Justin victoriously chuckled, knowing he had convinced him but hearing his last words made his smile even wider. His lord, indeed taking an interest in Iris, even gave her a car.
"You got it, Milord! I'll let her know right away. She'll be over the moon when she hears this!" Justin quickly went back to Iris, who was still waiting patiently. He couldn't wait to see her reaction to the good news.
Iris was brimming with curiosity, eager to hear the news from Justin. She truly hoped she could get a car from his friend, as she had no other means to acquire a good one in this city.
"How is it, Justin?" Iris enthusiastically asked as he calmly settled back in front of her.
"Girl, you are indeed very lucky!!" Justin smiled broadly before continuing, "Well, my friend agreed. And you know, he will give you the car he owns and never used. In other words, you'll get a new car at a second-hand price..." He couldn't help but find it amusing to trick innocent Iris with this bit of fib.
Iris' eyes lit up with a mixture of happiness and curiosity. But the pragmatic side of her couldn't hide her innocent excitement, which was endearing. "Really? Wow, your friend must be super rich! Why did he buy a car but never use it?"
"Rich?" Justin paused for a moment, letting his imagination run wild with thoughts of Xavier's wealth. He has lived in this world for several millennia and has assets in every corner of the world. Even Forbes magazine's number-one rich man only touches a fraction of Xavier's fortune.
Justin knew just how wealthy Xavier actually was. Still, he didn't want to reveal too much and decided to play it down to avoid Iris's curiosity. "Oh, yes. I think he is indeed quite well-off."
"I wish I could be friends with him too..." Iris giggled, imagining the luxury of having a wealthy friend who could easily part ways with a car when they got bored of it.
Justin silently gulped, knowing full well that Iris was utterly unaware that the generous friend he spoke of was actually Xavier himself. He couldn't help but wonder if she would feel differently about accepting the car if she knew the truth.
"Alright then, when do you need the car to be available? I could bring it to your house early tomorrow morning..." said Justin.
Iris fell silent as she remembered her grandmother's condition — she wanted to see her driving skills before allowing her to buy a car. The test was scheduled for tomorrow morning.
"Thanks, Justin. No need to deliver it in the morning. Could you drop the car tomorrow afternoon instead?" she asked.
"Sure! I'll bring the car tomorrow afternoon!" Justin replied cheerfully.
Nervous and curious about the type of car, she blurted out, "I forgot! How much is he selling the car for? Did he max it out to my budget?" She hoped Justin's friend wouldn't charge her more than a thousand.
Justin froze for a moment. He couldn't possibly say it was going to be free, or Iris might become suspicious and refuse the offer.
"We'll talk about the price tomorrow after I get the car..." he replied calmly, hoping Iris would not ask further.
"You're right. I guess you haven't decided which car to choose for me yet..." Iris quickly explained the criteria for the car she wanted to buy, and Justin listened attentively.
Before long, they finished discussing cars, and Iris bid him goodbye, eager to continue her next plan: going shopping to replace her entire wardrobe of feminine clothes with more practical and tomboy outfits.
"Iris, where are you going? Let me drive you back," Justin offered.
"Drive me home? On what car? I thought Niles and Xavier left you here with no car." she asked, confused.
"Shit! How could I forget? Look how stupid I became…" Justin bitterly laughed as he followed Iris out of the cafe. "Well then, I will get you a taxi and accompany you if you want."
Iris stopped her steps and looked at Justin, "No need. You can go home now. I still have something to take care of in this place. And, I prefer to handle it myself..." She said and then left Justin, still standing in his place, looking slightly confused.
His forehead slightly creased as if pondering something while watching Iris' back disappear from his sight.
"How strange!? Why is she so different from usual?" Justin muttered. In his memory, whenever they were here, Iris would usually ask him to accompany her for a walk or request a ride back to her house. But now, why did she suddenly refuse?
Justin shook his head, setting aside his curiosity about Iris' strange behavior. He walked to the back of the cafe, and once he arrived at an empty street, making sure no one saw him, he vanished from where he was.
…
He appeared right in front of Darkwood Villa. Upon entering the house, he saw Xavier sitting alone in the living room by the fireplace, engrossed in something on his iPad.
"My lord," Justin greeted him with a slight nod. Not wanting to disturb and annoy Xavier, he immediately started walking toward the second floor. However, before he could go up, Xavier called him calmly but with his icy voice.
"Yes, my lord..." Justin quickly walked back cheerfully towards him, omitting a chill sensation on his spine.
"She's already home?" Xavier asked without looking at Justin.
"Iris, my lord?" Justin was surprised to hear Xavier asking about her. "No, she's still on the business street. She wanted to do something and asked me to go home first," he explained.
A frown appeared on Xavier's forehead, and he seemed deeply lost in thought. After a moment, he slowly raised his head to look at Justin. "Why did you leave her alone? Don't you remember she just had an accident?" he said sharply.
Justin was stunned, his playful demeanor fading, and his face turned pale. "M-Milord, I will go back there now..."
"No need." Xavier stood up from his chair and suddenly vanished.
"Huh!? Why did he stop me?" Justin scratched his head in confusion. He tried to find Xavier but saw nothing. He was now unsure whether to go back and look for Iris or not.
"What happened, Justin? Why are you talking alone?" Niles suddenly appeared in the room.
"You saw him? I mean, Lord Xavier..." Before Justin could finish his sentence, they heard a car engine from the front. They saw a black car speeding out of the front yard through the glass wall.
Instantly, Justin burst into laughter, leaving Niles confused. "What the hell happened, Justin?"
"Niles," Justin's eyes sparkled mischievously. "I could see Our Lord's heart is slowly melting!" he said before disappearing from the living room.