The horns deep call echoed throughout the Dawn estate. Shortly after, a maid summoned me towards Vera's office.
Knock knock
"Come in." Her familiar voice echoed from the other side, but this side there was a tinge of urgency mixed in.
I opened the door and stepped foot into the office. The moment I did, I was shocked to see the appearance of Vera.
She was wearing a military-like outfit. It had a white and red theme with golden accents.
Her pale blond hair was put up in a medium length ponytail.
I don't want to admit it but she looked quite stunning.
"It's good you're here. Father is coming soon." She seemed too preoccupied with her hair to notice my expression.
"We'll be going to meet him at th-" she turned in my direction and froze for a moment.
'Did I do something wrong?'
Before I could ask, she said, "Surely you don't plan to meet a Duke of the Kingdom like this do you?" Her voice carried a hint of confusion and annoyance.
'Excuse me?' I took a look at myself.
It's true that I didn't look too well, due to coming from the training ground. Dirt and sweat had seeped into my clothes. I was also still wearing my training uniform.
But I felt a little annoyed for being looked at like this.
"I was told to come here immediately by the maids. They didn't tell me to prepare myself like that." I said in a grumpy tone.
Her face twisted in a way a noble lady shouldn't.
"Then go fix yourself, right now. No, there's no time left. Tch, he was supposed to arrive in the evening." She took a good look at me before turning away in disgust.
I suppose she's never seen me like this, due to me always cleaning myself up after training.
"Haaah, we'll just have to deal with it. Come on." She walked past me and urged me to follow.
When we reached the door she turned back to me with twitching eyebrows.
She then walked towards me and started…. Touching my hair?
"Just stand still for a moment, this hair of yours is completely unacceptable. This HAS to be fixed." She said this while fixing my messy hair.
I never really cared about my hairstyle that much but having it insulted like this hurt a little.
Since she was shorter than me, she was tip-toeing in order to properly do my hair, meaning I was face to face with her. Her annoyed expression did not stop her well proportioned face from looking good.
She truly was beautiful. Probably the prettiest girl I've ever seen.
It's a shame she has such a crappy personality.
"Aow." I let out a sound at the feeling of my hair being pulled.
"You thought of something rude didn't you." Vera's fiery red eyes bore into me.
"I would never. I was merely thinking about your incomparable beauty, my lady."
"Hmm, is that so?" Her tone reeked suspicion.
"Well anyway, your hair is at least somewhat presentable now. Let's go, we've already wasted enough time." This time she actually left the room and I followed 2 steps behind her.
We walked through the rich mansion and out through the front doors.
We arrived at the gate. The same one I passed through a month ago.
There were already a lot of people waiting. I could see Frederick and the knights, Amy and the maids and a few other staff members.
They were all lined up in front of the gate, where the Duke was most likely to come from.
As me and Vera walked by, all the knights and maids separated.
We walked past the 2 multitudes and stood in front of the group.
Me and Vera would be the first people the Duke saw.
Vera….and me.
'Wait a minute. Me?'
A cold sweat ran down my spine. I, a randomly appointed knight, would be meeting a Duke of the Kingdom. The Duke of Dawn.
I suddenly turned towards Vera.
"My lady…."
"Yes, Kaelith. My father will be here soon so be prepared." She answered completely focused on something else.
"Have you…..told your father about me." With a sense of urgency I asked her.
"Hmm? No, why?"
Terror spread all across my body.
'Why? Why?! What do you mean why?!'
For the first time in a while, I really panicked.
What would this look like for the Duke? He comes back to his home after a long time, only to see his daughter accompanied by a no name, barely awakened, weak teenager.
Endless amounts of horrible possibilities ran across my head. Most ending with my execution or imprisonment.
'I have to request to leave. Maybe she can explain the situation to him before I meet him.'
I was about to talk with Vera when the big doors started to creak open.
"Positions!" Frederick's command throughout the square. All the knights put their hands on their chest, while the maids all curtsied.
'Crap…. it's too late.'
Without hesitation I also put my fist on my chest.
