I closed the door behind , walking parallel to the greenery-filled sidewalk that connected at the door of my house.
This was one of the things I actually liked about our mini-state.
Sure, we had money. And mana. And floating carriages and AI-run weapon vaults if you walked into the wrong mansion. But despite all that, this part of the subcontinent still held on to its roots.
Real trees, real sidewalks, traditional architecture with carved stones and sandalwood doors. In a world speeding into tech obsession, we still stopped to sll the damn jasmine bushes.
Hurrying past different vines and trees planted along the sidewalk, I scurried through different lanes and finally reached the entrance to our mini estate now.
There, in front of those embarrassingly huge and sturdy wooden doors with golden linings, stood 4 figures, their faces almost too annoyed, maybe due to the morning heat.
I sneaked to their figures and tried to surprise them, but was t with dead stares by almost all of them, looking like they were ready to collectively murder .
"...Surprise?" I said, raising my arms like a guilty man in surrender.
The direct sunlight hit for the first ti as I realised the thick and heavy morning hear.
I imdiately regretted choosing black jeans.
Dario was the first to speak, not even pausing for dramatic tension."Bro—BRO—we’ve been here for twenty-four freaking minutes," he said, throwing his arms up like he was conducting so parade.
"I could’ve watched half an episode of ’Two Piece’ and still had ti for staring at Nami’s fan arts!"
The guy’s electric-blue hair were even ssier than usual, sticking to his forehead from sweat. He wore a white T-shirt that said I’M NOT LATE, YOU’RE EARLY, paired with faded jeans.
The irony wasn’t lost on .
"I was...uh...trying on outfits," I muttered.
"Oh, we know," Aurelia chid in, arms folded.
"Coz how can master Noah leave his house without grooming himself properly? Yeah? Bitch we are literally soaked in sweat because of you–" The girl muttered, almost squeaking.
She had on a black frock that stopped just above her knees, hugging her figure like it was designed for mischief.
Her brown hair was pinned loosely to one side, strands lazily falling down her shoulders.
Even standing there annoyed, she looked like she’d walked off a magazine cover.
"Noah," Seraphina said next, her voice soft but piercing like a needle through my spine. "If I die of dehydration waiting for you, I want you to know—I’ll haunt you. Permanently."
The girl was in a simple black crop top, tight blue jeans, and white sneakers.
Casual.
Normal.
And yet, my eyes kept drifting toward that familiar laced choker around her neck—the divine one, gifted by her goddess.
It didn’t matter if she was dressed down like the rest of us...that choker scread ’sexy.’
She caught looking and raised an eyebrow, making look away almost imdiately.
Erza, though...Erza was silent.
Too silent.
Which was scary.
I turned to her last, half-expecting a sarcastic jab.
But nope.
Just pure judgnt in those pitch-black eyes. Her crimson hair was tied up high in a ssy ponytail, and she stood with one hand on her hip, the other holding a folded fan for so reason. The fan made sense.
The outfit didn’t.
"Why...are you wearing that?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.
She was in a one-piece dress, way too revealing for a casual hangout. It was the kind of outfit that made people crash bikes in the background.
Not that I was complaining, but—
"What?" she said finally, her voice flat. "It’s hot."
"Yeah," Dario snorted. "That’s literally the problem."
Erza just rolled her eyes and turned away, not even bothering to explain.
Classic Erza, I thought.
She could knock a guy out cold and walk over his body to buy juice, and no one would question it.
"Okay, okay, I deserve this—" I raised my hands again. "You can all roast later. Can we just...decide where we’re going?"
"Cold drinks," Seraphina said instantly.
"Yes," Aurelia echoed. "Sothing iced. My throat feels like a literal sandpaper."
"I swear my sweat’s evolving into a separate entity," Dario added. "If I don’t drink sothing now, it’s going to file for mana rights like right about now."
I chuckled, letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
"Drink all you want..." I muttered. "Y’all deserve it for waiting here."
The group finally started walking towards the gate, side by side, casually. No one snapped at . No one yelled. Not even Erza.
And I felt sothing warm in my chest, and no, not a heatstroke.
They waited.
Even in the sun.
Even while annoyed.
They stayed.
That was new.
Walking behind them, I caught a glimpse of Aurelia looking back at with a soft smile. Seraphina handed Dario her hair purse to hold while she tied up her locks. Erza popped open her fan and started fanning herself without a care in the world.
And I?
I just smiled.
I was sweating through my shirt, my sneakers were already dusty because of all the running, and the cartoon print on my tee was clashing with the brooding heir image I’d carried since birth.
But I didn’t care.
For the first ti, I wasn’t the outcast, or the shadow of a legacy.
I was just... Noa—
"—Wait," Dario interrupted my thoughts, spinning towards in frenzy. "You did bring the cash, right? Since it’s your treat and all?"
I instantly groaned."...I knew I forgot sothing."
Four heads turned towards in unison.
And suddenly, I wasn’t just the guy they waited for...I was also the guy they were going to murder next.
***
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