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LOCATION: MARQUIS CHEVALIER HOUSEHOLD
***DINING HALL***
As part of their proper noble etiquette, everyone refrained from speaking while making subtle movements from where they were seated, and only the sound of utensils can be heard while the servants do their tasks to serve their masters. The servants waited on standby at the other side, prepared to assist their masters if needed.
*CLANG!
The atmosphere within the dining hall became tense as a certain servant "accidentally" spilled some hot drink into the hands of the 15-year-old young master who was well-known for his bad temper and constantly throwing a tantrum whenever something displeases him.
The said servant immediately went to her knees and bowed down as she keeps on asking for forgiveness that makes the other servants who were within the dining hall felt pity for their fellow servant but there are others who snickered and mocked her because of her carelessness.
No one dared to make a noise or even gossip around as they waited for what would happen, especially to the other family members who were at the dining table and even though they were eating quietly but all of them are waiting for the certain 15-year-old on how to react.
As most of their eyes lingered at the 15-year-old young master who was oddly quiet for a moment as he took the table cloth at his side and gently cleaned up his hand that was spilled and then looked down at the servant who had her knees on the ground while keep asking for forgiveness.
At that moment, the 15-year-old young master's expression became darkened while looking down at the servant who keeps on her knees on the ground and the others saw the young master's expression and most of them became stiffened in their places.
While the rest of his family, on the other hand, still keep on eating and said nothing about the situation but all of them are still waiting for what he would do.
The 15-year-old young master didn't bother to looked at his so-called family as his focus was on the servant who keeps her act all the time and from that moment, he wonders what he should do first, or rather, what could he possibly gain for exposing this person right in front of these people.
'Geez! I never would have expected this person would be here, in the first place. You want to play a game? Then, let's see on how you would last!'
The 15-year-old young master looked down at the servant once more, who keeps muttering for forgiveness as she begs on her knees while there are tears within her eyes.
From other's perspective, the servant looks truly pitiful with her teary eyes while begging in front of him and that would make others wanted to comfort the said pitiful girl while the one who's responsible for this matter would receive a disgusting look, but they couldn't say that out loud in fear for his wrath.
'Tsk! What a bunch of hypocrites!'
If he were just a simple 15-year-old young master from a noble household and receive this kind of treatment, of course, he would feel offended and would throw a tantrum while ordering someone to punish these insolent servants who dared to mocked him like this.
However, that was not the case anymore.
He is no longer that 15-year-old young master who knows nothing but to whine and to throw tantrums everywhere whenever he feels like it.
He is no longer that child who crave for familial affections from his so-called family members or as someone who would scheme others in order for others to acknowledge him as who he is.
For someone like him who experience life and death situations over and over again for a millennium as an experienced dimensional traveler who crossed over multiple worldlines as his job, this kind of schemes are just nothing but a child's play for him.
As he keeps on looking at the servant who still had her knees within the ground, he couldn't help but to grin while watching this person who keeps muttering apologies left and right, but he saw the smirk under her breath and that makes him wanted to intensify this situation even more.
'Trying to scheme against me? Tsk! You still have a long way to go for that.'
"What's your name?"
As his previous grin expression turned into a stoic one with his impassive voice, the people inside the dining hall almost gasped because of how unusual it was for him to act serene yet aloof at the same time.
Also, the servants who were present, especially his so-called family members, had noticed something had changed in him as they couldn't understand what or why.
Not only that, but there are also others as well within the dining hall noticed the shift expression that the 15-year-old young master had made earlier, and they feel chills down to their own spine because of that.
The "pitiful" servant heard what the 15-year-old young master asked her a question and after that, she continued her "pitiful" act as she responded politely.
"T-this… l-lowly…. O-one's…. n-name… is Nariana."
'Nariana? Hmmm…. Ah, right. I remember now.'
He nodded as if it was nothing and he knew that the surrounding people were still watching him for what he would do next and just thinking about it made him click his tongue mentally, but his expression was still stoic as ever.
"Nariana…. Okay. I'll ask you one last question. Where your loyalty lies?"
That question coming from the young master baffled not only Nariana but the people inside the dining hall, and they didn't know why he asked that kind of question out of nowhere.
However, there is one person within the dining hall that seems to take an interest in this 15-year-old young master.
'So, little three noticed something about that servant, eh? How come?'
That person who had those thoughts is none other than the second young master of the Marquis Chevalier household, known for his mischievous and carefree nature.
As he took a sip while watching the scene in front of him, he couldn't help but frown as he took a good look at their youngest sibling.
'Is it just me or something has changed within little three's composure? Unlike his unruly behavior of throwing tantrums whenever he feels like it. Right now, it feels like…. Something that covers him within his range that I couldn't pinpoint what that was…'
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