In a carriage, Leonard and Melissa sat opposite each other. The ride was smooth, accompanied by the muffled sounds of people talking and other carriages moving outside.
Leonard had his eyes closed, lost in thought. Melissa stared out the window, her brown eyes taking in the world in front of her. She could see other carriages headed in the same direction. She took out her pocket watch to check the time.
'We'll be quite early.' Seeing that they weren't late, she let out a sigh of relief.
'With the Pope's help, some pressure will be released on Caesar for the time being. My research results are almost complete; however, that's where new problems start.' Thinking of this, she slightly bit her lower lip. She looked at Leonard, her gaze holding a wave of hidden emotions. 'Oh, Caesar... how much you've changed.'
She switched her gaze back to the window. 'I seem to be the only one who hasn't changed. I'm the same as I was back then.'
The ride proceeded in silence.
"My Lord, my Lady, we've arrived," Silas announced.
Leonard opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Melissa looking out the window. With his black-gloved hand, he opened the carriage door and stepped outside. Once out, he extended his hand for Melissa. She took it without a word, stepping down from the carriage.
The two walked into the Astra residence. Around them were people who clearly belonged to the Twelve Families. 'I see members from at least four different families,' Leonard noted. This was the first party of the year.
Escorted by a female servant, Leonard and Melissa walked toward the mansion. As they moved, they could hear murmurs from the crowd. Upon entering the mansion, the first person they saw was a middle-aged man with black hair and black eyes.
"Lord Caesar, Lady Melissa, it's a pleasure to see you two," the man said with a short bow.
"Yes, it's a pleasure to see you fine and well," Leonard said, a polite smile on his face. Melissa gave a short curtsy. This was Lady Morgana's uncle, Sir Jonathan.
Scattered around the room were royals from various families. 'This is going to take a while, isn't it?' With a silent, shared sigh, Leonard and Melissa began the rounds to greet the other royals and save face.
"Huh, if it isn't Caesar."
While greeting their seventh person, a youth who seemed to be the same age as Caesar spoke smugly. He was wearing a white suit and trousers, with raven-black hair and red eyes. He wore two pairs of black earrings.
'Richard.'
To Richard's left was another man with black hair and blue eyes, a sharp contrast to Richard's red gaze. 'Garrett.'
And finally, the one for whom Leonard held the most hatred: a young woman wearing a red dress that reached her feet. She had long blonde hair and sharp, piercing black eyes.
'My dearest sister herself... Lillian.'
Together, the three represented the Agnes family.
"Richard, it seems you want my attention quite badly. What is it?" Leonard said with a smug smile. From start to finish, he did not look at Lillian.
Melissa also avoided looking at her. Usually, she would have given a curtsy, but this time she didn't bother, making no effort to hide her disinterested expression.
"I was just surprised to see you. After all, ordinary people like yourselves belong somewhere else," Richard said, his voice dripping with arrogance.
Leonard ignored him entirely. He looked at Garrett and spoke. "Congratulations on your wife's pregnancy. Please send her my regards."
"Thank you, Caesar. I also can't wait for the marriage between you and Lady Melissa," Garrett said with a genuine smile.
Seeing himself being ignored, Richard looked offended. "Are you not going to greet your sister?"
Leonard remained silent. Letting out a tsk, Richard turned his gaze to Melissa. "Woman, aren't you supposed to greet us?"
Melissa turned to Garrett instead. "Lord Garrett, it's good to see you are doing well. Please send your wife my regards, and thank you for your blessings."
With a final tsk, Richard fell silent, glaring at the two as if they were lower creatures. Richard Agnes was one of the youngest people to ever manifest a Class, having attained it at age fifteen. His brother, Garrett, also had a Class, and with Leonard's sister, Lillian, all three were Class users. This was a rare occurrence for a single family.
Richard and Garrett both belonged to the Archer Class, while Lillian was the only one with a different designation: the Servant Class
However, these three were not the main focus of the room. That attention belonged to three other individuals.
There was a woman in a black trench coat and black high heels. She had long, vibrant red hair and eyes of a deep crimson. She had a gentle appearance that made one want to protect her, but everyone in the room knew she was anything but helpless.
'Lady Elizabeth of the Wahnsinn family.'
The Wahnsinn family—the Berserker Class. Lady Elizabeth was the most dominant and feared Berserker of today. At Rank Six, she was among the top five individuals considered to possess monstrous strength.
A distance away stood an old man with white hair and a hunchback. Wrinkles lined his face, and his eyes were pitch black, devoid of light. He wore a long white robe.
'Alexander Finch of the Scientist class.'
The oldest man on the list of the top five, and the strongest of them all. Standing at Rank seven, Alexander was feared across the Seven Continents.
While Leonard was watching him, the old man shifted his head slightly. Their eyes met.