Pavel stood at the front door of the mansion, his sharp eyes watching the yard filled with servants and guards getting ready to welcome Marquis Hale. The hurried footsteps, overlapping commands, and the sound of approaching hooves filled Hale's residence with a tense silence.
As the head servant, Pavel had made sure everything was going according to plan—the welcome carpet was laid out, the servants stood perfectly, and the Hale family knights were lined up neatly along the entrance. But there was one thing bothering him.
"The family troops and the Master are getting closer, but why is Young Master Lucian still not in sight?" he muttered, his brow furrowed.
He glanced at the line of waiters and quickly spotted Natty standing among them. Without hesitation, he stepped up quickly.
"Hey you," he called, his voice sounding firmer than usual.
Natty jumped in surprise, hurriedly bowing respectfully. "Yes, Head Waiter?"
"Go make sure Young Master Lucian comes out of his room right now," Pavel ordered, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "If necessary, knock on his door until he responds."
Natty looked a bit hesitant for a moment, but seeing Pavel's serious expression, she could only nod obediently. "Alright, I get it."
Without wasting any time, Natty quickly ran towards the wing of the mansion where Lucian's room was, while Pavel continued to stare at the entrance with sharp eyes.
Natty was already standing in front of Lucian's room door, her heart racing a little because she knew how bad her young master's reputation was in this mansion. However, she also remembered how Lucian treated her yesterday, different from the rumors going around.
"Young Master, its me, Natty," she called while gently knocking on the door.
From inside, a lazy voice was heard, "Oh, is that you? Just come in, the door is not locked anyway."
Natty paused for a moment. Usually, a servant must wait for clear permission before entering a noble's room, but Lucian sounded so relaxed as if it were not a big deal.
"Eh? Alright..." she said hesitantly, then took a deep breath. "If so, I will take my leave..."
He opened the door slowly and stepped in, immediately seeing Lucian standing in front of his bed, trying to put on his clothes by himself.
"Damn, why is this outfit so hard to wear," he grumbled, his face showing exhaustion from trying to manage it on his own.
Natty noticed that Lucian was struggling to tie the ruffler collar that adorned his neck, but it seemed he was having a tough time.
"Good thing you showed up," Lucian continued, glancing at Natty. "Can you help me put this on, Natty?"
Natty had time to widen her eyes, not expecting the request to come so casually from Lucian. However, seeing how Lucian was struggling with his own clothes, he finally sighed and stepped closer.
"Well, I'll help, Young Master," he said, starting to fix the ruffler collar tie deftly.
Lucian raised his eyebrows. "Hmm? It turns out that you know that too."
"The seniors told me," Natty replied honestly. She pulls the ruffler ties once more to make sure everything is perfectly attached, then takes a step back. "It's done, Young Master."
Lucian was silent for a moment, he tidied up the front of his clothes lightly. In his heart, he thought, "Well, I actually don't want to welcome him either, but... I'm curious about Lucian's father, and how they are related."
He then sighed before giving a slight smile. "Wouldn't it sound rude if I didn't welcome my dad home?" He turned to Natty. "It's okay, thanks for worrying about me, Natty."
Natty looked a bit surprised by that, but before she could respond, Lucian continued, "And also, thanks for your help." Natty bowed politely. "I was just doing my job, Young Master."
"Alright, how about we head out now?" Lucian said, glancing at Natty briefly before getting up. However, his steps halted. "Oh, I almost forgot," he mumbled while looking around for something. After a few seconds, he found his half mask lying on the table. With a casual motion, he picked it up and put it back on.
Natty who noticed it immediately asked, "You're wearing it again now?"
"Well, I actually don't want to wear it," Lucian replied, adjusting the position of his mask. "But Pavel said I had to wear it."
After making sure the mask was properly attached, Lucian sighed softly." Alright, now it's ready," he said, glancing at Natty who was still standing near the door.
Natty stared at her for a moment before finally nodding. However, in his heart, he realized something—the Lucian Hale who now did feel different than before. Without saying anything else, the two came out of the room, heading to the front yard to welcome the arrival of Marquis Hale.
As soon as Lucian arrived at the front yard with Natty, he immediately felt the stares directed at him from all around. The servants and soldiers gathered to welcome Marquis Hale started whispering quietly.
"Why is he here? Doesn't he usually not care about the Great Lord's arrival?"
"Isn't he afraid? I heard their relationship is bad..."
"Is he planning to cause trouble again?"
Lucian kept walking calmly, as if he didn't hear the whispers. However, from the corner of his eye, he could see some servants hurriedly avoiding his gaze as he stepped closer. Natty glanced at Lucian with a bit of worry, concerned that the servants' words would make him angry. But surprisingly, Lucian seemed relaxed, even smiling a little behind his mask.
