Wearing a black suit that fit him well, Kyle stood outside the Maylith mansion.

By his side stood a beautiful woman with dark brown hair, dressed in a black knee-length off-shoulder dress that hugged her figure perfectly.

She was Blake’s secretary, Lara.

At gatherings like these, gifts were submitted beforehand for inspection, so they carried nothing except the small bag in his hand.

He had insisted on handing it over personally.

"You appear nervous, young lord," the woman said with a soft smile as they hooked arms and stepped past the main gates.

"Well, it’s my first time attending something like this, especially while representing my family." He glanced at her before adding, "And stop teasing me with that ’young lord’ nonsense. I’m already nervous enough."

She let out a quiet chuckle as they walked through the garden, making their way toward the mansion.

A few other guests followed the same path, but unlike Kyle, they seemed completely at ease. Of course they did.

"I’ll help you know about anyone who might approach you. Just exchange greetings and let them lead the conversation."

Kyle hummed. "Wouldn’t it be better if I led it myself?"

"Yes, but most people here are older and more experienced than you. It’s better to leave a polite impression."

Kyle nodded. Hopefully, aside from Amanda, no one would approach him inside.

They finally stepped into the mansion, and it was massive.

Warm light poured from above, soft and steady, reflecting off polished floors. A faint scent of wine and sweet drinks hung in the air, mixed with light perfume.

Voices overlapped in a constant hum, laughter rising and falling as people gathered in small circles.

Servers moved through the room with trays in hand, glasses clinking softly.

The walls were lined with simple but elegant decorations, nothing too loud, just enough to show taste.

Long tables were set along the sides, filled with food and drinks, while the center remained open for guests to move freely.

"There he is," Lara said, pointing subtly with her eyes toward a man in the distance.

Kyle followed her gaze and found the man who had arranged all of this. And his future father-in-law.

Taking a slow breath, he said, "Let’s go."

Lara stayed by his side as they moved toward the small group gathered around him, engaged in quiet conversation.

As they drew closer, the shift was immediate. Voices faded, one by one, until the group fell silent. Eyes turned toward them, calm and observant.

Lara let go of his arm, giving him space to step forward.

"Good evening, Sir Hades. I am Astortia Kyle." He extended his hand.

Hades looked at him for a moment. It was brief, but long enough to make Kyle wonder if the gesture would be ignored.

Then, with a slight nod, Hades reached out and shook his hand.

"I have heard a lot about you from my daughter. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person."

The two men let go of each other’s hands.

"I hope she said good things about me," Kyle replied with a small smile. He then extended the paper bag. "This is a small gift for the occasion. Happy birthday."

"Wait a second." Someone raised a hand, stopping him. "You need to submit it in the inspection box first."

Kyle gave a faint, awkward smile. Lara had warned him, but he hadn’t expected the security to be this strict even inside the mansion.

Before he could pull the gift back, Hades spoke, "It’s fine, Bill." He took the paper bag from Kyle.

He glanced inside, then let out a low hum. "A Tenion Grey piece, hm? How did you manage to find one?"

Kyle caught the term. He had heard something similar from the store manager earlier, so he knew it referred to the gift.

"I came across it and thought you might like it," he said politely, relieved that it seemed well received.

"So you’re Astortia’s youngest?" one of the men in the group said with a laugh, his stomach pushing against his coat. "Last time I saw you, you were being led around by your mother."

"At least you’ve seen him," another man added with a light chuckle. "This is the first time I’m hearing that Mathew even has a second son."

"I just spoke with Mathew this afternoon," a third man said with a sigh. "He mentioned no one from Astortia would be attending. They’ve been busy rebuilding, you know."

Kyle went still. He glanced at Lara.

She gave him a calm look, telling him to relax. It wasn’t something serious. No one here would jump to the idea that he was an impostor.

Even so, Kyle wasn’t used to this kind of setting.

And despite himself, he could feel the nerves creeping in.

Just then, Hades spoke, "Amanda invited him. While he carries the name of Astortia, he is here as her friend."

Kyle blinked in surprise, his eyes fixed on the man.

Hades met his gaze with a calm, unreadable expression. Yet there was a faint warmth in his eyes, enough to ease the tightness in Kyle’s chest.

"Is that so? Well, it’s not often for the little princess to bring her friends along," the pot-bellied man said with a smile, and the group soon drifted back into their conversation.

Hades stepped away from them. "I have been looking forward to meeting you."

He began walking, and Kyle fell in step beside him, with Lara a pace behind.

"Amanda mentioned how you helped her a lot during the first year," Hades continued. "You even saved her during that project incident."

Kyle glanced at him. "The project cloning incident?"

Hades nodded. "Amanda never asked for my help, so I never interfered. She always handled things on her own. But that time, things went out of hand. Just when I thought I would have to step in, someone presented evidence and cleared her name."

Kyle gave a faint smile. "I had recorded what happened by accident. Staying quiet after that didn’t feel right."

That moment had been the true start of everything between them.

Hades turned his head, looking at him. A slight curve touched his lips.

Kyle turned as well, just in time to hear him say, "I’m glad you two are back together now."

With that, Hades gave his shoulder a light pat and walked away.

Kyle stood there, stunned.

So... he knew?

His gaze lingered on the man’s retreating back.

A quiet weight settled in his chest. Not being honest about his relationship with Amanda suddenly felt heavier than before.

Lara slowly approached him, "Everything okay?" She asked quietly. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Kyle nodded, "Just...glad I didn’t embarrass myself out there."

Lara smilingly stood before him and raised her hand to adjust the collar as she spoke, "You didn’t stutter, and that’s already much better than many first timers." She has seen enough people in her life, taking herself in that list as well to say that.

Kyle was relieved to hear that. He just stood there, head slightly raised to let her fix his shirt...but then,

"K-Kyle...?"

The wrong person appeared at the wrong time.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have read so far please drop a review.