Other heirs and Alexis getting schooled by his friends.

.

.

.

I settled into my seat, comfortable yet not a single nod from Levi was making me jittery. Levina is sharp, professional, and formidable in her own right, exactly the kind of person to crave her own path in this world and it only helps that she is the heir to HOUSE SILVERINE is a bonus.

Her fan following is only second to Sophia.

But beneath that rigid exterior, she is always someone who values her friends and family. Sure she is a kuudere type still she didn’t even wave.

s she angry that I didn’t call her… Maybe that’s it, I’ve pretty much ghosted everyone due to continuous training for the past few months… It seems like I would have to make up to them

Before the car door closed, I decided to break the silence anyway.

“So, Levi,” I began, adjusting my coat and keeping my voice calm, “is it always this stiff with you? Or do you save your more laid-back side for special occasions? I mean I’m kinda missing old-Levi”

She turned, her silver eyes narrowing slightly, though her expression remained calm. “I represent HOUSE SILVERINE, Sir Alexis. Formality is required when you’re the face of the family. Personalities can’t cloud duty.”

“Fair enough,” I said with a nod, but I couldn’t resist pushing a little further. “Still, I imagine you would be a little kinder to a friend you haven’t seen in a long time”

Levina’s posture remained perfect, hands clasped behind her back. “Off duty, I still have responsibilities. But,” she paused for a moment, the barest hint of a smile forming at the corner of her lips, “you might see a different side at the auction. Though, I wouldn’t expect too much of a change after all I’m not someone to ghost…”

I smiled back awkwardly, as she continued, “Though if I were you I would make sure to prepare some apologies speech, Some are not gonna let you off this easily”

F**k I’m screwed… Haa Fine I’ll apologize to them all

“I’ll keep that in mind. Looking forward to seeing you there and Levi forgive me for that I’ll make it up to you…Till then”

She gave me a polite nod, stepping back to let the door close, I could see her trying her best not to grin, her expression, quickly returning to its usual no-nonsense mask.

“Enjoy your stay, Lexi. I’ll see you at the auction.”

As the car pulled away, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly to myself. She might be strict, but at least she is practical and god I hope Sophie understands.

And it seemed like the auction would be the perfect time to learn just how much I’m screwed.

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Levina Inge Silverine POV

Levina watched the car pull away, her silver eyes tracking it until it was just a speck in the distance. She remained as still as a statue, the sharp wind ruffling her silver hair. Despite her calm exterior, her thoughts were a storm.

Lexi… he has changed a lot… seems mature though, she mused, her mind swirling around the brief conversation they’d had.

The teasing smile, the casual tone things she hadn’t experienced in months also there was something that unsettled her. His karmic threads were a mess and so was his order.

Levina the heir of HOUSE SILVERINE had her own fair share of troubles and burdens to excel. Her House is known as the ORDER KEEPERS. Her house origin-art Weight of Scales although her mastery is still low she could now see karmic threads of any living beings, their order and chaos yet Lexi’s were all mixed up in a mess.

Huu, Nevermind I’ll ask Mother to look into it… if it was that concerning I refuse to believe Lady Artoria would not have intervened..

She was angry, though she wouldn’t admit it. Not to herself, not to him. But his silence, the fact that he’d ghosted everyone, left a bitter taste. However, one thing that did surprise her was his willingness to apologize and she could tell his thoughts were genuine.

One more thing that has changed about him… He was prideful to core arrogant, too arrogant in front of others… something happened

“You’re frowning, Lady Levina,” one of her attendants, Cyrus, her knight and guide, observed quietly from beside her.

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She blinked, realizing her expression had softened without her noticing. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Levina straightened her posture, her no-nonsense mask falling back into place.

“I’m not frowning,” she replied coolly, stepping away from the airstrip, her heels clicking sharply on the pavement.

“It was my first time meeting The ABSOLUTE. It was crazy my lady. I still can’t stop myself from shaking..” Mari, her secretary, offered with a half-smile.

Cyrus placed a hand on Mari’s arm and channeled his Virtues to calm not only her but other guards as they basked in his aura their bodies calmed.

“That happens to everyone, be proud you all stood in her presence without faltering… for there is no one in the world that could stand up to her and not be flustered!”

Cyrus after calming down the guards and giving out orders turned back to his lady and asked Alexis seemed… flustered, "My Lady Did he say something amusing?”

Levina’s lips twitched. “He’s always flustered. But no, nothing amusing.”

She paused for a moment, her eyes scanning the horizon where Alexis had disappeared. “Though… he did mention apologies.”

Maris raised an eyebrow. “Apologies?”

Levina’s voice was as calm as ever. “It seems he realizes how much trouble he’s in and I’m glad he has become a lot mature in just under a year since I last saw him”

Cyrus chuckled softly. “Then I reckon, Lady Celeste won’t be kind to him…”

“No,” Levina agreed, her mind drifting to their group. “None of us will, a little punishment but that could wait…let’s move, Aurum Auction starts in a few hours” There was a trace of warmth in her tone, though, a subtle fondness beneath the words.

