The next morning.
Yawns of two fully recovered girls entered Mika’s ears, whose expression could not seem any worse.
"I’ve slept like a baby!" Lily comnted as she stretched herself with a wide smile on her face.
"How long has it been since I have slept on a normal bed?" Sylvia wondered nostalgically.
Then, the two girls shifted their gaze to the boy in the middle, who was still lying in bed.
"Ugh, what happened to you...?"
"You seem rather grumpy..."
Mika lifted his upper body.
"I just couldn’t sleep. That’s all..." he replied weakly.
Lily looked confused at Sylvia, who in return just signaled her to ignore him.
The three changed their clothes and went outside.
There, countless maids and butlers greeted them and led them to the spacious dining room.
"Good morning, you three! Have you slept well?" Lena asked with a warm smile.
"..."
Zhen gazed at Mika indifferently as he crossed his arms.
"!"
But Louis seed like he just saw a ghost.
"W-who are you...?!"
The question was directed at the tired Mika, whose eyes seed even sharper than usual.
"D-dear..."
Lena could only smile wryly in front of her husband, who really did try to play yesterday off as a dream.
"Do I really have to do that again...?" Mika lanted under his breath.
"Seems like you have no choice." Sylvia answered, excited about what was about to unfold.
"P-please, mind your words, okay...?" Lily whispered nervously.
"You expect too much of ..." he said while sighing.
Mika stepped forward and bowed slightly in front of the flabbergasted Louis.
"Greetings. My na is Mika Elbar and I’m Lily’s boyfriend."
He lifted his head, focusing his gaze, which was ant to be kind but looked rather threatening in the end, on Lily’s father.
"..."
Louis did not only just turn paler but it appeared like he froze up.
Everyone was waiting for his reaction but it was only after Lena shook him aggressively on his shoulders that he snapped back to reality.
He slamd his hands on the table and got up from his chair.
"B-boyfriend, you say...?"
Louis was smiling, however, that smile was full of wrath.
"Lily!"
"Y-yes!"
When he faced his daughter, all his hostile emotions faded away and were replaced with an expression of sadness and betrayal.
"Is... Is that true...? Is he really your b-boyfriend?" he asked on the verge of shedding a tear.
"E-ehm..."
Lily started to blush hard.
Her eyes could not focus on one point.
Eventually, she just gave in.
"Yes..." she said sheepishly, averting her gaze from her own father.
Louis was hit with emotional damage.
He shifted his attention back to Mika, who was yawning.
"..."
With clenched fists, he approached Mika.
"?"
Mika’s eyes struggled to stay open when he noticed Louis in front of him.
"Just what does she see in you?" he wondered threateningly.
"..."
Mika was pondering.
It was his fault for making her play the part of his girlfriend.
No.
It was the fault of her own mother.
But nonetheless, he did not want to burden her any further, so he decided to take responsibility for this.
"M-my looks, I guess...?" Mika answered very nervously, even averting his eyes from him.
[Good gracious...]
"Huh?"
Louis inspected Mika.
Since he just woke up, his hair was a ss. His body language was poor. His clothes unbuttoned. And his eyes had dark eye bags under them.
"You’re kidding, right...?" Louis muttered taken aback.
He did not hear that but Lena and Sylvia failed at trying to hold back their laughter.
At the sa ti, the maids and butlers entered again. This ti, with food.
"How about talking about this matter while we eat?" Lena suggested.
But Louis waved his head.
"Sorry, but I lost my appetite. Eat without ." he said as if he had a headache.
Louis exited the room but not without taking one last glance at Mika.
"I will have to excuse myself as well." Zhen stated and followed after Louis.
The mood lightened up.
"I’m so tired..." Mika muttered as he could barely move to the table.
"I suppose it will be just us, huh? Don’t hold back, everyone." Lena said after the three took their seats.
They started eating breakfast.
"By the way, Mr. Bugar intends to start the training right after breakfast. He also told that you can also participate if you want to, Sylvia." Lena said.
"I don’t see a reason to decline such a generous offer." Sylvia replied with a slight smile.
"I can’t wait to see what we will learn from him!" Lily said in anticipation.
