<Protectorate of Analybe, daytime>
As soon as Kyrie has entered into the Protectorate of Analybe, he gets greeted by Lord Analybe's soldiers. Although Kyrie is not going undercover, he is still surprised that Lord Analybe knows that he is arriving today. The soldiers escort them to a guest mansion that the lord has prepared for them.
Kyrie accepts Lord Analybe's goodwill and stays at the guest mansion. Kyrie seems to submit under Lord Analybe's control on the surface since the area is under vigilance. Still, unfortunately for the old man, his men will not even be able to get close to the mansion until Kyrie leaves.
Once a week has passed, Lord Analybe is finally convinced that it is his defeat. He has used even the best men from his own troop. His private troop is on par with the best men of the Lorian Empire. He dismisses his attempts to sneak people to get information from Kyrie. After all, Kyrie has even sent him a letter with one sentence.
'If you are curious about something, please come for a visit.'
The old man smiles at the letter.
"I am starting to like this paladin that everyone talks so highly about."
Lord Analybe puts down the letter on his desk and reminisces his youth where he is also this straightforward. Time has changed him, and he is now using more underhanded methods to protect what he loves.
Kyrie smiles when he senses Lord Analybe's men retreating. Federline also senses it, but since Kyrie already knows, he remains silent. He yawns with tears filling his eyes. Federline continues to eye the cake on the tea table.
"Just sit and eat, Federline… No one is really stopping you."
"How could I, headmaster?" Federline already seated, reaching towards a piece.
Lemuel lets out a little smile at how eager Federline is when seeing sweets.
"Kyrie…" Laurel turns her head to his direction, "Why is the title of Lord Analybe 'lord' and not 'king.' Why is it different for this protectorate?"
"Might be a gesture of subordination to the Lorian Empire. This protectorate is extremely close to the demon continent, so it is vulnerable if the protectorate stands on its own. The Lorian empire is known for its strong military, so to gain favor, the ruler gives up his title of king as something symbolic."
"Hmm… Wouldn't that mean if the emperor asks for the Midnight Queen, then the lord has to give to the empire?"
Kyrie ponders for a bit, "But the news of the flower is everywhere, and the empire has not said anything. Plus, even if the protectorate is under the empire, their relationship cannot always be one-sided. Things just don't work that way. If the empire does that, other nations might label the empire as tyrannical. I think most likely that the emperor is sending his best men to win the flower."
Kyrie looks at Federline's stuffed cheek moving quickly as Federline inhales the entire cake. Federline is about to eat the last piece when he senses the headmaster's gaze.
He lifts the plate to Kyrie, "You want the last piece, headmaster?"
Kyrie shakes his head, and somehow, Yue's image is overlapping on Federline's figure. Those two must have at least five separate stomachs.
Federline senses another gaze and sees Lemuel looking with his mouth slightly opened. Federline takes a piece of cake and feeds it to Lemuel.
Lemuel gets shocked that Federline is shoving random things into his mouth again, but he ends up swallowing the cake.
Lemuel feels a squeeze on his heart, and when he sees Federline leaning towards him, his heart starts to beat out of control. He senses Federline run his thumb on his lips. He looks at what Federline wiped off and sees cream. Lemuel blushes harder when Federline licks off the cream on the thumb.
Lemuel stands up, making everyone flinch from the sudden movement. Then, Lemuel runs away while feeling flustered.
Federline watches Lemuel running away and gets confused again. He ponders as he sucks on the spoon.
"Why is he so shy? If he just wants, he could just say so."
Kyrie chokes just hearing Federline. Although watching these two is entertaining, he cannot get over how dense Federline is about his own romantic feelings.
[Are tops this dense?]
Kyrie remembers back how Ian asked Kyrie to be his brother. The fury!!!
"What do you think of Lemuel, Federline?"
Laurel gazes at the man with an incurable sweet tooth with the same curiosity.
"Hmmm…" Federline ponders a little bit with the spoon still in his mouth.
His mind suddenly recalls Lemuel's obsidian skin getting marked by gold patterns. The gentle curve of Lemuel's neckline and the feeling of his arm on that thin waist.
"Federline!"
Federline flinches when Kyrie takes him off his daydream.
