Lilia took a deep breath, forcing her elegant smile to stay perfectly in place. She refused to let a centaur beat her on the very first night.
"Very well," Lilia said smoothly, clapping her hands together. "If that is what Lord Zero wishes, then it is settled. Brielle, please have the maids prepare the Grand Master Suite for our guests"
Brielle nodded and quickly went to give the orders. A few minutes later, Lilia guided Zero and Kaelith through the beautiful, quiet halls of the Valmont estate. They arrived at a massive pair of double doors right next to Lilia's own private bedroom.
Lilia opened the doors to reveal a breathtaking room. It was larger than most noble houses. There was a giant, luxurious king-sized bed covered in expensive silk sheets, a roaring fireplace, and plenty of open space covered in thick, soft rugs where Kaelith could comfortably rest her lower half.
"I hope this is to your liking, Zero," Lilia said, standing near the doorway. She shot a quick, subtle glare at Kaelith before smiling sweetly back at the armored titan. "If you need absolutely anything tonight... my room is right next door. Do not hesitate to come to me"
"This is fine. Thank you, Lilia" Zero replied calmly, walking into the room.
Lilia gave a graceful bow and finally closed the doors, leaving the two of them alone.
Inside the room, Kaelith looked around in awe. She carefully walked over to the thick, plush rugs near the warm fireplace and folded her massive dark legs, settling down comfortably. She looked up at Zero, her amber eyes full of hope.
"Lord Zero, are you going to take off your armor?" Kaelith asked softly. "You must be tired"
Zero simply walked over to a large, velvet armchair near the window and sat down. His heavy Abyssal Steel armor clanked softly against the chair. He crossed his arms over his chest.
"I do not take off my armor, Kaelith" Zero stated, his glowing red eyes looking at her through the iron mask. "I do not need sleep the way humans do. I will stay right here and keep watch. Close your eyes and rest. No one will hurt you while I am here"
Kaelith felt a tiny bit disappointed that he wasn't going to sleep right beside her, but her heart swelled with immense warmth and gratitude. Knowing that this terrifying, overpowered titan was staying awake just to guard her made her feel incredibly safe.
"Goodnight, my Lord," Kaelith whispered, pulling the soft velvet blanket over her back. Within minutes, the exhausted giant centaur was fast asleep.
Zero remained completely still in the chair, staring out the window at the moonlit city. Inside his mind, he opened his System interface, calculating his remaining points and preparing his strategy to crush the slavers at the upcoming auction.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom right next door, things were not peaceful at all.
Lilia was pacing back and forth across her room, biting her thumb in deep thought. Her purple magical aura was flickering wildly with her frustrated emotions. Brielle stood by the door, watching her Matriarch with a tired sigh.
"She is a horse, Brielle!" Lilia suddenly whispered fiercely, throwing her hands up.
"A very beautiful, giant, mythical horse! And they are sleeping in the same room! How am I supposed to compete with that?!"
Brielle rubbed the bridge of her nose. "El, he literally just saved her life yesterday. She looks at him like a god, not a lover. And Zero didn't even look at her romantically. He is just protecting her"
"You do not understand the minds of men, Brielle," Lilia argued, stopping her pacing and looking in the mirror. She checked her flawless skin and elegant purple gown.
"Zero is building an empire. A man of that level will naturally attract the most exotic and powerful women in the world. I cannot just sit back and rely on my business skills to keep his attention"
Lilia's eyes narrowed with fierce, competitive determination.
"The auction is in two days," Lilia declared.
"We are going to buy her entire tribe. When he sees the pure wealth and absolute power of the Valmont Family, he will realize that I am the only woman worthy of standing by his side as an equal"
Lilia turned to her sworn knight, a dangerous, confident smile forming on her lips.
"Tomorrow morning, tell the guild to prepare our royal carriage. And find me the most breathtaking dress in the Kingdom. When we walk into that auction house, I am going to make sure Zero only has eyes for me"
The room was completely quiet, filled only with the soft, peaceful breathing of Kaelith.
Zero sat in the velvet chair for a long time, making sure the giant centaur was in a deep sleep. Finally, he stood up silently.
