After two hours had passed, Maria finished dressing Michaela while Daniel fine-tuned the artifacts. She brought Michaela out of the bathroom to the living room, which had already been cleaned up by the metal scarabs.
Daniel, waiting in the living room, was stunned at Michaela's appearance.
"My lord, how was it? She looks gorgeous, right?" asked Maria, presenting Michaela in her new clothes.
Michaela's silvery hair was tied up into a ponytail, and her perfect angelic face had a slight blush as her shyness showed through her awkward posture. She wore a white luxury suit over a leather sleeveless vest and a close-fitting brown sweater that accentuated her well-endowed figure in human form. The white tapered pants she wore also matched her outfit, along with a black leather vest and brown sweater.
Daniel's heart wavered, but he quickly calmed himself down. However, he couldn't shake off the memory of the love novel that Koyuki used to read, and he had peeked at it before getting caught and scolded by her.
The novel was about a female bodyguard and her domineering CEO. Back then, he had laughed at Koyuki and questioned how a CEO who was good at fighting and stronger than the bodyguard would hire a bodyguard who is weaker than himself and fall in love with her.
But now, with Michaela, even though it was different because she was physically stronger than him. But the part where his heart wavered was something he couldn't laugh it off.
After Daniel regained his composure, he stood up and went back to his bedroom to retrieve the Portal Rabbit he kept there.
He knew that confining a Portal Rabbit in a normal room was useless, as they could jump through dimensions for short distances. However, he kept it there because he wanted to surprise Michaela.
As soon as Michaela laid eyes on the cute white Portal Rabbit, she couldn't contain her excitement. Her eyes widened with delight and she reached out to give it a hug. Daniel, noticing her enthusiasm, placed the docile rabbit on the sofa in front of her.
"Since you seem to like cute small animals, I actualized this little guy for you. Consider it a first-meeting gift. All of my trusted subordinates have already received one," Daniel said as he placed the rabbit.
"Thank you, my lord," Michaela said gratefully, picking up the rabbit and holding it close. She stroked its soft white fur with a smile on her face.
Daniel's first meeting gift was a tradition he had started with all of his trusted subordinates. The first batches of sentient being cards he had actualized had already received their gifts.
Maria had asked for a high-performance notebook and an office to support her spy work, James had requested a large bike that suited his biker outfit, and Richard had asked for an artifact to help him protect himself.
After he had finished with the greeting gift Daniel went back to his bedroom and changed his clothes to the formal ones and prepared to go out to the Veneziale estate.
"Michaela, this apartment has limited space. So I will take you to our usual work location until my scarab and golem construction squad finish their renovation work at the dock. Your job will be to stay by my side and protect me," Daniel said after he had made the necessary preparations.
"Understood, my lord. Please rest assured that as long as I am by your side, no harm will come to you. I swear this oath as a knight of the heavens," Michaela said solemnly, bowing her head in respect.
Daniel nodded, satisfied with her response. He knew that Michaela was a powerful and loyal protector, and he trusted her with his life. With a smile, he gestured for her to follow him as they made their way out of the apartment and towards Veneziale estate.
— Veneziale Estate —
After a short 15-minute ride in the luxury car sent by Don Veneziale to pick up Daniel and his companions, they finally arrived at his large estate.
Daniel, Michaela, and Maria stepped out of the car and walked past the guards at the front door of the main building, who bowed in respect before opening the door for them.
As they entered the common room of the guest wing, they saw a bald middle-aged man sitting on a long sofa, engaged in conversation with Don Veneziale. But what surprised Daniel the most was not the new arrival, but the presence of Volkov, the leader of the Russian mafia and Don Veneziale's enemy, sitting nearby and occasionally joining in the conversation between the bald man and Don Veneziale.
Daniel greeted Volkov with a playful smile, poking fun at the Russian mobster's supposed demise. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Volkov. I thought you were sleeping with the fishes off the coast by now."
Volkov responded in his heavily accented voice, smiling wryly "Oh, Mr. Magitek. Eh-hehe, it's just that I and Comrade Ardito already had a talk, and we decided to work together."
The thought of yielding half of his assets and territory to the Italian Ardito in order for his gang to survive nearly gave Volkov a stroke. However, the idea of acquiring shiny artifacts, like energy shields, that normal people could use sparked excitement in him.
He couldn't help but wonder how much he could sell them for in his underground auction house. The big shots and owners of large conglomerates were known to fear death the most, as they risked losing everything they had built once they were gone.
Daniel turned his attention towards the bald middle-aged man seated on the long sofa across from Ardito. "And this gentleman is?" he asked.
Don Veneziale introduced the man, saying, "This is Mr. Montgomery. He is the owner of the Prosperity Hall Auction House, and he's also a mage."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, intrigued by this revelation. He knew that mages were highly sought after in the criminal underworld, and their abilities were often exploited for illegal activities. He wondered how Montgomery had come to be involved with Don Veneziale and his associates, and what kind of operations they were planning to carry out.
Montgomery rose to his feet and extended his hand to Daniel, eagerly shaking it.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Magitek. I've been looking forward to this moment. You truly are the man of the hour," He said with a touch of flattery in his tone.
As Montgomery flattered Daniel, a muscular old man with long, white hair resembling a lion's mane stared straight at Michaela, who stood at a safe distance behind Daniel. She was positioned in such a way that she could protect her lord if needed but still gave him enough space to remain comfortable.
The muscular old man smiled as he noticed a small white rabbit sleeping in Michaela's embrace.
She stroked its fur gently, displaying a maternal affection that contrasted with her typically cold demeanor. The old man found this scene comical, given the contrast between her unfeeling eyes and her love for small animals...
The muscular old man who acted as Montgomery's bodyguard was, of course, Ragnar Stenmark, the patriarch of the Stenmark family. He followed Montgomery to check on Daniel and determine if he posed a threat to the Hightower. Ragnar was unsure if Daniel was aligned with the Vatican or the Mage, and he kept a close eye on him.
While he recognized that Magitek was undoubtedly strong, he was confident that he was stronger. However, he couldn't help but feel that the real danger in the room was the silver-haired girl with the ponytail, who was gently stroking the white rabbit in her arms.
After Daniel and Montgomery had exchanged pleasantries, they sat down on the sofa starting the topic of why they came here to visit him.
"Mr. Montgomery, how may I assist you? I presume that your visit is not just to meet me," Daniel started the conversation.
"Ah, Mr. Magitek, I don't know if you're aware, but your artifact weapon will be auctioned off at my auction house tomorrow. Has Miss Wrath informed you of this?" Montgomery asked.
Daniel shook his head.
"No, she didn't mention anything. After she left about a week ago, she only sent someone to retrieve those artifacts from me and hasn't appeared since. May I know where she is?" Daniel inquired with a hint of concern in his voice, though he tried to conceal it. He feared that something might have happened to Wrath.
Montgomery and Ragnar, being astute observers, couldn't help but notice the slight change in Daniel's voice. They had learned from the information gathered by the Royal Court mage that Daniel was Wrath's boyfriend, but they were still unsure if he knew about her true identity. From what they could discern, it seemed that Daniel was at least suspicious of her true identity.
Montgomery pretended to think for a moment, trying to recall something before answering Daniel vaguely. He didn't want to reveal Wrath's location in San Francisco and risk Daniel rushing there and jeopardizing the negotiations with the king in Tessia Kingdom.