“Then I’ll start preparing this for action. Father, please let me know what changes you’d like made before the end of next week.”

Sol collected the documents on her desk with a smile. She knew Iridescent was growing large enough that it would soon encounter other conglomerates. There was little she could do to avoid the conflict since their markets overlapped.

‘Well, competition can only improve the lives of those at the bottom.’

Her thoughts remained on a short to mid term with only a peek at the far future. At most, she would ensure Iridescent was stable enough to hand off to her brother or father before she died. After seeing her father and brother out of her office, Sol returned to her seat where she collapsed.

She had pushed herself a bit harder than usual to finalize her business plans and prepare them for her father’s approval. The time dumped into the planning and organizing drained her, leaving her to run on fumes only.

As she relaxed, Sol heard knocks on her door, however she blacked out before she could even respond. Duke Reviarra knocked on the office door a few more times but couldn’t hear any movement inside. 

He had only gone downstairs for a moment before returning and knew there was no way Sol could have left. Worry overtook him and he entered the office uninvited. Immediately, his brows furrowed.

He found Sol collapsed in her chair with thick beads of sweat covering her. Her face was nearly as white as the documents spread on her desk. Duke Reviarra moved to lift Sol from her desk and carried her out of Iridescent.

“Her body’s getting worse. She barely managed to last our entire meeting.”

Duke Reviarra sat with his wife beside the bed. The two watched over Sol who was in a deep sleep. His eyes remained on the young girl in the bed, however his thoughts continued to spin.

For the past few years, Duke Reviarra wasted no effort in searching for Doctors or medicines that could improve Sol’s situation. Despite his efforts though, there were few results. The Doctors who visited were unable to even understand what afflicted Sol while the so called ‘miracle’ medicines did nothing.

“Her collapses are becoming more frequent as well. She didn’t even realize the last time she fell over.”

Duchess Reviarra gazed at Sol with adoring eyes. She had long since cried all the tears that she could and after realizing it did nothing but make Sol feel guilty, she no longer showed her tears. The two, at this moment, were not the lauded Duke and Duchess, but just a father and mother with their sick child.

Ideas passed between the two on how they could ease her troubles, however the problem was that Sol was just too brilliant. There was no one who could replace her and few capable enough to assist. Most of their discussions ended with the two in frustrated silence.

“Duke Reviarra, there’s a visitor claiming he understands Lady Sol’s situation. The man requested a meeting with the Duke and Duchess.”

A servant broke the silence informing the parents of the visitor. Downstairs in the reception room, a young man barely 13 years old relaxed with a cup of coffee in hand. He exuded a grace beyond his years and the eloquence of his movements suggested a higher borne lineage.

The boy’s hair was pitch black, his skin bronze but free of imperfections, and a set of green eyes that paired well with his black suit. Overall, it was hard for an observer to consider the boy as anything but a noble.

Such was the impression Duke Reviarra gave after laying eyes on the boy for the first time. He entered the room with the Duchess at his side triggering the young man to raise and greet them.

“Duke Reviarra, Duchess Reviarra. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is An Long., I’ve come to visit Lady Reviarra.”

“An Long? Forgive this Duke, but the Long family name is unfamiliar.”

Although the boy suggested he understood Sol’s condition, Duke Reviarra was unable to put any trust in the boy across from him. While it’s true that the boy held an impeccable demeanour, it was only that. Duke Reviarra had no intention of playing along with a random noble, especially if it involved his daughter.

“That makes sense, I’m not from this area. I’ve traveled a long way to meet Lady Reviarra. Would the Duke allow me a moment of alone time with her?”

“How brazen. Do you seriously expect this Duke to allow a stranger near this Duke’s unwed daughter?”

“...”

An glanced around the room at the various servants before returning a thoughtful gaze to the Duke. It was clear he had to earn the trust of the Duke, however An’s situation wasn’t something he wanted known to anyone. An had already researched the Duke and Reviarra history and knew the man was truly concerned about his daughter.

“Might I ask you to dismiss the servants? I have many secrets I’d rather not reveal to just anyone. I can assure you, you won’t be disappointed.”

A bright and innocent smile reached across An’s face, however Duke Reviarra felt a subtle sense of dread from that smile. Despite that impression, he released the servants from the room, shut the reception doors, and entered serious discussion with the young boy.

Sol gradually opened her eyes to see her bed canopy. A light breeze crossed over her drawing her attention to a nearby window where she observed a young man dressed in a suit. Despite her internal surprise, Sol was just too exhausted to react in any excited fashion. Rather, she remained calm.

“Who are you?”

“Oh, you’re awake? Good Morning, Sol. You can call me An. I’ll be your playmate from here on.”

“My playmate? You’ve spoken to mother and father already, I guess… Feel free to call me Sol, then. I’ll go back to sleep now.”

“That’s it? Aren’t you curious? I was thinking you'd at least be angry about me being in your room alone with you.”

“Father would never allow someone he doesn’t trust into my room alone. If you’re my new playmate, then we can treat each other equally. After I sleep a bit more, we can talk in detail...”

Sol murmured her last statement before falling unconscious once more. Her exhaustion overtook her weak body once again leaving her defenseless to Tain who held an incredulous gaze at her actions. He stood from the chair and walked to the edge of her.

He brushed Sol’s dark hair to the side of her face with a gentle smile.

“You’re too trusting, Sol. There are things even your father is at mercy too.”

An withdrew his hand before tucking Sol into bed. He closed the window, placed the seat back under her study desk and exited the room. Remaining gentle, An closed the door silently before turning around to meet the gaze of two individuals drenched in sweat with pale faces.

“Duke Reviarra, I’ll take care of Sol from now on. There’s no need to worry anymore. From now on, treat me as if I were her playmate of equal standing. Understand that I don’t want her to suspect anything between us. Meaning you and the Duchess need to toss away the obvious fear on your faces.”

Although he wanted to object, Duke Reviarra was unable to. He had already been terrified out of his wits earlier. Although he knew there were mystical things in the world, their very own Generals serving as a reference, it was still impossible for him to face such things without fear.

Duke and Duchess Reviarra met eyes once more with the inoculant boy. His smile remained brimming with innocence, yet the pressure he put out left no room for refusal. They could only nod to his order before watching him walk away.

After the boy left their view, the two parents’ gaze drifted to Sol’s door. Their thoughts, unfathomable.