The man who burst through the door and interrupted my meeting with the Emperor looked like a taller, more muscular version of the Emperor. They shared many of the same features, including their golden hair and golden eyes, though this man lacked a beard. He also lacked the same imposing presence. Perhaps it was the lack of divine power, but I didn’t feel the same wariness and respect for him that I felt for the Emperor.

Still, this man wasn’t weak. He had the mana signature of an Aura Expert. Taken together with his status as a member of House Reichwald, this man wasn’t someone I could take lightly. If this were the Barrens, he wouldn’t be much of a threat. However, this wasn’t the Barrens. This was Haven, the imperial capital. I needed to be careful.

“Father!” The man said, marching up to us with a scowl on his face. He ignored my presence altogether. “What is the meaning of this? I demand that Sir Alwin be released!”

Ah, so this was Prince Cornelius. I hated him already. Not only was he a threat to Leopold, but he treated House Kaltbrand with contempt. Insults against me as a person didn’t bother me in the slightest. However, I would not tolerate insults against my family.

“Cornelius,” the Emperor said in a quiet voice. Despite this, his words carried throughout the entire balcony. “Mind yourself.”

Prince Cornelius, realizing his mistake, took a step back and bowed to the Emperor.

“I apologize, Father.” He said. “I was so incensed by what happened that I forgot my manners for a moment. Please forgive me.”

The Emperor eyed Prince Cornelius, his displeasure evident.

“You’ll need to learn how to control your emotions if you ever hope to become emperor.” He said in a cold voice. “I shall forgive you this time. However, if you ever treat me with such disrespect again, I won’t be so lenient.”

Prince Cornelius flinched at that, before raising up from his bow.

“Yes, Father.”

The Emperor gestured to me.

“Lord Wulfe, this is my son, Prince Cornelius Reichwald.” He said. “Cornelius, this is Lord Wulfe, the heir to House Kaltbrand.”

I stood up.

“I greet you, Prince Cornelius Reichwald.” I said with a bow.

“Lord Wulfe.” He said, without even a nod in return.

The tension in the air between was thick enough to cut with a knife. I decided to leave rather than stay and get caught up in something annoying. The last thing I needed was to get into an argument with Prince Cornelius.

“You and your son no doubt have much to discuss, Your Imperial Majesty.” I said. “With your permission, I shall take my leave.”

The Emperor nodded at me. I made to leave the balcony.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Prince Cornelius demanded. “One of my knights is in the dungeons because of you. How dare you? Are you looking down upon the imperial family just because you’re a Kaltbrand now?”

I gave Prince Cornelius a flat look.

“I am showing you the same amount of respect you showed me, Your Highness.” I said. “And Sir Alwin’s incarceration is the result of his own actions, not mine.”

With that, I turned to leave.

“Insolent cur!”

Prince Cornelius reached over to grab my arm.

“Cornelius!” The Emperor said. “Enough.”

Prince Cornelius stopped in place, though he shook with anger. He glared at me with venom in his eyes. When Mom and Dad told me that House Kaltbrand would attend this year’s social season, I expected the scions of House Reichwald to try and sway us into supporting them. It seemed I was wrong, at least when it came to Prince Cornelius. Did he not think he needed House Kaltbrand’s support? Or was I the problem? Maybe he would have treated Dad differently. Regardless, it was clear that Prince Cornelius wasn’t an ally of House Kaltbrand.

“Sit down.” The Emperor said.

Prince Cornelius let out a deep breath, before walking past me to sit down. When we brushed against one another, he tried to shove me with his shoulder. However, his attempt failed and he ended up stumbling. I shook my head, before leaving the balcony. Knight Commander Bennett, who remained outside, gave me an apologetic look as I passed by him. Sir Kane fell in behind me as I made my way out of the imperial palace.

When I first saw Prince Cornelius, I thought that I would have to be careful around him because of his status. However, now I had another reason to be wary of him. The man was a rabid dog. If he was willing to treat me and House Kaltbrand with such disrespect now, it would only grow worse if he became emperor. I could not let that happen. Besides, Prince Cornelius wanted to kill Leopold. That alone was enough to turn me against him.

