The giant pair of wooden oak doors opened, a young man with delicate steps entered throught it, "young master d-did the meeting end already?" Lloyd asked puzzled and taken aback.
"Yes, so i thought to come earlier for the meeting with lady Blackthorn" said a sweet voice with innocent as Evelyn turned around to look at the person who that voice belonged.
Fluffy black hair with white tips, pale skin on a slender gracile physique, the muscles were basically unoticeable by how little they were, the height was less than average but the face looked delicate and made him look younger than his real age, but the most striking feature were his eyes of different colours, the right one was crimson red and the left one blue as the deep ocean, there wasn't more of a doubt in Evelyn, this was Lawrence Floro the brat she would've to protect.
Only one thing was clear about him for her, just how weak he seemed and probably was, and she got an headache at the thought, but then his gaze landed on her and she looked at him puzzled, the gaz3 was innocent but also hidden far beneath was uneasiness, she feel his gaze looking directly into hers then he spoke with a light bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you miss Blackthorn, i'm Lawrence Floro the one you'll protect for the time being" he said his voice strangely calm and innocent as he returned to look at her before sitting besides Lloyd while the young Valet sighed.
"Nice to meet you Mr.Lawrence, yes i'll be your guard from now" she said confidently, but inside she cursed at how weak and naive this boy seemed, she wondered how long it would take for him to give her orders.
"I believe you have barely discussed the payment by how you talked with Lloyd before i entered, you wanted 6 pounds right? I'll offer a bit more than it but i'm not talking of money" Lawrence replied innocently Leaving Evelyn perplexed.
"Well i need the money more than anything but i'll hear you out" Evelyn said with a light smirk while she got curious by the young master words.
"I'll help you reach one yellow star" Lawrence said calmly leaving both Lloyd and Evelyn surprised.
"Young master you know we shouldn't give that information to mere mercenaries that aren't affiliated with us!" Lloyd protested fermently, "Lloyd i trust you in fact this payment will be something she has to work for, i will teach her" Lawrence said calmly as Evelyn smiled angrily.
"You? please you aren't a five green stars from what i see!" Evelyn scoffed annoyed as she put a hand on her thigh and looked at him furious.
"In fact i am but not as a warrior" Lawrence admited calmly shocking Evelyn even more like he turned her world upside down... he was the age she first became that rank but she got stuck for three years now... and he says to know the way to overcome that wall? If it was a joke it would be the worst to make to her.
"Oh really? What type then?" Evelyn scoffed still furious but wanting to see how he would lie now.
"I'm of an outsider type, not of the main three" Lawrence replied calmly leaving Evelyn puzzled this was too obvious of a lie, but it was much more believable with him being an archducal direct heir.
"What type?" She remained firm in her question if he didn't tell her she couldn't believe him, there were many outsider types but they were normally be contained in one of the main three or be a specialization of it, if he really did have one it should be a lantern holder specialization, at least judging from his physique alone.
"Yes like you think i'm a variant of the lantern holder, called Spark Weaver" Lawrence admited calmly leaving Evelyn shocked at how easily he gave it away, now she was sure he's too naive for this world, and this fact irritated her even more than before how could he be a five green stars already? It was ridicolous.
"Let's say i believe you, how can you teach me to become a yellow star if you aren't one yet?" Evelyn questioned as she tried to hide her annoyance and irritation for this brat.
"Why do you think mercenary group that are affiliated with nobles more easily get to yellow star? It's because before they get to it the nobles offer them the method to recruit them" Lawrence revealed calmly at the mercenary in front of him, and at that Evelyn felt something click in her head, like the puzzle she tried to solve was finally complete.
"So it's true nobles monopolize the way to get beyond the stars walls, but why tell me? You think i'll trust you now? That you can buy me?" Evelyn scoffed annoyed, she was wandering if she rejected the offer now would she be killed? If she would she wouldn't let it be easy for them.
"Like I said you'll be my bodyguard, father that decided after careful consideration, and after getting informed by Lloyd on the reasons I accepted it... plus if this isn't enough I want to give you this" Lawrence said as he took out a small emblem of a crow wearing a crown while being surrounded by flowers.
Evelyn and Lloyd were stunned, giving an emblem was seen as offering to sponsor that person, it was a huge deal that the som of the archduke Floro would give one, it could be seen as him trying to gain power to be the heir and go against his siblings.
"Eh? Are you really trying to buy me with this?! I believe you don't realize it brat but I hate nobles that's why I don't want to affiliate with them even less being their sponsored dog!" Evelyn shouted at him making his uneasiness more clear, but then she stopped looking at him he was trying to hide the uneasiness but not with pride... but he was trying to act like before... kind.
"Young master the lord said to max give her an offer of seven pounds, I was already hesitant to let you do this with offering to help her get to one yellow star but now it's too much!" Lloyd said not as furiously as he was worried for the young master safety and reputation.
