Invitation

"When is your birthday?" Solis asked Noir.

"January," Noir replied. "Why do you ask?"

Solis sighed. "I'm looking for an excuse to throw a banquet," he replied. "January is a bit far."

"When is your birthday, then?" Noir asked curiously.

"March," Solis said.

Butler Hans cleared his throat politely. Solis raised an eyebrow at him.

"If I may make a suggestion, young masters," Butler Hans said. "You could consider announcing your engagement."

"That's not a bad idea," Solis murmured, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He eyed Noir apprehensively. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Noir replied with a smile. Pretend boyfriend, pretend fiancé – it was all the same to him, conceptually. Besides, he was vaguely aware of his own increasing interest in Solis, even beyond Solis's resemblance to his Master.

A surprised smile spread on Solis's usually cold face at Noir's easy acceptance, stunning both Noir and Butler Hans.

Solis noticed the expression of the other two and frowned. "What?" he asked.

Noir sprang from his own seat and almost draped himself across Solis's lap. "Do that again!" he demanded, poking his cheek.

Solis's frown deepened. "Do what?" he asked.

"Smile!" Noir said. "You looked amazingly handsome just now. Smile, Solis!"

A tinge of red appeared on Solis's cheeks.

"What are you being so shy for?" Noir asked, raising an eyebrow. "It can't be news to you that you're very attractive! That smile is to die for!"

Solis turned redder.

Noir giggled. "My dear Boss Solis, I never knew you had an adorable side like this," he said. "Come on, now, give me a smile. Let me see the flowers bloom around you once again!"

A helpless and doting smile crept up involuntarily on Solis's face.

"How lovely!" Noir said breathlessly. "Hello, beauty. Would you give this young master a kiss?"

Solis kissed Noir's cheek obediently.

Noir flushed as red as a tomato and fled from the room, leaving a chuckling Solis in his wake.

Butler Hans watched them, feeling very satisfied.

Two days later, many important people in Green City and many more outside received an invitation to attend the engagement banquet of Boss Solis, to be hosted in the most luxurious hotel in Green City ten days later.

Immediately, a full-scale investigation was launched on who this mysterious partner of Boss Solis was – unfortunately, no one could find out anything except that it was a young man named Noir and that he had been living with Boss Solis for several months now.

The reaction in Solis's family varied from an indifferent nod from Jovis to a full-scale cursing session from Martis. Luna and Lars flew into Green City the very next day. As for Auntie Ela, she was busy preparing gifts for the couple.

The family had been trying to investigate Noir's origins for several months now, with no success. Now, with so many people all over the world looking into Noir's identity, they were eagerly waiting for some news.

Unfortunately for them, there wasn't even an iota of information available on Noir! This made a lot of people believe that Boss Solis was so powerful that he had erased Noir's identity completely so that nothing in his fiancé's life could be used to threaten him! The remaining few were convinced that the secret lay with Noir himself, and perhaps he was the hidden child of a very powerful person and somehow Boss Solis had the great fortune of winning his heart…! Most members of Solis's family fell into the latter category.

And since the main characters themselves were unwilling to disclose any information or even entertain any visitors, rumours and speculations abounded.

Who could resist gossiping about the tragic young prodigy Boss Solis, who not only owned a big business empire built with his own hands, but also inherited Chaos Demon from his late father, who had been such a handsome, talented young man with countless men and women throwing themselves at him…but had unfortunately fallen victim to a car crash and lost the use of his legs, becoming an unwanted invalid instead, with only a short life left to his credit? And now, this Boss Solis, despite his unfortunate personal circumstances, was getting engaged? And that, too, to a mysterious young man, of whom nothing but a name was known?! This was like the juiciest, best-spiced, and best-tasting steak served on a gilded plate for those with an appetite for drama!

Thus, when the day of the banquet arrived, there was hardly anyone in the whole world who didn't know about the engagement of Solis and Noir. And all possible theories of Noir's identity – from a destitute beggar inadvertently rescued by Boss Solis who came to repay the life-debt with his love and devotion – to a secret illegitimate prince of an exotic monarch – had been propounded!

Solis and Noir arrived at the hotel in a limousine, to see a huge crowd outside the hotel, with not only news reporters and members of the press, but also ordinary citizens.

Noir, who had no idea that his identity was currently the most hotly debated topic in the world, raised an eyebrow at Solis.

"Are all these people here just to see you?" he asked curiously. "You have a lot of admirers. Shouldn't you step out to greet them?"

Solis chuckled. "They're probably here to see you," he said. Naturally, he had been keeping an eye on the news.

Noir blinked. "Me? No one even knows me here," he pointed out.

"You're the enigma that attracts their attention," Solis said. "Me, I'm just a pathetic invalid now."

Noir frowned. "Don't deride yourself," he scolded. "You can already walk and even run a little. I'm sorry that my treatment hasn't been as effective as I promised, but even if it's slow, you will definitely regain your complete strength. And until then, I will be by your side to protect you."

"What if I never recover?" Solis asked. "Will you stay with me till the end of my life, then?"

Noir put a finger on Solis's lips. "Don't say such ominous things!" he snapped.