among them loudly shrieked. A shadow’s capability spoke for itself and getting on their murder list was the st thing every Ramayan wanted.

  The older master pointed a finger at him, angered by his words. “Who are you to threaten me? You’re just a lowly bodyguard!”

  Karel grinned sinisterly and snapped his fingers. In the blink of an eye, lightning struck the space between them.

  The guests stepped back in surprise and a deafening silence befell the hall.

  “I dare you,” he enunciated every word. “After all, I’m a man of my word.”

  “El,” Kani coaxed, holding onto the man’s arm to stop him. “We need not stay for long. Let’s go.”

  Karel harrumphed and turned away, assisting his master to exit the hall.