Bond Street, known as the most fashionable street of Ava that solely caters to the upper crust of society, is currently serving one of its long-time patrons. 

"Good day madam—" a beautiful young lady about to step into the famous establishment quickly retracted her foot and turned her back. 

It wasn't just her, the dressmaker Madam Norn is also in a fluster today. Why is the middle-aged woman not quite her usual collected self when facing other clients? It was due to the old lady sitting in one of the satin couches and slowly sipping tea. 

"Aren' we done yet, Emil?" Lady Havenstorm asked the butler carrying two large boxes of newly made clothes. 

"Everything has been purchased milady."

"Lovely." The old lady said, elegantly rising to her feet. 

Madam Norn returned to her senses and moved to lead the grand duchess to the door of the shop. The carriage was already parked in front awaiting her. Playing with the black-feathered fan she allowed herself the leisure of looking around the newly built establishments. 

"If I remember correctly, a race will be held outside the city today." She remarked. "Those brats might be attending again I suppose."

Emil simply smiled, "It's one of the enjoyments of the youths. Sir Dylan is sure to—"

The old butler stopped as soon as he saw his lady drop her fan. Her eyes stared up ahead to the departing open carriage, or more precisely to the pair of husband and wife. Emil did not notice it at first until the lady's bonnet was blown by the wind and luxuriant red hair tumbled like waves. 

 

The races were to be held in the outskirts of Ava where there are wide pastures and crystal blue lakes. Arriving, they were able to squeeze their carriages in a fairly good place that guaranteed a nice viewing spot despite a large crowd that already gathered. Usually, gentry would park their carriages farther away, while aristocrats tend to be just around the ring of the race track allowing their lady companions to watch from the comfort of their vehicles. 

The Rozenberg’s new style of carriage is both comfortable and practical that wherever they are located, they would be able to see the events in front clearly. So Ayan wasn’t too concerned whether they were far or near. When they come earlier they have already caught the attention of many onlookers. The black lacquered barouche Clayton commissioned to be made turned out to be a novel design from the usually closed box aristocrats used. Pulled by two handsome white horses, it has a driver’s seat high in front, two comfortable double seats inside facing each other and a folding top over the backseat in case of strong sunlight or sudden rain. It looks very fashionable and highly suited for a leisurely ride. 

Knoll and Fatty Lam soon joined them from the other carriage. Knoll is usually in a good mood but today was rather special; he could not keep the grin off his face. Aside from the fact that it was his first time entering this place reserved only for the upper crust, Clayton told him earlier that he can throw in a wager under his name. 

"Aye, I can guarantee that Knoll here can double, even triple your bet milord." Fatty Lam assured. "We have known each other for so long yet it still boggles me how my friend here can have huge luck with gambling. Good thing, the man has the discipline or else the missus would have cut both of us. That would be worse than miserable then." 

Clayton chuckled hearing the horror in his voice. 

Soon Knoll left for a quarter of an hour to select excellent horseflesh then place in the wager. Under the sponsorship of Rozenberg house, he easily got into the fold without a problem. He was looking rather merry when he returned holding the ticket, the horse he selected was not the kind most people would pay particular attention to. There were only two of them that placed the wager on the inconspicuous prime piece so the hefty rewards will only be split in two. The other man appeared to be an important aristocrat but he lacked the air and arrogance of most, he said that he also found that particular horse auspicious. He didn't sound like he took betting seriously but rather gave off the aura of a man who rather enjoyed proving his intuition correct. For that, Knoll admired him. 

Odd thing was, as he walked back to the lord's carriage he found the aristocrat following him and he was with a lady companion this time. Knoll felt a sense of crisis. He is a commoner and it would be highly inappropriate for him to brush shoulders with the young lady. Cold sweat broke out of his tanned skin. 

"Hey there Rozenberg lad!" 

Clayton, who had his eyes on the race track, looked back and found Dylan Blackwood waving at him.

"Blackwood, you scamp." He greeted and approached them while holding his cane in his right hand. 

Dylan paused for a moment, his eyes went to the cane and changed his expression very quickly. "So it's true… King Oz, that damned bastard!" 

"Pleased to meet you too, Sir Blackwood."

"Clayton—" 

"It's all in the past now, I am well and left that place," Clayton said without a hint of bitterness in his tone.  

Dylan did not care about the curious gazes gathering towards them, he stepped forward and smacked his good friend on the shoulder and with gritted teeth, he cursed the king of Lattice once again. "He will woe the day he betrayed you. Fate will make him pay."  

