The first threads of dawn slowly began to pierce the darkness of the night. Adrian opened his eyes and raised a hand to rub them tiredly.
Lucia asked in a soft voice, "Are you awake?"
Adrian looked through the carriage window with weary eyes and said, "Ah… It seems we've arrived."
The carriage stopped in front of the gate of Count Tuan's residence. Adrian opened the door and stepped out, saying, "Alright, I'll get off here… Goodbye."
The carriage moved away, but just as he took a single step, he heard another set of footsteps behind him. He turned around in annoyance, only to find Lucia standing behind him.
He said with clear irritation, "What now?"
Lucia replied with an innocent yet provocative expression, "What do you mean?"
Adrian continued impatiently, "I'm asking you… What are you doing? Why are you still here?"
Lucia replied, "I told you before that I wouldn't follow you, but I never said I wouldn't go to the same place you're going."
Adrian shouted in annoyance, "And is there even a difference?!"
Lucia smiled confidently. "Of course there's a difference!"
"There is no difference, you idiot!"
"There is a difference, Your Highness!"
"…"
Their argument continued for a while until they were interrupted by the voice of a boy emerging from the palace gate. "What's all this noise in front of our property?"
The two stopped and looked toward the source of the voice. It was a young boy with white hair and gleaming yellow eyes.
He stared at them in disgust and said, "And on top of all that… this awful stench. Did you roll around in the mud?" He then continued in a cold, arrogant tone, gesturing toward the guards. "Guards, remove the trash from our gate."
The guards immediately bowed.
"Understood."
Before any of them could move, Lucia exploded in anger. "You pathetic fools!! Do you even know who you're messing with right now?! And you, you arrogant little brat! Do you have any idea who we are to dare speak to us like that?!"
Adrian placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Lucia… Stop. There's no need to make a scene."
She glared at him, so furious that her veins seemed ready to burst.
"Let go of me, Your Highness! This bastard needs to learn who I am…"
Adrian thought to himself, "Speaking of which… I still don't know Lucia's rank among the nobility. I spent most of my time on the front lines and never got close to life at court."
The boy laughed mockingly. "You call him a prince? It seems commoners have started imagining all sorts of things. But perhaps this commoner is better than a prince without magic, don't you think?"
Adrian's expression changed, and his gaze grew cold.
The boy stepped closer to him and said, "So, Your Highness… Can you use magic? Or are you just like that failure?"
Lucia tried to rush forward to kill him, but Adrian was faster. He struck the boy hard in the knee, forcing him down onto one knee, then placed his foot on his shoulder. The boy tried to stand up in anger. "How dare you!!"
But Adrian kicked him in the face, sending him staggering backward and crashing to the ground. The guards immediately rushed toward him and drew their swords, pointing them at Adrian. Lucia took a step forward, but Adrian was faster. He charged at the guards and took them all down within seconds.
Lucia's eyes widened in astonishment as she approached Adrian.
" Amazing! Even though they were carrying swords, you took them down with your bare hands! How?"
Adrian replied coldly, "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not strong, they're just weak guards."
The white-haired boy was trying to get back up, one hand pressed against his face. "You'll never get away with this! You lowlife!"
Adrian gave him a cold glance, then entered through the gate, ignoring him.
The boy shouted, "Do you think you'll get away with it if you enter the palace?! They'll catch you immediately!"
Adrian continued walking without a care, while the boy sensed a strange shadow behind him.
He turned around to see Lucia standing there with a terrifying smile. "You little damned brat, how about I teach you a lesson?"
The boy trembled, and mere seconds later, his screams echoed through the area.
Adrian reached the inner gate, where the guards stopped him.
"Who are you? How did you get in here?"
Adrian spoke coldly. "Call Albert."
One of the guards spoke angrily. "What did you say? How dare you address the young master by his name directly?"
Another guard continued, "Besides, you've trespassed into this place! I wonder if you're even a noble!"
Adrian repeated in a sharp tone, "Call Albert immediately."
One of the guards stepped forward to remove him, but the head butler suddenly appeared and ordered them anxiously, "Stop, you fools!"
The guards turned toward him in confusion. The head butler stepped forward and bowed before Adrian. "Please forgive me, Your Highness. These fools have wronged you, and I will certainly punish them!"
