That evening.
“Rohan.”
Chase returned to the mansion and immediately looked for Rohan.
“You called for me, Master?”
Rohan greeted his master, who left early in the morning and returned late in the evening.
Seeing the cases still in the hands of the attendants standing beside him, Rohan could guess that the gifting attempt failed.
“Find a good restaurant with a nice atmosphere in Smactor shopping district, now.”
“…At this hour, sir?”
Rohan glanced at the grand and ornate clock on the wall.
It was 8 PM, and most restaurants would be nearing closing time.
“Immediately.”
Chase furrowed his brow slightly, displeased with Rohan’s hesitation.
“Yes, understood.”
Rohan had no choice but to move.
He was muttering complaints about his master under his breath.
Less than 30 minutes later, Rohan entered Chase’s study.
“Have you found one?”
Chase, who had been reviewing documents, removed his glasses as he greeted Rohan.
“Yes. There are three restaurants near the Smactor shopping district known for their atmosphere and cuisine.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“First, Bibi Restaurant is located just a two-minute walk from the shopping district. Their seafood dishes are renowned, and the newly opened interior is clean and modern.”
“Continue.”
“The second, Verdure Restaurant, is about a five-minute walk from the marketplace. It’s a traditional beef restaurant famous for its steak. Its most notable feature is the use of illusion magic to adjust the scenery outside the windows, making it popular with customers.”
Rohan gave a thorough briefing of what he’d learned.
With skilled technique, without a single slip of the tongue, and with clear pronunciation.
“Lastly, Lasenne is located right next to Verdure. Its specialty is health-focused, vegetarian-themed courses, with a slogan emphasizing ‘Healthy Dining’.”
For such a short time frame, Rohan’s information was impressively detailed and accurate.
“Well done.”
“You flatter me.”
Chase, impressed by Rohan’s reliability, pondered over his options.
Tomorrow, after visiting the Smactor shopping district, he would need to choose a restaurant where he and Wilhazelle could dine.
Even though Raphel would be accompanying them, this outing was technically their first official date.
He couldn’t afford to fail. The food had to be to her liking…
“I should have asked her what her favorite dishes are…”
As Chase was silently regretting…
“For your reference, Miss Wilhazelle avoided bell peppers during her stay at the mansion.”
Rohan hinted with a confident expression.
Chase’s instruction to find a nice restaurant was clearly for a date, and it was obvious that the date would be with Miss Wilhazelle.
Knowing her preferences would dictate the choice, Rohan took it upon himself to visit the chef.
He went to ask about any foods she disliked during her time at the mansion.
“Well done.”
Chase smiled faintly, as if Rohan’s report hit the mark.
Rohan, proud of his achievement, beamed.
“Then, it seems the options are between Bibi and Verdure restaurants.”
The choices were narrowed to two.
Since Wilhazelle didn’t seem to favor vegetarian cuisine, seafood or beef dishes were the best options.
“A place with a children’s playroom would be ideal.”
“…A playroom, sir?”
“Yes, since Raphel will be coming along as well.”
Since bringing Raphel was unavoidable, Chase planned to leave him in the playroom so he could spend time alone with Wilhazelle.
“Neither of the two restaurants has a playroom, sir. I apologize.”
Rohan sounded discouraged.
Despite his meticulous research into Wilhazelle’s food preferences, the playroom issue had completely escaped his thoughts.
“It doesn’t matter. Reserve both.”
Not knowing Wilhazelle’s exact preferences, Chase decided to book both restaurants.
They could go to the one that suited her taste tomorrow.
“Will three seats be okay?”
“No. Reserve the entire restaurant.”
“Pardon?”
“And make sure both places have playrooms by tomorrow.”
Chase spoke as if this was a trivial matter. If the restaurants didn’t have playrooms, they could simply make them.
“Excuse me?!”
Rohan’s eyes widened.
He thought he’d misheard.
Who books two entire restaurants just because they’re unsure of a date’s food preferences?