As I made my way out of the imperial palace, I found a young man waiting for me just beyond the hallway that led to the balcony. He looked similar to Prince Cornelius, but thinner and with softer features. A smirk adorned his face. According to his mana signature, this man was a magician; a Sage to be exact. With that in mind, it wasn’t difficult to figure out his identity.

It seemed that today was my day to meet imperials. When I first saw him, he was leaning against a wall. However, as I approached, he stood up straight. I stopped and bowed when I reached his position.

“I greet you, Prince Jeremias Reichwald.” I said.

He gave me a nod in return.

“I greet you, Lord Wulfe Kaltbrand.” Prince Jeremias said.

Despite his respectful tone, he continued to smirk. It was as if the world were a joke, and he was the only one who understood that.

“To what do I owe this honor?” I asked.

Prince Jeremias’ smirk widened.

“Oh, no particular reason.” He said. “I just wanted to meet the man who caused such a stir in high society. From orphan to Guld, and from Guld to Kaltbrand. You’ve had quite the journey, Lord Wulfe.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“That’s it?” I asked.

I assumed he wanted more from me. Maybe I was thinking too highly of myself.

“For now.” Prince Jeremias said. “You have a special guest waiting for you, and I don’t want to anger him by delaying your departure. We can have a more in depth conversation at a later date.”

Special guest? Who did he mean by that? However, before I could ask, Prince Jeremias continued speaking.

“Besides,” he said, “I knew that Cornelius would put on a show and make an ass of himself when I heard that you were coming to the imperial palace. Everyone knows that you are friends with Leopold, who Cornelius despises the most.”

Ah, so that was it. Viewed in that context, Prince Cornelius’ actions made sense. He assumed that I was already his enemy, and therefore didn’t bother trying to befriend me.

“I, on the other hand, know that your relationship with Leopold is a bit more complicated.” Prince Jeremias continued. “So, unlike my brother, I don’t plan on prematurely burning bridges.”

“I see.” I said in a neutral tone.

Prince Jeremias’ smirk widened.

“In any case, you have a good day, Lord Wulfe.” He said, before turning to leave.

“Wait, Your Highness.” I said. “Who is this special guest you mentioned?”

Prince Jeremias continued walking away.

“You’ll see.” He said without turning back.

I stared at him as he left. Soon, he turned a corner and was out of sight. What a strange fellow. Thanks to that perpetual smirk of his, I found it difficult to get a read on Prince Jeremias. At the moment, he wasn’t an enemy. However, that didn’t mean he was a friend. I needed to be careful of him, though not for the same reasons why I needed to be careful of Prince Cornelius.

I shook my head and continued making my way out of the imperial palace. At this point, my patience had reached its limit and I didn’t know if I could handle meeting another member of House Reichwald. I found it ironic that talking with the Emperor stressed me out the least, when I expected the worst from him.

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To my dismay, I found another man waiting near the exit to the imperial palace. He was turned away from me, so I didn’t see his face at first. My heart sank, since this man had blonde hair and I thought he was another member of House Reichwald. However, I froze when I took a closer look at him and realized that he seemed familiar.

I must have made a sound, because the man turned towards me. My breath caught in my throat when I saw his face. It had been three years since we last saw each other, but I recognized him right away. He was a handsome man, with strong features that gave him a dashing air. Like Lina, he had sun-kissed skin and vibrant green eyes.

Duke Karl Guld, the head of House Guld and my adopted father.

When we caught sight of one another, the two of us stopped and stared at each other for several long moments. A myriad of emotions filled me. Joy, sorrow, panic, and more. I froze, unsure of what to say or do. From the look on his face, Father felt the same way.

A part of me wanted to run away. What if he rejected me? What if I had been nothing more than a substitute for his real son? Worse, what if he thought of me as his son but no longer wanted me now that I was a Kaltbrand? All these thoughts buzzed around my head in an endless loop.

Father ended our impasse when he gave me a soft smile.

“Hello, son.” He said. “It’s been a while.”

With those words, Father put to rest my greatest fears. Relief overwhelmed me, and it took me a moment to regain my composure.

“Hello, Father.” I said, my voice calm and even despite my emotional turmoil.

He nodded towards the exit.

“Let’s go.” He said. “The others are waiting for us back at the townhouse.”

I blinked at him.

“What?” I asked.

Father raised an eyebrow at me.

