Lucian stepped out of the dining room with a calm expression, even though his mind was still occupied by the recent events. Once he was in the deserted corridor, his hand came up, wiping the wound on his cheek.
"I already knew Lucian and his father's relationship wasn't good, but I didn't expect it to be this bad." He sighed softly, noticing the thin blood clinging to his finger. The cut may have been small, but the stinging sensation was sharper than he expected.
"Damn, it's just a small scratch, why does it hurt so much?"
Natty, who had been waiting outside with a worried face, immediately stepped closer to him. Her green eyes widened upon seeing the scratch on Lucian's cheek.
"Young Master, are you alright?" her voice was filled with worry, her expression tightening slightly at the sight of the blood flowing slowly from the wound.
Lucian lowered his hand and turned to Natty, giving a faint smile that was barely visible. "It's fine, it's just a small cut."
However, Natty did not seem satisfied with his answer. She bit her lip, then said in a slightly trembling voice, "Young Master...!" and added, "I'll get some medicine for you."
Without waiting for approval, Natty immediately turned around and walked quickly towards the medicine supply. Meanwhile, Lucian remained standing where he was, staring at his servant's back with an expression that was difficult to interpret. He touched the wound again, feeling a sharp stinging sensation.
Lucian could only smile at Natty's reaction, then he sighed softly. His gaze shifted out the window, where the moon was shining brightly, illuminating the deserted corridor with its silver light. The night breeze blew gently, bringing a calmness that contrasted with the chaos she had just experienced.
She stood there for a while, letting her mind wander. The moonlight seemed to provide a bit of calm amidst the various intrigues he had to face.
"Protagonist... So the Empire has summoned him."
Lucian leaned his back against the wall, his eyes narrowing for a moment. The arrival of the main character signaled that the wheels of the main story had finally begun to move. And he knew that, from this point on, things would not go easily.
Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings could be heard above his head. Lucian turned his head and saw a small black bird flying in through the open window, its talons carrying a scroll of messages. The bird flew down, landed on the railing of the corridor, then stuck out its leg as if asking for the message to be taken immediately.
Lucian opened the window and reached out, nimbly removing the scroll. The bird trembled slightly, then flew away silently, disappearing into the night.
His fingers deftly broke the wax seal engraved with the Guild Servant's emblem, and his eyes quickly read the message written inside.
"To Lucian Hale,
Thank you for your enthusiasm. Regarding your request, the Knights were indeed confirmed to have arrived in the Empire. They were received directly by the palace with high honor, as expected. Currently, they are under close surveillance, but their movements are beginning to attract the attention of various factions, including the Order of the Holy Knights and the Imperial Magic Tower.
As you requested, the person you are looking for is already in our custody, I will keep a close eye on them and report any developments immediately. Regarding the evidence of the flow of funds and what I mentioned earlier, everything is already safely in our hands.
I will wait for your confirmation if you wish to continue this investigation. See you in the next game.
ps: one of our clients would like to meet you, he wishes to thank you in person.
-Alpha."
Lucian read the message slowly, "Good... so far it's going according to the story in the game." A faint smile was etched on his lips at this moment, until he found a small note on the letter, he raised his eyebrows, "Wait, Client? Perhaps?"
His eyes enlarged the originally thin smile into a large one while holding the letter at this time. She wanted to reply to the letter immediately, but it was impossible to reply here so she approached the messenger bird that was still on the balcony railing of the mansion.
"You knew my room before, right?" He said softly. The bird nodded its head as if it understood what the current lucian was saying. "Wait there, I'll write a reply soon."
The bird flapped its wings and flew away to where Lucian had directed. In an instant, its figure disappeared behind the shadows of the night.
Not long after that, quick steps were heard from the end of the corridor. Natty suddenly came in with a slight gasp, carrying a medicine box in her arms. Her face was filled with worry as she looked at the wound on Lucian's cheek.
"Young master, I brought the medicine." She hurriedly opened the box, searching for something inside.
Lucian raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. "Oh? You really did come back." His tone sounded casual, as if the wound on her cheek was nothing to worry about.
Natty exhaled in annoyance. "Young Mastee, why are you being so casual?" She took a cotton swab, poured out some antiseptic medicine, then carefully applied it to the wound on Lucian's face.
Lucian only raised an eyebrow without much protest, but the stinging pain made him frown slightly.
Natty then took the plaster and prepared the medicine deftly. She approached Lucian before saying in a serious tone, "Young master, please look down a little."
Lucian stared at her for a moment before sighing softly, then complied. "Alright, alright..."
Natty painstakingly placed the plaster on his cheek, ensuring that the wound was properly covered. "Done," she muttered as she backed away slightly, still wearing a dissatisfied expression. "Please don't act recklessly again, Young Master."
