Concealed Knight

JU SAN

"Greetings, Mister Eijiri!" I stood from my seat. "What an impression, this is our first day as the new Head Executive and Director for Special Concerns, yet here you are late." He narrated.

"I sincerely apologize, Mister Eijiri, I was in a situation last night, I overslept-" He interrupted by placing his hand on my desk. "That's enough reasoning, just focus on work, and if you plan to drink, keep it at the minimum level." He added.

"Understood, Mister Eijiri," I replied, "Are you done for today?" He questioned.

"Not yet, I near halfway, are these files usually this many?" I asked back. "You have to adjust yourself, Miss Wijndelts, you were promoted in an instant, so you have to adjust and open yourself to other people." He continued.

"I have a hard time dealing with the latter issue, I lived myself just with Aia surrounding me, please understand." I bowed. "We'll try, but you need to consider not only yourself but the people around you also." He stated.

I nodded in response. "Did you ate lunch already?" He raised a question that made me look at him. "I just ate awhile ago, a light one." I returned

"Is that so?" His left eyebrow raised. "Then join me, eat again." He smirkingly said.

"Huh? Pardon?" I confusingly said. "Eat again, you said yourself, that it's a light brunch I suppose, join me for lunch." He explained. I awkwardly laughed in return.

"Will do, Mister Eijiri." I fetched my bag then was about to walk to him when the door opened and revealed Aia and an unfamiliar face. "I apologize, Mister Eijiri, this woman is so persistent to get inside." The man bowed countless times.

Mister Eijiri just chuckled in return, "May I introduce to you, Miss Wijndelts, my secretary, Mister Hiro Carter." He gestured, pointing his arms at the man; he walked to me while fixing his suit.

"Greetings, Director! Hiro Carter, a pleasure to meet you!" He shook my hand. I smiled awkwardly, "Likewise, Kerstein Wijndelts, the pleasure's mine." I returned.

Aia went in my direction and eyed Mister Carter from top to bottom. "Forgive me, she's Aia Fuji, my friend." Aia rolled her eyes and turned to me, "Let's go grab lunch, Kerstein." She said, dragging me; as we were near the exit, I felt someone grab my arm, revealing to be Mister Eijiri.

Aia stopped in her tracks and looked back. "Pardon me, Miss Fuji, I have a prior appointment with Miss Wijndelts." I looked at them, staring sharply at each other; knowing Aia's attitude, she will not back down without a fight. "Uhm..." I started, they looked at me.

"I think it's better if we eat together, also to avoid further conflicts in the future." I forced myself to smile at them. Mister Eijiri cleared his throat and let go of my arm; Aia did the same. "Mister Carter?" He called his attention.

"Yes, Mister Eijiri?" He replied. "Book a Special Seat for 4 at l'Aura. Since it's lunch, a three-course meal should do," He continued, looking at me.

"Do you have any food preferences, Miss Wijndelts?" He asked. "Anything will do, Mister Eijiri," I responded.

We went inside, and Mister Carter drove us to the Restaurant which they call l'Aura. After a few minutes drive, we arrived at the rural-styled Restaurant; it had a nameplate at the side stating l'Aura, styled in cursive.

The staff greeted us as we went in; it was a charming restaurant; it has the ambiance of a home, from its crafted interior and local decorations, you will not expect that it is a restaurant situated in the city.

We sat near where the sun shined slightly; I sat beside Aia while facing Mister Eijiri. Mister Carter faced Aia sitting beside Mister Eijiri. A staff approached us, bringing an appetizer. It was steak tartare, a dish made from raw minced ground beef. It had a raw egg yolk on top of the dish.

We proceeded to eat. After a while, our main dish arrived; it was a grilled beef fillet. It had rosemary, thyme, and garlic season, a whole beef grilled to a rosy pink. "Tell me, what happened at the party?" Out of the blue, the Head Executive started. "I called you after a few hours you left me there waiting." He added. I was stunned in my seat.

There is no way that I will tell the truth to Mister Eijiri; it would be a disaster. It was not wise of me to run without saying anything; of course, he had the right to be curious about what happened afterward.

"Oh, I just met an acquaintance then we had a few drinks," I replied awkwardly. "That's unusual, I thought you just lived your life with Aia, no one else." He doted.

I am stuck, I looked at Aia for help, but like Mister Eijiri, he also had a confused look on her face. "Were you also at the Inauguration, Miss Wijndelts?" Mister Carter raised; I looked at him in return. "Yeah, I was." He had a shocked look on his face.

"Oh, I think I saw you getting out of The Yemanora, with a guy, that's you, right? I think that's you." I frowned. "I remember, that's why you're familiar." He added.

"I was next to the guards while you were dragged out of the temple." He continued. Aia and Mister Eijiri now had an unexplainable expression on their faces. "That's all that happened in the context, seriously." They still looked uncertain; I just replied with a sigh.

The dishes were suitable to my taste, a standard three-course meal. Dessert came; at last, it was just a simple Chocolate Bourbon Whiskey Cake. We had a good meal. It was not very comfortable for Mister Eijiri to pay for it all. As we were about to head outside, we heard murmurs of people; it was getting noisy at the Restaurant, we all looked at the entrance.

There stood a man I never expected to see again and never wished to see again. It was Raiden, entering promptly like he was the emperor of the empire. The people were in awe as they saw how the fine man was dashing and alluring, yet I stood there as if my body froze. He stared back, to which he replied with a grin.