“When you sent a message saying that you would be late because the Emperor had summoned you to the imperial palace,” he said, “I decided to come as well, in case you needed a rescue. As a duke, I am allowed to come and go from the imperial palace as I please.” His smile took on an edge. “I also didn’t want to give you the chance to run away again, in case you got cold feet.”

I flushed with embarrassment.

“That’s not fair.” I protested. “I wasn’t going to run away this time.”

Father’s smile grew even sharper. The sight of it filled me with dread. Father only wore that smile when he was angry. The last time I saw it was when I got into a fight with Sieg and gave him two black eyes. Father confined me to my rooms for a month afterwards.

“Well, I didn’t know that for sure, did I?” He asked. “After all, I never expected you to run away the first time.”

Guilt stabbed me in the heart like a dagger.

“Father, I-…” I started to say, but Father held up a hand to stop me.

“Not here.” He said.

I looked around and realized that we were still near the exit to the imperial palace. Not the ideal place to hold this particular conversation.

“Let me send my carriage back to Kaltbrand Manor first.” I said. “Then I’ll join you.”

“Let’s go together.” Father said in a faux cheerful voice. “I need the exercise.”

I resisted the urge to sigh.

----------------------------------------

Several minutes later, I found myself in a House Guld carriage with Father as the two of us headed towards the House Guld townhouse in Haven. Sir Kane rode with the coachman, to give us some privacy. An awkwardness filled the air, one so thick that it felt suffocating. I didn’t know what to say.

Not because I lacked anything to say. Quite the opposite in fact. There was so much that I wanted to tell Father, that they all got in the way of one another. I tried distracting myself by staring out the window and watching as the scenery passed by, but that didn’t help. In the end, I decided to grit my teeth and get things over with.

“I’m sorry.” I said.

Father raised an eyebrow at that.

“I’m sorry for running away for three years without saying anything.” I continued. “And I’m sorry that I haven’t contacted you since then.”

I looked down at my hands, which I clenched so hard that my knuckles turned white.

“Wulfram,” Father said with a sigh, “I’m not angry-…” He paused. “No. That’s a lie. I am angry, and so is your mother. Do you know how worried we were when we first discovered that you were gone? We had just reunited with one son, only to lose another. If Lina hadn’t told us that you were fine and in contact with her, we would never have stopped looking for you. What were you thinking?”

I flinched. He was right. I was so wrapped up in my own problems, that I failed to consider how my actions affected the rest of my family.

“However, I’m angrier at myself.” Father said, his voice laced with pain. “Angry, and disappointed. I’m sorry Wulfram, for everything.”

My eyes snapped to Father when he said this. He wore a pained expression on his face.

“What?” I said. “No! You have nothing to apologize for.”

“Yes,” Father said, “I do. You endured Baroness Lafrenz’s abuse right under my nose, and I never even noticed. None of us did. As the one who brought you into House Guld, it was my responsibility to look after you. I failed.”

I shook my head.

“I should have trusted you and Mother.” I said. “If I had told you, then things would have turned out differently.”

Father gave me a sad smile.

“No,” he said, “Don’t try to make it your fault. If I had been a better father to you, a more reliable one, then maybe you would have trusted me enough to tell me. I-…”

I reached over and grabbed one of Father’s hands, holding it in my own.

“Don’t disparage yourself like that, Father.” I said, trying to convey my sincerity as best I could. “You were a great father. You still are. I am the man I am today because of you and Mother. You took me from that orphanage and brought me into a warm and loving home. I will forever be grateful to you for that.”

Father stared at me with wide eyes, before he smiled and wiped his eyes with his free hand.

“How about we agree that we both made mistakes?” He asked, his voice thick with emotion.

I smiled back and nodded, before letting go of his hands.

“Besides,” Father continued, expression hardening, “The one truly at fault was Baroness Lafrenz. How could she do that to you? Your mother and I adopted you because we wanted to, not because you were a substitute for Emmerich. What was she thinking?”

I shook my head.

“It doesn’t matter.” I said. “Lina told me that she already punished Baroness Lafrenz for her sins.”

“I’m beginning to think that we were too lenient with her.” Father muttered under his breath.

Kicking Baroness Lafrenz out of Guld Manor in disgrace and cutting out her tongue was too lenient?

