Grey Arden has always been a keen observer since he was young. Watching from the sidelines has been a way for him to quell his thirst for amusement his whole life. He loved gatherings as he learned from his father that it was an easy way to get access to how nobles actually were. People of high and elevated standings such as them are creatures who are simple to understand and unravel. The way they carry themselves is a significant indication of what they are as a person.

It helped that he was an heir to one of the most influential families in the empire, with no other siblings trying to covet his position and everyone in his family supporting him to be the one to lead the duchy in the future. He was always treated with utmost generosity as people tried to get in his favor. How he loved watching aristocrats behave like desperate dogs that want to please their master.

The summit, however, is another level of faux friendliness. One could tell which is more powerful than the other by how much effort they put into conversations. It was natural that the weakest would try to befriend those that are strong and influential in hopes of any kind of benefits they could reap.

Grey deeply enjoyed being a bystander to that kind of entertainment. Hence, he was especially elated when the family composed of talent and ascendancy of influence entered the scene. With them, however, was the jewel that no one inside the luxurious hall expected to see.

He had seen the ducal princess a couple of times when they were younger, though only for brief moments as she was especially shielded from the public's eyes. It was the reason why he could barely remember what she looked like. Regardless, the one thing that he was certain about was that she has raven-black hair and blood-red eyes just like her whole family.

Apart from that, the rumors did say that she had a nasty temperament, not at all surprising for a girl raised in an environment surrounded by riches and power. Although, the rumors did not have to indicate that she was also prepossessing. After all, it was already a given, considering her origins and the bloodline where she hailed from.

It was completely understandable how the people inside the hall started whispering amongst themselves the moment they laid their eyes on the lady. Even Grey was surprised that the girl who never once stepped foot outside her domain attended a gathering that even people from other countries will be joining.

"The family of heartless warriors steals the spotlight once again." Grey heard his father remark in hilarity beside him. It seems that even his family's interest was piqued by the arrival of the Arkwright Family.

The juniper-haired mage laughed inwardly at the heartless warrior comment while looking at the faces of the ruby-eyed crows that resembled that of a statue—devoid of any kind of light and emotion. However, resembling that of carved jade, not a single imperfection could be pointed out.

Throughout the banquet, Grey closely observed the crows as other guests managed to pull them away from their sheltered princess. Moreover, as if the Goddess of Luck cradled him in her arms, he was able to hear some of their conversations without being called out. It cannot be counted as eavesdropping if he cannot block his ear from hearing what he picks up.

Ashton was the closest Arkwright he was able to find. Although the two of them are not close outside of their political obligations, he knows how capable the aforementioned heir was. It was the reason why he was able to attend gatherings that young nobles were not allowed to enter at a very young age. Of course, Grey was also exceptional, but the stoic raven dedicated his whole life to honing his intellect and was considered a genius that only a handful of people could rival.

The Arkwright heir was swarmed by different known and distinguished figures from foreign nations. Despite the cold reputation that he shared with his family, he was able to keep the conversation going. It was a trait that Grey admired, considering how the Arkwright Family has more than adequate prestige to act high and mighty before powerful individuals.

Those of Arkwright descent, such as Ashton, were professional enough to hold a proper discussion without flaunting their power. They knew that they need not intimidate people to show their superiority. That alone is unnerving enough to be worthy of respect.

Having his own discussion with another noble did not hinder Grey from being able to hear Ashton's chat with whom seemed to be an envoy from a well-known kingdom, considering the said envoy's confidence as he stood in front of the flamma mage heir. Their conversation was like any other that Grey had. That was until there was a mention of the Arkwright princess' name.

"Lady Avana indeed inherited His Excellency's features. Truly worthy of compliments," the envoy praised in an overly jovial manner, eyeing the oblivious lady who was standing from afar. Although it was almost unnoticeable, Grey was able to catch a glimpse of Ashton's brows meeting for a moment, indicating his dislike at how the stranger looked at the girl.

"You see, my son is almost the same age as the lady. They would be really good friends if given the chance to meet." The man smiled brightly, though behind the mask of friendliness lies dishonest intentions that ultimately became the signal for Ashton to end the conversation.

Masked with complete indifference and calm, the heir did not reply with the same enthusiasm he received. "That is unlikely, considering that my sister is yet to be accustomed to meeting new faces," he said, earning a laugh from the man who breathed in as though to speak once again. However, before he could do so, Ashton interrupted.

"If you may excuse me."

Grey almost guffawed out loud, watching as the prideful crow left. His face contorted into an expression that would scare a painter away. Ashton Arkwright is an interesting man. However, although as nosy as he was, Grey decided against following the heir, halting his entertainment, so as to avoid being at the receiving end of the raven's displeasure.

