"Gideon, what is the young master like?" The knight's older brother asked and Gideon turned to look at him.
"Why are you asking, brother?" Gideon asked him in return and his brother had a surprised look on his face.
"I think I need to talk with the young master after this" He spoke with concern and Gideon's expression softened.
'What's wrong with him?' He asked.
He remembered how Gideon did not have any care in the world with anyone and was simply focused on himself.
However, when he asked what the young master was like, his younger brother's expression turned stoic for a second and if he was not fast enough, he would have never seen it.
"The young master is the best person in the world" He commented as they both sat on the extended porch outside the mansion.
"The best?" He asked and Gideon nodded his head enthusiastically.
"The young master saved my life when we first met at the Sokran Forest in our way towards the Boundary" Gideon replied with a smile on his face.
His brother observed his every reaction. It was intriguing him so much on who was the young master that tamed a prideful person like Gideon.
He wanted to know who the person that made Gideon sing praises to him constantly without fault was.
Gideon continued to tell the story of how he met the young master and how the latter had saved him from the magical beast. His brother was also listening attentively, hoping to draw a picture out of the young master's entire identity.
He was a fallen noble along with Gideon. He have heard news about the young master but did not actually see the person since they were not invited to any gatherings.
In all honesty, they were treated as commoners but with empty noble titles and Gideon's brother had been wondering why the young master would even bother inviting them over to his knight's birthday.
Gideon had been separated from him for a few years now.
Ever since his younger brother started training at the palace to become a knight, he had lost contact with Gideon while he continued to remain as the head of a fallen household.
They were stripped off of their wealth, power, and influence as an Earldom when a certain Countdom finally succeeded in taking over their household after decades of dispute between them.
He looked at the sword that Gideon was holding carefully in his lap.
The blue sapphire stone in the middle of the handle was too eye-catching for anyone to see and he estimated that it would already reach up to the price of more than ten million gold coins. It did not include the entire body of the sword that doesn't look like it was made from the usual metal used to make swords.
'I guess he adores my younger brother that much' He thought as Gideon's voice became a background noise while he thought of speaking with the young master.
It was his opportunity.
He had Gideon as his opportunity to talk with the young master who was known to be one of the most important individuals in the society.
"Gideon" He called and Gideon stopped talking midway.
"Yes?"
"Can you get me to talk with the young master?" He asked while thinking of the possibilities and the things he needed to do if he could talk with Pier.
He was too busy thinking that he did not notice the frown etched on his younger brother's face.
"Why?" Gideon asked and he looked at his brother.
It was already past midnight and the knight's birthday was already over now.
He was stunned to see the slightly dark expression and feeling Gideon was emitting.
"T-To talk about our household," He told the knight and Gideon did not respond for a second.
'He could be upset that I interrupted his storytelling, right?' He asked himself.
"Is there a problem?" He asked cautiously but the unpleasant atmosphere from his younger brother immediately disappeared.
"If that were the case then I could not help you, brother" Gideon spoke and his eyes widened with the response.
"Why not?"
"The young master is someone who judges a person's potential on how they talk firsthand. If I were to help you with talking to the young master then wouldn't my master see you as a coward?" Gideon asked and disbelief spread across his brother's face.
"You called me a coward?" He spoke with his expression still in shock.
What was this?
The Gideon he knew changed.
It was not the same person who did not bother with anyone else unless it was about the sword. It was as if Gideon took a one hundred and eighty degrees turn with his attitude and he was now devoted to the young master instead of swordsmanship.
"Brother, you knew about House Cornell, am I correct?" Gideon asked and his brother who was still in a state of surprise nodded his head slowly.
"The young master took control of their household in just a day" With just a single phrase, Gideon's brother's entire world froze and his eyes held the surprise of the year.
His mouth was agape and his eyebrows almost disappeared under the strands of hair that was poking down from his head as they rose too high.
"A... a day?" He asked in utter disbelief to the words Gideon had said.
'No, this is preposterous!' He thought as he knew about House Cornell well.
It had the same nobility status as them of an Earldom and House Cornell specialized in playing in the field of the textile industry.
They hold a considerable amount of power within the Kingdom's textile business that amongst all the other Earldoms in the kingdom, they were known to be included at the strongest and most influential.
Yet a single person made them surrender in a single day?
Even the Countdom who took over their household took decades of struggles against each other until they fully grabbed the Woodlock Earldom down in their control.
He had a questioning look on his face but Gideon's serious expression was proving him otherwise.
"Brother, my master is powerful enough that if you upset him, consider you and everyone around you dead" Gideon explained and his brother caught the shivers from the knight's words.
"C-Come on, do not joke around like that!" He tried to lighten the mood but Gideon still had that serious look.
"That is why I served the young master, brother. He has the capability to reach the top even without trying" Gideon spoke with admiration and sincerity that his brother found such thing to be absurd.
'Reach the top without trying?' He adjusted the glasses on his face.
He'll find out for himself when he speaks directly with the noble of the highest rank.
"But alright, I will forward your request to speak with my master" Gideon spoke and his brother was feeling ill.
It was as if Gideon was talking to a stranger that had appointments with his treasured master.
