"This is you, Gil…"
He stopped in his tracks, turning toward the voice, and saw a young man with platinum hair approaching, a friendly smile on his lips.
As he closed the distance to just a couple of steps, Gilbert asked, curious
"Ray… are you heading back home as well? Or… since you didn't bring your things, are you just going out?"
"As expected of you… always noticing every little detail,"
Raymond replied, his tone laced with sarcasm.
Gilbert's eyes widened slightly, and he forced a polite smile.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment… or mockery?"
Raymond chuckled softly in response, then a bright expression lit up his face as he spoke in a lively tone
"Actually… I have an appointment with someone, so I might return this evening. But it seems you've chosen to stay here instead of going home as well. Looks like we'll meet again soon."
After a moment, Raymond noticed Athena standing behind Gilbert. He glanced at her with calm curiosity.
"Ah… I see you're with someone."
Gilbert gestured toward her.
"This is my sister, Athena… I don't think you two have met before."
Behind Gilbert, Athena gripped the edge of his coat, a nervous expression etched across her face as her gaze remained fixed on the ground.
Raymond, however, quickly read her demeanor and smiled before speaking to Gilbert.
"No… actually, I first saw her when she hugged you tightly back on the cliff."
As Raymond's words reached her ears, a wave of embarrassment washed over Athena.
She flushed deeply and stepped further behind Gilbert, lowering her head, a single thought echoing in her mind:
'Ugh… how embarrassing! What have I done to myself, for heaven's sake!'
Gilbert, on the other hand, didn't understand her behavior.
It wasn't like her to feel flustered around strangers—she usually didn't even avoid making eye contact.
"Athena?" he asked, voice tinged with curiosity.
Realizing the situation, Athena gathered herself and finally stepped forward from behind him, bowing slightly.
Her left arm rested lightly on her waist, while her right hand held the edge of her long coat, as if lifting the hem of a dress.
She shifted her weight onto her left foot, her right foot stepping slightly back.
The proper way for a lady to greet someone in high society.
Her voice calm, she finally raised her eyes to meet Raymond's gray ones.
"I apologize for my earlier impolite behavior, and for this delayed greeting. My name is Athena Klein. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Raymond Baskerville."
Though it was customary among nobles to exchange greetings this way, the situation felt awkward for all three of them.
Raymond responded hesitantly, his hand brushing the back of his neck, a trace of unease in his expression.
"I'd prefer if you just called me Miss… without the formalities. It's… a little… awkward."
Athena averted her gaze, avoiding his eyes, biting her lip as she considered the awkwardness of the situation.
'I thought we were past this!'
She added, her voice hesitant
"If that makes you comfortable… but how would you like me to address you?"
Gilbert cut through the tension without hesitation
"Just call him Ray."
Athena's eyes widened in surprise.
She looked at Gilbert and spoke in a slightly higher and sharper tone than she intended
"But… that's too much! Why would you assume it's acceptable for me to call someone I barely know by a personal name? One only used by close friends! As if it's normal?! "
Gilbert smiled artificially, observing her reaction, then tilted his head slightly toward Raymond, asking teasingly
"I don't think he minds, do I?"
Though Raymond tried to maintain a polite smile, Gilbert's remark made one eyebrow twitch for a moment.
He sighed and surrendered, replying softly
"I don't think I can win this with words… fine, you may call me as Gil does. I don't mind."
Athena gave a tense smile.
"If that makes you comfortable, you may call me by my name in return."
"Alright… though it will be hard for me to drop formalities. Is that okay?"
"Do what feels natural," she answered.
After studying their slightly tense expressions, Gilbert decided to redirect the conversation toward Raymond.
"By the way, Ray… may I have a moment of your time?"
These few words were enough to prompt Athena to take the opportunity to step back a little.
As she did, she spoke to Gilbert
"I'm going to see Beatrice for a while. Take your time with your conversation… goodbye."
Gilbert nodded in response.
Once she had stepped away, he turned to Raymond, his tone serious.
"Have you noticed any unusual movements near you in the past couple of days?"
A small smile appeared on Raymond's lips.
He didn't seem surprised by the question, and in a calm tone replied
"Looks like you noticed them too."
"Then be careful on your way to see your brother."
Raymond's eyes widened briefly.
Mention of his brother coming from an unexpected person carried a distinct weight. He muttered quietly
"My brother…"
His expression quickly returned to calm as usual. After briefly contemplating, he whispered a single word barely audible,
"My brother…"
He didn't dwell on it long and quickly returned to a serious expression to continue speaking.
"Should I assume they've verified the content of the message?"
Gilbert, who had been observing his companion with a calm face, stepped a few paces past him and stopped at a short distance, replying without turning back
"Don't worry. Apparently, they didn't exaggerate that much."
Raymond turned to face his back, his gaze relaxing after Gilbert's reassurance. He then asked
"I see… by the way, how did you find out about these details?"
"I have my ways," Gilbert said simply.
Looking at Gilbert's manner of speaking, Raymond realized he wasn't denying it completely.
In his brief response, Gilbert chose to provide just enough information.
Though Raymond was naturally a little curious, he didn't want to pry too deeply.
He decided to respond with a sincere smile, appreciating his companion's character
"Alright… I won't ask for details. Anyway, thank you for the warning."
Gilbert, standing beside him with one hand in his pocket, cast a calm glance.
He valued others respecting his personal space, especially when trust was offered instead of questions.
Before looking away, he added softly with a friendly smile
"Not a big deal… I'll be off now. See you later."
Raymond returned a friendly smile, as usual.
Then, the two went their separate ways.
Amid the clamor of carts, the bustling streets, and marketplaces decorated in preparation for the festivities
and among the distorted quiet of certain alleys, even within luxurious walls, words faded softly as if they had never been spoken.
Among the smiles of some faces and the frowns of others, someone lingered in the cold shadows, waiting for the next explosion that could shake the entire empire.