Albedo, without regard to Ethan, then took Arael by the hand and said, "Forget these losers, let’s go." And with that, they both disappeared again in another burst of smoke.

"That is... one interesting summon," Hayley chuckled for a moment.

"Albedo? Yeah... that summon drives me crazy sometimes..." Ethan shook his head, then sighed and added, "Now I have to go back and be sure she didn’t have Valerie’s things in a mess... or..."

He stopped mid-sentence and activated the Bond skill, mentally commanding Albedo to make sure all of Valerie’s things were in the right place without fail.

The last thing he needed was Valerie returning him to see her wardrobe in disarray.

Then he shook his head again. What he had actually tasked Albedo with doing was to help Arael loosen up a bit, to get her to socialize and perhaps rediscover some of the joy she’d lost.

Truth was, from the flashes of those memories he’d seen during their fusion, she really had been a more jovial person. Cheerful, even. Like Lucy in some ways. But all of that had been taken away by grief.

Ethan also realized she might have been blaming herself for the death of the old man.

Her very weapon, the Runic Chroma which she had awakened in the Well of the Undying, was a testament to this. Its features were all centered around painting and the way of art, and she wore it on her skin as a constant reminder of the artist who had raised her.

He was hoping that by having her spend time with his ever-outgoing summon, it might help her feel a bit more like she used to.

Albedo was many things; chaotic, vulgar, unhinged, but she was also relentless in her ability to drag people out of their shells. If anyone could break through Arael’s walls, it was her.

"I can only say you should be careful, Ethan," Hayley said, calling his attention back to the earlier discussion as she set the teacup down on the table.

"No one really knows so much about the demon race, and the few things I just heard suggest they are quite the handful," she added, then extended her palm towards his lap, resting it there gently.

"Your safety matters a lot to me," she said with a smile.

Ethan nodded at her with a calm smile as well.

At this point, Ishtar walked down the stairs, fully ready in a regular shirt and skirt. When she reached Ethan, she inclined her head. "Lord Ethan."

Then she turned towards Hayley with a slighter nod, who responded alike with a polite acknowledgment of her own.

"Good. You’re ready," Ethan said. He rose from his seat and helped Hayley up as she reached for his hand.

"You’ll be coming with me to the guild today," he said, glancing at Ishtar.

Ishtar nodded once more, before they all stepped out of the house.

-

Ethan had only just driven out of the compound, with the gates automatically closing themselves as the sedan rolled out onto the street, when he was met by a waiting uniformed boy standing just outside.

The boy wore the formal attire of a royal courier: a green coat with gold trim along the lapels and cuffs, polished buttons running down the front in perfect symmetry, and white gloves that looked like they’d never touched dirt in their life.

The Tudor family crest was embroidered prominently on his chest; two flying dragons facing each other, with a large crown overhead, stitched in gold thread.

Ethan stopped the car, lowering the window as the boy stepped forward.

"Are you Mr. Ethan Stark?" the boy asked, his tone formal and respectful.

With a brief glance at the uniform and the emblem, Ethan could tell it was from the palace. At first he assumed this was from Bella, so ahe answered, "Yes."

The boy reached into his coat and pulled out a sealed letter. He extended it towards Ethan with both hands, as protocol demanded. "You’ve been summoned by the King."

Ethan’s heart dropped, but he didn’t let it show. He only nodded calmly as he took the letter from the boy’s hands. Then he rolled the glass back up without another word.

"The King?" Hayley, seated in the passenger seat, turned towards him with wide eyes. She reached for the letter quickly. "Let me see that."

Ethan handed it over without protest, adjusting the car’s steering to stay in one lane as she tore open the seal and unfolded the lette. They both leaned in slightly to read it together.

It was a simple message of summons, written in formal script and requesting him to appear before His Majesty King Carson Tudor in three days from the time of being served this letter.

"Fuck..." Ethan whispered. "I just knew it..."

"You knew what?" Hayley asked, her voice carrying genuine concern now as she looked between him and the letter.

"Long story," Ethan said, exhaling slowly as he gripped the steering. "But this is definitely about me being a demon, and the King isn’t a fan of the race."

"Oh..." Hayley muttered. She looked down at the letter again, then back at Ethan, unsure what to say immediately.

In the back seat, Ishtar grew visibly apprehensive. She already knew some of this, but hearing it made it real in a way that was hard to ignore.

Ethan sighed, restarted the engine, and continued on his way.

-

His first stop after a while of driving was at House Arcorys, where he parked the car just outside the compound gates. He had to drop Hayley off first. She needed to grab a change of clothes and would return to the guild much later in the day.

She gave him a long look before stepping out. Then she leaned back in through the window. "I don’t think its that serious, don’t worry too much."

He nodded, managing a smile. "I know."

Then she was gone, walking through the gates as they opened for her.

-

Not long after that, he and Ishtar had now arrived at Clustervayne. Ethan walked in with a long face, barely acknowledging Wilson, who was sitting at the entrance.

He walked all the way to his study with Ishtar following quietly behind him.

From the training room, loud noises echoed out. Percival and Aliyah were at it again, sparring or competing or whatever it was they spent most of their day doing.

The sound of impact, grunts, and trash talk filtered through the walls.

Now at the office, Ethan gestured for Ishtar to have a seat while he walked behind the desk. That plaque gift was still sitting there in the corner, and it briefly put a smile on his face.

He adjusted its position slightly, making sure it was angled just right, before placing the royal summons letter on the desk and spreading it out wide.

He pulled out his Arcphone, took a picture of the letter, and sent it as an image file to Isabella.

Me: [Image file] 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The reply came almost instantly.

Miss Berlene ❤️: shit​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

—

A/N

(5/20 bonus Chapters)✅