There was no party at the evening to celebrate Eric’s first Trial’s victory at Ryujin mansion, but the handful of nobles had gathered at Zach’s house to have a couple of drinks and discuss the further process.

The ones gathered were all Ocean’s associates, including the three Underworld Lords, and Davian.

"Cheers!"

The men clinked their glasses before taking a seat.

"It was quite an entertaining show today." Zach started.

"Prince Eric showcases all the aspects that a King must have " Oberon said.

"Why else would Master choose Prince Eric if he weren’t up to his hopes?" Zach spoke making Oberon chuckle.

"The Golden Serpent must be having quite a fit right now since not only did her son lose but also ended up getting ridiculed by the masses." Zach laughed.

"Now, now, Count Erkens. You shouldn’t speak that way." Count Nash spoke casting a cautious glance at Davian.

He hadn’t expected to see Davian for this private party as it would be rather problematic if the news got out that Davian was close with the pro-Eric faction. It might cause some trouble since his father, Grand Duke was the representative of the nobles for the jury and he had sworn his neutrality.

"Your Highness, you’re not drinking at all!" Zach beamed as he noticed Davian just sitting there.

Davian blinked out of his reverie and looked at Zach with a smile before he sipped the wine.

He wasn’t going to come for this little party but he had been having some trouble since the night he had confessed to Ocean. But since that night, Ocean hadn’t talked to him, even during the Trial he hadn’t even looked at him once. Besides that, there was another worry tugging at his mind.

In the Aurelius family’s balcony, he couldn’t see Reina. He saw Duke Aurelius, Rune and even Rune’s fiance who he had no idea how was in Sestia but Reina wasn’t there. He wondered if she was all right or if Ocean had already told her everything and she didn’t want to see him.

Would he lose the two people whom he’d grown so close just because he couldn’t control his feelings?

It was while he was drowning in the more of guilt when Zach had approached him and invited him for the little celebratory drinks and Davian had agreed almost absentmindedly.

"I wasn’t quite expecting Your Highness to join us for this little get together." Oberon said before glancing at Zach, adding, "I assumed Count Erkens was jesting when he said he’d invited you."

Zach gulped down his drink and cocked his brow looking at Oberon, "You really need to believe me at times, Baron. I told you, I and Prince were good friends now."

"Indeed, but have you thought how troublesome it would be if some outsider came to know that he celebrated Prince Eric’s victory with us?" Count Nash asked.

Zach simply waved his hand, "You are just being paranoid, My Lord."

Davian looked at Count Nash with a smile, "I’m sorry if you don’t want my presence here, I’ll take my leave."

He placed his glass down and Zach frowned, "No, wait."

Davian turned to him, smiling, "No, I understand what he means, Lord Zachary. I don’t want to cause any trouble to Master’s plans."

Zach sighed throwing a glare at Count Nash before he stood up, "There’s really no need to be worried, Your Highness. You are a friend of mine and if anyone does try to snoop around, I or my men will take care of it. We are all allowed to have a little breather after working hard for so many days."

"I agree with Count Erkens, Your Highness. It’s all right to take it easy and relax for a while. Even thought it’s not over yet but we’re not throwing a ball or anything, it’s just a few drinks." Lord Oberon said.

"And Count Nash is always reprimanding regardless of what we do so, you need not feel bad, Your Highness." Zach said with a smile making Count Nash to glance at him.

Having both of his associates gang up against him was enough for him to back down.

"I’m sorry, Your Highness," he said, "I was just wary that’s all. Please have a seat."

Davian hesitantly sat back down and Zach handed him another glass full of wine. Davian drank it while faintly listening to the men discuss about the stuff that he couldn’t understand.

Most of it was the Underworld business along with the future plans. He turned out drifting over to the thoughts of Ocean and Reina’s, it was unsettling as how he had gotten entangled in this but now that he had he had no idea of how he will solve it. He could only hope that he wouldn’t end up losing both of them.

