Riven walked toward the house, his eyes glancing at the knight at the verge for a few seconds. The knight noticed his strange behavior, and before he could make it to the house, they circled him, their weapons drawn, their swords at his neck.
Riven froze, swallowing very hard.
"Who are you?" one of the knights barked, his tone fierce.
"I am Riven Von Grave, the fourth son of the Grave family." He identified himself quickly.
"The son of the Baron? Then why do you look so beat up and dirty?" the knight asked in a skeptical tone.
"I am an adventurer. I just returned from completing a quest. I got roughed up a bit during the quest," Riven said.
"Hmm, a noble being an adventurer, that's a wonder you don't see everywhere. You may go, kid. Forgive our rudeness," the knight said.
"Thank you," Riven said, giving a slight bow before he walked into the house. He pushed open the door, and the mont he stepped in, he already felt an unbearable pressure press against him.
His feet stuck to the ground. He found it extrely difficult to move. This wasn't normal. He could tell that much—soone was doing this.
He gritted his teeth and pushed in, walking through the path that led to the sitting room. He knew that was where the guests would be.
When he got to the sitting room, his eyes locked with his father first. The deathly stare imdiately sent shivers down his spine. He could tell already—his father was pissed.
He glanced around the room very quickly. His mother was seated beside his father, whereas his siblings stood behind their mother, dressed in their finest of clothes.
On the long couch at the other side sat the Duke and his family. The prestige oozed from their bodies, save for the grandfather who sat cross-legged and was eating so baked biscuits from a small plate.
His eyes locked with the beautiful girl his age that sat there, with her scarlet hair and crystal blue eyes. He imdiately knew that this was one of his fiancées.
His presence was finally noticed inside the room. Every eye turned to him. He stood in the spotlight, a direct contrast to the noble setting here.
He stood with a body covered in bruises, donning armor and a sword by his side. His hair was an absolute ss, and the faint sll of blood still circled around him.
He understood that if he didn't take control of this situation, he was going to be in so much trouble that his father could take extre asures.
Without waiting for anyone to speak, under their heavy gazes, he bowed at a full ninety degrees, his face looking at the floor.
"This humble one greets the Duke and his family. I'm sorry for appearing like this before you all, but the situation I was in made it so," he spoke, his tone as respectable as possible. But then, the wife of the Duke spoke.
"You co before your Duke looking like a bag of rubbish, and expect such half-hearted explanation to make do? You brat," she snapped at him.
Riven couldn't understand it. Why would soone he had just t suddenly attack him in such a way, going as far as to insult him?
He may be trying to fix his image, but allowing people to walk over him was never the plan. He was only showing respect, but if that respect was stepped on, he wouldn't take it.
He stood up straight, his eyes locked with hers, and without any sort of hesitation, he spoke, "If my presence here displeases you so much, I'll leave. But before I do, I respectfully ask that you don't make it seem like I put no effort. I had no idea that the Duke would be coming.
If I had known, I would have whipped out my finest garnts, soaked myself in the bath for hours, used the best of fragrances to make myself look good and be pleasing to your lordships.
But I couldn't. I had no idea, and I was not inford..."
"ENOUGH!" his father roared, his eyes blazing with anger as he spoke. He rose from his seat, his eyes locked on Riven.
The room instantly beca hot, the air went still, and every sound faded away.
Riven felt the pressure that ca from his father. His knees trembled, his heart raced, but he stood his ground looking at his father.
"You will apologize to the Duke for speaking in such a way, or I will have you thrown into the dungeon," his father said, his fists clenched as he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Father. I can't," Riven said. Imdiately he said that word, the grandfather who had been seated and eating looked up, a smile forming on his face.
"I know I have been a terrible son for many years of my life—a waste that threw away my life right from an early stage.
But that is no longer the now. I have been striving for change. I have been pushing to beco better, hoping that you'll see.
The reason I am here like this today is because I picked up a sword and I decided that I would be an adventurer, because I wanted to do sothing good.
The reason I am roughed up is because I was attacked by kidnappers and barely managed to escape with my life. Yet you aren't willing to know why your son looks like this, because in your mind, you have labeled as a no-good troublemaker that only causes issues," Riven said, his fists clenched and his body trembled. He might have co from another world, but he was Riven now, soul and body.
"Riven, I said apologize!" his father roared, shocking everyone. "I know you more than anyone. I know how you think. You have been plotting your next evil for days and now you have done it. Your story doesn't fool ," his father said.
"But his story is true, my lord," Liam suddenly spoke, walking into the room. He bowed his head to the Baron.
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