Nevertheless, he proceeded to amuse himself with the other Arkwrights' affairs. That being said, not even once that he was left disappointed.

Each and every conversation they had led to the other party asking about the civil status of their only girl and, of course, it caused the ravens to put a dot on the conversation rather immediately. Grey watched on with mirth as all of them walked away with vexation visible on their faces until they eventually had enough and chose to go back to their princess instead.

"It looks like you are having fun," a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. The juniper-haired mage swerved his head in the direction where the voice came from and found the heir of the Helion Dukedom, Casper Helion. He mimicked that of a plant that has been deprived of the sun for days, wilting and pale.

"I always have fun," Grey replied with a smile. The young man sighed at this before fixing the messy golden threads that were his hair. He was not able to stand upright, as though indicating that he did not have the energy to do so.

"Right. You love gatherings the most. 'tis unfair." Casper pouted, his dark blue eyes squinting like a child, prompting Grey to stifle a laugh. He reached for the other male's head and ruffled his newly fixed hair.

The interaction made both mages feel at ease after being surrounded by people that only came for business. Grey could say that he and Casper were closer than they were with the other heirs, considering that there are five of them, Arkwright, Harrington, and Valentina counted. Although all of them were forced to be acquainted with each other as young as they could remember, they could not go as far as calling them friends. It was a shame after their parents planned their births to be close, if not the same year, with the crown prince.

"It is just that the Arkwrights provided better entertainment than the orchestra," Grey reasoned, causing Casper to gasp and look around, evidently alarmed.

"You should not say that out loud...! Ashton will bite your head off," he said in a whisper-yelling tone.

The wind mage just laughed and waited for himself to calm down before speaking again. "Ashton is too collected to do that. If it was Zachary, perhaps, he would." He did imagine the Arkwright heir giving him a death stare after making his family matter his source of entertainment. However, the unresponsive man lashing out was out of the question.

He has been with the other for so many years, but not once has he actually witnessed him getting angry to the point where he would make any physical effort. Scoldings, yes, Grey has seen him doing that. Also, his expression of what goes inside his complicated mind is expressed through words of reprimand. The only times that he has seen him lifting a finger to fight were during mock battles and examinations in the academy.

"Should we greet Ashton's sister, though? I heard it was her first time attending the summit. There are almost no ladies present here and those who attended are too afraid to approach her," Casper pointed out in concern, his brows knitted together looking at the women who had their own groups.

Only a few of those ladies were the same age as the two of them. Although, it was still apparent that they were welcomed by the older women in their conversation, unlike with the Arkwright lady who none of them approached.

"Well, I would be scared as well. Look at her," Grey stated, pointing his eyes at the lady who stood in the middle of the monsters she shared blood with. Not even the most fearless man inside the luxurious hall would be brave enough to pass through those walls.

Still, the juniper-haired mage was curious about the personality of the ducal princess. They never really had close interactions, hence it was hard for him to accurately guess anything. There were a couple of rumors describing her as spoiled and awful, but he did not want to rely on the words of people who were probably envious of the Arkwrights' standing.

"Goodness, I think I will let her have her own peace..." he heard Casper state while shivering. The youngest of the Arkwrights happened to catch them staring at the lady. The little boy who was polite enough to greet them every time they crossed paths threw a warning glare for a second before blocking their view of his sister.

