4.4

"Uh? He looks familiar…" James whispered, narrowing his eyes a little as he looked at the man off to the side, who had just thanked the king.

Brandon glared at the boy. "He's the guy I bumped into on our tour."

"Oh!" James exclaimed quietly. "He's the guy that gave me goosebumps. And to think he was Grand Duke Noir and a Celestia…"

'No wonder I felt cold.' James thought.

Grand Duke Noir's powers of darkness are known throughout the empire and, like the natural elements in Celestias, they convey an atmosphere, a sensation, to those who feel them according to the energy they emanate. And the energy of darkness is cold enough that in full sun they would feel cold. In addition to the pressure silently imposed both by the noble and naturally.

James glanced at Brandon, remembering that he had bumped into the infamous man. A fear settled in his chest, because of the stories that surround him. He didn't want to lose his beloved brother.

'We're lucky he didn't mind.'

"I'm surprised too." Brandon commented, telling the truth. He was impressed.

Discarding the fact that a man as handsome as the Grand Duke is not seen every day, he is still a unique noble in the entire empire and one blessed by the Gods. Be it a man of his status, work or beauty, it is not possible to imagine that he would meet him on the street in just one bump while he was strolling through the capital. This can be said to be lucky or unlucky, depending on whether it develops.

All he has to say is that he was lucky to see at least one up close. Humans were creatures that pursued beauty, after all, it is impossible not to have been attracted by admiration when glimpsing such a vision that fits in with their aesthetics.

'Although I still like that bastard Phillip, I must say that face made my heart skip a beat.'

It was a truth that he admitted with a little regret, because even if he denied it, it would still be true.

The musicians started to play again, starting the third main prize that would enter through the doors of the main hall. The nobles quickly became quiet, but it was possible to see one or the other gossiping quietly in conversation as they waited for the third guest.

"A mercenary who was under the command of a noble of our empire and thanks to him we managed to successfully stop one of the pillars of Torzik. A Celestia of the wind attribute who are said to have made hurricanes with their hands. He is of commoner origin and possesses great power, the newly discovered new star, Kai Samir!" The ceremonialist shouted loudly at the end of the performance.

Again, a man was revealed when the doors opened and, as on other occasions, there were sighs from ladies and the attention of nobles, however, unlike the others, this one was accompanied by much more intensity, as it was from someone they had never heard. to speak. The mercenary Kai Samir, the recently discovered Celestia, is a mysterious person that almost everyone there wants to know what he is like, so the eyes of many nobles were filled with greed for him and the desire to attract him to their side. If the faction or the noble who can befriend such Celestia, his power and influence in the empire would increase by another level just by having him as an ally.

Of course, the man didn't care about any of that.

Her red hair, shades darker than Brandon's, gleamed amidst what came in through the windows and made it even brighter. Her perfect golden skin was enhanced in full light and her red eyes looked like precious stones to anyone who saw them, such was the light that could be seen in them. Accompanying all these features were a rebellious smile, which did not hide the arrogance and rudeness of a mercenary, and a face of the same type as his smile - revolting, insubordinate, rude and disobedient, full of youth and vitality, with masculine features, but also delicate.

Anyway, he was handsome, similar to Ferion. Perhaps the rule for the Celestians was to look pretty to attract the attention of the Gods after all.

The mercenary looked younger than he really was, at twenty-six years old, he had certainly lived through many things and experienced many conflicts, so he was certainly aware of all kinds of eyes that fell on him. All this attention to him was nothing compared to the pressure of another Celestia's killing intent or the life-or-death situation he felt hundreds of times on the battlefield. But that didn't stop him from disgusting some of the greedy looks that seemed on his body and not liking it all.

He was only participating in such a ceremony, because as a citizen of the empire, he is completely and utterly aware of what the Victory Celebration was and what is possible to gain by participating. It's a place that will bring you honor and prestige, but it's not something you want. His main wish is the gold prize he will win.

Kai had a motto: money is synonymous with happiness, but that's not her. Its meaning will carry for a lifetime.

Being from a poor background, commoner and orphan, money is seen as something very valuable that can allow comfort and freedom. The orphanage he lived in all his life until he became a mercenary was in a rural village near the ocean and lived off trade and tourism, however, this did not prevent the orphanage from experiencing difficulties due to low donations and the budget made by the mayor, so since they were young, the children who lived there had to work, and he was no different.

