[00 Months: 11 Days: 12 Hours]
Seraphina's fiery argunt with her uncle continued for a few more tense monts, their words echoing in the cavernous lobby of the mansion.
'Aren't they bothered by the fact that I'm here? Aren't Nobles supposed to be stuck-up people who try to save as much face as possible?'
What would I know anyway? It was better to just go with the flow.
The heated exchange hung in the air, a visible tension that everyone in the room could feel.
Finally, Seraphina let out an exasperated sigh, her shoulders drooping slightly. With a determined look in her eyes, she grabbed my arm and started to pull away from her uncle.
"Where do you think you're taking him, Seraphina?" Her uncle's voice rang out behind us, sharp as a whip.
"Luke is my guest," she retorted without turning back, her voice firm. "I'm taking him to one of the guest rooms."
Her uncle seed taken aback by her words. His eyes widened slightly and he looked at , then back at Seraphina.
It was as if he wanted to protest, to challenge the special treatnt I was receiving. But for so reason, he held his tongue.
Instead, he fixed with a glare, his lips curling into a rueful smile. His eyes seed to say, 'I'll deal with you later.'
I t his gaze, refusing to back down.
'Arrogant prick…' Those were my final thoughts on the guy.
Without another word, Seraphina and I turned our backs to her uncle and started climbing the grand staircase, leaving him standing in the middle of the expansive hall.
"He's certainly not making this easy," I muttered to Seraphina, hearing as her uncle left the mansion for the cool compound, his steps loudly clacking on the ground.
"No, he's not," she responded, her voice filled with resignation.
'Now I understand her more…' A small smile ford on my face.
As we ascended, I couldn't help but look back at the man who might soon beco my enemy.
Despite everything, I couldn't deny that the road ahead was beginning to look more and more treacherous.
Still, I had already made my choice.
'I won't back out now.'
********
The room that Seraphina led to was as grand and spacious as the rest of the estate. An enormous four-poster bed covered in plush, deep-blue velvet blankets was positioned against one wall.
On the opposite side of the room, a massive, elegantly carved desk sat under a large window that allowed the soft light of the setting sun to filter in, lending a warm, comforting glow to the entire room.
"I hope the room suits your tastes," Seraphina said, her voice softening, losing so of the hard edges that had been present when she had spoken to her uncle earlier.
"Thank you, Seraphina," I replied, taking a mont to look around. "The room is more than satisfactory."
We then moved to sit at a pair of plush chairs near the window. Seraphina began to explain the situation to .
Her siblings and the other representatives from the Lyma family had all dispersed to different parts of the region, tasked with recruiting other adventurers for the impending expedition.
"Why not extend your invitation to unregistered adventurers as well?" I asked. "That could potentially bolster your forces."
Seraphina frowned, shaking her head. "While it would indeed increase the number of our manpower, the problem lies in trust. We can't trust those who aren't registered. They could be bandits, criminals, or worse... They could sabotage the entire operation."
I nodded in understanding. It was a fair point. Inviting unknown elents into a highly critical and dangerous mission could lead to disastrous results. Better to have a small but reliable force, than a large and unpredictable one.
"It makes sense," I affird. "Quality over quantity."
"Yes," Seraphina agreed, her gaze eting mine. "That's exactly it."
We continued our conversation into the night, mostly going over how the past expeditions played out and how they had prepared a lot for the upcoming expedition.
Despite the challenges ahead, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of excitent.
After all, this was exactly the kind of adventure I had been looking for.
"As a Noble Family, we have to maintain a certain degree of quality," Seraphina added, her eyes gazing into the distance, perhaps imagining the tasks her siblings were currently handling.
"Hopefully, they will have better luck gathering more people for this mission."
"Are you disappointed?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. "That out of all the adventurers in Terance, you were only able to hire ?"
Her face flushed, and she bumbled over her words. "No, no, that's not what I ant," she quickly tried to clarify. "I'm not disappointed... I an, I am... I'm not disappointed in... in you.
I'm actually... very grateful that you decided to join us."
I couldn't help but laugh lightly at her flustered state.
Seeing Seraphina in such a situation was a sight I hadn't anticipated. It was endearing, and it caused a warm smile to spread across my face.
"It's okay, Seraphina," I reassured her. "I will do my best for this mission. You won't regret your choice."
Her blush deepened, and she smiled back at , a soft, sincere expression. "Thank you, Luke," she said, locking eyes with .
For a mont, the room fell silent, and I felt an electrifying tension build up between us. It felt like the air had grown thick, and ti itself seed to pause. However, before anything else could happen, Seraphina broke the silence.
"I should let you rest," she said, standing up and smoothing down her dress. "My siblings will probably arrive tomorrow, and you should be able to et them then."
I nodded in understanding, standing as well. "Alright, I'll look forward to it. Good night, Seraphina."
She echoed my sentint, her eyes lingering on for a mont longer before she turned and left the room, the door closing softly behind her.
Left alone in the grand room, I couldn't help but replay our conversation in my mind, the smile on my face remaining as I prepared to retire for the night.
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[A/N]
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