After a half-hour car ride filled with lectures about how Arek should spend his time becoming a useful member of society and learn the business his ancestors gave his blood sweat and tears for Arek finds himself...delivering coffee. I mean there's only so much someone with 0 experience can do in a fortune 500 company. 

It'd be nice if it was like the novels where the main character's expertise in one area translates to every other field however Arek, despite his fighting prowess and ability to scheme and conspire, is utterly at a loss when faced with the string of numbers littering the excel spreadsheet his brother's assistant hans him. Seeing his confusion, Sayan scrunches his brows. "Didn't you take a class on data sorting?"

"Brother that was years ago." Arek exasperatedly sighs.

So, instead, he's asked to read up and analyze information on a new project. Within moments Arek was thoroughly lost, wading through the exotic-sounding terms. At this point, Sayan's brows probably can't deepen any further. Arek simply meets his eyes, his gaze calm. This in turn causes a storm to brew in Sayan's dark eyes. Thankfully, his assistant interrupted with a reminder that he had a meeting coming up. So, a coffee duty it is. And even that is almost screwed up when Arek fins himself face to face with the unfamiliar coffee machine he hadn't seen in years. Thankfully, a kind employee passing by gives him a hand. 

So, here he is. Arek knocks and pushes open the door to his brother's office. As soon as he steps inside, he wrinkles his nose. Perfume...and a lot of it. 

"Oh who's this cutie?" A slightly androgynous, but soft alto voice sounds.  Cutie? Glancing up with furrowed brows Arek meets gazes with a woman, slender and pale with wispy blonde hair, somewhere in her late twenties who looks as if she'd be blown away by the slightest gust of wind. However, upon meeting her gaze Arek starts. There's a firmness in her eyes- a shrewdness that Arek recognizes from some of the fiercest politicians. 

"Ahem. This is my younger brother Arek. Arek, this is my business partner, Ella Rose." Hearing Sayan speak, Arek starts and returns his gaze. 

"My, you've been concealing such a lovely child Sayan." Arek blinks. Sayan, she calls my brother's name so familiarly. Also, the way she talks is rather formal as if she were a noble from another world...ah, what am I thinking. Arek shakes his head, returning to the present.

"Here's your coffee Ma'am."

"Thank you, dearest." Nodding politely, Arek exits the room. Once outside, Arek sighs looking down. Honestly, whether it's this world or the other, they both have rich bureaucrats. CEO, prince aren't they all the same? Arek pauses. Then he sighs again. Well, that's not quite right because rather than a conniving prince, the one in the room behind me is my brother, one who cares about me so deeply. At this, Arek feels his heart warm as a sliver of a smile graces his lips.

He looks up at the employees hurrying about. Furthermore, this is a world where people can voice their complaints without getting their heads chopped off. Looking at the clear sunlight filtering in through the windows: a stark contrast to the prince's castle's gloom, Arek feels his smile slightly widen. 

"Yeah, it's different alright, better-"

"Arek?!" Arek looks up and pauses. 

"...Uncle?" There stands the uncle Arek and Sayan ran into when arriving at the house. Next to him, or more accurately, slightly in front of him, stands a man. Despite being, short, rather frail-looking, and pale the man carries a strong momentum, only slightly losing to Sayan. The man's features are softer and more benign, especially framed by his baby blue eyes and soft brown curls. However, Arek purses his lips. A mask, clearly a mask, nothing can cover up that trace of hypocrisy.

"He is...?" The blonde main raises a brow.

"He's the second young master, Mr. Lighte." Arek's uncle replies, practically gritting out the words from between his teeth.

"Oh? The younger brother is it...?" The words are harmless enough, however, something about the way he says it sends prickles of irritation down Arek's spine. His instincts, honed from years dealing with the prince and his accomplices, tell him that this man is clearly the embodiment of a smiling tiger. Restraining himself, Arek nods to the man. 

"Well, is your brother inside? I have something to discuss with him."

"He's...preoccupied."

"Oh is that so? That's too bad..." The man's voice sounds truly disappointed. But a moment later he looks up.

"How about you then?"

"Huh?"

"I see you're out here...running errands is that right?" He asks, looking pointedly at the coffee tray in Arek's hands. Arek makes a noncommittal noise.

"Well, I'm sure your brother is giving you some good spending money." The man smiles like a benevolent uncle. But Arek's fists clench. Is he belittling me?

"I'm an employee."

"Oh, of course, of course..." Arek feels his fists clench tighter. This entire time, Arek's uncle has simply been watching at the sidelines like a lackey and other company employees, besides a few curious glances here and there, have been minding their own business.

"How old are you again?" Arek blinks, narrowing his eyes. He sounds like he's trying to abduct a child.

Nevertheless, Arek grudgingly replies, whilst hyper-aware of the occasional curious glances. Don't punch anyone, don't punch anyone, you don't need to be making a scene, especially not at the company which will lead to trouble for brother...more trouble than I've already caused that is, I mean I'm already useless at everything else...

"-ould you like to help your brother out?" The suspicious Mr. Lighte says as if reading Arek's mind. Immediately, Arek looks up at him vigilantly. 

"...What?"

"Well, it's a business opportunity you see, this company that we were thinking of acquiring. You're already at this age so you'll certainly be capable, furthermore I'm sure your brother would appreciate the help and you could surprise him..." Surprise my brother? Help him? Really? ...Could I really do that? For a moment, Arek feels himself fall into a trance, envisioning the scene Mr. Lighte paints before him. 

"Mr. Lighte." Arek pauses, then turns to see Sayan's secretary.

"Mr. Spearen invites you inside."

"Ah, is that so? How marvelous! Well, I suppose we shall speak next time young Mr. Spearen. Do consider my offer..." And with that, Arek's uncle and the odd Mr. Lighte disappear into the conference room. Meanwhile, Arek remains in the same spot, his gaze downcast and inscrutable. That man...He's so much like Lennox. Clearly, there was no magic yet his words almost put me under a spell...but still, if I can help my brother...Arek! Pull yourself together. Just the fact that he was with my greedy uncle and the fact that he seems so harmless yet carries such an aura proves that he's not someone simple. I can't deal with these ridiculous conspiracies and smiling tigers, I'm just a thug who can kill...

At this thought, Arek smiles bitterly before striding out of the company. Once outside, he sighs and inhales for a moment. Fresh air...ha! What bullshit, it's clearly polluted...just like me.