"That day is coming." He whispered in a low voice but with certainty in it. 

Dylan composed himself and tried not to concentrate too much on his friend's injury lest it evokes unwanted emotion in him. The act of coincidentally meeting had been botched up by him so just break the already broken script. 

"By the way Clay, I have placed quite a good bet. I found this good horseflesh, you wouldn't believe how bettors are blind these days that they overlooked it. It was right under their noses. Wanna join in for fun?"

"Already have." He thumbed Knoll who was standing nearby.  

"Oh, it's you from earlier!" Dylan said in surprise. He did not expect that the man other than him who picked the good horse was under a friend's employ. "I just know you have such keen eyesight as well."

"Milord," Knoll gave a courtesy bow but Dylan waved him off. 

"There is no need for formality between like-minded friends."

Clayton chose this time to remind him, "Betting again, are you? Does the old marquess know?"

"Oh God! Don't be threatening me with my old man." Dylan's happy smile froze. "As a staunch believer of etiquette and— damn me I forgot about my cousin. Beatrice?"

In a hurry to make amends now, Dylan looked around and found his hapless cousin on the way to harass two lovely children with her claws. One in black hair, the other red were looking at her with horrified eyes: Mama, help. There is a suspicious aunty here trying to abduct us! 

"What lovely babies, come, give aunty a kiss." Beatrice coaxed with a nasty smile that scared even grown-up men. 

Dylan slapped his forehead in embarrassment. "Y-Yours, Clay?"

Clayton rarely showed a comical expression. He looked at him as if he were a fool. Can't you see they've been carved out from the same mold?!

"Beatrice, don't you dare scare my godsons! We haven't been formally introduced." 

"Oh~" the lady in an emerald green dress pouted her mouth. "I don't bite though." 

"How many times have I told you that you are not to simply approach children of—" 

He didn't quite finish because the door of the carriage opened just then and Ayan Elford stepped out— Clayton's wife— and Lattice's most notorious lady. 

"Hello, pleased to meet you. My name is Ayan Rozenberg." 

Beatrice was rooted stiff on where she stood. What does she do if she was caught on the spot by the mother when she is putting her dirty claws on her babies? 

"I, I— my name is Beatrice… Uhm… I am Sir Dylan Blackwood's cousin." Beatrice stuttered her tongue nearly turned into a knot. "Pleasure to meet you, milady."

"How old are you this year, dear?"

Beatrice bit her lip, "Eighteen milady."

"Ayan." She smiled. "Call me Ayan, I like being called by my name." 

Ayan looked at the blushing petite girl in front of her with a soft, almost fond smile. The meeting of two ladies was witnessed by everyone present. Under the mild sun and soft breeze, their hair swayed. Beatrice raised her eyes to the most gentle face she ever beheld and was overwhelmed by the reverence that was evoked from deep within her soul. It was undeniable that the lady is exceedingly beautiful but the connection she feels goes way beyond admiration from just a pretty face. 

Strange, she just met her today but the familiarity was so profound it almost drove her to tears. Especially when she allowed her to call her name. 

"Ayan…" she said, almost a whisper. 

Ayan smiled and couldn't get enough of the face that highly resembled the modern Monica in front of her. Just a few years younger and shorter, still, she who shared almost half of her life with her best friend can never mistake the likeness. 

"Lady Rozenberg," Dylan came forward to save his cousin. Beatrice had her eyes slightly red, "My apologies if my cousin caused you inconvenience."

When Ayan turned to the familiar voice, she already had the urge to run and hug the person. Looking up, she found that her feeling wasn't wrong at all.

"B-Big brother…" she choked. Her eyes widened in both shock and joy. 

Dylan was simply lost for words hearing how she called him. The rims of the lady's eyes were also tinged with the same red as Beatrice. 

Dylan: What is going on??? 

"Oh, hahaha— I'm sorry Sir Blackwood. The wind was quite strong today." Ayan turned away and wiped her eyes with a kerchief. Before she could make any more mistakes, she stopped herself just in time. This is not the earth she knew and these people are not the same as she hoped they would be. It was just the face. 

But the resemblance was unmistakable even when they now have different colours of eyes and hair. 

Beatrice also awoke from her reverie and was about to wipe her eyes with a finger when Carmine tugged on her skirt offering a handkerchief. "Thank you, young man." 

"You're welcome~" Carmine smiled sweetly and ran back to his mother.

