The red carriage, built for four, exited the industrial area and rolled to a halt at the Runerth family estate on Helena Street, where most nobles resided. One of the safest streets in the city.

Ezra, who now viewed himself as Leomaris Runerth, knew the estate well enough. It was vivid in his memory, but seeing it in person was something else entirely, something he couldn’t quite put into words.

The estate bore all the hallmarks of early Georgian architecture, with red-brick façades and classical symmetry. The entrance gave way to a broad, neatly manicured lawn of lush green, framed by iron fences and gravelled paths.

It was almost like looking at a famous royal residence from his previous life. Kensington Palace in London.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

He couldn’t hold onto the astonishment for long. When Rosemary called, everyone answered with an urgency that left no room for hesitation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

He made his way inside. The family was in the middle of breakfast, and his arrival caused not a single change. Even when he pulled up a chair and sat down, no one so much as looked his way.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

’They’ve always acted as though Leomaris doesn’t exist. He deserves it... but isn’t this too much?’

His thoughts ran wild but his eyes stayed on his plate. Everyone at that table was a villain, both siblings, both parents. His father, Godfrey, was the kind of man the main character could never kill. The novel had been clear, the only person Godfrey feared was his wife.

So to hell with it. This entire situation scared him half to death.

No sooner had the words echoed in his mind than his mother’s voice drew everyone’s eyes. Rosemary’s gaze remained on her plate, dark hair resting on her shoulders, and yet the mere hint of her tone prompted everyone to give her their undivided attention.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

"Godfrey has left for the north with King Alastair II to oversee diplomatic affairs. You are to stay at home until he returns."

As the words hung in the air, Leomaris celebrated in silence. He had genuinely thought he was going to be disowned or perhaps killed. Who could have predicted such a trivial turn of events.

Samael was a perfect depiction of Rosemary, with the same dark hair and features that looked as though chiselled from stone, but Rosemary had a chilling effect to her presence that made Samael pale in comparison.

He spoke:

"How long will he be away, Mother? I’ll need to make arrangements."

Rosemary met him with silence, but Rosay was quick to fill it. She flicked her golden hair behind her shoulder, red eyes shifting just slightly in Leomaris’s direction as though waiting for a reaction.

"Diplomatic affairs with King Alastair II will largely concern railway travel from San Paulette to Ansonmon. We should allow between two weeks and a month."

Everyone’s eyes shifted toward Leomaris, but it was Rosemary’s glare that got to him most, slight as it was. The sight of it made him cold instantly.

He understood their caution well enough. This was exactly the kind of moment the original Leomaris would have thrown a tantrum and cried like a baby about being kept at home for so long.

It was actually a strategic move by Godfrey, ensuring none of his family was caught in unforeseen circumstances.

Between his reputation as a Duke and his standing in the underground market, the family felt vulnerable whenever he wasn’t around.

The current Leomaris had no interest in throwing a tantrum. Without Godfrey around, he could very well die out there, and more importantly, this was an opportunity he hadn’t dared imagine.

But before his thoughts left his mouth, Rosemary was already speaking.

"You will begin at the Helios Imperial Academy in a week, Leo. Your fiancée will arrive in three days, and the two of you will attend under our protection."

Rosemary gave her words a heavy pause, as if questioning whether she regretted what was coming out of her mouth. Worse still, she hadn’t once looked in Leomaris’s direction.

"I will give you one final chance to prove your worth. Ensure your fiancée arrives safely. I do not need to remind you of the consequences of failure."

Leomaris sat there with his mouth agape. Not because of the task. Not because of his mother’s nonchalance. Something else entirely. He’d completely forgotten he had a fiancée, but that wasn’t what had dazed him. It was who she was.

Raine St. Claire. The heroine of Arcane Mercenary. She fought alongside Lucius in every war, and her ability, Vision, was the reason Lucius survived as long as he did.

’I take it the author did not mention Raine’s engagement because I am supposed to be dead.’

Strange as it was for a twenty-five-year-old soul to be engaged to an eighteen-year-old, Leomaris was willing to be that person. If surviving Lucius’s wrath in the future was the plan, he’d need Raine’s loyalty.

He was going to take the main character’s love interest right from under him.

’Most importantly, I have a feeling that whether I am granted a grimoire and go to the academy or not depends on this task. I cannot fail... I must gain Rosemary’s support as well.’

Rosemary was terrifying, to be sure, but she was still his mother. With Godfrey out of the picture for now, he could earn her trust and affection before his return. That was the gateway to the family fortune, and in this world, money and strength went hand in hand.

Gentle as ever, he settled into a calm and respectful posture. Rosemary wasn’t looking his way anymore. He spoke anyway.

"If that is the case, Mother, there is something I would ask of you, if you please."

The atmosphere shifted. Rosay had her mouth slightly parted, and Samael, though perplexed, held onto the hope of Leomaris spitting nonsense.

"I would like you to allow Sebastian to train me in both swordsmanship and firearms."

Those words were enough to take his siblings aback, and more than enough to draw Rosemary’s attention, briefly, but noticeably.

Rosemary held her gaze on Leomaris for a second or two, as though trying to determine whether this was truly her son sitting before her.

Her gaze dropped back to her plate.

"Do as you wish."

Leomaris smiled. The first response Rosemary had directed at him in over a year. A stepping stone, nothing more, but he’d take it. Now he just had to impress her.