After half an hour of talking with Matheo and his friends, Theo comes to the conclusion that they do not seem like bad people. Although they are young nobles with a certain level of arrogance, they are polite and friendly.
"Hahaha!" Matheo laughs when Theo tells a story about setting fire to a group of smugglers with an improvised molotov. "You are truly impressive, my friend." He praises Theo, and the other two guys also agree. One of them looks at Theo with an expression of both admiration and envy. "You must be very popular with the girls, right?"
"I don't think so," Theo answers honestly. Although he has quite a handsome face and is tall, he was never well cared for on the streets of Kriegfall, and even now, he is somewhat skinny, and with his hair all messed up, which makes his appearance less elegant.
"Oh, you are being modest." Matheo comments with a gentle smile. "Look at you, unlike those spoiled nobles who depend on makeup and fine clothes to look good, you truly have wonderful genes. And I bet that more wild appearance of yours drives the girls crazy."
Matheo's other two friends nod in agreement, and one of them speaks first. "I bet that Lady Aurelian finds you attractive, and she is beautiful!" The other guy quickly continues. "Did you not see the girl called Lianna? That is true beauty!"
"You fools!" Matheo exclaims, and his eyes shine with expectation. "Did you not hear anything I said about that mysterious girl? I am sure no girl here can compare to her. Her beauty was simply… absolute."
Theo thinks about something for a second, and one of Matheo's friends confirms his suspicion. "Matheo, are you sure this so-called Lady Malveryn even exists? Maybe it was just a dream you had after drinking too much."
"Of course she exists, everyone in Dragons' Gate is talking about her," Matheo responds confidently, but then makes a thoughtful expression. "However, I am not sure if this is really the inn where she is staying." As soon as he mentions that, one of his friends makes a disbelieving expression. "I think you were fooled, Matheo. We have been here for two hours, and there is no sign of this supposedly perfect girl."
The trio seems to become depressed for a second, making Theo laugh. "You have been here for two hours just waiting for this girl to show up? And what are you going to do when she arrives?"
The three young men make the same confused expressions, and Matheo is the first to think of something. "Invite her to accompany me to the welcoming ceremony, of course! It may not be as good as the autumn ball, but it will still be a grand party, and having such a beautiful woman at my side would be an honor! Besides, our relationship could improve greatly after that… I would easily marry a woman like her and be loyal only to her for the rest of my life!"
Theo can see all that sparkle in Matheo's eyes; he truly looks like a man in love. Matheo's friends are also impressed. "I guess the girl is actually real. Yeah, I have never seen him this passionate before."
"Matheo…" Theo looks at the poor guy with a sorry expression. "I know that girl." Hearing that, Matheo becomes even more excited. "Really?" Theo nods, and his expression grows more and more apologetic. "You seem like a good guy, truly, and that is why I feel sorry to give you bad news…"
"No…" Matheo gets that depressed look again. "Don't tell me she is already taken? It does not matter, I will fight the guy to the death if necessary!" He truly looks ready to face any danger to gain the attention of his beloved, which makes Theo feel even more pity for his new friend.
"That is not the problem," As soon as he says that, Matheo smiles again, like on an emotional roller coaster. "Then what is the problem?" He asks, and Theo struggles to find the right words. "It is complicated… but let us say that if you try anything, the chances of it ending badly for you are very, very high. I definitely do not recommend approaching her."
"What?" Matheo is shocked and then starts laughing. "Hahaha! I get it, you are also in love with her, right?" Before Theo can say anything, Matheo gives him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Do not worry, mate, I understand, for real. You saw her, fell in love just like I did, and now you want to undermine anyone who tries to get close to her, correct?"
"..." Theo is left speechless. He truly does not want any man trying anything romantic with Sarah, although that is not the only reason he is trying to stop Matheo from doing something. His impression of Matheo improves even more when he sees that the young noble remains friendly despite that.