---
"Who goes there?" The knight guarding the entrance of the House of Masters spoke in an intimidating voice and Gideon's brother shrank back at the extreme demeanor the knight was showing.
"I am the young master's personal knight and this is my brother who wishes to see him" Gideon spoke with confidence and the knight's voice faltered for a second.
"The young master did not send nor inform about us about a guest, Knight Woodlock" He spoke with his intimidating voice.
"G-Gideon, I think we should just..."
"Let them in" there was a voice that spoke inside the premises of the mansion and the knight guarding the gates turned his head.
It was Martha.
"The young master had told me to deliver the message about the Woodlock's appearance" She spoke in a monotonous manner and the knight who already knew about the young master's return nodded his head.
He took a step aside and allowed Gideon and his brother to enter.
Gideon's older brother took a big inhale and he gulped his nervousness a few times.
The Belmiunde Household's central mansion was humungous.
It was multiple times the size of a normal mansion and it rivaled the royal palace in terms of luxury.
'It is intimidating' He thought as he went inside the territory.
The beautiful garden that was composed of various plants and trees emitted a strong vibe of a forestry that was well taken care of.
The fountain in the middle where two paths separated and then connected again on the other side was huge enough that the statue in the middle of an winged creature was the size of the gates in the kingdom's walls.
Servants were coming back and forth to maintain the cleanliness of the surroundings and he was amazed with how organized everything were.
"Gideon, how do I not anger the young master?" He asked and Gideon thought about it.
What would not anger his young master?
'My master gets angry at random times though' He conversed with himself in his mind.
He drifted off to the times when his young master would return from the Royal Palace looking all pissed and whenever he had just finished talking with the prince.
"Just be yourself, brother" Gideon spoke and his older brother's nervousness skyrocketed with the advice the knight gave.
"My Lord, you have came back. We greet the Lord and his companion" the maids that Gideon had spoken to yesterday after he dressed up as a noble for Pier greeted him when they reached the doors of the mansion.
Gideon looked at his clothes.
He still haven't changed back into his knight's uniform.
"The Headmaster expects the Lord to be present in the second floor" Martha informed them and the two had surprised looks on their faces before they also stepped aside to let Gideon and his brother in.
The three continued to walk and his older brother was observing the maid that was guiding them.
"Gideon, who is that?" He asked in a whisper like manner once they got inside the doors.
"The young master's head maid" Gideon replied curtly and his brother nodded in understanding.
The young master's head maid had no expressions on her face except nonchalance. It was as if she is unbothered with anything.
'The young master gives me a weird vibe' He thought in his head.
They started to climb up the stairs that leads to the second floor and the whispers of the maids came back once more.
"Isn't that the Lord who was accompanied by the head maid yesterday?"
"It is"
"Who is that person the Lord is accompanying?"
"Probably a guest for the Headmaster"
His ears perked up at the whispers around them as he turned his head towards Gideon that was walking with his head held high.
'He's treated like a Lord?' He asked in curiosity.
What was this feeling he constantly acquired every time he hears about the young master?
'It just gets weirder and weirder' He thought to himself.
It was until the three arrived in front of a plain looking door.
The single room occupied the entire space of the mansion's right wing and it was very spacious.
Spacious enough to fit more than a thousand individuals with their arms stretched.
"Please remember the following things when you enter the young master's chamber" Martha started to speak and the two individuals behind her listened attentively.
"Do not create a mess"
"Do not speak too loudly"
"Do not create a scenario that the young master does not like"
"Do not try and touch anything"
"Do not look at the young master without his permission"
"Do not think about the young master with any unpleasant thoughts"
"If possible, get the young master out of your thoughts"
Each and every rule that the head maid spoke made Gideon's brother's eyes wide and his mouth agape.
Just how precious is this young master that even thinking about him would lead to the guest to be considered a criminal.
He did not know, but he was starting to draw a picture of how ferocious this young master be.
He nodded his head and Gideon did so too as he had an excited look on his face.
Weirded out by his brother's actions, he simply kept quiet as Martha knocked multiple times on the door.
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
"Young Master, the anticipated guest is here" The head maid spoke and there was a short silence before they heard a faint response.
"Come in"
Gideon's brother raised his eyebrows at the faint and almost inaudible voice.
Surely a tyrant does not live behind the wooden doors, right?
Creak~
The door started to open and the knight and his brother slowly went in.
The luxurious place that seemed like no other greeted his eyes and it was filled with awe at everything placed inside.
From the floor to the roof, every single thing screamed expensive.
"Young Master" Gideon called out in a soft and gentle voice which caused his brother to abruptly look at the direction Gideon was also looking at.
His gaze drifted towards the table beside the king sized bed.
His body instantly froze and his breath disappeared when he saw the person sitting on the chair.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains and it illuminated the spot where the table was located.
Clothes that resonated a story of luxury
Skin that gleamed with purity
Eyes that emanated the ocean's desires.
Hair that constitutes the midnight snow's presence
It was breathtaking.
Beads of sweat formed on his head as his eyes were glued to the tantalizing figure that was staring out the window.
"You're here" the young master spoke as he turned his head towards them and both Gideon and his brother flinched when they saw the young master's full appearance.
"I am Pier Belmiunde, successor of the House of Masters"