The massive gates creaked open in the quiet courtyard. What appeared behind was a carriage.
It looked classy, not like regular carriages made of cheap cloth and ordinary wood. It had a red color with golden features, a trademark of the Dawn household.
It was moved by 4 well groomed horses. There was a man in a butler suit controlling the horses.
The carriage slowly moved in my direction before stopping a few meters in front of us.
I swallowed harshly.
The door of the carriage opened slowly. The moment it did, a shift in the air occurred.
The air felt hotter. My throat felt dry within seconds. I wasn't the only one as many of the maids and even a few knights' faces turned rigid.
It was as if the world was announcing that this person was no regular person but someone special.
Suddenly, the pressure disappeared.
Then I saw someone step out of the carriage.
This person—this man was….refined. The man seemed to be about 188 cm tall with a robust build. His auburn hair had a few grey hairs but he looked healthier than a teenager.
His red eyes were stoic but held a subtle power that one was not able to ignore.
He was wearing an elegant suit that seemed fit for a king. The suit was light grey along with a crimson red.
This man was the Father of the person I was serving. A Duke of the Felora Kingdom and the Strongest swordsman in the Kingdom.
This man was the 'Sunbreaker', Cedric Dawn.
Cedric walked in the direction of me and Vera while adjusting the wrists of his suit.
I glanced to my side to see Vera. She had a smile on her face. Not her usual arrogant grins but a true happy smile.
'I wish I could be smiling like this.' I gritted my teeth and focused on the man who was now directly in front of us.
"Welcome back, Father. I hope you had a good trip." Vera greeted her Father with a lot of respect.
It's hard to believe this is the same stuck up person I've been dealing with all this time.
The Duke opened his mouth. "Yes, I have. I hope my absence hasn't been too burdensome on you, Vera." His voice was quite low but smooth. It demanded respect but was not overpowering.
"It was no issue, Father. I was able to manage." With a practiced ease she responded.
After greeting his daughter, the Duke's gaze suddenly fell on me.
Sweat started pouring down my face as he scrutinized me in great detail.
'What do I do? Do I introduce myself?'
I initially panicked before calming down and remembering Amy's lessons.
I internally let out a deep breath and bowed my head slightly.
"Welcome back, Sir. I am glad you have returned safely." With my fist still on my chest I greeted the Duke.
"..."
It turned completely silent adding to my anxiety.
I lifted my head to be met with familiar red eyes. They seemed passive but they held an unfathomable amount of pressure. The more he stared at me the more I started to lose my calm
"Father, this is my new knight, Kaelith Vayne. He will be attending to me and coming with me to Sunrise Academy." Vera calmy explained my position.
"Is that so?" He looked at Vera before turning his attention back to me.
"Protect her well. And make sure to keep striving higher. Standing still is the same as falling behind" With that statement he walked past me and Vera and towards Frederick and the knights.
'He encouraged me?'
I expected something more...intense. Not something so mild.
"Pffff."
I heard a laugh come from my side. When I looked I saw the pale haired girl covering her mouth.
'Is she laughing at me?'
"You were really scared about my father, huh." She said while restraining her laughter.
'She....did al that on purpose.'
She knew nothing would happen and she still didn't tell me anything.
This woman...She's a witch. No, she has to be some kind of twisted Rift beast.
"You're thinking of something rude again aren't you?"
"I was."
"You admitted that a bit too easy."
I won't forget this day. I will make sure to get this woman back in some way.
As I made a silent promise to myself, Vera turned to me again.
"You can leave now. You won't have to accompany me in my office today. You also won't have to take any lessons with Amy either. The rest of the day is to yourself. Think of this as a generous break from your hard work" With a fake smile she walked towards the Duke who had finished talking with Frederick.
The maids and knights scattered and returned to their previous duties.
I feel extremely confused. This is the first time since becoming Vera's knight that I got a 'break'.
What am I supposed to do now? Rest? Take a look around?
I suppose I could always experiment with my affinity more since the Duke's arrival interrupted it.
"Haaaah."
'I hate this place.'
With slow footsteps I left the courtyard and headed back to the training ground.