“But you’re right.” Father shook his head. “I’d rather talk about you than her.” He grinned. “So, you’re a Kaltbrand?”

I stiffened.

“Yes.” I said, giving Father a wary look. “Is that a problem?”

Father looked thoughtful for a moment, before shaking his head.

“No.” He said. “House Kaltbrand is second only to the imperial family in terms of power and influence.” He frowned. “Grand Duke Kaltbrand and I aren’t on good terms, but that’s because we haven’t interacted much. He spends most of his time in the Barrens, and only comes to Haven when the Emperor summons him. It’s hard to befriend someone like that.”

I nodded in acquiescence.

“Fair enough.” I said. “Dad can be… brusque at times.”

Father blinked at me in surprise.

“‘Dad?’” He asked, sounding upset.

“Well, yes. You’re Father, and he’s Dad.” I sighed. “I know that it might upset you, since you and Mother are the ones who raised me, but he is my birth father. I can’t just address him as Grand Duke Kaltbrand.”

Father shook his head.

“That’s not what I’m upset about,” he said. “Why are you casual with him and formal with me?”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“That’s what you’re upset about?” I asked, incredulous.

“Yes!” Father said. “You should call me ‘Dad’. I’m far more fun than that dour beast of a man.”

I sighed in exasperation. Part of this was an act on Father’s part, to ease any lingering tension or fear, but I knew that he meant what he said.

“No.” I said. “I’m not calling you ‘Dad’.” I scrunched up my face. “It would be… strange to call you that.”

Father opened his mouth to reply, but the carriage lurched to a stop at that moment. I went on alert and prepared for the worst. Father’s expression turned serious. He opened a little window, which allowed him to speak with the coachman.

“What’s wrong?” He demanded. “Why did we stop?”

“We’re surrounded by magicians from the Tower of Magic, Your Grace,” the coachman said in a calm voice.

I looked outside the carriage window and realized that he was right. Several magicians, who all wore black robes with silver stars on them, surrounded the carriage. That was the official uniform of the Tower of Magic. The number of stars a tower magician had on their robe depended on how powerful they were, which often correlated with their rank within the Tower of Magic. Initiates had one star, Adepts had two, Sages had three, and Grand Sages had four. The Tower Master, the leader of the Tower of Magic, had five stars. I had been so immersed in my conversation with Father that I failed to notice them sneak up on us.

“Oh, them.” Father said, sounding relieved. “For a moment there, I thought it was something serious.”

I blinked at him in surprise.

“You expected this?” I asked.

Father shrugged and opened his mouth to respond, but then I heard a man shout.

“Duke Guld!” The man yelled. “Come out here! Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be!”

Father ignored him.

“I’ve been in negotiations with the Tower of Magic regarding the sale of magic tools within the Riverlands.” He said to me instead. “As you can tell, things aren’t going well. Normally I would have Emmerich act as an intermediary, but he is in the Mistwood on a sabbatical right now.”

I almost said that no, Emmerich Guld wasn’t in the Mistwood, but decided against it.

“It’s gotten to the point where the Tower of Magic has tried to kidnap me on several occasions in order to enforce their demands.” Father grinned. “They haven’t succeeded so far.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“Why haven’t you asked the Emperor to intercede on your behalf?”

Father scoffed.

“Why would I do that?” He said. “I’m having far too much fun.” He shrugged. “Besides, the Tower of Magic is protected by the Pact, so there is little the Emperor can do.”

Oh, right. I had forgotten about that. House Kaltbrand weren’t the only ones who enjoyed special rights and privileges from the Pact. The Tower of Magic, as well as the Church of Light and Darkness, also benefited from it.

“Duke Guld!” The man from before yelled. “Exit the carriage now! Otherwise, we’ll drag you out ourselves.”

My expression hardened.

“May I deal with them?” I asked. “House Kaltbrand is also protected by the Pact, so that won’t be a problem. Besides, I have a lot of pent up frustration that I need to work out. I encountered Prince Cornelius at the imperial palace.”

Father gave me a sympathetic look.

“I was going to deal with them myself, but by all means, be my guest.” He opened a secret compartment and pulled out a sheathed sword. “Here, take this.”

I took the blade and grinned at Father, before I exited the carriage.