Wandering around the mansion, searching for anything worth stealing, Rian couldn't help but go over his plan once again.
His new clothes, though expensive-looking, weren't going to be enough to make people believe he was a noble. He needed to change his demeanor as well.
Without even knowing, Rian immediately recalled his father, forcing his face into the same scowl his father wore every morning, the one that made even seasoned servants shrink as if they had ruined his breakfast. If he could keep that expression, he just might be able to pass.
Busy going through these thoughts, Rian didn't even notice one of the patrolling guards at the end of the hallway.
"Who goes there?" A sudden shout forced Rian out of his thoughts as he looked ahead to see a guard standing at the end of the hall, his hand resting a little too close to his sword.
Snapping his head up, Rian let the scowl on his face deepen and barked, "You there. Stop."
For a heartbeat, both of them froze in their places, as Rian noticed the guard's eyes flicking across Rian's features and his clothes. Then his posture broke, and he bowed low. "Forgive me, my Lord. How may I assist you?"
Sighing inwardly, Rian continued speaking. "Yes, yes. I have been roaming lost around this place for so long. Tell me, where is the way to the stairs?" Rian scolded.
"Ah, yes, the stairs, my Lord. Please follow me and I'll escort you down to the garden," the guard answered.
Rian didn't answer, only giving a dismissive nod, urging the guard to lead the way. Inside, however, he was letting out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he had some experience acting like those stuck-up nobles. Plus, now he didn't need to waste his time finding his way down.
The guard led the way, with Rian following close behind. On their way, they came across multiple other guards and maids as well, all of whom also bowed as they looked at Rian's passing figure.
It didn't take long for the two of them to reach the garden, where the guard hurriedly took his leave, leaving Rian behind by himself.
The venue of the garden was just as he had seen from above. The statue of Goddess Elowen stood in the center of the venue, surrounded by hundreds of nobles either talking or dancing to the song being played by the band in the corner. The outer edges of the garden were littered with several tables filled with nobles enjoying the banquet. Glowing firefly-like creatures flew around the flowers and the trees, illuminating the entire garden under the night sky. It was all beautiful, yes. But Rian's eyes only lingered on it for a second before he began looking for the guards and the exits.
And then he saw her.
A young woman about his age stood near the statue, surrounded by a group of nobles and a discreet but obvious ring of mean-eyed guards. She wore a gown of stunning silver and blue with black hair cascading down her shoulders. Even from a distance, her bearing screamed of privilege and power.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Looking at the line of nobles standing beside the woman Rian couldn't help but take in a deep breath.
That woman, whoever she was, was surely someone of incredible power and authority to have those nobles act like hungry dogs. To have someone like her present in the venue was surely going to complicate a lot of things.
Rian took in another deep breath. Well whatever it was, he needed to have a calm mind to deal with it.
First things first, he proceeded to let go of the scowl adorning his face and entered the garden, joining in with the festivities. The pissed-off act might have worked with the guards and the maids, but it wasn't going to work against other nobles, especially if he wanted to stay low-key and quietly slip out of this place.
So instead, he adopted a different approach, behaving like his half-siblings when they interacted with other powerful nobles during such events, still carrying that tiny bit of arrogance, knowing that they belonged there, but not being arrogant enough to be the center of attention.
Following that approach, he walked past the guests into a secluded corner, got himself a glass of wine, and began inspecting his surroundings, thinking of a way to get out of this place.
His current plan was simple. He was going to act completely drunk out of his mind, walk to the gate, pretend like he was looking for his coachman, slip into the city while cursing when he couldn't find the coachman, and run as quickly as he could once he was sure guards couldn't see him. Only…
There are too many damned guards? Rian inwardly cursed while sneaking a glance at the woman near the statue.
The entire venue was surrounded by several dozen guards donned in high-quality armor as they patrolled around the place with vigilant eyes. No, that wasn't the strangest part; the guards themselves were stationed at key tactical points all around the venue, covering every single minuscule point of entering and exiting.
All this manpower, there was no way it was all for the rest of these nobles.
Rian inwardly thought as he focused his attention on the guests inside the garden. By now, he had already noticed several of the noble ladies stealing glances his way, but he ignored all of them.
There was a reason the past him had been such a successful skirt chaser, and it all came down to his face. Call it a brag, but the Ashmere bloodline was renowned throughout the galaxy for their beautiful facial features, with him and even his half-siblings being pursued by several suitors. Combining that with his current outfit, it wasn't a surprise that he was garnering this much attention. If anything, his charm had been working against him in this case.
Keeping his mind on the escape, he began filtering through their meaningless conversations, the laughs, the stale jokes all around him, and began trying to look past the minute details, trying his best to figure out the woman's identity without getting too close to the statue.
The nobles in the garden were excited, no doubt, but there was also something else hidden deep beneath those smiles. "They are nervous," Rian mumbled while grabbing another glass of wine, and the more he listened, the more sure he became of his conclusion. Their laughter was a pitch too high, and the conversations a bit too strained. It was as if they were waiting for something, and whatever it was, it had them on edge.
"What are you looking at?" A sweet voice behind him almost caused Rian to jump out of his shoes.