Pavel stood tall among the servants, his eyes watching Lucian who had just arrived. He let out a quiet sigh before mumbling to himself, "Looks like the Young Master hasn't changed a bit."
Meanwhile, the sound of the Hale family's troops echoed in the front yard, signaling the arrival of the awaited figure. A line of soldiers in black uniforms with the Hale family emblem on their chests marched in order, followed by a middle-aged man walking steadily in front of them.
Pavel stepped forward respectfully, bowing before Marquis Hale. "Welcome back, My Lord."
Pavel's voice was firm and polite, fitting for his position as the head servant of the Hale family. However, behind his respectful tone, there was an almost imperceptible tension. His eyes quickly glanced at Lucian standing behind before refocusing on Marquis Hale.
Marquiss Hale nodded slowly, his gaze as cold as usual. "Pavel. Looks like you're still doing your job well."
"Of course, My Lord." Pavel replied without hesitation. But inside, he was a bit worried. Marquis Hale had never paid attention to Lucian before, but still, he had to make sure no problems came up this time. Meanwhile, the whispers of the servants around started to be heard again, stealing glances at Lucian standing there.
"Why is Young Master Lucian joining the welcome?"
"Isn't he usually avoiding this?"
"Is he seeking Marquis Hale's attention?"
Lucian, who heard those whispers, stood calmly, not showing any disturbed expression. But inside, he realized something. "So this is how they see Lucian? As if he shouldn't be here at all."
Pavel, who caught the vibe of the waiters, could only suppress the uncomfortable feeling in his chest. He knew that Lucian's presence here would definitely attract Marquis Hale's attention—and that might not be a good thing.
Keith Hale, Marquis Hale, finally arrived at his residence. Meanwhile, Lucian stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Julian Hale welcomes Father and the family troops."
From where he stood, Lucian watched the meeting with great interest. His eyes alternated between Julian and Keith Hale, before he finally whispered softly, "So he's Marquis Hale? Wow, when paired with Julian, they look like the older and younger versions of each other."
Keith Hale indeed resembled his eldest son. His jet-black hair and sharp eyes reflected the authority of a leader. However, while Julian gave off a firm and disciplined impression, Keith carried a much heavier aura of dominance—like someone who was used to ruling and being feared.
Keith glanced at Julian before nodding slightly. "Thank you for taking care of the mansion while I was carrying out my duties, Julian."
Julian replied with a flat expression full of professionalism. "No problem, Father. It was my duty."
Keith merely nodded before walking straight towards the mansion, his demeanor remaining calm and authoritative. However, as he walked, his eyes briefly glanced at Lucian. Just for a moment. As if Lucian's presence there was of no importance at all.
Without the slightest change in expression, Keith passed by Lucian without uttering a single word—as if his son were merely a shadow that did not warrant attention.
Lucian just stood there, watching Keith's back as he walked away. "I'm pretty sure he saw me earlier, but why does it seem like he doesn't see me here?" Lucian's hand clenched a bit, but he quickly relaxed his grip. "Damn, this family is really complicated."
Around them, a few servants who witnessed the scene could only steal glances at each other, some looking like they wanted to whisper, but didn't dare to speak out loud.
Pavel, who had been observing that brief interaction, could only let out a quiet sigh before hurriedly catching up with Keith. As he passed by Lucian, he glanced at him with a worried expression, but Lucian didn't react at all. Pavel approached Marquis Hale and finally spoke up. "My Lord, do you feel like you forgot to do something?"
Keith didn't answer right away. He kept walking steadily down the mansion's corridor, as if Pavel's question wasn't important enough to respond to immediately. After a few seconds, he finally spoke without turning at all. "Forget to do something?" His tone was flat, almost sounding like a hollow mumble.
Pavel nodded slowly. "Young Master Lucian is there."
Keith finally stopped, but not out of surprise—more like someone who just realized there's a small distraction in his path. He sighed, then finally turned a bit towards Pavel. "So? Are you expecting something from me?"
Pavel was silent for a moment, holding back his urge to sigh again. "At least a greeting, Master."
Keith didn't answer right away. There was something in his gaze—not anger, not hatred, but more of a cold indifference. Finally, he just let out a small laugh, but without any warmth. "For what? I don't think the kid needs it."
Keith took a few steps and then said something without turning around, "Oh right, prepare dinner for today, and let Julian and the kid know too. There's something I want to talk about." He continued on his way.
Pavel paused at the command. His eyes widened a bit, and for a moment, a glimmer of hope appeared in his mind. "What is this? Great Lord is going to open his heart to Young Master Lucian?" he thought, almost not believing what he just heard. "Alright, My Lord. I'll get it ready right away."