David pulled a black tunic over his head, its fabric clinging comfortably to his shoulders. He carefully buttoned his pants, his mind replaying the events of the morning as he reached for the latch to open the door.
On the other side, the young maid stood, her face buried in her hands, the crimson flush of embarrassnt still painting her cheeks. David couldn't help but smile at her awkward stance.
He cleared his throat with a gentle cough to catch her attention. The maid jolted upright, her hands dropping to her sides as she blinked at him in startled panic.
"My Lord! I—" she stamred, her voice trembling. "I deeply apologize for my earlier intrusion. Please, forgive my carelessness!"
David chuckled softly, his voice warm and reassuring. "There's no need to fret. It was an honest mistake. No harm done." Chapter Find:
But the maid, clearly unused to such graciousness from a noble, shook her head fervently. "No, my Lord, it was improper of ! Please, allow to make it up to you. I will do whatever is necessary to atone for my rudeness."
Her sincerity brought a broader smile to David's lips. "Truly, it's not a big deal. Mistakes happen, and I'm not one to make a mountain out of a molehill."
The maid's eyes widened slightly at his response, her thoughts racing. What kind of noble was he? Most lords she'd encountered would have caused a commotion, used her error to demand favors, or even reported her to her superiors. Yet here was this man, dismissing her blunder with an air of kindness she hadn't expected.
David, sensing her lingering unease, reached out and took the silver tray from her trembling hands. "Is this all for ?" he asked, his tone light and inviting.
The maid snapped back to reality, nodding quickly. "Y-yes, my Lord. And... the minister has also requested an audience with you after your breakfast."
David's brows lifted slightly, curiosity piqued. He set the tray on a small table near the window before turning back to her. "A minister, you say? What's their na?"
The maid's lips curved into a small smile. "Lord Salomonis Va Ferrum."
David's expression remained calm, but inwardly, his thoughts raced.
Salomonis?
The na hit him like a jolt of electricity. He had read about this figure in the novel back on Earth. Salomonis was said to descend from the legendary Second Mage King, Solomon—a na synonymous with mystical brilliance. King Solomon's groundbreaking discovery, the
Myst Codex Theory
, was still whispered in scholarly circles as a cornerstone of magical understanding.
However, the lineage of Salomonis had always been shrouded in mystery. Was he truly connected to the Mage King, or was it rely a title bestowed to bolster his reputation? Regardless of his ancestry, one fact was irrefutable: Salomonis was a genius. His inventions alone had earned him the noble title of
Spellwright
, granted personally by Aragorn Spire.
David's mind churned as he contemplated how the Archon of Warfare had managed to recruit soone of Salomonis's caliber. The implications were both intriguing and unsettling.
"I see," David said after a mont, masking his thoughts behind a composed exterior. "Please inform the minister that I will pay him a visit."
The maid dipped into a graceful bow. "As you wish, my Lord." She excused herself, leaving David standing by the door.
As he closed it behind her, David leaned against the fra, his thoughts returning to the enigmatic figure of Salomonis Va Ferrum. The weight of his knowledge about the man and the intricate political threads of this world pressed heavily on his mind.
A soft rustling drew his attention. He turned to find Luna stirring, her silver hair cascading over the pillow as her golden eyes blinked open. She stretched lazily before propping herself up on one elbow.
"You look so serious," she murmured, her voice husky from sleep. "What's on your mind?"
David crossed the room, his expression softening as he sat on the edge of the bed. Leaning down, he brushed a gentle kiss across her lips.
"Just so business I need to take care of," he said. "Have so breakfast. I'm going to take a bath and head out."
Luna's lips curled into a sly smile as she slipped out of bed, her movents fluid and graceful. She stepped close, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper as she leaned into his ear.
"Why don't we take that bath together?"
Her breath tickled his skin, and David felt a familiar heat rise within him. She always knew how to break through his serious deanor. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he let her pull him toward the adjoining bath chamber.
"Who could resist an offer like that?" he teased, his earlier concerns montarily forgotten as he surrendered to the mont.