Lucian touched his plastered cheek, then looked at Natty with a faint smile. "Thank you, Natty." His tone sounded light, but there was sincerity in it.
Natty, who had been showing a worried expression, sighed softly. "It's my duty, Young Master," she muttered, but her eyes were still watching Lucian intently.
Lucian then glanced out the window. It was getting late, the moon was still shining brightly, enveloping the corridor in a soft glow. "It's late, isn't it? You can go back to your room. I'm going to go rest too," he said as he stretched as if he was going to sleep.
Natty hesitated before asking, "Are you sure you're going to rest?" His eyes narrowed slightly, looking at Lucian quizzically.
Lucian chuckled a little, then looked at her with a meaningful expression. "You're too suspicious," he said casually. "How about you confirm it yourself?"
Natty immediately gave a small snort, then shook her head quickly. "No, I'm going back to my room," she said firmly, as if reluctant to get caught up in Lucian's wordplay. She then deftly tidied up the medicine box and closed it. After making sure everything was in order, Natty bowed her head slightly. "Good night, Young Master."
Lucian only smiled slightly without saying anything more. He then turned around and walked away from Natty, striding casually towards his room.
Once in his room, Lucian closed the door quietly. He let out a long breath, feeling the silence that enveloped the room. Without wasting any time, he took off his vest, threw it on the bed carelessly, and then rushed to his desk.
His hand reaching for the paper and pen, his eyes flashed sharply as he began to write a reply to the Guild Servant. By the softly flickering candlelight, she chalked out letter after letter with quick yet neat movements.
"I understand. Make sure you guys keep sending me the reports, and also I asked for a copy of the evidence, I hope you don't ask why. Also, I'll be in as soon as possible, then for the meeting with your client I'll see him soon, so have a copy ready when I see you.
Signed, Lucian Hale."
Lucian reread the message briefly before finally rolling up the paper and sealing it quickly. He then turned to the window, the bird was already perched on the balcony of his room. He immediately tied the letter to the bird's leg, making sure it was strong enough not to hurt it.
With one gentle movement, he rubbed the bird's head, then whispered softly, "Go. Deliver my message quickly."
The bird flapped its wings, as if it understood Lucian's command, then flew off into the darkness of the night, disappearing between the shadows of the buildings and the light of the moon. Lucian watched its retreating figure, his eyes thoughtful.
Lucian sighed, his body leaning back against the chair as he stared blankly at the window, which now showed only a dark, star-studded sky. He tapped his fingers on the table, his mind still busy digesting all the information he had gotten.
Sighing, he got up from his chair, took off the rest of his clothes until only a thin shirt remained, then walked towards his bed. His steps sounded soft in the quiet room.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, a glimpse of Cedric flashed through his mind-the protagonist summoned by the Empire, the man who had killed Lucian in the original plot of the game.
"Well, for now, all I need to do is stay focused on my goal. I have a plan to avoid my destruction in this world."
With that thought, Lucian finally let himself fall asleep, preparing for whatever tomorrow would bring.
The messenger bird soared across the night sky, its wings parting the cold wind before finally landing on the windowsill of a dimly lit room. Inside, two people sat facing each other, as if waiting for something.
Schnee-or better known as Alpha in the Servent guild-narrowed her eyes upon seeing the bird arrive. She stood up, walked over, and with a practiced movement, removed the roll of paper from her feet.
"It turns out he replied to the letter sooner than expected." Raynald tapped his fingers on the table, his expression remaining calm though his eyes narrowed slightly. "What did he say, Schnee?"
Schnee opened the letter and read it quickly. "He only asked for a report regarding his previous request and..." She paused for a moment, her brows furrowed slightly.
Raynald raised one eyebrow. "And what?"
Schnee continued in a hesitant tone. "He asked for a copy of the evidence... What did he ask for?"
Raynald grinned faintly, his fingers tapping the surface of the table in a slow rhythm. "Oh, something unexpected." His gaze sharpened, as if he was weighing the possibilities in his head.
Schnee folded the letter back with a flat expression, but her eyes flashed slightly. "He also said he would see Big Brother soon." She turned to Raynald, waiting for his reaction.
"I see, Schnee. Looks like I'll be staying in your office again this time." Raynald took off his gloves and placed them on the table, then stretched his shoulders casually.
"I have no problem with that, but are you sure? You've already left the residence for two weeks to investigate the case." Schnee glanced at the pile of documents on her desk before looking back at Raynald with a serious expression.
"No problem, don't I have Ben helping me? Besides, for some reason I think he'll come here tomorrow." Raynald leaned his back against the chair, his hand touching his chin as if he was thinking about something.