"Lord Vermillion, we will be back soon," Marcus said respectfully as he knelt before Vermillion IV. They stood outside the palace gates.
The crimson sky of evening stretched endlessly above them, painted in glowing red-orange hues as the sun dipped closer to the horizon. Crimson rays bathed the palace walls, the distant trees, and the surrounding hills in a soft scarlet light, making the entire scenery look like a vibrant oil painting. The wind brushed through the trees with a gentle rhythm. Neither too cold nor too hot, the weather was just right—perfect, in fact.
Above them, dozens of birds of various species filled the sky. Some glided smoothly toward the sunset, others flapped wildly in formation, their feathers catching the last golden glints of the sun.
Vermillion IV smiled softly and said, "Yeah, I will be waiting."
It wasn't just Marcus who knelt in front of him—Zhou Rui was also kneeling respectfully. Only Julius remained standing, hands in the pockets of his black coat.
He wore a black wizard hat, a black long coat, and beneath it, a black shirt tucked into matching black trousers, cinched neatly by a belt. His black socks and polished black shoes completed the look. This entire outfit had been handed to him by Vermillion IV that very evening.
Julius spoke, his tone casual but mildly irritated, "Vermillion, this hat feels a little uncomfortable."
Vermillion IV chuckled and replied, "No worries, Mr. Airu. You'll get used to it soon."
"Hm, alright," Julius replied with a nod.
After a short silence, Marcus raised his head and said, "Now, please grant us your permission to leave."
"Yeah, sure," Vermillion IV replied.
But just as Marcus began to rise to his feet, a sharp voice echoed from behind Vermillion.
"Wait, Papa. Don't let this guy, Airu, go with them. I believe he's some kind of spy from those corrupted data packs, and he might be planning to kill Lord Marcus and Zhou Rui during the journey."
The voice belonged to Vermillion IV's daughter—the same girl who had arrived in a golden carriage and whom Julius had already clashed with.
But what had actually happened between them?
Yesterday…
"Don't touch my carriage, insolent creature," she had snapped sharply.
Julius had turned toward the voice, startled. A young woman stood before him, likely three or four years younger than he was. She was stunning—striking red hair and a royal red dress that glimmered in the afternoon sun. Her frock extended all the way down to the ground, dyed in an elegant red-to-pink gradient that sparkled like rose quartz.
She held the lower edges of the frock carefully to keep it from brushing the ground, revealing her delicate pink heels beneath.
Her crimson-pink gradient hair was styled in elegant waves, flowing from a softly puffed crown. Two curled locks framed her face like coiled silk, while the rest was gathered into a regal updo with a few loose tendrils softening the look—a perfect hairstyle for a noble enchantress. It carried an aura of aristocracy and delicate rebellion.
Her golden earrings swayed slightly as she moved. Her gown was adorned with embedded rubies and diamonds, although she wore no other jewelry, which only made her beauty appear more refined.
Julius frowned. "What do you mean by 'insolent creature'?"
"I have no reason to answer you, peasant," she shot back without hesitation.
Julius stepped forward, his tone sharper. "Listen, I'm not here to play along with your inflated ego, nor am I in the mood to entertain it. It'd be better if you shut your mouth."
Her eyes widened in fury. "What did you just say!?"
She raised her right hand, her chest bouncing slightly with the motion. Her palm opened, and a fireball the size of a cricket ball flared into existence above it.
She hurled it toward Julius.
But Julius simply flicked his right hand. A wind blade surged forth, slicing through the fireball with ease—both spells disintegrated in a flash of sparks.
Immediately, armored guards rushed to her side, pointing their gleaming spears toward Julius.
Before the tension could explode, a calm but authoritative voice interrupted.
"It's okay. You guys can back down."
It was Vermillion IV. He had been watching from a distance and stepped in before the matter escalated.
He addressed her first. "Valessia, he is the programmer I told you about. Please, do not be rude to him."
Then he turned to Julius. "Mr. Airu, this is my daughter—Valessia Vermillion, or in our family tradition, Vermillion V. But you may call her Valessia. She is 24 years old."
Valessia scoffed. "Papa, you don't need to introduce me to this guy. He looks so dirty. How could he possibly be the programmer?"
Julius answered calmly but firmly, "I'm not dirty. I've been through intense training—something you, who grew up surrounded by luxury, would never understand."
Before Valessia could respond, Vermillion IV spoke again—his voice this time tinged with chill.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Airu… but you're wrong. My daughter—she didn't grow up in royalty's comfort. I don't know what kind of life you had in the real world, but her life… it was far worse than you can imagine."
Valessia moved beside him and gently patted his back.
"It's okay, Papa. Calm down."
He smiled at her, softening.
"I'm sorry. I lost my cool."
Julius scratched his head with a sigh. "Valessia… I'm sorry. I think I said something I shouldn't have."
Valessia turned her head away sharply, flipping her hair with a cold huff.
"Don't call me by name. Address me properly as Princess Valessia, peasant."
Julius muttered under his breath, "This woman…"
Present Time…
Julius exhaled, visibly irritated. "There's really something wrong with your head, Princess Valessia."
"Shut up!" she snapped in response.
Vermillion IV laughed, watching them with amusement. He turned to Marcus and said, "I think you should leave before they start fighting again."
Marcus smiled faintly and replied, "Yeah… Well then, excuse me, my lord."