It’s been a day, and Lionel had been informed that his father was already on his way back from his trip.

"That means he should arrive either late tonight or tomorrow morning," Lionel murmured to himself as he counted the travel hours. The duration would now depend on whether his father was actually in a hurry or not.

That thought alone made him sit a little straighter. He knew that once his father was back, he would be questioned a lot.

"Hah..." Before he could think further, the door to his room opened.

"Lionel..."

Lionel turned his head when he heard his name being called. Standing by the door was a beautiful woman dressed elegantly. It was his mother.

The moment Elara saw Lionel, her expression softened instantly.

"My dear..." she called out softly as she walked toward him.

Lionel immediately smiled at her.

"Mother—"

Before he could finish, Elara had already reached out to him. She cupped his face gently with both hands and squeezed his cheeks.

"Why did you grown thinner?" she said, her brows knitting together in worry. "Are you eating properly? I haven’t checked on you for a day, and you already look this bad!"

Lionel winced at that.

"I’m fine, Mother—"

"No, you’re not," Elara cut him off softly, her voice was filled with concern. "You went through something dangerous."

"I really am fine, mother," he said, trying to reassure her.

"Oh, right."

Lionel tilted his head to the side when he saw her mother’s face brightening.

"Mother...What is it?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

Elara smiled faintly at him before glancing toward the door.

"I’m not alone, Lionel," she said.

"Huh?" Lionel blinked. "What do you mean?"

Elara didn’t answer him directly. Instead, she turned her head slightly and spoke toward the entrance.

"Come in."

With her permission, the door opened again. This time, an unknown man entered. Lionel’s eyes immediately went to him.

The man was wearing a set of armor with a golden crest engraved on his chest. The crest bears the symbol of the royal family.

Lionel’s expression shifted slightly at that.

The knight stepped forward and bowed properly.

"Your highness," he greeted Elara first, then turned to Lionel. "My lord."

Lionel straightened a bit unconsciously because of this new person. He didn’t know what brought him here, but if it was from the royal family, then that meant it was important.

"The Emperor has called for your presence."

"..." Lionel’s thoughts became blank.

"T-the Emperor?" he repeated slowly as his mind processed the words.

Meeting the emperor, who was his own grandfather, was very rare.

Even though they were related by blood, it wasn’t easy to meet him whenever they wanted. The Emperor was the highest person in the empire, so every meeting with him was formal.

In the past, they would sometimes have dinner together, but that was inside a humongous dining room that had tens of seats. During that time, the conversation would drift to recent issues in the empire, so it wasn’t really something he could call a family dinner.

That was why getting summoned like this was rather unexpected.

Lionel felt a mix of confusion and, of course, a bit of excitement too.

"When should I go?" he asked in a hurry.

"Immediately, my lord." The knight didn’t hesitate.

Lionel’s eyes widened slightly at that,

Immediately?

He glanced at the window. The sun had just risen. He hadn’t even eaten or taken a bath yet.

"N-Now?" he asked again, just to be sure.

"Yes, my lord," the knight confirmed calmly. "The carriage is already waiting."

"..." Lionel was out of words because of that.

Meeting the Emperor was not something simple. Even nobles treated it with utmost seriousness. And now that he was called, he was expected to show in his best too.

"I understand." He quickly pushed himself up slightly, ignoring the heaviness in his body.

"I’ll prepare immediately."

Elara watched him quietly from the side. There was a huge smile on her face as she looked at her son.

"Go on, my dear. I asked the coachmen to enter first and have breakfast. That would give you some time, right?"

The corner of Lionel’s lips immediately rose to the side.

"Thank you, mother." His mother was really the best at knowing him.

Just as Lionel moved to stand up, the door opened once more.

"My lord." Diana stepped in without any delay. It was clear that she had already been informed about the request from his majesty.

She bowed briefly before walking straight toward him.

"We don’t have much time, so come on," she said as she moved quickly. "Please allow me." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Lionel nodded.

"Let’s go." They proceeded to go to his changing room.

With that, Diana immediately began preparing him. Other maids also arrived and attended to him. They brought out fresh clothes, helped him change, and fixed his appearance with careful hands. They were more careful now.

"Raise your arm, my lord."

Lionel did as he was told.

Even with his body still feeling heavy, he didn’t complain at all. He simply followed their instructions because that was their job.

Diana and the other attendants worked fast. They check every detail such as if his collar was straightened and his hair was fixed neatly. Even the smallest crease on his clothes did not escape their eyes.

"Now you look much better, my lors," she said after stepping back to observe him.

Lionel glanced down at himself briefly.

"Is it good enough?" he muttered.

Diana smiled faintly at that.

"It will be more than enough, my lord."

Outside, the sound of carriage wheels could already be heard faintly. That means the coachmen were finally done eating. It took long, and it should be thanks to his mother who managed to keep everyone busy for the meantime.

"They are waiting now," Diana added.

Lionel nodded once before moving toward the door. They went down the floors and just right at the main door of their estate, Elara was already there, waiting for him.

The moment she saw him, her eyes softened.

"My dear..." she said gently.

Lionel stopped in front of her.

"I’m leaving now, Mother."

Elara reached out and adjusted his sleeve slightly, even though it was already perfect.

"Mm," she nodded. "Go on." She looked at him for a moment longer before smiling.

"And greet His Majesty for me."

"Yes, Mother." Lionel nodded without hesitation.

With that, he turned around and stepped out so he could board the carriage that his grandfather sent for him.