"What about ?" Mika wondered.
"You have to wait and see." Lena responded apologetically.
"Oh, really...?"
Mika knew that it could not be good.
"..."
And he was right.
Imdiately after breakfast, the two girls headed to the mansion’s garden, where Zhen was waiting for them.
anwhile, Lena led Mika to Louis’ personal office.
And without even knocking on the door, Lena just casually entered the room.
"Lena?"
Louis was sitting at his table, working on so papers.
"Working already? Your daughter ca ho after ages, why not take so ti off?" Lena said.
"I just need sothing to distract ..." Louis admitted embarrassed.
His eyes shifted to Mika.
"And why did you bring him here?"
His tone turned angrier.
But Lena just headed towards him.
"I’ve heard about your little deal with Mr. Bugar."
She slamd his table with one hand.
Her mouth was smiling but her eyes were rather nacing.
"Wha- So you know about it already...?"
"Answer ."
"I-I’m sorry..."
"Sorry?"
"I-I’m sorry for agreeing on it without talking with you first..."
Lena sighed.
"Whatever. You can call it off anyway." she said, shaking her head.
Then, Louis’ eyes turned stern.
"I know that the deal is nullified if Lily or her boyfriend is stronger than Mr. Bugar’s son."
She looked at Mika.
"So you’re telling that he can beat Ren?"
"Yes." Lena replied instantly.
"I see."
Louis closed his eyes.
"I shall be the one to judge that." he said.
"?"
And in the brink of a second, Louis appeared right in front of Mika.
Due to his current tired state, Mika could not react in ti.
"Geh...!"
His neck was grabbed and following that, Mika was slamd to the ground with Louis on top of him.
Having almost no energy to retaliate properly, Mika could only struggle to free himself from his grip.
"Dear, what are you doing?!"
"What made you believe that he’s the one?" he asked calmly.
"He’s the-"
"From everything I’ve seen so far, he doesn’t give the ounce of the impression of being powerful. How could he beat Ren if he was easily put into submission by ?"
He let go and stood up.
"Mika, wasn’t it? If you really want the best for Lily, then it’d do you good to break up with her." Louis added coldly.
Mika was coughing on the ground.
"Don’t be ridiculous..." Mika said with a strained voice.
[Side quest.]
"You’re her father... Shouldn’t you know what the best is for her...?"
[By the end of the visit, beat at least one of the following.]
"What you’re doing is just disrespecting her efforts and ambition..."
Mika slowly got up.
[Zhen Bugar. Ren Bugar. Louis Hayth.]
"What did you say?" Louis said intimidatingly.
[Reward: A-rank lightning magic, however, the reward may change depending on the number of defeated targets.]
The mood tensed up so much that even Lena could not say anything to stop the two, who were about to go at it for real.
However, a butler suddenly appeared.
"M-Master Hayth!" the butler shouted in panic.
"What is it? Don’t you see that this is not the right ti?"
"I-i-it’s from the king!"
"!"
Louis imdiately ceased his hostility.
"H-he’s awaiting you in the palace!"
"An ergency then..."
He glanced at Lena and Mika.
"We will continue this once I return."
Thus, he left.
Lena sighed.
"Are you alright, Mika? I deeply apologize for my husband’s behavior."
"It’s fine. He just wanted to test ."
Mika paid more attention to the words floating in the air.
It was the first ti after a long ti since he saw them.
Words only he could see.
That ant that it was another quest.
Mika already read through most of its contents and based on the rewards it seed tempting.
Still, he wondered what the punishnt was.
[Punishnt: You will work as the personal butler of Ren Bugar.]
"..."
Mika stared blankly at those words.
[Will you accept?]
Mika sighed without the others noticing and nodded his head shortly afterward.
"I will accept." he muttered.
Not only would he get even stronger once his magic reached A-rank but also in his weakened state he could get stronger.
Currently, his lightning magic was a B-rank when he transford. But in his weakened form, he could only use D-rank magic for now.
In the anti, the butler, who ca to report, seed uneasy.
"Is sothing wrong?" Lena asked.
"Aside from being inford about the king’s request, I was also notified that young Master Ren will arrive tomorrow..."
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