Rowan stood frozen, his gaze locked on the shocking scene before him. The intimacy between Alaric and Luzella was palpable, and Rowan's mind struggled to process the unexpected sight. Oblivious to the danger lurking nearby, he was jolted back to reality by the piercing intensity of Alaric's stare. As he snapped out of his trance-like state, he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead, and his heart began to pound in his chest.
His eyes met Alaric's, and the air seemed to thicken with tension. The room, once filled with the soft hum of quiet conversation, had become a volatile situation, charged with unspoken conflict. Rowan's instincts screamed warning, and he sensed the storm brewing on the horizon. He knew that lingering here another moment would be a grave mistake.
With a sudden jolt of self-preservation, Rowan swiftly turned to make a hasty exit. He knew that the longer he stayed, the greater the risk of confrontation. His movements were swift and calculated, designed to minimize attention. Rowan pushed forward, his eyes fixed on the door. With a quiet determination, he slipped out of the room, leaving the tense scene behind.
Rowan felt a sigh of relief wash over him as he stepped out of the room. His clothes were already drenched in sweat, a testament to the intense tension he'd just escaped. The heat emanating from Alaric's gaze had been palpable, and Rowan knew he wasn't just reacting to the temperature, Alaric's anger was a living, breathing thing.
Butler Halley leaned against a wall, his eyes fixed on the door as he waited for Rowan to emerge. His sly smile grew wider as he took in Rowan's disheveled appearance, his clothes drenched in sweat. He struggled to stifle a laugh, however he still chuckled, clearly amused by Rowan's predicament.
Rowan's eyes narrowed as he glared at Butler Halley, his mind racing with the realization that the butler might have deliberately sent him into the room to provoke a reaction. The thought only fueled his annoyance.
Rowan's glare only seemed to amuse Butler Halley further, his chuckles growing louder. "Looks like someone had a...lively time in there," Butler Halley said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Rowan's face reddened with rage as he clenched his fists. "What were you thinking, sending me in there?" he snarled, his eyes blazing with anger.
Butler Halley eyes sparkled with amusement as he nonchalantly snapped back, his voice laced with sarcasm "What would you think before sending me into such a predicament if you were me, hmm?"
Rowan's fist lashed out towards Butler Halley, but with lightning-quick reflexes, Halley sidestepped the blow, his movements almost dance-like. Rowan's punch whiffed wildly, leaving him off balance. Rowan's face twisting in a mixture of anger and frustration, before he spun back around, his eyes locking onto Halley's.
As Rowan regained his footing, his anger seemed to intensify, his eyes narrowing into slits. "You think you're clever, don't you?" he growled, his voice low and menacing.
Halley's expression remained nonchalant, but a hint of a smile played on his lips. "Merely observant, sir." he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Rowan's anger boiled over, his fists clenched and ready to strike, but Butler Halley grasped his arm just in time, his voice low and urge, "I'm saying this for our own good. Don't make any sound, If you act now, he'll show us no mercy."
"Then, you should stop your provocation with me," Rowan snapped back, his voice low and irritated.
Butler Halley rolled his eyes and let out a soft sigh and said, "Alright man, chill now."
Rowan's eyes narrowed, and a low, disgruntled "Hmph" was his only response.
Butler Halley's gaze drifted thoughtfully towards the room where Alaric and Luzella were, his eyes lingering for a moment before returning to Rowan's face. His expression turned thoughtful as he weighed the situation. "What now?" he asked, his voice low and measured. "I doubt Alaric will be able to accompany you to handle this lead. If you'd prefer, I could come with you instead. Perhaps my presence would be of some use in confirming the lead and, if necessary, my assistance could be beneficial in capturing him."
"That's fine," Rowan said, "But we should definitely let him know before heading out. What if he finds out we went to find Deneb without informing him the news? It'll be...bad. He'll be furious, and we might not make it out alive tomorrow. I don't want to be on the receiving end of his anger."
Butler Halley's lips curled into a knowing smirk as he caught the thread of Rowan's unease. "Scaredy cat," he said, slipping out with a light, teasing tone, a deliberate attempt to poke fun at Rowa.
"Oh, yeah, I'm a scaredy cat, but you're the great man who can enter the Den fearlessly." Rowan shot back with a proactive smirk. "So, why don't you go and tell him about the information yourself?" Rowan suggested with a question.
Butler Halley's expression remained serene as he replied with a casual shrug, "Fine, then I'll go and inform him myself," his voice dripping with nonchalance, implying that the task was nothing out of ordinary.
Rowan's eyebrow arched in skepticism as he watched Butler Halley's nonchalant demeanor, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he said "Then hurry up, we need to get going," his voice tinged with a mix of exasperation and urgency, as if telling Butler Halley to take the situation more seriously.
Butler Halley nodded his head and headed towards the room where Alaric was there. Unlike Rowan, he gently opened the door without making a sound, careful not to disturb Luzella's slumber. However, as he entered, Alaric's piercing gaze met him, his eyes narrowing in irritation as if Butler Halley's presence itself was a disruption.
Butler Halley raised his hand upwards in a gesture of surrender, holding up one finger to indicate he'd only take a minute, and his eyes conveyed that he wouldn't speak. Alaric narrowed his eyes but remained silent. Taking this as a sign of reluctant acceptance, Butler Halley swiftly pulled out his phone from his pocket, typed something quickly, and then walked silently over to Alaric, standing in front of him to show him the screen.