Savier did not think of this too much. Having a personal guard was a matter of course, and in fact, it was already too late. He only insisted on not having one because he wanted a normal college life, at least without anyone following him everywhere on the campus.
Savier could only do this since he was a dominant alpha, and his parents were more lenient to him. The same could not be done for Arle, who always needed bodyguards with him everywhere.
After eating his breakfast, he did not linger anymore and went upstairs. He still wanted to sleep some more before being occupied by his other works again.
His life was always like this, almost monotonous and like a cycle. Savier knew that it would continue and even worsen the moment that he finally took official duties.
Arle could afford to be carefree, but he could not. As the Crown Prince, the heir to the throne of the Present Empire, Savier already knew the responsibilities that had in his shoulders since he was young.
His parents did not pressure him too much; after all, his royal father was still young and healthy. However, he did not want to slack off. One thing that he did not want was for the glorious empire his father governed to be ruined in his hands.
It did not matter what he wanted. From the moment he became the Crown Prince, his wants had long been blurred to him. His royal mother might want him to take it easy, but his royal father did not stop him.
His father, being the emperor, also had his fair share of sacrifices and experiences, so he knew what Savier was going through. It was the time that Savier had to overcome on his own.
Arle always told him his life was boring, and Savier agreed all the time. He had to admit that it was indeed the case. Maybe... sometimes he would rest and even date? For now, he had a lot of things to do.
With these thoughts running on his mind, he let himself rest and finally sleep without knowing. The rest of the day was not much different from his usual schedule, and unknowingly came the next day.
He allocated the whole morning to meeting his assigned personal guards. Savier did not have many expectations, and he trusted his father's judgment.
Fortunately, most of his projects and works were already or almost done. He waited for their arrival in his peace of mind. He did not forget to ask the attendants to prepare lunch for everyone.
He planned to eat with them after he was done meeting them. As a Crown Prince, being competent himself was not enough. He would need to grasp how to get along with the courtiers and vassals of the empire. Be it with his attitude or management later on.
His royal father often said to him that it was fine to be ambiguous with others, but for people he wanted to stand by his side, he needed to cultivate belonging and loyalty. This was the only way he could trust them to protect him and assign tasks to them.
The teachings of his father always rang in his mind, and he never forgot them.
And these personal guards selected by his royal father must be the first people he had to make to serve him wholeheartedly. Being selected meant they were already cleared of any suspicions.
Of course, if he noticed things that were not compatible with him, Savier would not hesitate to release them.
It did not take long for the selected guards to arrive. If he recalled, there would be a total of four guards for now. This was the number that he could afford to follow him, and also within the consideration of both his parents.
And to the four, he had to select someone to be with him at all times, like the leader, though unofficially.
Savier sat in the living room, waiting for the royal guards. He even leisurely sipped on his coffee and scrolled through his phone. This was a rare rest time, so he could indulge.
His attire was simple—a white shirt that outlined the shape of his strong arms and hugged his toned body, paired with black pants that stretched comfortably along his long legs, highlighting his natural proportions.
He wanted to appear relaxed in his home and did not want to look too strong or intimidating. This was their first meeting, and not only did the royal guards need that first good impression, but so did he.
"Your Royal Highness," saluted the butler. "The selected royal guards are here. Should I let them in?"
"Yes, let them in." He answered without pulling his gaze away from his phone.
After a while, he heard footsteps and felt some gazes landed on him before it left.
"Your Royal Highness." They saluted in respect.
Savier shut his phone and pocketed it before raising his head to look and greet them as well.
Smiling, he was about to reply, but his voice became stuck in his throat when his eyes landed automatically on someone. This made the smile on his lips slowly drop, and he could only stare.
This change was noticed by everyone, and they suddenly became nervous. All of them became uneasy at once, not knowing what was wrong.
They all gave a glance at that someone who got Savier's attention, who also looked confused.
The butler at the side fidgeted and hesitated, but decided to ask in the end.
"Uhm, Your Highness?" He called, he wanted to ask what was wrong, but he managed to hold it in the end.
Fortunately, this call woke Savier. He blinked and slowly looked away and swallowed, feeling thirsty. He looked at the coffee in front and could not help but take a sip first.
He wanted to calm himself.
Damn... he looked dumb for a moment there.
What the hell, Savier? Why are you staring at the wrong time?
He reprimanded himself while trying to salvage the situation.
"Uh, well," Savier tried to clear his throat and glanced at the royal guards' position again.
His eyes quickly landed on that someone before he looked away again and tried to focus somewhere. Fortunately, he managed to check each person's face despite being distracted.
Slowly, he glanced to the side again and this time, met that someone's gaze. Savier quickly lowered his eyes and sipped on his coffee, playing it cool outwardly.
However, inside, he was already screaming.
What was this situation? Fuck. How come... Sir Rylan was here?