Pier adjusted the collar of his clothes as he stepped outside the carriage. Immediately, everyone's eyes darted in his direction.

"Today's pretty hot don't you think?" Pier asked the servant who brought an umbrella to shade him from sunlight.

"It is, young master." The servant replied while bowing. Pier clicked his tongue but only enough for himself to hear. He only wanted to talk about the weather but the servants he assigned would always bow when speaking to him.

When Pier arrived at the venue for the tea party - no, it was more of like a discrete gathering and a tea party was simply the term Asher wanted to give it. Pier gave the invitation to the knight that was guarding the entrance to the place Asher had said in the letter.

What Pier realized after thinking about Asher's letter is that it was not just a simple tea party because if it was, then the Crown Prince would definitely conduct it within the Royal Palace's premises where it is more secure considering Asher's importance towards society.

The place that was indicated in the letter was still located within the Capital. However, it was a place that was hard to make reservations even for the high-ranking nobles.

"Talk about influence and power," Pier lowly said as he entered the said salon-like building while being led by the knight towards the second floor. Its interiors were made of high-quality wood and the seats, as well as the tables, are designed to fit the nobility's taste. The environment was calm and relaxing. Servants who work in the salon wore uniforms that are too bright and eye-catching.

When Pier reached the second floor, he heard the faint laughter of individuals that had already arrived there ahead of time.

'The young nobles that are on the royalty's faction.' The people who were laughing with each other were the children of the nobles who are a member of the Royal Faction. They are considered some of the highest-ranking nobilities in the kingdom.

As Pier neared the place where they were talking, one person noticed him.

"Who invited you here?" the girl who noticed him asked.

'Disrespectful.' Pier stared at the lady who spoke to him inappropriately. He was amazed that a person with lower status than him was able to speak with him like he was some sort of bug.

"The Crown Prince had sent me an invitation as well, Lady Arda." Pier ignored her blatant display of disrespect towards him. Arda Cornell was the daughter of Earl Cornell who managed a medium portion of the textile industry.

The laughter and noises the young nobles were making immediately died down after hearing Pier's response. Arda's eyebrows twitched when she heard Pier's response.

"Really? The Crown Prince did? Or did you barge again without permission like usual?" Pier sighed as he ignored Arda's obvious attempts of provocation.

'Can't she understand the first sentence I said?' Pier was getting more and more amazed with the unfolding of events. Every person he met in this kingdom was either looking down on him or pitying him. None was in between.

"Pardon my interruption, Lady Arda, but the young master had an invitation with the Crown Prince's personal seal embedded upon it." The knight explained. Pier lightly nodded at the knight's words as agreement.

Arda gasped at the knight's words as if she had heard the most unbelievable thing in her whole life.

"If the young master did have an invitation from the Crown Prince, then we do not have the right to question his presence, Lady Arda., a young nobleman spoke. Arda glared at the young noble before puffing up her cheeks as if she were a squirrel.

Pier glanced at the man who spoke. If he remembers clearly, he saw him before.

"Greetings, young master. I am Gaston Mondrado, I believe we have met once before," Gaston said as he smiled at Pier. Pier nodded his head, he remembered that Gaston was the man who was with Redon when he went outside towards the Western Area.

"We have, Sir Gaston. It's my pleasure to have been acquainted with you once more," Pier greeted him back. Gaston smiled in astonishment as he continued to stare at Pier.

'Something wrong with his eyes?' Pier wondered as he felt Gaston's gaze linger on him for a few more seconds before it disappeared.

The other nobles present on the floor did not bother speaking with Pier but instead ignored his presence and started to converse once more as if he was not in the room.

'This is better,' Pier thought as he sat on one of the stools that were in the corner of the room. He placed himself by the window and oversaw the people minding their own businesses outside.

'It's so boring!' Pier missed his smartphone. He needed something that would kill his boredom.

'That Gaston guy feels suspicious too.' Pier always had a good sense when it comes to dangerous things. When he scanned Pier's memories, Gaston Mondrado was the first child and the successor of the Mondrado Countdom.

'He's friends with Redon too.' His perception of Redon was never good in the first place that's why he was also starting to have a biased opinion of Gaston.

"Young Master?" Pier turned his head towards the voice that called him and saw Raphael.

"Sir Raphael," Pier greeted and Raphael approached him with large strides. He had a large smile on his face as if he had seen someone again after being separated years ago.

"Thank you for visiting the Duchy yesterday, the Duke and the Duchess would like to invite you once more sometime soon." Pier nodded his head.

"Of course, it's my pleasure to spend dinner with Duke Callisto and Duchess Petunia," Pier said. He liked the couple who owned the Duchy. They do not condone rumors about him but instead made their evaluation personal.

Raphael smiled brighter at this. The two continued to converse without caring about the others. However, those who were present in the room were peeking glances at the two nobles.

