"Now, remember. A ball is an event especially catered for nobles. It is not solely for fun but for building connections. CONNECTIONS," a man in his thirties said as he wrote on the board using chalk.

Samael could only sigh as he watched the lecture. This was part of his preparations for the Serenity Ball, and this instructor was forced upon him by Icarius.

No matter how much Samael tried to dodge it, the man was simply too cunning to avoid.

"Our lessons will be as follows: we'll take history lessons about nobles, their families, and even their factions. At noon, we'll learn proper etiquette, and when night falls, we'll learn to dance," the man who goes by the name Dominic said.

"Just so you know, I'm not planning to give up on your lessons because this is the Serenity Ball we're talking about. The biggest event that occurs once in a year!" Dominic roared with passion burning in his pupils.

"I know; you don't have to emphasise it," Samael said in exasperation.

He was a little grumpy, considering Ajax managed to get away safely since he was of noble origin. His main reason is that he already knows all this stuff.

"That's all for today, but before you go, take these books with you and start reading them. We'll have a quiz tomorrow, and I expect flying scores," Dominic said as he gave Samael three thick books.

"You expect me to read all this?" Samael said in disbelief.

"Oh, please, Sir Icarius made sure I knew you're superhuman, so this much should be nothing to you," Dominic said before he excused himself.

Samael released a deep sigh as he leaned back. There were too many things happening at once. This was harder than fighting monsters.

Samael rose to his feet as he took the books, leaving the room as he went for a walk in the garden.

Sitting there, his ears flinched as he heard the whispers of the maids and butlers a few metres from him.

"Did you hear the master's guests are the famous twin shadows? Apparently they travel the world slaying monsters," a maid whispered.

"Twin shadows? I heard they were called the two hounds since they never lose their prey!" The butler interjected.

Losing interest, Samael returned his attention on the books he held when the talk shifted to another topic.

"It feels thrilling that the serenity ball is arriving soon," a maid said.

"Yeah, but rumours are that this year's ball is quite special since the Georgo Road was freed. They say all the Thaesir families will be there along with a few important figures," another maid said.

"That makes sense since master Icarius never really attends these sorts of gatherings, yet he's preparing for them!" A butler said.

Samael's eyes slowly shifted to his left as he expanded his senses even further.

"Have you guys heard about the maiden of roses?" a maid asked.

"Of course! She's literally the hottest topic in the sanctuary right now!" A maid replied.

"Maiden of roses?" A butler asked.

Samael could faintly tell the maids couldn't help but facepalm.

"The Maiden of Rose! A lady of an esteemed family! It has been a year or two since she arrived here and has caused waves in the noble world!" One maid explained.

"Rumour has it that her family is so strong that even the Thaesir families wish to form connections with her! No Thaesir family will ever do that!" A maid said.

"Why maiden of roses, though?" the butler asked.

"Well, those who claim to have seen her say her beauty was otherworldly. It was almost divine!" A maid said.

"It's actually quite ironic considering she is of the demon kind," a maid added.

Samael's brows furrowed.

Demon kind?

It was something he hadn't heard about for years. It was nostalgic.

"I mean, who would have thought that our judgement would be so clouded? Just because they're demons doesn't make them similar to abominations!" A maid said.

A small smile found its way to Samael's lips as he remembered his first encounter with the little demoness and how his worldview changed for the better.

"Her title was actually not just because of her beauty. She is dubbed a maiden because the four Thaesir family heirs have apparently fallen for her!" A maid said as multiple squeals echoed.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"That's got to be a stretch. The four young masters? Fallen for a single girl?" The butler said in scepticism.

"Of course it's hard to believe, but it's what everyone is saying! It's not like we know better!" A maid berated.

"Okay, stop with all the comments and let me finish!" A maid said.

"As for the reason they call her a rose, it's because of how untouchable she is. It's almost like there's a thorn separating her from the rest, like some untouchable treasure!" The maid said.

"Wait, she isn't even interested in the four young masters?" The butler asked in surprise.

"As far as we know, the battle to obtain her heart is still raging on. There's still no confirmed victor since all of them are at stalemate!" A maid answered.

"That's just crazy to believe," the butler said before they walked off.

Processing all this, Samael's eyes glinted as he pieced everything together.

"I think I might just know who my client is," Samael said before he took off.

***

"Master Icarius, young master Samael has come to meet you," Sein said.

"Samael? Let him through," Icarius said as he stopped writing.

With the butlers permission, Samael went in.

"Samael! What bought you here?" Icarius asked.

"Tell me, is my client the maiden of roses?" Samael asked.

Icarius's eyes widened. "So you've already heard about her, huh?" he muttered.

"So is it?" Samael asked.

"Yes, that's one way to call her," Icarius agreed.

"So I'm supposed to protect a girl the four Thaesir heirs are aiming for? You're literally throwing me in a pit full of lions!" Samael said in exasperation.

