He missed the little garden in the back of his house that no one visited because of the withering flowers, his mother smile comes to mind when she sat down taking care of them every day because his father liked them, when he gets back home he needs to start taking care of them again even if they died, is what he was determined to do.
"Young master, how shall we proceed?" one of them dared to say as their legs started to hurt from squatting far too long behind the wall.
" we will wait, one mistake and the whole mission will fail how many times do I have to say it for your peanut-sized brains, huh?" the emerald-eyed man said listlessly, all of them were, but he was the most.
"But sir-" the brave one with the red hair said again in a hushed voice not wanting to be caught trespassing, all he received was a cold glare and opened his mouth to say something but feels his head hitting something making him yelp trying to understand what just happened.
" spread out, kill them all!" the red-haired heard his master say in a hurry holding his left shoulder that was now drenched in blood.
in less than a minute, there was no one but them, sounds of people dying or in pain were heard and smoke starts filling the air.
"Young master, are you okay? your shoulder we need to bandage-"
" I'm fine Frederick, a small scratch will not kill me, not now." the wounded man said lethargically standing up examining the mansion for an entry to find a broken window on the third floor and in a second he is in
" you saved my life again sir, I'm ashamed" the man named Frederick apologized entering through the window face down not daring to look in his direction.
"I know right? you were supposed to be my guard but I keep saving you instead" his master teased walking in the room that is filled with books and documents and started rummaging through them one by one.
Frederick stays silent not saying a word and instead starts looking through the books with him he glance at him clenching his jaw face filled with regret
"you do realize how much of an idiot you are right? you got stabbed and poisoned three times or even more to protect me and now you are sad because of this? I'm only repaying what I received" he huffed hitting his left shoulder with his left.
"But sir-"
"now now stop whining and find the scroll so we can get back, his grace send a letter ordering me to get back" he pointed out while looking at a red book with a weird symbol.
" there must be something important to call the young master home after all this time?" he questioned surprised looking up to his tall master.
" he said I have a new younger sister that I have to meet." his master said uninterested making Frederick gasp in disbelieve
"at his age? I never knew the duke was still interested in women"
" that is what I thought as well"
" the scroll we found indicates everything your grace said was correct, how would you like us to proceed?" Phoenix asked standing hands behind his back expressionless in front of the fade green-eyed man who looked up at him from his chair with a raised eyebrow thinking for a moment before talking
"tell them to watch their every move, for now, Robert is an idiot he will make a mistake."
"yes sir we will do that, let the Nava-" Phoenix started but got cutoff
" you will be staying here from now on, go meet your sister and make sure she got everything she needs, you will be appointed as her guard for now." he informed him not interested in the conversation anymore, and starts writing.
"yes, father I will do as you wish, let the god of navaris-" Phoenix tried to say but was interrupted again this time by the office door swinging open and an old man walked in.
in a blink of an eye, the man screams after being pointed at with a dagger by Phoenix who expression darkens, who are in their right mind dare to trespass the silver's mansion, is what Phoenix was trying to understand.
"put your dagger down Phin, he is Asalynn your sister's tutor"
"he means no harm even if he seems to have forgotten his place and his manners" the duke added on and Zachary gulp shaking in fear, what the hell has he done? he was quite furious by that homeless pathetic child and forgot where he was
" Forgive my rudeness, your grace, I was in a hurry I apologize" Zachary shivered in fear bowing down on his knees.
" leave us Phin, go seek your sister, I will deal with him myself" the duke griped.
"yes father, let the god of navaris give you strength"
"now do you mind telling me what made you run here forgetting where you are?" was the last thing phoenix heard as he closed the door behind him making him gulp knowing his father too well, it will probably be the last time he will hear of the man or maybe he will hear too much of him, that is in the newspaper of course.
"What did he say? did he say where she's from? who her mother is?" Frederick showers Phoenix with questions but receive no answer as they walk to the drawing room which is near the duke's office.
"I wish your gossiping is as good as your swordsmanship" Phoenix shakes his head in disbelieve trying to quite him but Frederick is never quite, always gossiping, he knows everything that goes on in this mansion.
"my mouth is my only freedom sir don't take that away from me, let the god of navaris give you strength" Frederick says dramatically while bowing and runs away before he gets a hit from his master, Phoenix tsk at his behavior as he opens the door to the drawing room.
Asalynn was still in there anxious, what would the duke say? he will definitively be disappointed now that she could not even answer a small question but it is not her fault really, no one taught her these subjects, they should be happy that she can even read and write.
she scoffed ruffling her hair that was made in a small bun neatly, why should she be the one at fault? the duke adopted her he should know better, why exactly did he adopt her? it's not like she is good at anything, being alone made her think of too many things.
after a long time of thinking of different scenarios and biting her nails, the door opened and someone walks in, standing with a flinch thinking it was the duke because of the resemblance but he was younger.
"W-who are you?" she asked panicking forgetting to greet the person first like Marie taught her and then bows trying to make up for the mistake
"Greetings my lady, I am Phoenix silver the firstborn son and heir of Alexander the third silver the duke of zenith, pleased to make your acquaintance," he said with a beam kissing the back of her hand
" I'm Asalynn miller, a pleasure to make your-acq-qaintan?"