Adrian spoke in an indifferent tone. "I don't care. Is Albert here?"
The head butler answered nervously, "Of course! Please, follow me…"
But before he could start walking, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock when he spotted Lucia holding the white-haired boy by the collar, his face covered in bruises.
"T-The… young master! What on earth happened to you, for the love of hell?!"
The head butler rushed toward the boy, then looked at Lucia with nervous concern. "What did you do to the young master, young lady?"
Lucia smiled confidently. "I just taught him a lesson in manners, nothing more!"
She handed the boy over to the head butler, who caught him.
"Aren't you going to show the prince inside? That's rather rude."
The head butler trembled and handed the boy over to the guards to take care of him, while escorting Adrian and Lucia inside.
"You may rest here. I'll go inform the young master of your arrival." The head butler bowed and left the room, then closed the door behind him.
Adrian sat on the sofa and rested his head against the palm of his hand, while Lucia remained standing, looking around the room.
A few moments later, the door opened, and Albert entered with a smile. "Adrian! You've finally arrived."
Adrian stood up and smiled back. "Yeah…"
Albert extended his fist and playfully punched Adrian on the shoulder. "So, how did things go?"
Adrian replied calmly, "I'm sure you've already heard what happened…"
Lucia interrupted them in annoyance. "Wait a minute, what's going on here?"
Albert looked at her curiously. "You're… the daughter of Duke Pristan, if I'm not mistaken, right?"
Albert greeted her with a calm smile, then asked, "I wonder, what brings you to this place?"
Lucia answered in a sharp tone, "I came with His Highness the Prince because I'm his bodyguard."
Adrian looked at her in astonishment. "Huh? Since when have you—"
Albert exclaimed in surprise, "Heeey! Is that true, Adrian?"
Adrian replied in annoyance, "That's not—"
Lucia interrupted him. "So, I wonder why Mr. Albert is calling the prince by his name?"
Albert smiled and said, "Ah… That's because Adrian and I are friends."
Lucia whispered deep inside, "How dare he be friends with the prince when I can't? This isn't fair… I want to be his friend too!"
Then she exclaimed in barely contained anger, "Friends?! Do you think a count's son can become friends with a prince?! Even I, the daughter of a duke, never dared to do that!"
Albert thought to himself, "That reaction… It seems she's upset because she couldn't become Adrian's friend."
Albert flashed a mischievous smile and pulled Adrian to his side, draping his arm over the prince's shoulder. "Miss! I'm sorry to tell you that I'm the only one who can do that."
Lucia's face flushed with anger and jealousy. "You! His Highness should only be with me!"
Albert spoke in a calmly provocative tone. "Hmm? Is that so? I really wonder if Adrian wants to stay with you."
Adrian gently pushed Albert away. "That's enough, you two!"
He looked at Lucia and said, "Lucia, don't interfere in my affairs…"
Then he looked at Albert. "And you, don't take advantage of our friendship, you bastard."
Albert chuckled lightly. "Alright, alright…"
Lucia spoke hesitantly. "If I can't call you by your name like he does, then I'll call you 'Ray'! Just like those children did!"
Adrian fell silent for a moment, then said, "Do as you wish."
Adrian looked at Albert and asked calmly, "Albert, do you think there's a garbage smell coming from us?"
Albert replied, "I don't think so. Why do you ask?"
Albert leaned closer and sniffed Adrian's clothes. "I think there's a faint smell of dirt, and perhaps a little dust too."
Albert smiled and placed a hand on Adrian's shoulder. "But that doesn't matter to us, man… Have you already forgotten the smell of blood?"
Lucia whispered to herself, "The smell of blood?"
Adrian replied with a pale expression, "The smell of blood… I really don't want to remember that, even though I've grown accustomed to it."
Albert laughed nervously. "Haha, I was just joking, man… Wait, I'll tell the servants to prepare a bath for you."
Lucia said, "What about me? I think I smell worse than he does! He forced me to do terrible things."
Albert replied with a smile, "As for you, you can return to your home."
Lucia shouted angrily, "What are you saying? Are you kicking me out now?"
Adrian interrupted her in a serious tone. "Leave… I won't say anything more than that."
Lucia clenched her fist in anger and lowered her head slightly. "Alright… I'll leave."
She walked toward the door with steady steps and left, leaving Adrian and Albert in silence.