The mercenary Celestia became a mercenary during her teens, once she reached the minimum age allowed by the empire, which is fourteen. And since then, at least part of the profits have been sent to the orphanage where he lived, as a way of rewarding them for taking care of him and also to ease the burden of the headmistress who took care of the children with so much love and care.

Thus, such a motto, given the difficulties he experienced, was something obvious. Money for him was a good thing and could make life a lot easier for him and those he cares about. However, he still values his relationships and people, but he still likes capital.

Kai's attention focused on the man standing at the end of the path he was walking down the red carpet in the center of the room. He was taller than him, more muscular than him and fiercer than him. Just at a glance he knew that the man there was the emperor, he didn't even need to be with the golden crown on his head or be in the place the head of the empire should be, just his presence was enough to denounce who he was.

He had to admit, the man was his ideal me. He didn't like his face very much, which still looked young and not very delicate, since he was a mercenary. At least he conveyed a rebellious aura that was expressed in his face and had more masculine and striking features, only few areas left him unsatisfied.

He knelt down in front of the emperor in the same way as the other two who came before him. His gaze was on the floor, ignoring everyone above him, but trying the strongest of all, the man with the crown in front of him.

"Kai Samir, your efforts in the war against Torzik were much talked about by all the soldiers and the story spread throughout the empire. Your fight against one of the four Celestias, Hazel Ilas, was essential to the conquest of the capital, Glarus. Therefore, as reward for your contributions, I will give you one hundred thousand gold, an estate in the name of the imperial family in the capital, and a knighthood."

The emperor spoke, and everyone yearned for more words. The public wasn't sure if there would be more, as there weren't any at the Grand Duke's award, but expectations kept rising.

And the emperor did not let them down.

"Furthermore, if you agree, I propose a marriage between my first daughter, Princess Elise, as a way of connecting us."

The mercenary said nothing. He was silently mulling over the words after they ended and couldn't help but curse in his mind a thousand times. The other could be an emperor, a ruler of a country, but that didn't change how he was viewing the situation he was being pushed into.

'Motherfucker, you're making me accept the proposal with public pressure, aren't you? Bastard.'

Kai had also heard the rumors and how could he not understand what the emperor wanted to do? Even if it wasn't his intention, a man who has been in power for years should know the consequences and scenario of making such a proposal. He wanted to make him accept the proposed engagement to the imperial family using the public as pressure and to see if he would embarrass him, so that he would have no choice but to deny it.

He couldn't say that he didn't understand, the fact that a newly discovered Celestia that not much is known about him appeared in his country, it's obvious that he should be cautious. But the other dared to do this to him, being immoral, he was a little angry.

Of course, reality is not how Kai thinks. The offer of marriage between the imperial family and a Celestia in the award was something with precedent and, it can be said, common, the hands of both princes and princesses being offered, but it was not a well-known fact. This was intended not to force them, but to show recognition for their actions.

And the Emperor wasn't so petty as to do that, because if he wanted to, he could just use other methods that would be far more effective in forcing someone to want to be engaged to his daughter.

"Sorry, Your Majesty. But I decline." He said, in a clear voice.

Instead of conversations breaking out among the audience, nobody dared say anything. It was the first time they had seen someone who would refuse such a proposal, to have a direct connection with the imperial family. How many nobles would die for having the chance to become candidates to win the proposal, and even more for being them, but the man who receives it refuses without even hesitating. This obviously shocked everyone and no one would know the emperor's reaction.

Princess Elise, the one who has her hand proposed, was also surprised that the mercenary refused to marry her. Even though the refusal scenario was good for her, it didn't make her any less surprised, and she wondered why no one would marry her. It wasn't that she had expectations for Cédric, she always knew he wouldn't love her, but she couldn't stop dreaming. He was her childhood sweetheart and her first love, the one she fell in love with at first sight as soon as she met him on a visit to the palace. And due to the fact that they had known each other for so long, she had a clear idea of what his personality was like, so she didn't get her hopes up.

Also, she was from the imperial family, royalty, a princess, her status doesn't allow her to fall in love and marry anyone she likes. If he is a high-ranking noble or is advantageous to the empire in the form of an alliance, she must make her sacrifice. That's what the future holds as a non-heir to the throne, just like her two brothers and sisters.

Love was never an option at the royal wedding. Her parents are an example of this, although they were the most responsible and respectful towards each other. So she was prepared when the rumors surfaced and her father asked her opinion on the marriage proposal.

Now, even a mercenary refuses to marry her, although her status is much higher than his, it couldn't help but create a doubt if the problem was her, how was she not attractive enough?