"Look, Theo, I really do not blame you; probably anyone would do the same," Matheo says in a friendly tone. "But I am the type who prefers to give everyone a fair chance, so let us avoid that kind of low trick, please. Also, in the end, it is the girl who chooses who she allows to stay by her side, so you cannot stop other guys from trying to get her attention."
"Yeah, you are right," Theo lets out a sigh and smiles back at Matheo. "I cannot stop other guys from being attracted to her, can I? But remember, I tried to be a good friend and warn you."
"You are a good friend, Theo." Matheo smiles at Theo, and they go back to enjoying breakfast together, but less than a minute later, Sarah appears on the stairs. She is wearing a short casual dress and her long black hair tied in a practical ponytail, yet she looks just as beautiful as in Matheo's descriptions.
"It is her!" Matheo is the first to notice Sarah and quickly stands up, followed by his friends. But Theo only watches from afar with a sorry expression as he sees his new friend running toward Sarah like a knight from fairy tales. "My Lady, this humble-"
BAM! Sarah does not give Matheo time to finish introducing himself, punching him in the face with such force that the poor man falls to the ground unconscious. Theo even frowns upon feeling the strength of that blow just from the sound Sarah's fist made against Matheo's face.
Everyone around is startled, and Matheo's two friends stare at Sarah with confused expressions. But she throws them a severe look. "I do not have time for this shit."
"Mercy! Spare us, please!" The two guys bow to Sarah, and when she ignores them, they drag Matheo out of the inn while Sarah walks over to Theo and smiles at him with a gentle expression. "Did I take too long?"
Theo glances at Matheo's friends, dragging him out the door, and lets out a sorry sigh. "You didn't have to hit him that hard." As soon as he says that, Sarah laughs. "What? Do not tell me they are your new friends?"
"Now I guess they aren'tanymore, right?" Theo ends up laughing and pours a cup of coffee for Sarah, who accepts it and thanks him with a slight bow. "Thank you. But you have to choose your friends better in the future. Speaking of bad friendships…"
Sarah looks around, and then her smile becomes even brighter. "It seems we got lucky." She says in a sarcastic tone, but Theo shakes his head in disapproval. "Don't be so mean; we will wait for him."
"Theo, I don't think you understood well the first time, so I will try to explain it to you once more." Sarah makes a serious expression. "He is a Caelis; everything his family achieved, the base and foundation of their principles, everything is built on betrayals. Sooner or later, that weird boy will try to stick a frozen dagger in your back; that is what they do."
Theo doesn't think Sarah is saying that out of malice and truly wants to advise him well, yet he doesn't change his mind about Lorien. "I will not judge him badly just because of his family. But if one day he tries to stab me in the back, I hope you will be there to save me."
Sarah tries to stay serious but ends up smiling. "That is not negotiable, is it?" She asks, and he shakes his head. "No." Then she nods as well. "Alright, I will respect your decision. But I am always right, you will realize that with time."
"Of course," Theo winks at Sarah, and then she sits beside him to enjoy the breakfast he ordered. It doesn't take long for Lorien to come down the stairs as well, and after exchanging cold looks with Sarah and shy ones with Theo, the white-haired boy also sits at the table and enjoys the coffee and fresh fruits.
When Sarah finishes her breakfast, she turns her attention back to Theo. "Let's go, we have many things to do before the welcoming ceremony." She starts pointing at his body. "Buy new clothes, new shoes, take you to a salon for an elegant haircut, and also fix that messy beard of yours."
Theo cannot help but feel a little sad and glances at Lorien. "Am I really that bad?" As soon as he asks, the white-haired boy laughs. "Remember when you said you were a street orphan? I had no doubts."
"Damn!" Theo remembers that Eruina mentioned she could take him somewhere to fix his appearance, but they got so excited about their plans that they ended up forgetting that part. Now he feels grateful to have Sarah to help him with that. "I am counting on you, My Lady."