She started walking again, her entourage falling in step. As they neared the estate, Cyrus leaned in slightly. “Although HOUSE DRAKESIER power scaling is difficult to comprehend It seemed like he has gotten stronger, a lot stronger ”

Levina gave a rare, faint smile. “Perhaps,” she said quietly. “Though, for now, I’ll let him sweat it out.”

Her thoughts turned back to Alexis as she climbed the steps to her estate.

His carefree attitude had always been part of his charm, but this time, he’d have to face the consequences of disappearing without a word. Best of all she could leave all that to Sophia.

Yet, despite her irritation, Levina knew one thing for certain, It’s good to have him back.

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Alexis POV, Silvers Auction House - Aurum Auction

I hung my head low, my knees firmly planted on the plush carpet of the VIP room. This was it. The reckoning.

Damn..it’s been 10 mins already…how come Sophia is considered Holy yet now she looks nothing sort of a demon…

Sophia paced back and forth in front of me, hands on her hips, her piercing green eyes boring into me like she was trying to melt me down with sheer willpower.

"Do you know how long you’ve been gone, Lexi? Months! And not even a single word? Seriously, what were you thinking?"

“No answer to calls, not even a single message drop, all we got was your cheeky voicemail… You know how irritating that is..”

"I… wasn't," I mumbled, nodding along as if that would lessen the storm. ‘That’s the whole point of voice mail’

Sophia flicked a finger against my forehead, not hard, but enough to sting. "Exactly! You weren't thinking."

Behind her, Victor leaned back on the plush couch, arms crossed and a smirk plastered on his face. "It’s not just about thinking, Lexi. It’s about basic courtesy. A ‘hey, I’m alive’ message wouldn’t have killed you."

I nodded. "I know, I know. I’m sorry."

f*ck they are taking turns…

Sophia stopped pacing, leaning down with her face just inches from mine. "Sorry’s not good enough!" she declared with exaggerated drama, though I could see the corner of her lips twitching.

"Do you know how much work I've had to put into keeping everyone updated, making excuses for your vanishing act? Ugh, I swear, you better owe me big time for this."

I grimaced. "I do. Big time. I’ll uh, buy you a nice artifact from the auction?"

Victor snorted. "Oh yeah, because buying things is what’ll solve all your problems and like we don’t have money…"

"Please," Levina interjected, her voice sharp but not without a hint of amusement. She was sitting elegantly on the armrest of the couch, her arms folded. "If artifacts could solve problems, we’d have a much easier time. But no, this is about something much more precious."

"Communication," Zhao Yu chimed in from the corner, looking up from her tablet, where she had been half-listening, half-scrolling through the auction items. "You know, talking to people? Letting them know you’re alive?"

"Thanks, Yu-Yu," I muttered. “I needed that reminder.”

She smiled slightly, unbothered by my sarcasm. "Just making sure."

Sophia crossed her arms and stood tall in front of me, her scolding still going strong. "And do you realize how worried we were? I mean, Levina was the most worried… she even planned to see where you holed yourself up"

Levina’s silver eyes flickered towards me, a hint of panic at the mention. "I was not that much worried Sophia, you are exaggerating," she said, her tone deadpan.

"Consider this my formal apology tour," I said, half-joking, half-desperate.

Sophia huffed, finally stepping back a little. "It better be. You disappeared without so much as a message, and we’re supposed to just… what? Wait around for you to grace us with your presence again?"

I sighed, my head still low. "I know, I messed up. I should’ve checked in. I got caught up in everything the training, the pressure, and I didn’t think about how it would affect you all."

"Training," Victor said with a raised eyebrow. "We all have training, Lexi. You’re not the only one under pressure. But we don’t vanish for months without a word."

I winced at the truth of it. "You're right. I should’ve been better."

Well I almost died so many times in training not to mention all the demonic stuff Mom makes me do

Sophia leaned over me again, less angry this time and more exasperated. "You're damn right, you should’ve. And guess what? You’re not getting off that easily."

I looked up cautiously. "What… does that mean?"

"It means," Levina said, her voice steady, "we expect a proper apology. And maybe you’ll have to make up for it during the auction or at the GALA your choice"

"Yep," Victor added with a grin. "I think you owe us a few drinks and maybe a nice artifact or two made by you."

"I’ll take care of it," I said quickly, eager to dig myself out of this pit.

Zhao Yu smirked, cracking her knuckles. "Good. Just remember, Lexi this is your one free pass. If you vanish again without telling us, there’ll be consequences."

Sophia crossed her arms and gave me a long look before she finally sighed. "Okay, okay, enough with the scolding." She offered her hand to help me up. "We’re glad you’re back, idiot. But next time… don't make us worry like that."

I took her hand gratefully, standing up with a sheepish grin. "Deal. I won’t make the same mistake twice."

Levina gave a small nod of approval, Zhao Yu went back to her tablet, and Victor stretched out like he hadn’t just been enjoying watching me squirm.

As I dusted off my knees, Sophia looked around at the group, her usual smile returning. "Alright, now that we've got that out of the way… let’s make sure we get the best stuff at this auction, shall we?"

Everyone nodded, the tension lifting as quickly as it had come, and I found myself grinning.

I might’ve been scolded to hell and back, but there was no mistaking the fact that it was good to be back with them again.

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