And who demands the immediate construction of playrooms on top of that? It was going to be another late night for Rohan.
“Leave.”
Chase, signaling that the conversation was over, put his glasses back on and returned his attention to the documents.
“Yes… understood.”
With heavy steps, Rohan left the study.
In the now-silent room, Chase turned the pages of his documents, his eyes landing on the two cases beside him.
They contained the jewels he had taken to the baron’s estate as gifts but were returned to him.
Opening the cases, Chase inspected the jewels, his gaze settling on one.
What caught his attention was a pink diamond.
The transparent diamond with a light pink tint reminded him of Lizelle’s cheeks.
As he held up the diamond, he imagined it set in a wedding ring on Wilhazelle’s finger.
The image of her smiling softly with the ring suited her perfectly, even in his imagination.
At the same time, he recalled how she held his hand in front of the baron and his wife earlier.
A faint smile spread across his lips.
Deciding to use the pink diamond for a wedding ring, Chase returned to reviewing the documents.
One was a report from Commander Shane of the knight’s order.
It detailed the ongoing investigation into the carriage accident. While no progress had been made, the report emphasized their continued efforts.
Raphelion, the sole survivor and key to the case, had no memories of the incident.
Moreover, any attempt to recall them caused him great pain.
Finding the culprit was crucial, but Chase didn’t want to make Raphel suffer either.
For now, he had to rely on the investigation to uncover even the smallest clue.
“Phew…”
Letting out a deep sigh, Chase signed the report.
At that moment—
‘Call me Chase.’
A voice suddenly echoed in his mind, causing his pen to freeze mid-signature.
The voice was unmistakably his own, yet he had no memory of saying such a thing.
‘What is this?’
A look of confusion appeared on his face.
What the heck… In his 24 years of life, he’d never once asked someone to call him by his name.
His mind went back to the whiskey he’d consumed at the baron’s estate and then how everything went black.
He remembered some things here and there from before, but anything after entering the guest room seemed to be cut out with a knife.
‘But she said nothing unusual happened…’
No matter how much he racked his brain, nothing came to mind.
Only that one line lingered faintly in his memory.
Chase couldn’t shake the feeling of unease as he reviewed and signed the paperwork.
* * *
“Are you sure?”
Brax’s face was ice-cold as he listened to the guild members’ report.
The atmosphere was so frigid it seemed as though even raindrops would freeze midair.
“Our apologies…”
The guild members prostrated themselves. They were afraid of who his anger might be directed at.
They reported everything they learned about Hazen’s disappearance while investigating at the duke’s estate.
The reason Hazen lost communication and failed to return was simple—he was dead.
“How dare they.”
Brax’s skin trembled, and veins bulged in his neck as his rage boiled over.
His grip on the wine glass tightened until it shattered with a loud crash.
“M-Master! Are you alright?”
The guild members gasped in shock.
Blood dripped from Brax’s hand, cut by the shards of broken glass. But he didn’t care, clenching his fist even tighter and biting his lip.
How dare the House of Halos touch his people.
“I’ll kill them all.”
“Pardon?”
“The duke, the child—anyone connected to the House of Halos. Leave none alive!”
Enraged, Brax swept everything off the table with one violent motion.
The crashing sound echoed as the items scattered and broke on the floor.
His bloodshot face twisted with fury as he muttered through clenched teeth.
“I’ll slaughter them all, every last one!”
He should have wiped them out long ago.
Every wretched member of the Halos lineage should have been eradicated.
Given the chance, those bastards… They not only took his mother but now even his subordinates.
“Bring me their heads!”
Ever since he had been old enough to understand, Brax’s sole obsession and life’s goal had been vengeance.
“Yes, sir!”
The guild members, trembling in fear of the enraged demon before them, hastily retreated.
Left alone, Brax tore off the mask he had been wearing.
His red eyes, no longer concealed, burned with hatred that had long since surpassed vengeance.
