"... Could you take me to Sophia?" asked Noah.
Upon hearing Noah's words, the girl for a moment felt quite relieved, and also showed at the same time, disdain or a little anger, as soon as she heard Sophia's name.
"…Of course!" said the girl, as she stood up leaning on the tree behind her.
Noah noticed that sudden change that happened in the look and, in that girl's expression, when he mentioned Sophia's name, but without caring about it, he just continued to walk in silence while he followed her.
*********
"Hey, come here." whispered a maid.
"…What's it?" she asked the other maid.
"Is that Miss's new boyfriend?" said the maid, while looking discreetly at Noah and Ai, who were passing into the hall, in complete silence.
"Boyfriend? … But they told me that they are just friends. "
"Friends? You can only be kidding if you believed that. Who in their right mind would be hurt so badly by a friend they just met? "
"… You are right, but after so long, you should at least get someone on the same level as the 5 princes of the city. However, after she was so lonely… did she choose that? "
"What do you mean, that? Are you really seeing the same person as me? "
"Huh? How so? "
"He is certainly on the same level as the princes ... or even better."
"… It doesn't do any good, to look good, but to be poor after all."
"Money is not everything. And how do you know he is poor? "
"How I know? Look closely at the clothes he's wearing. Aren't those the same clothes that the guards wear? "
"These clothes are from the house, and don't tell me that you forgot what happened in Miss's room?"
"…What are you talking about?"
"Those strange flames that appeared and disappeared, skidding. Won't you tell me that you really forgot? "
"Ah that? I remember. But what does that have to do with? "
"I was told he was in there, which is why you were so excited that day."
"Okay, but I still don't understand it, but what does that imply in his clothes?"
"Are you stupid by any chance? Several buckets of water were not putting out that fire, you really think some clothes made from a simple cloth. "
"… It doesn't change anything. In my opinion, he is really just another poor profiteer. And excuse me that, apparently unlike a certain person, I still have a lot of work to do. " said the maid as she walked away.
*********
"… Toc! Toc! "
"Toc! Toc! "
"In between!" said Arthur, in his firm voice.
After the door opened, Ai first came in, wearing her black Sheni with red edges and a slight smile on her face.
"Ah! Oh, why don't you come and have lunch with us? " said Alice
"… Thank you aunt, but I…"
"Huh? Why are you here? Or rather, how? Wasn't it supposed to finish you in just five days? " exclaimed Sophia, surprised to see Noah walking through the door.
"…What do you mean? Haven't the five days gone yet? " asked Noah confused.
"No, it's only been 2 ..."
"How dare you speak that way, to someone from a class bigger than yours, boy !?" said the old woman, who was sitting in the chair next to Alice.
"Look at how you talk to my daughter's friend, old lady." said Arthur in a serious tone.
"How dare you stand against us, to defend this poor devil, who cannot even pay for the destruction he caused in your daughter's room!" exclaimed the old man sitting in the chair next to Sophia.
"But it was not he who caused the fire." said Sophia.
"How can you be so sure of that? This wretch could easily be pretending to be ill, so that he can get that fire going. " said the old woman.
"Stop! I didn't say before, that… "
"Ah! There is! There is! Ha!… "Laughed Noah.
Everyone was completely silent, and looked closely at Noah, after that loud laugh he had given.
"Ahhh! … Are you really calling me poor? ... Well, and maybe I am, but I think I can actually pay for your room. So come on, tell me, how much would it cost to fix that place? "
Looking at the smile on Noah's face, the old man thought it was something of a joke. And thinking that he shouted, as he prepared to get up "How dare you ..."
"Old silence! Just answer my question. " said Noah, in a serious and cold tone, he said that as if he were absolutely sure, that none of the people there would stand up, or even say anything, after he said those words.
And it really happened. None of the people who were there, spoke, or moved in any way, after having heard those words. But it wasn't like they were afraid of Noah, no, because that would be basically impossible to happen due to the big difference between their cultivation levels.
However, even though it was not caused by fear, at the very moment Noah said those words, a strong shiver it passed through the whole body, from everyone present. And with that shiver, there was also a sense of certain death, as they looked directly into her eyes.
When looking directly into Noah's eyes, they felt as if there were some being, who was even out of their imaginations, right in front of them, looking at them with those piercing eyes that seem to be able to devour even their souls. And because of that no one there, dare to move even a millimeter.
"(Sigh!)… So, how much will it cost you to fix that room?"
When Noah closed his eyes and sighed, everyone felt a huge difference in that strange presence that was there before, to tell the truth, it seemed that she was completely gone in that instant.