"All good." The emperor said, so calmly, as if the refusal didn't affect his pride. And really, it didn't.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Kai spoke, going over to the other two Celestias.

Then conversations popped up, with many questioning the refusal of a proposal that is so good.

"Is he crazy? Why refuse something so nice? It's an engagement to Princess Elise!"

"Having a direct connection to the imperial family is something every noble wants."

"A Celestia is truly a lucky one. The best things go to them. And he still refuses."

The nobles definitely did not understand why and created a thousand and one theories about the reason for the refusal.

The ladies who heard it were excited to see him refuse the proposal, giving hope that they might have a chance, since none of them had the audacity to get close to Prince Aiden or, mainly, Grand Duke Noir, for having a status much larger than theirs and not easy to approach. A Celestia mercenary is much easier, even though he's still blessed by the gods and a force to be reckoned with throughout the empire, it's something worth trying.

So, it wasn't just a few who fixed her hair, straightened her dress and looked at Kai trying to get her attention, to no avail. Their determination was great and many would approach him after the award ceremony.

Ferion's turn took a while, with many other generals and commanders appearing after Kai's award and increasing the numbers of people who had to be awarded. There was no longer the enthusiasm of the beginning of the awards after seeing the three main figures of the event, so the hubbub on the part of the nobles decreased a lot, with many with neutral and calm expressions, but their family members, especially some children, had a face of boredom to see such a scene repeated several times. They feel bored of seeing it and sitting for a long time.

Ferion received a prize of five thousand gold from the Emperor and a level two Medal of Honor, bringing prestige to the Miller house.

Earl Miller couldn't be more proud of his son and heir, knowing he had made a good choice in leaving the title and estate to him. The boy who acted all serious as a child became a responsible and strong man, making him feel, in a long time, the passage of time when he noticed that he really saw him being born and now he was twenty four years old. A sigh escaped his lips with a restrained smile, with a slight squint in his eyes, overflowing with pride and affection at the sight of his son kneeling before the Emperor. He was getting old, but he felt somewhat at peace.

He looked to the side and saw his second son, Phillip, now in his early twenties and that's what was worrying him the most right now, but he was also pleased with his education. He is a good knight and has nothing but praise from his superiors, so he was appreciated. And the last one is James, with only twelve years old he is the youngest, but also his smartness makes him not worry too much, he knows that the boy will grow up to become a great magician, but he wanted it to take a little longer for that.

His kids are growing up and he's growing gray hairs. It makes you feel a little sad.

A hand goes to her ear, caressing it, and drawing her attention to her owner. His wife, Claire Miller, his partner and companion all these years, was watching him with warm eyes and a big, knowing smile, as if she understood what he was feeling. She knows him so well and is also the mother of his boys. He wouldn't doubt it if she knew exactly what she was thinking, as she always guessed successfully even if she was in the same mood. His caught ear was squeezed slightly and calmed him down, opening a smile also on his adult face, bringing out a slight laugh too, even if it is not very common.

He was calm because he knew that even as he got older, his wife was there for him and they were there for their children.

The earl took his wife's hands, as white and manicured as if they were twenty years ago, and brought each one to his lips, kissing them tenderly and softly. Her eyes brimmed with love as they saw the familiar purple mane of hair and the kind face she sees every morning. He never loved and never will love like he loves her.

The countess, in return for the action, blushed a little, like a girl. She was never used to such acts by her husband, especially in public - not that they were rare, but it still embarrassed her.

Johannes seeing the fairytale love of the earl and countess couldn't help but feel a little envious, knowing that what they had was not only beautiful, but also rare, no matter where and when it came from. Throughout her acting career, when she was still working in a theater, she had seen many nobles who publicly claimed to love their wives and have the love of the century, but behind the scenes they made fun of women and men; an environment like that creates an ability to distinguish truth from lies, that's why she saw that what the couple had was true and profound.

She looked at Phillip who was beside her and looking at her kneeling brother with an unreadable expression, thinking about how such a son came from a couple who had hearts floating in the air around them. Obviously, he claims to love Brandon, only it doesn't seem like it to her. All the theater he wanted to do and she agreed to was just a way to mask her fear, but that, she has no right to meddle with.

James looked at his parents as soon as he took his eyes off his older brother, but he had an indescribable expression on his face. What child would want to see their parents show affection in public? Although James likes them and how much they love each other, it doesn't mean he likes to see it.

And Brandon, smiling seeing that, thinking once again that he would like to live a love like theirs.