 

When the first race finished, Blackwood and Rozenberg had already settled comfortably on a large patch of grass over a small hill. Refreshments were brought by Ayan as well as the utensils. She had them all prepared in the early hours of the morning along with the cook. There are three big baskets of sandwiches, salads, an assortment of cold cut meats, snacks enough to feed an entire entourage of their household and their friends as well as bottles of wine. 

The second race began but Dylan suggested they put it off until they found another good horse. Knoll also agreed and took this time to sight-see after having a meal. The games could last for half a day or more depending on how many challenges were issued but it doesn't matter how long, they have all day anyway.  

"G'lord Clay, at this rate I won't be able to eat the meal in my home. Where did you find the cook who made these? It's simply superb." Dylan remarked digging in the basket for some biscuits. 

"My wife," Clayton replied, drinking his wine. 

Shocked, Dylan turned back, briefly looking at the two ladies getting along quite well on the mat while discussing Ava's gossip. 

"Strange how women easily hit off with just gossip on the table." He said with a chuckle. "Your lady is definitely talented but no matter what you should be more careful. How brave of you to allow her in the kitchen with many eyes looking?"

He meant to say that they are new to the imperial capital, people who are both malicious and friendly aimed their eyes at them. Any movement can be greatly magnified, there could be no worse gossip than having your internal affairs known. That being said, the main culprit of those could be the people working below, there being no faster grapevine than the one connected each house down a street and beyond through their maids, footmen, and so forth. Before you know it, the whole town could be discussing what colour of knickers you favoured before your relatives could. 

"Don't worry about that, my negligence in Lattice will not be happening here again. Ayan had greatly suffered before. So now I just want to give her and the children a good environment where they can freely explore."

Dylan grinned, "Marriage changed you, lad." 

"How are the messengers you sent to Euros continent?" Clayton switched the topic abruptly. 

"Oh, yes before I forget." The other man sighed. "You wouldn't believe who else sponsored my requested expedition." 

"Who?"

"Grandduchess Tatiana Havenstorm!" He said excitedly. "Damn, I was just taking my chances then because at that time we didn't know the state of the emperor. The royal palaces were under the queen's control so we had little way of delivering the message you sent. Also…" 

"You were hesitant to tell His Majesty about it?" Clayton sustained. 

Dylan nodded. "The grand duchess was the one who talked to the emperor about the weakening of the barrier placed in the Dark Continent. Fortunately, it went as planned and His Majesty sent several of his privately raised soldiers to check its state. Father and I also put up a request in the mercenary hall a second time but this time, Lady Havenstorm sent in her people to join us as well. Now the empire has begun its preparation, thanks to your timely warning." 

"What about the Luna Empire and the rest of the four kingdoms who were involved with the sealing of the Dark Continent hundreds of years ago?" 

"Nothing, there were no movements from them. Besides, Lusca has long fallen, the Republic of Notia and Empire of Qin do not feel the effects of the barrier weakening at all given that their land is blessed with abundant mana." 

"They could be concealing it, after all, once the barrier fails the blame will fall upon them. Father went out to probe the allied kingdoms. Not so long ago, a person who came in contact with him told me that he crossed the sea towards Euros continent. He mentioned that the Luna Empire might be attempting to summon people from another world once again. Currently, I have no news whether they have succeeded or not."

Dylan drank the remaining bit of his white wine. "Oh, those ghastly aristocrats of Luna. calling out random people to be their running dog once again."

Clayton merely smirked. 

"Whatever otherworldly fella it is, I'm betting he doesn't have the littlest solution to the barrier." The lad scoffed. "It was our empire's Holy Temple who solely paid for it and yet they took all the credit. That's not all, the summoned person also put his ideas on the dragons… if this one does the same as his predecessor, I'll be the first in line to chop his head off." 

"You're rambling Blackwood." Clayton coughed unnaturally.  

"Aye, I am." Dylan chuckled. "Tis a good day to talk, y'see. The old guy back home always puts on a stern face. I don't know why he does it, damn me, but I don't."

It must be that incredibly tasty wine. He concluded. Hells, he needs to beg Clayton to give him a few. However, a problem suddenly wedged itself when he was about to relax. Dylan looked back on Ayan talking amiably to his cousin who is also playing some sort of a board game with the kids. It was nice to see them enjoy their time, if not only for the myriad of expressions directed by several onlookers in their direction. He squinted his eyes. 

There is surprise, envy and admiration, but somewhere in there malice and jealousy also got mixed in. 

"Uh Clayton, I think I should tell you about this firsthand," he began, "Your Ayan's current situation… may become problematic in the coming days."