The servant poured glass after glass to Davian and Davian drowned it without thinking. He was only half aware of the questions that Zach or Oberon would ask him.

"The next time we meet like this, you can bring along your friends, Your Highness." Zach spoke, his words slurring as he was tipsy.

"Well, I... actually don’t have many acquaintances apart from Master so, if I come next time, it’ll only be me again." Davian admitted with flushed face and the hint of slurring.

"That’s quite a shame..." Count Nash spoke.

"Remember this," Lord Oberon started, already drunk, "Great men are always the companions of loneliness, it’s the weak, commonsfolk who thrive in a company of numbers... Master is a man who has company of many but no one knows his heart, he’s never had a lover nor had he confessed to having any weakness... Even to us."

Zach hummed while Count Nash sighed, "There he goes again."

Zach chuckled, "I wonder how he keeps it a secret that he’s a playwright if he goes on with his monologues every time he gets drunk."

Davian groaned a little and down the drink in his glass before he spoke, "Why is his heart so complicated?"

The three men turned their gazes on him.

"Who?" Count Nash asked.

"What heart?" Zach asked.

"Master Ocean’s heart." Oberon guessed.

Davian nodded, "I don’t understand why he is alone... I can’t..."

Oberon leaned ahead, "You speak as if you are suffering from an unrequited love."

Davian looked at him with glistening eyes, "How do you know?"

Oberon laughed, "Who else but me would know the ailments of the heart?"

"Ah, you were telling me about the Goddess you love the last time," Zach slurred.

"He’s in love with a Goddess?" Nash wondered aloud.

"A God." Davian corrected.

"A God and a Goddess?" Oberon asked and Davian nodded.

"You’re in love with two people?" Zach asked.

"I guess, I’m too drunk to make sense of anything." Nash said.

"I am too, I suppose." Zach slurred rubbing his eyes.

"Your Highness, who are they?" Oberon asked.

Apart from the two, he was the only one who seemed like he had believed Davian.

"It’s-"

Before Davian could say anything a hand clamped his mouth and Oberon blinked before he looked at the person standing behind him.

He frowned, squinted his eyes as he asked, "Queen of Mordino?"

Miri smiled at him, "I’m here to pick him up."

"Is Your Majesty..." Oberon asked looking at her and Davian and she shook her head.

"No, it’s nothing like that. Just think of me as his big sister. Now, we’ll take our leave."

Miri grabbed Davian’s arm pulling him up to his feet with considerable effort.

"What a tragedy! Why won’t they talk to me?!" Davian groaned and Miri sighed.

She had a teleportation device gifted to her by Ocean since she liked to come and go anywhere as she pleased. It was his way to cover her tracks as most of the time she loved to sneak into Ryujin estate or wherever Eric was.

She dropped Davian in his room and stepped back sighing deeply.

"You must thank me and be ready to do anything I tell you tomorrow for saving yourself the embarrassment of almost confessing about your complicated love life before Master’s retainers." She chided but Davian had already passed out.

She simply shook her head before she looked at the teleportation device, she was actually thinking of taking Davian to Ryujin estate again so that she could see Eric and Davian could try and sort things with Ocean. But, she had already seen him leaving earlier the evening so, she followed him thinking he might be going alone. She wasn’t expecting him to go to another nobles house and drink.

It was a good thing that she followed him or Ocean’s retainers would be shocked out of their drunken stupor knowing that the future Grand Duke was in love with their Master.

Miri glanced one more at Davian before she shrugged and teleported to Ryujin estate to see Eric.

Miri teleported in Eric’s room, it was quite dark so she wondered if he had fallen asleep and decided to give him a little surprise.

She got on bed slowly and tackled the sleeping figure with a squeal. But something felt wrong.

Eric wasn’t in bed, it was just some pillows. Miri frowned as she realised that there were pillows lined up on bed with the sheets on them. Just as she was trying to make sense, she stiffened as she heard a voice.

"And who do we have here?"