Grey inwardly laughed. Maybe he would keep his curiosity to himself for now.

~~~

During the entirety of the night, Light was obliged to stand next to his father, the emperor, to cater to the guests as they were the ones who hosted the banquet. Meaning, he was not able to do anything that he wanted while being under the surveillance of everyone.

As much as he genuinely wanted to lift even a little burden from his brother's shoulders by helping him in his duties as the heir, he still could not deny the fact that he despised being an obedient prince to his father.

He had the image of a wild card inside the academy, contrary to his rival who took after his elder brother. He grew up without the restraints of being a royal as every responsibility fell on the crown prince's hands, giving him the freedom to do whatever he wanted as long as it did not stain the name of the Adaranth Imperial House. On the other hand, his elder brother suffered all the shackles that the heir had to endure.

He admired the older white-haired mage, having witnessed his endeavor to fulfill his responsibilities all while providing time for Lady Avy. Hence, he wondered why the Arkwrights hated him so much.

It was usually not evident, but the moment they heard the servant say that the lady was seen in the arms of his elder brother, their eyes were filled with disapproval. The head of the house immediately excused their whole family so that they could leave

"It must be related to the sudden mana blackout earlier," Light commented next to Ciel as they marched together toward the chamber where the servant led them. For some reason, the other ducal families decided against coming with them and stayed with the emperor behind. Only Duchess Valentina came along after sending her heir back to their temporary residence in the capital.

When they reached the room, the servant knocked on the door and was answered by Avy's familiar voice, telling them to come in. The first thing that came into Light's mind was relief when he did not sense any hint of distress from the lady's tone. Of course, he had faith that his brother would not do anything to hurt Lady Avy, but he was still concerned about her well-being.

He stood next to Ciel as they let the adults enter first. The youngest Arkwright looked as tense as ever, not moving from his spot even after the door was free enough for them to pass through. It was a rather peculiar sight because Light knew how fearless his rival could be. He was capable and brave, although it was something that he would never admit out loud. Not in front of the said young master, at least.

He has been watching him for as long as he could remember and he could technically say that he knows the fire mage better than anyone outside his family. Therefore, Light knew and was well aware that there were only a few circumstances which Ciel was shaken or broke out of character, and most of them involved Lady Avy.

"Your barrier would resemble your mothers. They shielded you from the dangers of this world, imagine the exact same person protecting you in the middle of battle."

Light thought of it as nothing but nonsense, after all, he could barely remember his mother who died when he was seven years old. He was talented enough to make a barrier without visualizing a dead person, unlike some others.

"That is amazing, Young Master Ciel. You must have thought so highly of the late duchess."

Light's concentration was interrupted by a sudden commotion from the other side of the class. He swerved his head towards its direction, and there he saw a gigantic barrier made of crimson flames stood in front of the child that he was familiar with.

In spite of that, the dark-haired boy's countenance was not of panic and trepidation. In fact, this was one of the few instances where he saw him sport such a soft expression.

Light was confused. How could he make a barrier out of memories that he does not have? As far as he knows, Duchess Arkwright died before the second young master was old enough to understand anything.

"My sister was my mother. I cannot remember anyone else."

And he was telling the truth. Light could recall many circumstances where Lady Avy played the role of a significant female figure in Ciel's life, no matter how irrelevant it looked to other people.

Light could remember being envious of the young master on their first graded expedition. He had a handkerchief that mothers usually give their sons before going to battles as good luck. Ciel did not brag about it verbally, but he sure showed it off like it was a priceless treasure that he would protect with his life.

"Go inside," he urged, patting the raven-haired boy on his back.

Ciel, almost startled, glanced at him with curious eyes. "How about you?"

"I will find my brother and beat him up for you. That would ease your mind, would it not?"

The young Arkwright's brows raised in confusion at first before his lips curved into a small smile. He nodded his head and Light took it as a sign that he could leave. Perhaps, he could just see Lady Avy next time.

~~~

Avy felt refreshed.

It was the first time she has ever felt that way. It was as if she woke up from a ridiculously long sleep, laying on a bed made out of pure and snuggly cotton. She was actually at peace for once. Without Ares bugging her about useless things and her body not aching and begging her to lay down, it was the most serene she has been after unexpectedly becoming a noble lady inside a fantasy novel.

A book that she requested from a servant after Lucifer, no, Ridge, left to get the rest that he deserved was positioned well on her hands. She quietly flipped the pages with nothing occupying her mind except for the incident that happened a few minutes before.

Everything was quiet until a hesitant series of three knocks disturbed the silence, accompanied by a voice that she recognized to be one of the servants earlier.

"Come in," she answered briefly, not bothering to put away the book that she used to pass the time. She did not need to. After all, she knew who the visitors were.

"Are you hurt, child?" The concerned question that came from her grandfather obliged Avy to take her attention away from the object in her hand. She lifted her head and was greeted by pairs of eyes that housed a similar presence—too similar.

One by one, the Arkwright men surrounded the bed.

Her grandfather stood the closest, close enough to inspect her with stern yet gentle eyes. Her Uncle Alistair stayed behind the old man, but he had the most visible look of concern on his face. The duke was near the foot of the bed, sporting a much more intimidating expression than usual, while Ashton stood the farthest away, his arms crossed in front of his chest, countenance unreadable.

Avy was about to ask about Ciel's whereabouts when the youngest showed up, he himself was displaying an identical pair of creased brows which indicated his feelings.

"I'm not...? I was just tired." She figured that her company must have heard of her being princess-carried by the heir to the throne, and it probably gave them the idea that she got hurt again.

However, why did they look like they were about to go to war?

"Where is His Highness?" It was her father's turn to ask.

"He was tired, so he went back," Avy replied and was followed by a derisive scoff that came from Ashton.

