As the sun greeted the world, the knights from the Layver Family lined on the both sides of the paving road. One after another, carriages came, their exterior engraved with various shimmering cravings and motives.

All of them were important figures. Nobles, Corporates, The Professors of the Academy, and etc.

Once they parked their carriages, the servants immediately led them into the mansion. Along the way, the servants were quitely and systematically told them about the history of the Layver Family and the story of the Lady, Gyllena Layver, with her fiance, the second prince of the Tarram Kingdom, Jahreon Qua Tarram. After that, finally, they invited them into the main hall where they were being presented by the scene of grand, lively ball. Grandeous sight, all engulfed marvelously by the mouth-watering scent of dishes worthy of being an art.

The maids and butlers were swiftly navigating through the crowd of noble, their movements trained and focused.

Ethical chuckles and giggles filled the hall. Leading by the gentle melody of the orchestra.

Among them, five names stood out from the rest.

The City Lord of the Dungeon City, also the head of the Fallburn Family, Hatten Fallburn. As the man who held the core power of the Dungeon City, he was naturally not someone who could be invited to someone’s engagement party so casually.

However, considering the long-standing relationship between the two families, he willed to join the party in person.

The World’s Strongest swordman, also a Senior Professor from the Academy, Ya. His dark hair flowed to the floor fluently—sharp—like blade, like silk, like water. The man was like the flow no one wanted to approach rashly.

The founder of the biggest corporation in the Dungeon City, Marta Farcass. The woman, who acted as the face of the Farcass Corporation, was not of noble background. While not as dramatically as the Layver Family and the other nobles of the Dungeon City, she had also successfully rose from the mud of the roadside stall to the greatness and wealth she was in control now. And since she didn’t leave her origin like others, her influence and power were unique. A woman of gold.

The current strongest Dungeon Diver group’s captain, Garlan Crush. As the only group that had cleared even a deep and high-leveled Dungeon like The Beast Mountain, The Crusher possessed the strength everyone desired to get. The amount of which they could harvest Elemetal gems from the Dungeon in a day was enough to raise a commoner to greatness.

The man who was born with potentially the strongest Magic ever known to humanity. The world, Muste Verbezze. The air distorted around him, blurring his appearance in the eyes of others. It was as if the world itself didn’t want his figure to be revealed.

Before those giant figures, Gyllena appeared calm, her white dress glittering under the soft light of the chandeliers. She looked like a fairy beside her fiance, who excuded the composed air of a wise scholar. They walked in different melodies, yet the elegance covered the distance and difference, uniting them into a perfect pair. At least, in the eyes of most of the guests.

The two stopped at the center of the hall, facing everyone.

"It was such a pleasant feeling to see your faces today, in this day blessed with greatness, everyone." Gyllena smiled lightly, greeting them. "As most of you might know, today is the day my engagement with Lord Jahreon become official."

Gyllena and Jahreon alternatedly tell the crowd about their engagement, pretending that it was the greatest thing they ever had in their lives. Some of the ladies even started to cry after they heard their stories.

Once they finished with the greeting and the briefing, the melody changed. The slow, gentle orchestra became louder, more romantical. Jahreon and Gyllena looked at each other. False, but sweet smiles on their faces as they began to dance along with the melody.

Which was the sign that the party had now begun.

Some of the guests followed their example, taking their respective partners hands to a slow, gentle dance. While some were just standing at the side, admiring others when they were dancing. There were also those who buried themselves into the dishes—of course, in such a way that met the ethic codes.

Among the ones who were standing by the side, Lideon Fallburn sat on a chair with a cup of wine in his hand, his eyes staring at the pairs who were dancing at the center with envy. His mind drifted back to two days ago, back when he was asking Raffassa to visit the engagement party with him.

He sighed, his shoulders and back lowered. "Why did you reject me, Raffassa?" He muttered.

Their encounter was coincidental. Unplanned. Different from when Lideon used to approach the girls he found pleasing in his eyes.

She showed her vulnerable side, her unguarded giggle, her lovely, wide eyes. By the time he realized it, he had already fallen for her. His first love.

He sipped his wine, before he sighed again. "I thought we were already close to each other..."

Lideon was too drowned in his mind that he didn’t notice that someone was approaching him. He only noticed her presence once she was right before him, just 2 meters away.

Slowly, he raised his head. The moment his eyes met those same scarlet pupils, he froze.

"Long time no see, Brother... Or Lideon."

It was Tizmilly. Tizmilly in her maid uniform. Her fingers were trembling, but she held them with the other fingers, setting them gracefully right before her belly.

She smiled. A sweet, challenging smile. "So you really came. I had already thought so after I heard that the head of the Fallburn Family was also invited into this party."

Lideon frowned, glaring at her. His frown only deepened when he saw what she was wearing at the moment. "You... What are you doing here? And why did you wear such clothes?" He inquired her.

But Tizmilly didn’t respond. She kept her smile when she turned toward the door that was leading to the yard. "I have something to talk with you, Lideon. Follow me."

She didn’t wait for Lideon’s response. After she said that, she immediately walked toward the door. After a while, she had already exited the hall.

Lideon gritted his teeth. He hesitated, wondering how could Tizmilly became so straightforward and even... Rude to him. She had never dared to act this way before.

But maybe because it was he was currently having a problem with Raffassa, in the end, he decided to follow Tizmilly. He wanted to vent his frustation to her.

At the yard, Lideon found Tizmilly. She stood there with her back facing him, her front facing the small flower field. She touched the yet-to-be-bloom flowers with her fingers, feeling their textures with her skin. The snow didn’t rain today. However, the white color still dominated the place.

Lideon was about to open his mouth, but Tizmilly was faster. "Looking at the snow reminds me of that day."

She then turned around. "That day when you gave me a young rose, with its newly formed bud."

Lideon frowned. He was wondering why she was suddenly talking about the past. He gritted his teeth, barked. "You said you wanted to talk about something with me, right? Then say it, why talking about something irrelevant?"

Tizmilly smiled, a soft sigh escaped from her lips.

"Yes, indeed." She nodded. "That’s irrelevant. That’s right."

"However," Tizmilly said, pointing her finger toward Lideon. "I can’t help but thinking. Is the man I am currently facing is the same man I called brother, or not?"

Her words seemed to annoy him. Clicking his tongue, Lideon turned toward the door. ’What a waste of time,’ he thought. Not only he failed to vent his frustation, he also had to hear her non sense words.

"Lideon."

But then Tizmilly called him again. Which, for some reason, succeeded in stopping him.

Lideon felt that something was wrong with him. Not magically. Not physically. Not even mentally. But with something deeper inside him. Something that rejected, or hated, the way Tizmilly called him now. His face hardened, he looked at her again.

Tizmilly sighed. "Do you really believe in that girl?" She asked him.

She didn’t mention the name, but Lideon could immediately know who was the girl she was talking about.

"Of course!" He replied without hesitation.

"I see," Tizmilly said, nodding her head. She then sighed again. "Unfortunately, she was deceiving you, Lideon."

That was the breaking point. Lideon immediately raised his palm, swinging his hand toward her face.

However, his slap didn’t met her left cheek.

Tizmilly caught his wrist before it could.

Lideon fummed, glaring at her. "You—" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Calm down." Tizmilly flatly interrupted him, which shocked him.

He stared at her wide-eyedly, stunned. As if looking at a stranger.

Tizmilly felt the strength left his hand, so she let his wrist go.

With her sharp eyes, she looked straight at his eyes. Theo’s words in her mind.

"Listen to me, Lideon. It’s important. If you don’t want your Family to fall apart."