"Lord, why are you two here? This is trespassing and against the city's rules," one of the guards cautiously reminded.
"Just call your City Lord. He should know me by now,"" Aengus replied calmly, continuing his walk toward a small, rundown house alongside Aria.
"The City Lord?" The guards were startled. As simple guards, they rarely saw the City Lord, yet this young man spoke of him casually. Their initial aggression faded almost instantly.
However, a few disgruntled nobles murmured nearby.
"Who does this young man think he is? Why is he acting so arrogantly?"
"Guards, you should capture him. He might just be bluffing," barked a wealthy young noble in an expensive outfit.
A few lackeys behind him eagerly chimed in, flattering him.
"Young master is right... Look where he's going—to a doghouse, no less. There's no way someone like him knows the City Lord. That arrogant basta*d is beneath our mighty City Lord," one lackey sneered condescendingly.
"Yes, you should do what young master Quin says," another added, fueling the situation further.
The guards hesitated. There was some truth to the words, but the young man seemed dangerous, and they didn't dare take him lightly.
"Forgive us, young master Quin, but we believe we need to inform the higher-ups," one of the guards replied before they began marching toward the City Hall.
They didn't want to risk facing Quin's wrath by staying there either.
"Cowards!" Quin spat, waving his folding fan dismissively at their cowardice.
"Hey, you two, go gather our men. We'll teach him a lesson. How dare he disrespect the whole city!" Quin barked at his lackeys.
The two nodded and disappeared.
"Fu*k, without power, I have to rely on these fools. Without power, even a stranger dares to disrespect me..." Quin kicked a big tree by the roadside in anger.
Ouch!
"What's the use of being a noble clan heir without those fu*king God's Gift..."
Noelle looked enlightened, her eyes widening in surprise as she matched the previous face of Ethan with his current one. It matched completely, but he looked more handsome and mature. There was a temperament of a true powerhouse in his posture, which she didn't miss. She felt insignificant before his presence. Even Astrid, her husband, had never given her the same pressure as Aengus did.
"I can't believe you're the same young man, Ethan. Welcome, welcome! Please, take a seat!"
Noelle seemed flustered, pointing towards the wooden chair in the waiting room just beside the kitchen.
"Forgive us that you had to see us in such an unsightly condition..." Noelle said with a hint of shame as she began dusting off the chairs.
Aengus didn't move and stayed rooted on the spot.
"It's okay, Aunt. I've seen worse. You don't need to feel ashamed of past experiences. We're family now... just like Aria said." Aengus held Aria's hand, showing their closeness.
Aria was grateful for the consideration and echoed,
"He's right, Aunt. You don't need to go to such lengths to make us comfortable. We're a family.. "
"Oh, you're right... We are." Noelle paused and smiled at the duo. "Ethan has grown into a remarkable man..." she mumbled, trying to recover her composure.
"Yes, he has," Aria agreed, then glanced toward the other rooms and asked, "Are my father and uncle alright? And where are the other children?"
Aria's tone grew anxious toward the end.
Aengus had already sensed their condition, noting their weak forms lying on the bed, but he chose not to interrupt.
"Oh, right, the kids are outisde. And brother-in-law and Astrid are fine for now... But I don't think they will last much longer... Astrid... he... sob!" Noelle broke into tears.
"Did you bring the medicine, Aria? And where is Drake?" she asked through her sobs.
Noelle looked desperately behind their backs towards the entrance but found no one.
Aria, seeing her aunt's miserable state, felt a pang of sadness. Gently holding Noelle's hand, she answered,
"They're currently in the capital, aunt. They're safe. You don't have to worry. And we brought the medicine to cure Father and Uncle as well. I'm not lying... Everything will be fine, just like in the past," Aria promised.
"Really? That's great, that's... great..." Noelle wiped her tears and stood up, a glimmer of hope returning to her eyes. "Follow me quickly... Save them!" She led the way, her steps filled with renewed hope.