Chereads / A Dove, A Raven. and a Key / Chapter 1 - A Foreign Man

A Dove, A Raven. and a Key

Yuu_Yomi
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Synopsis

Chapter 1 - A Foreign Man

A grand enterance hall awaited them. It was a large space that was dark in theme, but it's whisps of white and silver put certain things in a lime light. The young man went over to the hangers, to which they were all named accordingly to the people who were invited. The young man took off his black tailcoat and top hat that had a pheasant feather before hanging them onto the two hangers with the name Albert Merilay. The dark skinned man was too busy looking around at the interior of the grand entrance hall to notice what Albert was doing and simply continued to gawk at the finest detail.

When the dark skinned man came back to reality he took off his deep blue navy coat and his eyes scanned over the numerous pegs hung up high on the wall. His gaze though sunk down onto the floor where a single nameplate layed, the name was messily scribbled as if the person was only remembered last minute. The dark skinned man's head hung low as his chapped lips parted to release a poignant sigh as he went to place his coat down in front of the fallen nameplate.

Albert noticed this and grabbed him by the wrist before tugging the deep navy blue coat from the man's grasp and hanging it with his own. "As you were invited I have to assume that you're here as part of nobility of some sorts, I shall have a word with the staff as of how to treat noble guests properly" Albert replied monotonously, his gaze moving from the man and to the dark oak door at the end of the entrance hall.

"Thanks... Albert was it? I'm Rihan Ottwan if you couldn't read the nameplate. I'm a detective from the south west" the newly identified man said in a reply.

"Indeed it is Albert, pleased to make your acquaintance Mr. Ottwan. I'm a famed lawyer who comes and goes all around the country,"

"I can't imagine how much travel that is, do you get stopped often by people to check if you have the right boarding?"

"Not particularly, majority of people already know of me and so they just skip the check."

"That's lucky, I can't even leave a town without providing them with official documents, having a body search and paying a small fee for wasting their time..."

"Well Rihan, it shall be best if we head for the dinning room now. It is improper to leave nobility waiting," after Albert said it he turned in his heeled black buckled boots and walked towards the oak door, the heeled part of the boots clicking and clacking on the polished wooden floor. Rihard noticed the movements quickly and caught up to start walking side by side. When they were in front of the wooden door Albert took the lead and pushed the door open far easier than the metal gate from before.

The door opened and a few people were there and waiting with the host of the grand gathering in an armchair by the fireplace as a smoking pipe rested between his flaky lips. Another guest that stood out to Rihan was the tall, muscular man who distanced himself in the corner, his foreign attire clashing with the nobility and elegance of the other guests in attendance. The only woman in the room sat quietly as the man she sat next to stroked his over-fleshed hand along her hand and up to the ruffled end of her scarlet red dress' long sleeve, she rolled her eyes at this and turned her head away.

Albert scanned the large room for a nice place to rest at till all the guests arrived and his gazed set to a pair of armchairs next to the window. As if on instinct he walked over and sat in one of the chairs and took on a thoughtful yet cold expression which to Rihan looked like a sign to not approach him unless it was a life and death senario. Rihan's feet walked him to the sofa opposite the lady and the over-fleshed man, his eyes darted everywhere except for the two as he tried his best to subtly flatten out the crinkles in his unironed white button-up shirt.

A maid soon entered carrying a small tray with a glass of alchol on it, Rihan quickly recodnised it and the foreign man peered up from the furred coat he was fiddling with as he motioned for the maid to bring it directly to him. The gaze that the foreign man held was harsh leading Rihan to believe that he has a superiority complex of sorts or just sees her as something lower than himself.

The maid's legs start to tremble though it was clear she wasn't going to let it be known to the foreign man, showing determination and resilience despite her situation. She walked over to the man and as she was passing it to the man he snatched it from her hand and took a sip of the bubbling drink before waving his hand dismissingly. When the maid didn't move away an annoyed and frustrated look fell down upon his face "That ment move along, in case you didn't know English, woman" his voice was loud and his annoyed tone showed through despite the accent he held in his deep voice. Just like that, the maid scurried off and a glare from the owner of the mansion thrown towards the foreign man.