It was bright in the morning with sunlight falling down, 

Valentina was going to take a visit at her daughter’s room before an attendant came and informed the guest has arrived. 

She halted her steps and sighed. 

“Haa,tsk” 

“Glad to know the feelings are mutual.” 

She turned around at the voice and saw the cold blue-eyed man she has to make a deal with. 

“Zephyr”, Valentina didn’t even bother to smile. 

She walked past him and told him to follow her to her office. 

They reached their desired destination and Elijah was present their too. 

“Greetings, the queen and the emperor of the north", he bowed and showed Zephyr his seat. 

“So, what do you want?", Zephyr asked in a blunt and straightforward manner while crossing his legs, emitting his usual dark aura. 

“Your help.”, Valentina too replied in the same tone. 

Elijah sighed when he saw both of them were too lazy to talk so he took the matters in his own hands. 

“As the influence of Amartolos is growing in a rapid rate, the borders of our continent are being influenced by them. The rate of gambling and trafficking is striking up. A lot of petitions have been signed to reduce the amount of crime going on or send some forces to control it.” 

“And what am I supposed to do with that information?”, Zephyr asked while looking at the window. 

“We need your part of knights to join us.”, Elijah replied after giving some papers to Valentina to review. 

“What’s my gain in that?” 

“Of course, we have something to satisfy you.” 

Elijha opened a scroll and showed the map of the north continent. 

“The places I have marked here will be given the privilege to trade with the Diamandis on low taxes regardless of the traders ranks.” 

Zephyr raised his brows at the unexpected offer as the Diamandis was a sole family who had the largest possession of diamonds and other rare diamonds. But they didn’t work with anyone but the Chester family. They participated in social balls and activities but they never exposed their profession to anyone. 

“Prince, my territory doesn’t lack money if that’s what you’re worried about.”, Zephyr knew it was a great deal but the intention was unclear. He didn’t like any of that. 

“It’s not about loss but the gain you’ll have”, Valentina intervened and was already annoyed after few minutes of this discussion. 

Zephyr looked at her and couldn’t help but be annoyed too with that face. 

He sighed and stood up. 

His guard who was silent till now got the message to leave and stepped out of the office. 

“Let’s never see each other’s face again. Queen Valentina.”, Zephyr muttered while extending his hands for a handshake. 

Valentina shook his hands, “How delightful that sounds.” 

Zephyr looked at Elijah and told him he would prepare a part of his knights to which Elijah gave a curt nod. 

He started to walk out of the building through the corridor, “How does more money sounds to you, Orion?” 

Zephyr asked his personal guard, wondering why he accepted it when he had enough wealth to feed all of his citizens for generations. 

“It’s good, it doesn’t hurt to gain more for the traders and businessmen. And plus, they are not connected with that organization in anyway”, Orion said while looking left from right to check for danger. 

“Hmm,I see.”, Zephyr dismissed it and looked out for the pet that always follows him. 

“Where’s that red hea-” 

He suddenly bumped into something or someone while turning at the corner of the corridor and heard a ‘oomph’ sound. 

He looked down and saw a little girl with silver hair whose head was facing down as if to check something. 

‘silver’, he was quite taken back with the bundle of silver hair splattered on the white floor. 

The unknown girl finally looked up and his eyes twitched at the familiar hazel eyes. 

‘hazel’, her eyes were filled with something more. It annoyed Zephyr. 

As the girl herself was quite shocked herself, he took his own sweet time to look at her from head to toe. 

His eyes went from her face to her slender neck which he could break like a twig with his two fingers and travelled down to her little hands which was wrapped around his pet in protective way. 

He was quite amused when he looked at the Pagonis because it was comfortable in the little girl’s arms and didn’t even notice his presence. 

 ‘a kid.’, he concluded. 

He was in his own thought until he heard her speak in a cold voice. 

“I'm sorry if it was my fault but if it was yours please walk carefully in the future.”, and she went past him. 

Zephyr scoffed at the way the kid spoke to him and his guard was ready to reprimand the silver haired girl but he stopped him with a hand raise. 

“Wait, little girl.”, he stopped her and walked towards her back facing him now. 

He bent down to her ear level and turned his face towards her. 

“First, you don’t talk to elders like that. Second, at least not to me. And third, that bundle of red hair in your arms I suppose is mine.”, he whispered and concentrated his eyes to her expression which remained unchanged until the last part and saw a twinge of embarrassment spreading across her white cheeks and nose. 

The silver hair turned around and he straightened his back up. 

“I didn’t know Lilith was from your country.”, she whispered while looking down at the floor in embarrassment. 

He didn’t missed the way she didn’t like the way he talked about the possession of the red head and how she completely dismissed his warning. 

He laughed and his eyes were sparkling with amusement at the sight of the little girl. 

“Lilith? Is that its name?”, he asked. 

Meanwhile Orion was surprised to see his master in such a happy mood after someone disrespected him. 

“Yes, that's her name.”, the silver hair girl replied while saying the ‘her’ a little loud to correct Zephyr 

Zephyr was quite enjoying himself while playing with the little girl and it was pleasing for him to watch her silver hair flow in every possible direction because of the wind and her trying to assemble her hair with her hands also holding the Pagonis in her arms. 

“do you like her?”, he asked while saying the ‘her’ a little louder. 

The girl’s eyes widened at the question for a second and he noticed that too. 

“What?”, she asked. 

Zephyr never repeated his words but to tease her he asked her again 

“Do. You. Like. Her?”, he repeated with pause in every word 

“Yes, I do.”, she said it confidently 

“Keep it.” 

Instead of being surprised, she tilted her head and said, “I was already going to.” 

Zephyr was amused thoroughly at the bravery in her voice. 

“Oh, then I'll come back some day to take her back.”, he said it although he didn’t had any plans to come back. 

Zephyr expected some kind of reply from the girl but didn’t get any. 

He turned around and moved forward back to his path. 

“Is it alright to give the royal Pagonis to that person, mi lord?”, Orion asked because the Pagonis were species only for the rulers of the north and south. 

There's no history of previous rulers giving it to anyone except their queens after their marriage and that too under the condition if the Pagonis personally liked them. 

“Well, she liked it so I gave it to her, that’s no big deal. I'll take it back anyways”, Zephyr answered while exiting the castle. 

“Then do you plan to come back here?”, Orion was getting more confused because his lord didn’t step out of their continent until it was necessary or he had to come every few years in Chester continent. He wanted to say more but got cut off with a voice coming from behind. 

“My name is not little girl”, Zephyr turned around in the direction of the voice but didn’t found anyone there. 

He caught a glimpse of silver hair running in the garden and disappearing that instant. 

He laughed again. It was after a very long time he laughed so much in a single day. 

“Yeah, unfortunately I am”, he answered Orion with a smirk and put his cloak back on. 

 

--------*--------- 

Author's corner: -

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! OUR ML IS FINALLY INTRODUCED. 

I am damn excited for his next pov 

Are you?? 

What do think will happen to our little MC now?? 

Can't wait for the next time!!