Kael sensed the messenger bird entering his estate instantly and called for it to deliver the letter to him.

The messenger bird hesitated, mainly because the mail it held had been addressed to Iris, but it could not resist the heavy pull of Kael’s magic.

It landed on Kael’s fingers and handed him the letter.

Kael checked the name and felt surprised to see Iris’s name on the letter.

"Someone sent Iris a letter? I don’t have a good feeling about it. I better check it out."

It was wrong of Kael to check someone else’s mail, but he did not care. It was a matter of his family’s safety, so he decided to make an exception.

[Dear Miss Iris,

I was informed by the delightful council that you are available. As such, I, handsome and overachieving Sir Ridley, would like to offer you my hand. You should feel honored by this.

As such, this is an invitation for you to visit me tomorrow to decide the date for our wedding. There is no need to reply to this letter because I already know you are looking forward to meeting my esteemed self.

Your future husband and master,

Sir Ridley.]

If arrogance had a name, then it was this person. Kael read the letter and instantly burned it.

"There is no need to show Iris this garbage and make her feel like she needs to take care of this situation. The less stressed she feels, the better."

Once the letter was burned, there was no need for Kael to remain in his room anymore. So he decided to head out for breakfast, forgetting that he had even read the letter.

But if only that was the end of the situation.

__________

"Make sure you pick the perfect set of utensils that show off my wealth. Hmm, are my clothes fancy enough? Maybe I need more gold."

Sir Ridley looked at the itinerary he had already prepared for his future bride-to-be and felt a sense of accomplishment.

Everything looked expensive and overwhelming. He was ready to show that he was the best groom in the world because he could provide for his partner.

Now, it was only a matter of waiting. The time of the meeting was fast approaching.

"Has there been any word from my bride-to-be? Is she here yet?"

He asked impatiently, and his servants trembled before shaking their heads.

"S-Sir, we have not seen or even sensed her approaching. A-Are you sure she is coming?"

Sir Ridley felt offended by that response and immediately grabbed a vase to throw at the servant.

Luckily, the servant dodged, but the anger on Sir Ridley’s face remained.

"Are you saying that my bride is going to stand me up? Me? Sir Ridley? The most eligible bachelor in the world? Do you want to die?"

Sir Ridley asked, and his butler decided it was time to step in.

"Sir, it is possible that your bride-to-be never got your letter. Or maybe she is looking for something more...within her range. She used to be an ex-slave, so it is possible she cannot recognize what a magnificent person you are."

The butler spoke in a way that pacified his master, and Sir Ridley immediately calmed down.

"You are right! That foolish girl must not have realized how great a person I am because all she has seen until now is disappointment in her life. I shall go and show her how great I am myself."

"Yes, sir! You surely are the best. Shall I get rid of those who questioned your greatness?"

Sir Ridley decided, and his butler supported his claims by getting rid of his competition.

The butler was just as corrupt as Sir Ridley. Not only did he support Sir Ridley, but he also did his dirty work.

"Sure, take care of it all. I need to get ready again. It’s time I go and bring back my new wife."

__________

’Ah, it is such a calm day. I can finally enjoy my tea in peace and-’

One of Kael’s messenger birds in the nearby town alerted him about the trouble heading his way. That instantly made Kael’s mood shift from calm to annoyed.

He put down his tea and decided to check what was happening, only to see that it was an arrogant old noble causing a fuss.

Kael would not usually have been alerted because of this, but since he was...

"Does this man...have business with me?"

Kael asked while standing up and heading toward the living room.

Another message arrived as soon as he reached the main door.

[Sir Kael, there is a person here to meet Miss Iris. Should I escort them to your mansion?]

Kael had left some of his human-shaped familiars in the town for this purpose, but he did not expect to ever use them.

The only people who had ever sought him out in his past lives were the other members of the tower and the temple’s priests. But Kael also preferred to go to them rather than allow them into his estate.

As for this arrogant noble, Kael had never seen him before, but he could narrow down the possibilities.

Moreover, since Iris had been mentioned, a familiar name jumped to the forefront of his mind.

"Is that Sir Ridley? Tsk, he looks even older than I imagined. I should head out to meet him and firmly tell him that Iris does not want to have anything to do with him."

Kael had no intention of ever blocking Iris’s way if she fell in love with someone. But that did not mean he could not block creeps for her.

And this man looked like a certified creep in his eyes.

Kael headed out into town and immediately went toward the place where his messenger was.

The tavern owner bowed in front of him, and that immediately attracted Sir Ridley’s attention.

"Hey, who are you, and why is the tavern owner bowing to you when he did not bow to me? Do you have any idea who I am?"

Sir Ridley asked in a tense voice, and he looked ready to fight Kael. But his butler recognized Kael and immediately stopped his master.

"Young Master, stop! This person... He’s Grand Master Kael. It won’t be good for you to offend him."

At least someone in Sir Ridley’s party had a brain.