"Hmm… He never voices what he wants… inconsistent… a bit too shy… and…"
Federline senses his heart tingle. His mind is wandering off again about Lemuel's smile. Federline takes the spoon off and stands up.
"Headmaster… I just remember I have something left to do."
Federline turns to leave after Kyrie nods.
"Who do you bet will confess first?" Laurel looks at Federline, heading where Lemuel has run off to.
Kyrie glances down at the unfinished cake, "Who knows?"
---
Lord Analybe stands in the entrance of his own mansion with his butler, servants, and maids. When the door opens, Lord Analybe bows to a young man.
"Blessings and glory to the Lorian Empire! It is an honor to greet the seventh prince."
The seventh prince, Davis von Lorian, steps inside Lord Analybe's mansion with a woman by his side. The woman is the daughter of an Earl from the Kingdom of Ifsebel, a kingdom that is neighboring the Lorian Empire. Her name is Vivienne Kirkland. The flower of the aristocratic circle in the Kingdom of Ifsebel. Possessing beautiful cherry blonde hair and purple eyes like Amethyst, she draws everyone's attention naturally. However, her dressing and manners are nowhere near the strict discipline and rules of a noble lady. Her beauty is like the temptation of a deadly trap.
'Frivolous,' is Lord Analybe's first thought of the prince and his female attendant.
Lord Analybe guides them to his study, with some maids already preparing refreshments to welcome them. The seventh prince lazily sits on the couch with Vivienne glued to his side. Two men stand behind the prince with stern expressions.
"Lord Analybe… My father emperor has tasked me to win the Midnight Queen home. I believe that you will not make my time here unpleasant."
"Seventh prince… I did not know that you are in the mood for jokes. Who in the continent does not know the power of the Lorian Empire? Even without my involvement, I bet you will have no problems," the old man smiles before taking a sip of tea.
The seventh prince understands what that old man meant. He knows that the Lord of Analybe is not planning to give him an upper hand. That is why if the seventh prince were to continue to pressure Lord Analybe, then the prince would lose the Lorian Empire's face as the great power of the continent. However, he would not even mention that to the lord if it was a normal tournament with normal participants.
"Lord Analybe… I heard that the holy paladin is participating in the tournament. It is not that I do not trust my empire's power, but who could go against the deities' will that formed the land and its people? Plus, why is Lord Analybe not granting the prize to the holy paladin? He is the direct subject of the Goddess Vita, so he must have his reasons to participate."
Lord Analybe frowns slightly before covering his displeasure. As the lord of a land that is in constant threat of getting invaded, he has dealt with his handful of injustices that caused him to lose greatly due to unforeseen situations. The power of the empire over his land has made a lot of his people suffer. Although the empire is not completely tyrannical, it demands better conditions from the protectorate that degrades his people's works. He has always deeply hated this feeling of powerlessness, and coming from a kid, it pierces deeper into his ego.
The old man brings out a smile again. He lifts his head after placing the teacup on the table.
"Seventh Prince is worrying too much. The holy paladin is not participating in the tournament, but his men are."
The prince's eyebrows spring up, and a pleased expression blooms.
"Isn't that great, Davis?" Vivienne's voice has that element of a woman's lure, making the prince put his attention back on her.
"It is indeed… Lord Analybe tells the truth! I might have been worrying for naught!"
The prince pulls the alluring woman into his arms and places a kiss on her cheek: Vivienne giggles and places her fingers on the prince's lips.
Watching in front of them, Lord Analybe finds it uncomfortable. Vivienne glances and smiles at the old man. The lord feels chills all over his body.
The old man explains that it was rather late, so the servants guide the prince and the lady to their private chamber. He sighs in relief after seeing them gone.
However, he feels quite excited despite the situation.
'Seems like the prince is rather confident…'
The old man thinks back of the two men behind the seventh prince. Those 'guards' are not even hiding their aura, and the room is so suffocating with their presence that the old man had a hard time even swallowing his tea.
Recalling from the soldiers' reports that escorted the paladin to the guest mansion, they say how they could barely sense anything from the paladin and his men. If one does not know who the paladin is, they might think that he is a regular person. They are completely opposite of the prideful ones from the empire that do not bother to hide their strength.
'Guess this old man will watch a good show.'