After a few hours of riding in the carriage from the slums to the capital, Elias and Soren finally arrived at the Davenmore estate.
"Woah… look at the gates! They're huge! Taller than any of the houses in the slums!" Elias exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise.
Soren only gave a faint smile as the massive gates swung open, revealing an elderly man with a monocle over one eye.
"Are you two applying for the healer position?" the man asked, his voice calm but authoritative.
Elias glanced at Soren before turning back to the man. "Yes… uh, sir," he said nervously, giving a small bow. Soren mirrored the gesture quietly.
"Ahem… very well. I am Cedric, the Duke's estate butler. Please, come in. I will lead the way," the old man said, stepping aside to guide them inside.
As they are on the way to the estate, they passed by the fountain with a lion head in it, a beautiful garden and two lion head build in the entrance of the estate itself looking straight at the gate where they just came.
"Please wait here. The Duke will come and see you in a minute," Cedric said and before he could open the door, two young men approached while grinning from ear to ear.
"Hey, Cedric! Who are these people?" one asked.
"Oh… young lords," Cedric replied carefully. "These people are applying for the healer position."
The twins leaned close to Soren and Elias, inspecting them. Then, suddenly, one slapped Soren across the face.
"My, my… look at my hand! It stings," he said with a smirk, waving his right hand theatrically.
Soren, his lips bruised, didn't react. He simply stared at the twins, who in turn looked at him and then at the faintly healing bruises on his lips.
"Are you okay?" Elias whispered, worry clear in his voice but Soren only nodded.
"Forgive me if I appear impertinent, my lords, but please… the Duke will see them shortly," Cedric interjected, trying to maintain control.
"Come on, we're just having a little fun," one twin said, shrugging. "You two, come inside. Let's go."
Cedric had no choice but to rush to his lord and report what was happening.
The twins, Lyric and Sylas Davenmore, had a notorious habit of testing healer applicants through brute force. They claimed it was the only way to determine whether someone could survive in battle but their methods were far from gentle.
"I really don't like the way you looked at me earlier," Lyric said sarcastically, then suddenly kicked Soren in the stomach. Soren's body was thrown backward, his head bumping against a vase in the corner.
"Soren!" Elias shouted, rushing forward but Sylas jumped in, delivering a kick that sent Elias to the ground, too.
"Wow, brother… this one's interesting," Lyric said, pretending to be concerned. "He didn't even groan or cry in pain… but look at his head! It cracked—blood won't stop!"
He grabbed Soren by the collar and shoved him onto the couch while Sylas mirrored the action, pushing Elias down as well.
'What the hell is wrong with these people? Why are they beating us out of the blue? Damn… I shouldn't have convinced Soren to come here. Fuck!' Elias muttered under his breath, watching Soren being yanked up by Lyric, their faces dangerously close.
"Damn… are you really a man? Your skin is flawless, and you even have this… feminine build. Aww, look at your lips… did I do this?" Lyric taunted. When Soren averted his gaze, Lyric used his left hand to tilt his face back and suddenly kissed him.
"Gah, brother! What are you doing? He's… dirty! He's a commoner, remember? What if he just ate a rat? Ew, gross!" Sylas exclaimed, wiping Lyric's lips and shoving Soren back to the ground just as the door suddenly opened.
"Hah, what a mess. Cedric, drag the twins outside," Duke Alaric commanded.
"As you wish, Your Grace," Cedric replied, glancing at the twins, who pouted silently, knowing there was no arguing with their older brother.
"Soren, are you okay?" Elias asked, helping him to his feet while checking his head. Alaric, meanwhile, simply observed the scene with cold expression.
"I'm fine. No need to worry," Soren mumbled.
Feeling the weight of the Duke's gaze and the tension in the room, Soren gently guided Elias by the hip and helped him bow.
"Greetings, Your Grace. We apologize for this mess," Soren said in a calm, respectful tone, his composure unwavering.
Meanwhile, outside the Duke's estate, a carriage from the Imperial family came to a halt. Cedric, having just sent the twins to the audience chamber, now had the time to greet the youngest prince.
"Greetings, Your Highness," Cedric said with a bow. As someone who frequently visited the dukedom, the guards automatically opened the gates, allowing the prince to enter the estate entrance right away.
"Oh, Cedric. Where's the Duke? Surely, he hasn't forgotten my visit. He promised the healer would be ready today," said Prince Cael Elarion, the youngest son of the imperial family. At twenty-two, he was one of the empire's finest swordsmen, with short silver hair, piercing red eyes, and a lean yet powerful build befitting his noble lineage.
"Of course, Your Highness. Allow me to lead you to the audience chamber. The twins are already there," Cedric replied courteously.
After a few more minutes, Lyric, Sylas, and Cael spent their time inside the audience chamber. Cael, composed and calm, quietly sat on the couch, savoring his tea, while the twins lazed around with mischievous grins.
"Who do you think brother will choose between those two wretches?" Lyric asked Sylas, ignoring Cael entirely, as they had grown accustomed to his quiet presence ever since childhood.
"Hah, I bet he'll pick one of them. Both are dirty and smelly, damn it! A commoner? No way! I'd rather die than touch them!" Sylas sneered, shoving a few cookies into his mouth.
"But you know no one else is coming to join us, right? No noble family would send their children to die. Hah, I bet those scums are laughing now that we have to entertain a commoner to help guard the border," Lyric countered, leaning lazily on the couch with a sly smirk.
"Tsk… if only that incident hadn't happened ten years ago… We'd never have to cater to rats in this castle. Now that we've let them in, what if rats follow their footsteps here? I'll tell Cedric to sanitize every corner!" Sylas snapped, noticing Cael's piercing gaze on him.
"Uhm… Your Highness? Why are you looking at me like that?" Sylas asked nervously, glancing at Lyric, who simply shrugged.
"Hah, you really have to be careful what you say, Sylas. Remember how brother punished you for bringing up that incident? He doesn't like that topic mentioned. Be careful," Cael warned calmly.
Sylas flinched and gulped. "R-right… I'm sorry, Your Highness."
Cael sighed quietly, just as the audience chamber door opened, revealing the Duke.
"O-oh, brother! Who did you choose between the two?" the twins asked in unison, standing with wide, expectant smiles.