"I don't want you to be our dog, this just means you get three requests from me and me alone, I already got father acceptance" Lawrence explained innocently as he was still offering the emblem to Evelyn.
Evelyn was doubtful and shocked even more, she looked closely at the emblem like expecting it to be a curse bearing object, then slowly she looked in Lawrence eyes.
The different eyed color were almost filled with glinting stars by how pure that gaze was, she wondered how the he'll someone like this was a five green stars, she could only consider the possibility he was highly helped by his family, but she got a strange feeling, of wanting to trust a noble just this once, wait what the heel was she thinking? She soon pushed away the idea of trusting him and returned to look at the emblem.
"This my offer a salary of six pounds an hour help to get to one yellow star and this emblem that will grant you three requests that you will ask me" Lawrence pressed calmly with his usual sweet voice as Evelyn pondered and Lloyd looked stressed while contemplating how to tell the lord.
"....Fine but i want to know how many hours I'll work" Evelyn reluctantly agreed as she took the emblem in her hand and put it in her pocket.
"Counting how you'll need to protect me while juggling your mercenary group I'll say... 9 hours a day, for special events you will be given a bonus of 12 pounds and 12 sparks for small events like tea time or meeting and a bonus of 20 pounds for medium events like inauguration or charity auctions, instead for big events like galas-" "wait wait you expect to accompany you to some stupid galas?" Evelyn interrupted him annoyed at the suggestion and mention of galas.
"Well you'll need to protect me at such events too, for the lessons on etiquette you'll do it while protecting me I'll help you through them" Lawrence confirmed innocently Leaving her even more dumbfounded.
Evelyn sighed not only would she need to protect a naive brat but also accompany him to meet more pompous brats.
"The bonus for that would be 30 pound every three hours" Lawrence offered leaving Evelyn baffled but she couldn'treally refuse it after accepting the crest but with that sum she almost hoped to be at many galas with him.
"Fine, but i want you to answer me, why me? Why chose a mercenary known to hate nobles to protect the young master that's so far from home?" Evelyn demanded after having thought of it since getting the letter a week ago.
"You have a trait you keep hidden don't you?" Lawrence questioned calmly as he looked back Evelyb in her now furious eyes.
"What did you say?" Evelyn asked through gritted teeth like he just said something meant to be hidden away even from the world itself, like he said a blasphemy to the most fervent believer.
"The reason you are renowed to keep a cool mind isn't something from your essence type, it's a trait, a rare one called cold blood am I right?" Lawrence questioned calmly as he looked directly in Evelyn wrath filled eyes, his gaze soft and gentle with a strange innocence that left Evelyn speechless.
"Yes, it's true, so you want me for that?" Evelyn scoffed still puzzled by this situation just a simple trait was enough to get an archducal family attention? Something didn't seem right.
"My family has an hereditary trait" Lawrence declared innocently as he looked up to her leaving Evelyn puzzled as to why did that matter.
"It's called Watchful Eye, it enhances our attention to details, yours is almost on the same level is I would judge, in my case I got one of the strongest compatibility in my family history, the highest in the recent 5 generations, I know what it means to have one, it changes our perception on the wall" Lawrence admited in a moment of vulnerability to pass on a message.
Evelyn was still feel hesitant the message for her was clear he was trying to say that he could understand, but could he really? Their traits weren't the same hers made her keep her cool in most occassions he's would make him hyper aware of details surrounding him, it was clearly a different situation.
"The reason isn't simply the trait you have, but combined with your talent we hope to help you achieve a higher strenght by using the excuse to protect me" Lawrence explained calmly as something in Evelyn head clicked.
Lawrence earlier confirmed to her that most mercenary that reached the yellow stars were being invested in by nobles... with what he just said plus giving her the emblem in was basically confirmed they wanted to invest in her then make her affiliate with them.
Then she could just use them to get over the wall of the five green stars and into yellow stars, and gain quiet a bit of money to then leave them.
"Okay, if we are concluded where do i need to sign to get this job?" Evelyn questioned still acting annoyed as before.
"The contract will be signed tomorrow with a notary and will be in act from the day after it's signing" Lloyd replied calmly before the young master could speak.
"I suppose here in upper town, what address? And how would I come back here?" Evelyn questioned starting to act more calmly than before.
"It will at Arthur Plaza 19th and at 3pm, to come back here show the emblem the young master gave you" Lloyd answered calmly as he got up alongside her to show the exit.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow Mrs. Evelyn" Lawrence said innocently as he got up to shake Evelyn hand.
She looked down as his streched hand and shook with hers, but something caught her attention, despite being soft this hand was also... a bit rough like it was used to manual labour.
"Yes I'll see you tomorrow young master" she said calmly before walking away with Lloyd, but as she did so she got puzzled by why did she call him young master.