"Leaving his fiancée alone after he was entrusted by his father to accompany you?" Her elder brother's voice was filled with sarcasm that he did not bother to hide.

Avy could not understand where the hostility was coming from since Ashton was not usually expressive of his dislike towards anything. Even in the novel, he acted civil with all the characters no matter how bad they were perceived by the readers.

"Why? He doesn't like me that way, and we're not yet married. Aren't you expecting him to carry too much responsibility when it comes to me?" she retorted back, not sharply, but it was not too laid back either.

"Avy, the amount of affection he has for you does not matter. It is still his duty to stay with you until at least one of us arrives." Alistair sported a gentle look, unlike the rest who were like they were going to crush their enemy's skull.

"He keeps proving how undeserving he is to be wedded to Sister," Ciel commented in disdain, surprising Avy. She glanced at him, but the young boy did not meet her gaze even for a second. It was the first time she heard him opposing the prince so openly.

She did not have a chance to speak as another presence made itself known. A presence that she was not able to acknowledge after it was overwhelmed by the men who came rushing towards her.

"Goodness. Is this how you behave in the presence of a lady?" A soothing voice of a woman was heard, and Avy was greeted by said woman's silver-colored stare.

Her wild vermilion hair stood out from the raven ones as she stepped forward with powerful confidence to introduce her presence. By the frown displayed on her beautiful face decorated by old age, it was obvious that she was not amused.

She walked closer to where Avy was and pushed away all the obstacles that blocked her way. That included all the grown men that were standing in her path. It was all so that she could sit on the bed next to the lady who was still confused as to who the woman was.

"Stay out of this, Ruebia." Lord Alcasser had the same scowling expression, his voice way more serious than before. However, the woman whom he called Ruebia did not show any signs that she was intimidated even a little bit.

"I should have just taken this child with me when I had the chance. I knew you would not do a better job raising her even after you refused to send her to her mother's family. Look at how thin she is, Alcasser! Are you even feeding this child right?"

Avy eats like a glutton. That was what Avy wanted to say as the woman took her wrist and showed it to the men present inside the room. Ruebia looked at her, her gaze becoming more softer and motherly, in contrast to her expression of displeasure earlier.

"Oh, dear. How hard it must have been for you living with men. Would you like to come with me to the South?" she asked, touching Avy's left cheek gently with her bejeweled right hand.

"Mother!" Alistair protested. Avy was astonished after hearing the word that came out of his mouth. Mother? She thought her grandmother was long dead?

"Alistair. Do not address Duchess Valentina so informally. We are still inside the palace," the duke reprimanded, causing more misunderstandings to fog up Avy's head.

"I am disappointed in you, Alton. I thought I had brought you up better to not raise your children like how your father raised you. Have you not heard of the rumors saying that Avy is not favored at all? The nobles are mocking this girl behind your back!" Duchess Valentina, as the duke called her, talked to the raven-haired duke as though she was scolding her child.

Avy glanced at her siblings to see their reactions. However, they did not look like it was their first time watching the present adults argue. Perhaps, it was just her who was completely foreign to that occurrence.

She finally met a woman capable of standing on equal grounds with the most feared men in the empire.

~~~

"You could touch her, you say?"

Lucifer voiced a 'yes' in response as his father, the emperor, did not bother to turn around and face him. Only the light of the moon and a couple of illumination stones gave brightness to the greenhouse in the middle of the night. He still wondered why his father picked up the habit of seeing the flowers when the sun is no longer to be seen.

"I have always thought that girl was born special." Even without seeing his face directly, the crown prince could tell that the emperor was smiling. By the tone of his voice, it was obvious that he was elated by the news.

Emperor Lucian turned to him, seemingly satisfied with what he had heard. "I will have every attendee investigated. Marquess Alistair has already been tasked to patrol the palace grounds to look for anything suspicious. You may go back," he stated before exiting the greenhouse, leaving Lucifer on his own.

Along with the plethora of emotions that swirled and tingled on his frigid skin, the white-haired mage could still feel the warmth of the foreign touch that, for the first time, he had experienced after years of longing. It was true that he could not find the feeling of love that every normal person could, and it still made him question if he was even worthy of the friendship he was offered.

"If you can't love someone, it's fine."

"You don't have to be sorry for not feeling something."

If Lady Avana... If Avy said so... perhaps, he could let himself melt to the feeling of not being alone.





~~~~~

Long time no see! I'm sorry for not being able to update for weeks. I had to work on my clearance since it was needed to end the school year. Anyways, I'm already on my vacation so I will be updating on time!! I apologize again:DD Tell me what you think about this chapter(it's longer than usual because I love all of you;>