"It's not like you're going to be another competitor! Your job is to observe and act when needed; there's no need to sweat about it," Icarius said.

Samael could only sigh.

"Now, focus on your practices, as you only have a week before the ball!" Icarius said as he signalled the butler to escort Samael out.

Leaving the premises, Samael decided to take a walk outside as the setting sun cast shadows over the horizon.

Samael wandered aimlessly for some time as he took in the cold night wind, reminiscing about the freezing nights he survived.

Now, this meagre wind was nothing but a tickle to him. But one he welcomes.

After some walking, Samael soon left the aristocratic land and finally entered the bustling town.

Much like its morning atmosphere, the night was far wilder as lights blasted the streets and waves of people swarmed its pathways. Colourful designs littered the establishments while dozens of stalls piled up.

People lingered around as they conversed and ate their fill, their smiles and laughter filling the air with delight.

Blending in with the crowd, Samael bought a few sticks of meat as he took a leisurely stroll.

From his observations, it seems this particular celebration was normal whenever the Serenity Ball neared.

Charters of all kinds echoed in the air, but what really caught Samael's interest was the talk about this Maiden of Rose.

"So who did you bet on?" A man asked.

"Of course the esteemed and gallant Rob Deneiro!" another responded as he chugged down the beer in his large cup.

"Rob? Bah! You must be delusional! Everyone knows it's going to be Lee Sinrage!" Another chimed in.

"Lee? He's still a brat wet behind the ears!" A man said, the scent of liquor emanating from him.

"Shush! Do you want to get your head lopped off?" A woman intervened as she dropped off two more bottles of beer.

"But if you were to ask me, it's definitely Cairo Posh. Call it a woman's intuition," the waitress said as she left.

"Cairo? Eh, I believe the one with the highest chance currently is Eric Donovan. I mean, have you seen how close she's gotten to the Maiden of Rose?" A man said.

"You got a point there." A voice chimed in.

Samael's interest soon faded as the talks drifted to meagre subjects, prompting him to leave.

As he walked around, Samael soon found himself leaving the party and entering dark alleyways.

Soon, he found himself in a depressing place. The slums.

In contrast to the happy and lively party raging on the other side of the sanctuary, the people here were silent and dirty.

The walls were stained with filth, and the place smelled like shit and piss. There were not many lights, and the ground was uneven and rough.

Dozens of people sat on the curbs, their bodies covered in makeshift blankets, as they fought the cold.

Some were mothers with their kids, weak and hungry. Their skin had already hugged their bones, and their eyes had lost their shine.

Just how can they party so hard when dozens of people are here suffering?

Taking a bag of bread out, Samael dropped it off before the mother and her child as he spoke. "Eat, there's plenty for all of you here."

The people's eyes shone as they looked at the bread, but no one took it.

Noticing their gazes, Samael sighed as he stepped back and vanished into the darkness.

As he did, the people lunged at the bread as they devoured it, tears of gratitude trailing down their cheeks.

Samael silently watched the spectacle above a roof, a solemn expression etched on his visage as he remembered Icarius's words.

It seems what the man said was indeed correct. He best believes that everything that comes out of his mouth is the truth.

After some time, Samael soon left the slums as he slowly made his way back towards the manor.

However, his nose flinched as the fragrant scent of flowers assaulted his senses for a brief moment.

Samael jerked his head back, but to no avail. There was only a sea of people minding their own business.

Shifting his gaze forward once more, Samael left.

***

"Is there something wrong, miss?" A maid adorned in a black cloak asked a girl wearing the same clothes.

Lilith remained silent for a while as she tried to trace the scent, but her attempts were futile.

"No... It's nothing," Lilith said, a frown etched in her face. Shifting her focus forward, the little demoness soon found herself in the slums, but what she saw surprised her.

A crowd of peasants gathered in a circle as they laughed.

Taking notice of her, a kid called "Ma! She's back!"

The other people swiftly swarmed Lilith.

"What brought you back here, my lady?" An old man asked.

"I was just checking on you people," Lilith answered.

"Ah, but did you not already bring us bread earlier?" The old man asked.

"Bread? No, I just arrived," Lilith cleared.

"Is that so...? How strange," the old man said.

Lilith opened her lips when she felt that familiar scent in the air. But it was only for a brief moment, as everything soon went back to normal.

Just what was happening to her?

Clutching her chest, the maid beside her swiftly approached her. "Miss? Are you in pain?"

"No, please be at ease," Lilith said as she took deep breaths.

Just what was that feeling?

"Did you perhaps see the man who gave the bread?" Lilith asked, a tinge of hope present in her voice.

"Unfortunately, we did not, my lady. It was far too dark, and he vanished like he was never there!" The old man answered.

"I see..." Lilith muttered to herself.

"Well then, please have these," she followed as the maid dragged forth a sack of food.

The people fervently thanked her as she excused herself.

Watching the moon in the sky, Lilith could faintly feel that same strange emotion in her heart.

As for what it is, She doesn't know.