'It has been many days since I last washed,'* Zero thought to himself. 'I should freshen up and clean my body. I will just take my armor off for a few minutes and put it back on before she wakes up'
Without making a sound, Zero walked into the grand washroom attached to the master suite.
Because this was the estate of the Kingdom's greatest alchemist, the bathroom was a masterpiece of magical fantasy. There were no candles or torches. Instead, floating, soft blue mana crystals hovered near the ceiling, giving the room a peaceful, glowing light.
The bathtub was carved from a single giant piece of white marble. Glowing golden runes were carved into the stone floor, constantly keeping the crystal-clear water perfectly warm and fresh without needing any fire. Above the golden sink hung a massive, magical mirror made of enchanted liquid-silver, which reflected everything with absolute, perfect clarity.
Zero stood in front of the magical mirror. He slowly reached up and grabbed the sides of his heavy, terrifying iron mask. With a soft hiss of depressurizing air, he pulled the helmet off and set it down on the marble counter.
For the first time in a very long time, Zero looked at his own bare face in the mirror.
It was a face that held a dark, painful history. Once, he might have been a handsome man, but now, his face was brutally ruined. A massive, jagged scar ripped across the left side of his face, tearing through his cheek and going all the way down to his neck. The skin around his left eye was heavily burned and twisted, a permanent mark left behind by a deadly, fiery magical attack from his past enemies who had betrayed him.
The scars looked painful, ugly, and deep.
Zero stared at his ruined reflection. With the System's power, he possessed the most miraculous, 100% pure healing potions in the entire world. He could easily drink an SS-Rank elixir right now and restore his face to perfect condition in a matter of seconds.
But he didn't.
Zero slowly raised his bare hand and touched the rough, burned skin of his cheek. His eyes turned cold, filled with an ancient, burning hatred.
'Not yet,'Zero vowed in his mind, his grip tightening on the edge of the marble sink 'I have sworn a blood oath. I will not heal a single scar on this face until I get my absolute revenge. Every time I look in the mirror, these wounds remind me of the pain they caused me. I will keep this ruined face as a reminder until the day I finally crush my enemies and make them pay for what they did'
He let go of his face, holding onto his dark promise.
Zero quickly washed his face and body with the warm, enchanted water, feeling the cool magical energy refresh his tired muscles.
But this time, he did not put his armor back on.
Instead of locking the heavy, black Abyssal Steel plates back onto his body, Zero simply waved his hand. A dark, glowing portal opened in the air. With a thought, he stored his entire armor set and his terrifying iron mask directly into his System's spatial storage space.
Standing in the bathroom, he was finally free of the heavy metal weight.
Knock! Knock!
Suddenly, a soft knocking sound came from the main bedroom doors.
Zero stopped moving. 'Who is at the door at this hour?' he thought, looking toward the living room area. 'I hope that noise does not wake Kaelith up'
Zero silently walked out of the bathroom and quietly approached the heavy double doors. He did not want to show his ruined, scarred face, and he was not wearing his armor to hide his identity.
He carefully opened the heavy door just a tiny crack—only enough to slip his bare hand through the gap. He stayed completely hidden in the dark shadows of the room, making sure whoever was outside could not see his face or his body at all.
Standing in the hallway was a polite, well-dressed estate maid holding a stack of neatly folded, expensive silk clothes.
"Mr. Zero?" the maid whispered respectfully, bowing her head toward the crack in the door. "Our Matriarch, Lady Elara, ordered me to bring these comfortable clothes for you to wear tonight"
Zero reached his hand through the narrow gap.
"Okay. Give them to me" Zero replied in a low, quiet voice.
The maid could not see his face at all in the darkness, only his bare hand reaching out. However, she was a highly trained servant of the Valmont estate. She knew better than to ask questions or act suspicious about a VIP guest's odd behavior.
Without any hesitation, the maid carefully placed the stack of soft clothes into his hand and bowed again. "Have a good night, Mr. Zero"
Zero took the clothes and gently clicked the door shut, locking it.
He looked down at the fine silk garments Lilia had sent for him. He quickly dressed himself in the comfortable, expensive clothes. Then, he silently walked back into the room. Kaelith was still fast asleep by the fireplace, completely undisturbed by the brief interruption. Zero sat down in the velvet chair by the window, peacefully waiting for the sun to rise and the day of the grand auction to begin.