As the door to the bath chamber closed behind them, the world outside faded away. Yet, even in the warmth of her embrace, a part of David's mind remained tethered to the eting that awaited him. The na Salomonis Va Ferrum lingered in his thoughts like a shadow, a harbinger of mysteries yet to be unraveled.
****
The room stood as a tribute to both innovation and luxury., its walls lined with shelves cramd with ancient tos, alchemical apparatus, and blueprints of elaborate machinery.
The golden glow of a massive chandelier illuminated the room, its light refracting off crystalline components embedded in various devices scattered around.
In the center of this organized chaos sat a man behind a ticulously crafted desk of dark mahogany, its surface cluttered with parchnt, vials of ink, and a few half-assembled chanisms.
The man, Lord Salomonis Va Ferrum, was hunched over his desk, a pair of oversized chanical glasses strapped over his head. The lenses glead with faint magical runes, clicking softly as they adjusted focus. His hands, calloused from years of ticulous craftsmanship, held a parchnt covered in intricate designs—lines intersecting like a web of genius, runic symbols peppered throughout, forming the blueprint of so revolutionary invention.
He muttered to himself, the low hum of his voice mingling with the occasional hisses and ticks of his machinery. His concentration was broken when a gentle knock echoed through the room, sharp and clear against the soft cacophony of his inventions.
"Enter," he called, his tone curt yet not unkind.
The heavy door creaked open, and a young maid stepped in, her steps tentative as she approached. She dipped into a deep bow, her posture deferential. "My Lord Salomonis," she began, her voice steady despite the overwhelming grandeur of the room. "I bring news that Lord David has accepted your request for an audience."
Salomonis straightened, pulling the glasses up to his forehead. His eyes, sharp and glinting with intellect, locked onto the maid. A broad smile spread across his face.
"Excellent!" he exclaid, the word ringing with genuine enthusiasm. "Well done, my dear. You've perford admirably."
The maid bowed again, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks at the rare praise. "Thank you, my Lord."
"You are dismissed," Salomonis added with a wave of his hand, his attention already shifting back to his desk. The maid excused herself, leaving the room as quietly as she had entered.
As the door clicked shut, Salomonis leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming on the desk's surface. His smile lingered as he reached into a hidden compartnt beneath the desk, retrieving a small, ancient orb. The object was a marvel of engineering and magic, its surface adorned with moving gears and faintly glowing inscriptions.
He held the orb up to the light, watching as it shifted and reconfigured itself in his palm, the intricate chanisms clicking into place like a puzzle being solved in real-ti. It was a relic from a bygone era, a masterpiece of the Myst Codex Theory—a theory devised by the great Second Mage King, Solomon, from whom Salomonis had inherited both his na and, perhaps, his genius.
As he studied the orb, his thoughts turned to the one who would soon stand before him: David, the
Spross des Banners
of the De Gor family.
"How fascinating," he murmured, his voice tinged with excitent. "The scion of such a storied lineage, brought into my humble chambers. I wonder…" His voice trailed off as a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.
Salomonis set the orb on his desk, watching as it continued to hum and rotate, seemingly alive. He leaned forward, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. His mind raced through the possibilities of the eting to co. He had heard whispers of David's prowess, his reputation preceding him even in the circles of Lysora County. Salomonis wondered if his carefully devised test would amuse or infuriate the young lord.
The thought made him chuckle, a sound both deep and lodious. "Perhaps he'll surprise ," he mused aloud, his tone almost wistful. "Then again, what does it matter? This is all for her, after all."
His expression shifted, becoming more serious as his thoughts landed on the Archon of Warfare. Her commands were absolute, her machinations intricate and unfathomable. Whatever the outco of this encounter, Salomonis knew it was but a thread in the larger tapestry she was weaving.
With a dramatic wave of his hand, Salomonis dismissed the lingering doubts. "If my test angers him, so be it," he declared to no one in particular. "After all, genius is rarely understood at first glance."
The orb clicked one final ti before settling into stillness, as if acknowledging its master's decision. Salomonis smiled, his excitent bubbling to the surface once more. The ga was set, and he couldn't wait to et the player.
The chamber fell silent save for the gentle ticking of the orb, an eager anticipation hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break.
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