Free Web NovelChapter 46: Chapter 46: The Uninvited Guest
Chapter 46: The Uninvited Guest
—ARIA—
The breakfast table had only barely recovered from the disaster I personally created when the dining hall doors suddenly opened again.
One of my father’s senior butlers hurried inside looking visibly alarmed.
Which immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Even Duke Valen lowered his cup slowly.
The old butler moved directly toward him before leaning down and whispering something near his ear.
And for the very first time, my father’s eyes widened.
Actually widened.
Oh?
Interesting.
The atmosphere around the table shifted immediately.
Because Duke Valen was not a man easily surprised. This was someone who once received news about an assassination attempt during dinner and calmly continued eating afterward before ordering executions for dessert.
So whatever the butler just said...
It was serious.
"Let him in immediately," my father ordered at once.
The butler bowed quickly and rushed back outside the dining hall.
Meanwhile, silence settled across the dining hall again.
I looked around the table curiously.
Cynthia seemed confused.
Even the servants nearby suddenly looked tense.
One maid nearly dropped the teapot she was holding before another servant grabbed it in time.
What kind of terrifying celebrity arrival was this?
Sebastian, however, kept his eyes on me.
Then suddenly, the doors opened once more.
And the entire room stiffened.
Ah.
Never mind.
I understood now.
Silver hair and cold golden eyes.
And instead of his usual archmage robes, Ezekiel Rowe entered the dining hall dressed in formal black attire embroidered subtly with silver thread near the cuffs and collar. A dark high-collared coat rested neatly over broad shoulders while black gloves covered his hands, giving him less of a scholarly appearance and more of the feeling of some terrifyingly elegant nobleman who accidentally mastered forbidden magic on the side.
And annoyingly handsome.
This world truly refused moderation.
The moment Ezekiel stepped inside, the atmosphere changed so abruptly it almost felt physical.
Even the servants instinctively lowered their heads.
Honestly, it felt less like someone entering a room and more like magical pressure itself deciding to attend breakfast.
Then his gaze swept calmly across the dining hall before finally landing...
...on me.
...
Huh? Haaaa????
Excuse me?
I blinked.
No.
Absolutely not.
Why was he looking directly at me like that?
I felt Ren immediately tense behind my chair.
Meanwhile, Cynthia looked visibly startled.
And Sebastian?
Sebastian’s expression had already turned unreadable.
Duke Valen stood first.
Which honestly shocked me more than Ezekiel’s appearance itself.
"The Royal Archmage honors this estate unexpectedly," my father stated formally.
Ezekiel gave a small nod.
"My apologies for the intrusion."
His tone remained calm and controlled.
But his eyes never fully left me.
Sir.
Respectfully.
Please stop making this breakfast awkward.
"You should have informed us beforehand," Duke Valen continued.
"There was no time."
That answer immediately made the room heavier.
Even Cynthia looked nervous now.
Because if the Royal Archmage personally arrived claiming there was "no time," most people would naturally assume someone important had either died or committed treason.
Meanwhile, I sat there holding buttered bread wondering why fate refused to let me digest carbohydrates peacefully.
Duke Valen frowned slightly.
"Has something happened?"
Ezekiel finally moved his gaze away from me and answered evenly.
"I came regarding your daughter, Lady Aria."
Cynthia blinked rapidly.
Sebastian’s head turned sharply toward Ezekiel.
And my father–
My father slowly looked at me with an expression that suggested he was mentally reevaluating his entire understanding of reality.
Honestly?
Same.
Because why was this man here?
I had already verbally dismissed him yesterday.
Aggressively too.
So what exactly was this behavior?
Meanwhile, Ezekiel continued standing there looking entirely composed despite casually detonating social stability inside the Valen Estate before noon.
Duke Valen spoke carefully afterward.
"...Aria?"
I slowly looked up from my tea.
"Yes?"
"Why," my father asked very slowly, "is the Royal Archmage visiting for you?"
Excellent question.
I would also love clarification.
So instead, I turned toward Ezekiel directly.
"Yes," I said flatly. "Why are you here?"
Several servants nearby nearly choked from my manner of speaking.
Apparently normal people did not casually question the Royal Archmage like an inconvenience interrupting breakfast.
Ezekiel’s gaze rested on me again.
And annoyingly enough...
Without the robes, he looked younger somehow.
"I came to check on you, my lady," he said calmly.
Then, to everyone’s visible surprise, he added,
"May I sit beside you?"
Silence crashed over the dining hall.
A servant dropped a spoon.
Sebastian instantly turned his head toward Ezekiel with an expression that looked genuinely disturbed for the first time that morning.
Even Cynthia blinked repeatedly like her brain failed to process the sentence properly.
Ren was confused but stayed calm.
Meanwhile, I stared at Ezekiel in disbelief.
What.
What was happening?
Was this man possessed?
Because shouldn’t Ezekiel Rowe rather swallow poison than voluntarily ask to sit beside Aria Valen?
And yet here he was standing calmly in expensive black formalwear looking absurdly elegant while speaking like some gentleman caller.
I smiled politely despite the internal chaos rapidly unfolding inside my head.
"Please," I said sweetly. "Come sit with me."
Then I paused before adding,
"And do try not to make yourself comfortable."
To my absolute disbelief, Ezekiel laughed.
A quiet amused laugh that softened his expression briefly before he actually walked toward the empty seat beside me.
Excuse me?
No genuinely.
Excuse me? freewebnσvel.cѳm
Both Ren and Sebastian looked deeply unsettled now.
Ren especially looked like he was moments away from spiritually ascending from stress.
Meanwhile, Sebastian’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Ezekiel pull out the chair beside me himself before sitting down calmly like this was the most natural thing in the world.
Cause what the hell?
Even Duke Valen looked caught off guard.
And honestly, seeing my emotionally constipated father visibly confused almost made this entire situation worth experiencing.
Ezekiel settled into the seat beside me with infuriating composure.
Then his eyes lowered briefly toward the tea in front of me.
"You are drinking too much caffeine." he noted casually.
I stared at him and blurted out.
"...Why are you talking like an exhausted husband?"
Sebastian’s expression darkened immediately.
Meanwhile, Ezekiel merely looked at me calmly before replying,
"If I were your husband, Lady Aria, I would not have allowed you to wander outside the capital unattended to begin with."
I almost choked.
Ren made a strangled sound somewhere behind me.
Even Duke Valen looked at me completely now.
I slowly turned toward Ezekiel.
"You arrived here to criticize me?"
"No," he answered smoothly. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
His gaze met mine again.
"I came because I wanted to ask how you are faring, my lady." He smiled faintly afterward before suddenly reaching for my hand. "You lost consciousness yesterday after all."
The moment his fingers closed gently around my hand, the entire table froze.
No genuinely.
Everyone froze.
Cynthia’s eyes widened so quickly I thought she might accidentally inhale tea into her lungs.
Sebastian went completely still beside her.
Even Duke Valen visibly stiffened at the head of the table.
Excuse me?!
My brain malfunctioned instantly.
Because this man was absolutely not clarifying anything.
In fact, this looked worse.
Way worse.
Especially with the way he was holding my hand so naturally while dressed like some devastatingly handsome nobleman visiting his beloved after a scandalous night together.
Tell me this man was not intentionally allowing misunderstandings to bloom?!
I stared at him in disbelief.
Sir.
People are going to think we committed sins yesterday.
Ezekiel, however, looked entirely calm.
Actually no.
Not calm.
Amused.
The faintest trace of amusement lingered behind his golden eyes as though he was fully aware of the destruction currently unfolding around the dining hall and simply chose not to stop it.
This manipulative horse.
