Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Nightlife Rendezvous: Prelude
"Boo, Isaac you promised!"
"And I apologized, is that not enough?"
"If apologies fixed everything, there would be no need for the valiant knight orders."
"Are my promises that impactful or are knight orders that trivial?"
Isaac and Annie bantered back and forth as they walked through the night streets of Poseidonia. Yellow lights of the lamps lit up the night streets scantily, as if the mighty stars had descended and were being hung up in front of bars to greet doddery drunkards.
He had promised Annie to have lunch together in the morning, but he broke it in no time at all and replaced it with a promise to go out for dinner instead. The servants had already prepared a carriage and had reserved seats in the best restaurant in town, but Isaac declined it right away.
"The night sight of Poseidonia is pretty, right?" Annie muttered, smiling. "The wispy scent of alcohol, the sizzling sounds of meat and sauces, and all this dim light, it makes for a fun sight. Did you cancel the reservation to show me this?"
"Mhm."
Annie tried to slyly wrap her arms around Isaac's, but he dodged it with precise movements. The nightlife could get drunk and fall over in a pile of trash and vomit for all he cared! The only thought in his mind currently was to somehow run into the lady of house Kaiser. Meeting her once and coolly asking her if she would like to accompany him to dinner if he wins in the swordsmanship competition against her! It was the perfect plan that would definitely woo a knight who valued strength and grace!
Annie, on the other hand, had a clear agenda for accompanying Isaac all the way here.
'I remember it. I clearly do,' Whilst messing around with her cousin brother, Annie's sharp mind was someplace completely different. 'Those ruby red eyes and that damn angel-like face.'
The day Annie was on her way to visit the Athenus county. The day when the bridge was completely demolished. Annie remembered catching the glimpse of one person. The one person who was her good friend, and the great enemy of her, her family, and even her cousin's family.
'Kristine et Kaiser… I'll catch you and make you admit your crimes!'
The nightlife of Poseidonia was truly enchanting. Some were drunk under the sweet whispers of alcohol, while some, in the sweet refuge of their thoughts.
***
In the dim night streets of Poseidonia, a fiery hot knight and her two aides were hopping through the stores all around in search of a place to eat. Unfortunately for them, everywhere they went was abundant with food, and choosing became undeniably tough.
Bards sang with their lutes as drunk sailors and laborers locked arms and danced to their tone. Conniving merchants had their fangs glinting in the yellow night light as they pulled out their food and alcohol to the streets, calling over anyone and everyone who passed by, completely bypassing the sense of reservation that passing through a door brought about.
It was a tactic that only worked on hot-headed fools.
"Johan, get some more skewers."
"More? And what about ale?"
Kristine swirled the wooden mug in her hands and showed her aide a toothy grin. "Now that you've said it, bring more of that as well."
Johan clicked his tongue and walked away. Reley exchanged her gaze between the retreating Johan and the unfazed Kristine before joining her master's side. Johan would not only have to buy the stuff but also come find them before it went cold.
Kristine continued indulging in her ale as the two of them walked through the streets. It was when her mug was half empty.
Kristine stopped in her tracks.
Reley noticed her a step too late. She turned her head back.
"My lady?" Reley called out.
There, unbridled rage was stemming up in Kristine's eyes.
Rage like Reley hadn't witnessed ever before.
Her hand had stopped, her brows tightened and her face hardened. Even when a mammoth had made light of the knight order and trampled over the new recruits did Reley not witness such terrifying rage from her master's eyes. The drunkards around sobered up and the dim light straightened its back and did its job properly at the sheer pressure that Kristine emitted.
Reley's eyes trembled and her heart raced, but she managed. She somehow managed to turn her head to the side and follow her master's gaze.
Approaching from the other end with black hair slicked and combed neatly to the side and his sharp golden eyes looking down on everything around, was the young count of Athenus, lord Isaac von Episteme Athenus.
And next to him, giggling and smiling, the young lady of house Habsburg. Lady Annie Der Habsburg.
***
Isaac's eyes widened by an entire centimeter at the sight of the lustrous black hair swaying aloof in the distance. His heart raced, beating an entire two beats faster each minute.
His baseless plan had worked. His hopes had turned into reality.
Those beautiful glistening red eyes would put Helios' shine to shame. The sharp jawlines and the soft lips, that would make even Aphrodite blush. The tall figure ready to put the most carefully crafted of angels to shame and the fierce aura around her that would send even Zeus turning his tail and running back home. It was her, her, her.
Isaac dared not lower his gaze. Should his eyes land on the slightly revealed nape or the toned and strong shoulders, he wouldn't be able to function like a normal human.
Making haste, Isaac stepped forward at once and walked over to the pair of a noble and young country girl with mugs of ale in their hands.
"Oh!" Annie noticed Kristine and her face hardened. Unfortunately for her, Isaac couldn't even register anything else as he inched closer.
His feet came to stop, right in front of them.
At once, Reley, Annie, and Kristine bowed their heads.
With one arm gently placed over her heart and the other behind her back, a lock of Kristine's hair slowly fell of her bowed shoulders and drooped to the side of her head, sending pangs through Isaac's heart.
"Lady Kristine et Kaiser, daughter of Earl et Kaiser, greets the rising star of the Athenus, Lord Isaac von Episteme Athenus."
Time seemed to have slowed down as her cold voice nestled in Isaac's ears. Never before had he believed in the rumor that some humans carried the beauty of gods in their voice, but now, it wouldn't be too difficult to believe, seeing how even gods wouldn't be able to keep up with such beauty.
"I, Isaac von Episteme Athenus, acknowledge the lady of Kaiser."
Kristine slowly raised her head at Isaac's words and looked fiercely into his eyes. Not even an entire second had passed, but Kristine's face flushed up as if she had been staring into those eyes for years on end.
At that moment, another voice intervened in their impromptu reverie.
"Lady Annie Der Habsburg, daughter of Viscount Der Habsburg, greets the rose of Kaiser, Lady Kristine et Kaiser."
Kristine frowned. A fierce frown.
'Hm? Why…' As if cold water was poured on Isaac's head, his heart threatened to slow down. 'Why is she frowning at me?'
Kristine, unaware of the misunderstanding she had just spurred on, completely ignored Annie's greeting. Not having been acknowledged, the noble of lower rank wouldn't dare raise her head, and thus wouldn't be able to stop Kristine from stealing shy glances at the side of Isaac's face.
Reley, on the other hand, was glad she was a commoner. Raising her head in front of these three was not possible for her, she would be able to hide all the tears streaming down her face. All of them. It was the worst possible person to run into. She could only bet on Isaac's sanity and ability to handle Kristine.
"Young Lord Isaac, what a pleasant surprise," Kristine said, her mouth constantly alternating between a hideous frown and a bashful smile, one at the auburn-haired sly little bitch and the other at the charming young man in front of her.
"Indeed, Lady Kristine," Isaac answered. His eyes couldn't move away from the feast of expressions that Kristine displayed. Every moment of her lips and every fold on her eyes blanked his mind over and over.
With nothing else coming to him. Isaac's mind rushed to the simplest string of thoughts he could manage.
"Would you like to join me for dinner—"
"Gladly."
'NOOOO!!!'
The scream of Reley's heart was only heard by her soul that night.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone