Inside the grand hall of the Merlion estate, tension ran high. Lord Merlion sat in his chair, fingers drumming against the armrest, his expression dark.
"Father, have you heard the news?" Kesca asked, stepping forward.
"Yeah," Lord Merlion growled. "It seems someone is trying to frame us for this incident." His voice was laced with barely contained fury.
Kesca hesitated. "What should we do?"
Lord Merlion exhaled sharply. "Go with your men and investigate. I've already sent a letter to the Frings family."
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with dangerous intent. "But if they want war… then who am I to say no?"
He snapped his fingers. "Bisky!"
The butler appeared instantly, bowing his head. "Yes, Milord?"
"Tell Ser Clensky to ready all of our men. Just in case."
Bisky nodded without hesitation. "At once, Milord."
As Kesca turned to leave, Lord Merlion remained seated, his fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair.
'Someone wants to frame us… but who?'
His eyes narrowed. 'Who has the nerve to go against not just one, but two of the most powerful families in this city? And more importantly—why?'
A sinister thought crept into his mind.
'If they're bold enough to make the first move, then they better be ready for the consequences.'
As Rethrus lay still in the middle of the day, he had been meditating—but at some point, he had dozed off.
Tok, tok, tok.
A knock echoed at his door.
"Hmm… haah…" He groggily woke up, rubbing his eyes. "What… what is it?"
He got up, opened the door, and was met by a man dressed in a black suit.
"Hello, Sir Rethrus. I am Bisky, the personal butler of the Merlion Family."
'Huh. So butlers exist in this world too,' he thought.
"Ah—uh, nice to meet you, Bisky. Uhm… is there something I can do for you?"
"The head of the family wants you there as one of their special guests."
'Huh, so that's their move to clear their name.'
"Uhm, when?"
"Later this evening. Don't worry, a chariot will be sent here for you."
"Uhm... can I bring someone with me?"
"Of course! You're the wonder boy, after all," Bisky said with a grin.
"Then, as if recalling something," he added, "no one has ever killed an Emberfox at five years old, sir."
Rethrus cringed internally. 'Heeeh, so that story reached here too, huh.'
"Haha, it seems some of the king's hyperbole made its way here as well."
"Actually, even if it's not real, sir, you're still special."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, every city has its prodigies, but they say you're different. You act like you know exactly what you're doing. And right now, standing in front of you, I feel like we're the same age—yet with my actual age, I could probably be your father."
Rethrus chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, thank you, I guess."
Bisky only smiled, but his words lingered in Rethrus' mind.
'This might be the reason why there's a big gap between me and Aethra.'
After Bisky left, it turned out Gerard had been eavesdropping.
"What? You're going to the party? With who? Me?" Gerard asked, clearly surprised.
Rethrus smirked. "Of course not. The Frings family will be there too."
"Argh, no fair," Gerard grumbled, crossing his arms. "But it seems your plan failed, huh?"
Rethrus shook his head. "Uhm, no. Here!" He tossed a gold coin at Gerard. "Go to Kaeli's house later. I'm pretty sure Eri will be there. Buy some food and anything you like."
"Eh? Free gold coin?" Gerard's eyes widened.
"Yes."
"Sure²," Gerard said, catching the coin.
"And be on guard always," Rethrus added.
Rethrus went downstairs and found Mrs. Hilda and Mr. Eddie cleaning the house. The familiar scent of home filled the air, and Rethrus felt at ease, a sense of comfort wrapping around him like a warm blanket.
"Uhm, hey, would you like to join me later at the Merlion Family party?" he asked, his voice casual and relaxed.
"Really?!" Mrs. Hilda exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Yeah, they said I can bring whoever I want, so I want to bring you two," Rethrus said, grinning.
The two exchanged excited glances and then hugged each other in joy. Rethrus couldn't help but laugh, the sound genuine and carefree. He felt truly at home with them—something he hadn't realized he'd been craving.
Suddenly, both of them turned to Rethrus and hugged him too.
"Thank you, Rethrus. You've been so good to us," Mr. Eddie said, his voice full of gratitude.
"Nah, you've been so good to me, acting like my parents," Rethrus replied, a warmth spreading through him. Being with them felt easy, natural—like they had always been his family.
"But we don't have formal clothes to wear," Mrs. Hilda said, a bit worried.
"Then let's go shopping," Rethrus said, smiling, the idea coming to him as a simple solution.
"Ahhh, you're the best!" Mrs. Hilda happily hugged him again, and Rethrus felt his heart swell.
As the three of them walked together through the cobblestone streets of the market, the sounds of bustling vendors and distant chatter filled the air. The sun filtered through the wooden beams of the market stalls, casting shadows across their path as they moved through the crowd. Rethrus felt a warmth in his chest, a strange but comforting sense of belonging. It was as though, for the first time, he was part of something real.
They stopped at a food cart on the corner of the market square, where Mrs. Hilda and Mr. Eddie grabbed some bread and stewed meat. After filling their bellies, they moved on to the tailor's district, where the scent of fine linen and leather wafted through the air. They entered one of the modest shops where rolls of fabric hung from the walls, and bolts of colorful cloth were neatly stacked.
"How about this?" Mrs. Hilda asked, holding up a faded violet gown, her face glowing with excitement.
"Nah," both Mr. Eddie and Rethrus replied, shaking their heads with smiles.
Mrs. Hilda sighed dramatically, then grabbed another gown. "This?"
"Yes, yes!" Rethrus replied, his eyes lighting up. It was a fine choice—simple but elegant, just like her.
Meanwhile, Mr. Eddie was at a stand in front of a mirror, trying on a dark tunic paired with a fur-lined cloak. He struck a pose, his chest puffed out. "How do I look?"
"You look like you've eaten a whole roast boar," Mrs. Hilda quipped, causing Rethrus to chuckle.
"Damn, you shouldn't have done me like that," Mr. Eddie said, his grin widening despite the playful jab. He gave Mrs. Hilda an exaggerated frown.
Rethrus laughed, his heart swelling with a happiness he hadn't felt in a long time. These were his people now, this was his family. It was simple, it was real, and it felt like home.