Changing The Course of Fate

Special Chapter - Ten Thousand

"We will depart tomorrow, your highness." Prince Faust's attendant told him. He nodded and the attendant excused herself. Faust stood near the window of the residence given by the king for him. The view encompassed the entirety of the kingdom from the highest point.

"I forgot to say goodbye." He sighed as he walked back and sat on the edge of the comfortable bed. The moonlight cast upon his face and the emptiness of the room brought him back to the time of the Royal Banquet. He remembered the feeling of having that person in his arms.

'Soft...' Pier's body was soft in his touch. It gave off a warm and pleasant feeling that Faust had not felt for a long time.

Faust raised his hand and brought it to his lips.

'If only I have more time..." He whispered as he reminisced every moment they made. It was his first-time meeting Pier but it was also the first time he had taken a liking to someone he just met.

If only he had plenty of time to stay in the kingdom, he would undoubtedly spend it with Pier.

Prince Faust was frustrated.

"It was at the wrong time." The sudden emergency that required his presence in the Belmaid Empire was announced at the time he had found someone worthy of becoming his partner.

"I shall see you once more, young master," Faust said as he formed his hands into fists. The calloused and rough skin clearly remembered how soft Pier's own hands were. The young master's tall and lean frame matched perfectly with his tall and broad one. His raven hair complimented his golden ones and his smile was worthy of a thousand gems.

"Soon." Faust lay in his bed. The silent night brought him waves of memories as he raised his right hand and the other covered his forehead.

"Soon, I'll make sure you're here beside me."

--

"Raphael, my son, you need to rest for a moment." Duke Callisto said as he watched his precious son get busy with the preparations for their esteemed guest's arrival tomorrow.

"I will, father. I will finish the remaining preparations and rest right after" Raphael assured the duke and the latter could not help but sigh at his son's actions.

"Make sure the surroundings are checked properly. Remove any unpleasant things present in the garden." Raphael commanded and the servants who were also staying up late with him followed without hesitation.

The young duke sighed as he ruffled his hair in frustration.

'What else?' What else does he need to prepare?

"Have the suits I ordered arrived?" He asked. One of the maids replied with urgency.

"Yes, your grace. We also have given compensation for the extra time the tailor had to spend to produce his grace's request." Raphael nodded. He was satisfied with that.

"How are the preparations for the food?" He asked and the head chef who had baked many samples answered.

"I have already tried baking all of the snacks that are served in the kingdom, your grace." Raphael nodded his head. He was satisfied with the answer.

"Make sure to prepare every kind when the young master arrives tomorrow." The head chef nodded his head, feeling tired from staying up all night with the young duke.

"How are the decorations in the garden going?" the head maid responded without hesitation.

"Everything has been set according to your grace's instructions. We have kept it simple yet good enough that it will suit the young master." Raphael smiled at the response. Simple and elegant, just like the person himself.

Pier was a walking treasure chest before. He had adorned himself with expensive and vibrant clothes that attracted everyone's attention and he wore diamond rings and sapphire cufflinks that were expensive enough to feed an entire village for a year.

Raphael was not interested in those, he never did.

But the Pier right now seemed to have been taken over by an entirely completely different person.

He wore clothes that are pleasing to the eyes. The materials made for the clothes are still the best of quality but the simplicity it gave off was so attractive.

He did not wear expensive rings nor did he try to brag about his luxurious cufflinks.

Raphael was flabbergasted with the changes happening. The news that is circulating within the kingdom always contained Pier. Rumors of how the young master played the best piece in the kingdom's history had been heard by scholars.

News of his benevolence for those who have committed sins reached the ears of the masses. Most especially, whispers about his perfect nobility became the hot topic among the social circles of the lower and higher ranked nobles.

Raphael was nervous, he was unsure if he even fits the young master's standards.

He never had to worry about a single thing in his life before. He excelled in his studies, he was also a genius in swordsmanship along with the Crown Prince, and he knows how to manage his subjects.

He's bound to become the Perfect Duke. However, the image seemed blurry in front of the genius noble everyone has been talking about. He wondered if his preparations for that noble's arrival would be enough.

"Raphael, do not discourage yourself. Your preparations are excellent." the Duchess assured Raphael and the young duke smiled at his father.

"Thank you, mother." the duke and the duchess looked at each other. It was the first time they had seen their eldest son prepare so much for the arrival of a single person.

---

"Look at this, it is the handkerchief of the young master from the Household I work in!" The knight said proudly and his siblings' eyes sparkled in amazement.

"That's so cool, older brother! It's so pretty!" They all stared at the handkerchief that was carefully placed in a wooden box and had a transparent cover.

"Older brother, can we also meet the young master?" The knight's little sister asked. The others nodded their heads in accordance with the question.

"That's right, older brother! Can we?" Another one of his siblings asked. The young knight scratched the back of his head because he was unsure of what to respond with.

"I am not sure. It was simply a coincidence that the young master visited the area I was stationed in," he said and his siblings pouted with the response.

"Do we need to become knights too in order to meet the young master?" A young boy asked. The young knight laughed at his brother's question.

"You do not need to become a knight to meet the young master. Time will come when we will all get the chance to see Young Master Pier together." The children jumped up and down in excitement of meeting Pier.

"I would like to meet the young master and thank him for the beautiful clothes he had given us!" The other children agreed with the statement. This was the time when Pier had decided to give his clothes to those who needed them and the knight whom Pier met was one of the persons given.

"Yes, yes. Now, everyone go to sleep. You need to be big and healthy like your older brother so the young master will be happy to see you." The knight said and the children nodded their heads before going to sleep.

He stared at the handkerchief he got from the young master earlier. It was really beautiful and golden embroideries were designed on it.

He also remembered how benevolent and forgiving the young master was.

"Truly the kind of noble everyone would love to serve." He smiled as he looked out the window. The soft breeze entered their abode and coaxed the children to sleep.