Arda gritted her teeth as she stared at the two men talking with each other. She had been trying to catch Raphael's eyes for a long time now and she had never seen him smile like the way he was doing right now with Pier. No matter how pretty she dresses nor how expensive the jewelry she wore was, Raphael never spared her a glance. She was a hopeless romantic just like Pier.

She glared at the dark-haired noble that Raphael was talking to and spat curses in her mind. Pier felt the gaze that was boring holes in the back of his head and turned to look in the direction but only saw other nobles speaking with each other.

"Is everything okay, Pier?" Raphael asked. Pier nodded his head and they continued the conversation.

"Ah, it seems like everyone arrived earlier than I expected." Asher's voice resonated throughout the room as he entered through the door.

Pier glanced at the red-haired prince.

"His highness looks tired," Pier stated and Raphael nodded his head.

"He said he was not feeling well and I even told him not to overexert himself but he's hosting this gathering right now," Raphael said with a sigh. As the only close friend of the Crown Prince, he was sometimes worried that Asher will have no one to rely on.

Pier nodded his head without speaking anything afterward. Raphael looked at Pier with amazement. He found it astonishing that the young master really did stick to his words and did not bother Asher anymore. He also felt an unknown tingling in the deepest part of his emotions because of that.

The nobles immediately gathered around Asher as they made sure to impress him with their statuses. Asher greeted the nobles who got near him with a smiling face. However, he was looking for another person in the room.

Ah!

There stood near the window wearing cream-colored clothes and without any traces of expensive items stood Pier. His dark hair was slightly moving along with the wind that was coming through the open window.

Asher was indeed doubtful of Pier's words but all of the hesitancy that he had vanished after the Royal Banquet. After Pier conversed with him and Elena, the noble never spoke any word to him after that. Asher was expecting to at least mend their relationship.

He tried to go in Pier and Raphael's direction but a lady blocked his way.

"Your Highness, if allowed may I know where Lady Elena is?" Arda said as she pursed her lips and brushed her silky brown hair. Asher stopped in his tracks and inwardly clicked his tongue. He was slightly ticked about meeting the person who blatantly displayed her want for his only friend Raphael and did uncountable embarrassing things just to get Raphael's attention.

"Yes, your highness. Our esteemed Lady is never late, did something happen to her again?" Another noble asked and most eyes stared at Pier. When occasions like this would occur, Pier would barge in even without being invited and would stick to Asher throughout the entirety of the gathering making Elena uncomfortable and, in the end, she would choose not to attend.

Pier felt the numerous gazes attach themselves to his face and he sighed.

'Here we go again.' He ignored their gazes and looked out the window again. Raphael stared at Asher and spoke through his stare

'Do something.' Asher seems to have been surprised by all of the nobles' sudden side remarks towards Pier that he was unsure of what to say next but he came back to his senses when he saw Pier simply stare outside the window without caring about the awkward situation.

"Lady Elena has matters to attend to with Marquis Scott. Thank you for your concern, Lady Arda." Arda was astonished by Asher's answer. He never did when they would make remarks about Pier before.

"A-Ah, then I will wish for Lady Elena's safe return," Arda said feeling awkward with Asher's interruption. She wanted to see Pier's usually flustered face when they would all make fun of him but things turned out weirdly. Even Pier did not bother responding to their provocations.

"Then let us gather now, everyone," Asher said while staring back at Raphael. He wanted to greet Pier but he suddenly felt awkward after the nobles' subtle attempt to gang up on Pier. He ordered everyone to gather and that they should start the main agenda for their gathering.

Servants busily entered and exited the second floor of the salon. Food and drinks were served to the nobles and everyone gathered around the luxurious table.

Raphael sat beside Asher and Pier simply sat at the farthest corner of the table where he would not be noticed by others. Even the next person sitting next to Pier had ordered the servants to distance the position of the chair a little bit farther from Pier's seat.

"I wanted to invite him to sit next to me but he declined," Raphael murmured loud enough for Asher to hear.

"I see that you and the young master are on good terms now," Asher said and Raphael - who usually had a nonchalant expression during their gatherings had a small smile on his face.

"Yes, your highness, Pier and I have been on good terms for the past few days now. He accepted my invitation to the Duchy as well." Asher's eyebrows rose at Raphael's words. He was surprised that he was calling Pier as young master when he clearly remembered how Pier corrected his way of addressing him back at the Sun Palace's garden.

'Raphael also invited the young master?' Raphael, who was known to rarely invite anyone in the duchy and only had the Crown Prince as his only friend invited Pier? It was very surprising news for the Crown Prince.

But before Asher could respond to Raphael's statement, they heard a loud crash. Before anyone could process what happened, Raphael hurried over towards Pier's spot.

"Young master!"