Chapter 56: A Father’s Jealousy, Meeting Seth

Time passed quickly, and the escort brought Marius's family to the lounge where Seth typically rested. Having guided them, he knocked on the door a few times, but as he didn't hear a reply, he had concluded that Seth had more than likely taken a walk.

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know that the instructor had gone out. It seems I was a bit silly; he likely heard the commotion and has probably gone over to greet his Miss Juliana. Please wait a moment; I shall bring news of your arrival to him."

After saying such words, the escort hurriedly left the lounge towards the central square, leaving behind everyone else.

Marius looked around at the fine carpet that rested below a series of simple-looking table and furniture, a faint smile formed on his face as he spoke, "It seems our friend here is a man who likes the simple things; he reminds me of that old man..."

Ria snickered at this as she elbowed Marius's side and admonished him, "You lack those manners stated by your kind; you should address him as Esteemed Senior."

Marius rubbed his side with a slightly painful look on his face as he glanced at his wife and answered, "Hmph! Nope, calling him senior was more than enough. You're not gonna see me add any more unnecessary words."

Ria knew how stubborn her husband could get; as such, she didn't bother pushing the matter; she answered in an off-handed tone, "Okay-okay, you can do what you want, so stop sulking."

Marius had a slightly embarrassed look on his face as he said nothing more; Grevlin looked at him and said nothing, he hurriedly held down his face, but if one paid attention, they could tell that he had a light smile on his face.

Marius naturally sensed it; he glanced at his son from the corners of his eyes while thinking to himself.

'My son-my son, what have you done? You dared to take your mother's side; it looks like I'll need to be stricter in our next time training.'

Unaware of his father's dark thoughts, Grevlin sought only to preoccupy himself to pass the time, he got from his seat and started to wander around the room, observing the picture frames and different trinkets mounted on the shelves.

While Grevlin fumbled around, Little Rose stared at a picture frame hung up at the far corner of the room, her eyes shining as she pointed her finger and spoke excitedly, "Mama, what's that?"

"Hmm?" Ria uttered as she turned her attention to the picture frame.

There, she saw a peculiar image, one of an extraordinarily handsome man with blonde hair, a white horse with white flames on its feet, and divine like holy armor. He held onto a javelin with a straight posture as if he was destined to pierce all the world's evil.

Ria's face turned strange as she saw this; she stared at her daughter and asked, "Rose, come tell mother, what's so special about that man?"

Marius, who was previously paying attention to Grevlin, seemed to have only noticed their exchange. When he heard the word 'man,' he cautiously looked at his daughter, awaiting her next words.

The innocent girl looked at her mother with beaming eyes as she pointed at the picture and spoke, "It's veeeerrrrrry pretty!"

As if a bomb went loose, Marius felt as if he had succumbed to a stroke when he heard his daughter's words; his head started to spin as if the world had turned upside down.

Ria, who sensed his negative emotions, naturally felt delighted, absorbing a bit of the dilemma he released unconsciously. She tittered, not saying anything to him as she addressed her daughter with a motherly smile, "Hehe, well now, my little Rosey has a good taste, that's right, we women must adore the finest of things."

Little Rose happily clapped her hands; though she didn't completely understand her mother's meaning, she was happy hearing her mother's praise. Sadly though, it seemed that only one parent could find joy in this situation.

Marius, who took a deep breath to calm himself down, glared at the picture frame as if it was an enemy, his body unconsciously, releasing a dense killing intent while thinking to himself.

'That cannot do, absolutely not, no man can take my little daughter away from me!'

Marius tried to push down his feelings with those thoughts in mind as he put on the most gentle and calm appearance when he asked his wife.

"Ria, that picture is quite good; I must know, do you have an idea of the person behind its portrait?"

Ria gave Marius a strange look, which caused him to gulp slightly, thinking that she had read his thoughts, but soon, she showed a loving wife smile as she answered.

"Why, of course I do, my-dear-husband."

Marius's eyes lit up at those words, he prepared to ask her again, but before he could do so, he noticed that a sly smile had formed on her face when she looked at him and spoke again.

"But... there's one tiny condition..."

Marius sighed as he asked, "Really? What kind of condition?"

"Hehe..." Ria giggled to herself strangely as her eyes turned a bit strange, her slender legs rubbing closely together as her face turned a bit ruddy.

Marius gulped seeing this, he could pretty much guess what her condition was without her saying it, but he still looked at her with firm eyes.

As expected, with a soft and tempting voice, Ria answered with a special method, sending her voice only to his ears, "I will tell you tonight, only if you become my..."

Marius felt a tinge of excitement as he listened closely, but right before her words could finish, the door to the room opened with a loud bang as a rough voice sounded.

"His name is Piere Krasac, a past hero of Alvaria, the very legend who was said to have found this academy."

The moment the voice finished, Seth had appeared at the doorway, his previously tidy appearance a bit disordered as even his shirt was loose with rips as if a 'beast' had roughed him up.

Seth felt satisfied that he had arrived before the family of his soon to be protege, temporarily suppressing even the trouble he had a few moments back. Yet, even after a while passed, he couldn't help but feel strange as he stared at the formerly gentle and kind family.

As if he felt two sources of dreadful killing intent, Seth gulped as he saw both Marius's and Ria's cold stare as he thought to himself.

'Eh? Did I say something wrong?'

The cold wind of the daytime brushing through the windows, dousing his spirit as both sides stared at each other in awkward silence.