Season 3 Chapter 3

“Karim Livon, you’re seriously starting to surprise me,” Luca said with a sarcastic grin.

Karim rolled his eyes but said nothing, walking ahead into the ballroom. Luca followed right behind him, carrying only the empty sheath in his hand.

The moment they stepped inside, they were fully immersed in the dazzling world of the nobles.

It was like walking into a festival of wealth. Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting shimmering light across the room. Enormous portraits lined the walls—each one screaming power, legacy, and nobility. This wasn’t just a ballroom. It was a declaration of dominance.

In the center, a musical ensemble played regal melodies, filling the hall with a vibrant energy. The tables were overflowing with every kind of food imaginable, fine wines, and exotic liquors that probably didn’t even have names in common language. It was clear—this wasn’t just a party. It was a spectacle.

But for Karim and Luca, none of that mattered. This wasn’t about luxury or laughter.

Karim quickly scanned the room, then turned to Luca. “Let’s find Emily.”

Luca nodded in agreement, but before they could even take a step, their path was blocked.

Standing before them was a woman dressed in a long black gown with an oversized, extravagant hat. Without hesitation, she reached out and grabbed Karim by the arm.

“Tell me, darling—whose command are you under?”

The woman’s voice came out low and sultry. There was a haze of desire and drunken lack of control behind it that immediately made Karim uncomfortable.

He answered as calmly and formally as he could: “General Jonathan, ma’am.”

She smiled slightly, tightening her grip on his arm. “Oh, so I’m a ma’am, am I?”

Her smile was loose, shaped by wine and shameless confidence. She tugged gently on his arm, pulling herself closer to him.

“How about you really make me feel like a lady?”

Karim’s face instantly turned bright red. Despite all his training, he had not been prepared for this kind of encounter.

Luckily, Luca jumped in without missing a beat.

“Apologies, madam,” he said with a polite smile, though his tone stayed firm. “But we’re under orders from General Jonathan to deliver the tax letters personally.”

The woman sighed dramatically and gave a lazy shrug. “Your loss.”

And with an unsteady wobble, she staggered off into the crowd.

Karim’s face was still flushed red. He could barely believe what had just happened. Instinctively, he cleared his throat and turned to Luca, trying to collect himself and speak.

“If you—”

But Luca, already seeing how rattled he was, cut him off.

“Hey, you just got harassed right in front of me, alright? I’m not gonna make fun of you for it.”

Karim took a deep breath and rubbed his face with both hands. He really hadn’t been prepared for something like that. Combat training, war scenarios, strategic planning—sure. But a drunk noblewoman walking up and shamelessly hitting on him like that? That was a whole different kind of battlefield.

“What the hell is a tax letter anyway?” Karim asked, clearly just trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

Luca shrugged casually. “How the fuck should I know? I made it up on the spot.”

Karim leaned in slightly and whispered, careful to keep his voice low. “What if she realizes we were bullshitting? Then what?”

Luca rolled his eyes and sighed, answering with casual confidence: “Dude, that woman’s here looking to fuck someone tonight. You think she’ll even remember us once her head clears tomorrow?”

Karim paused for a second, considering it. Luca’s annoyingly logical answer somehow made the whole absurd situation even clearer.

Finally, Karim just shook his head and decided to let it go.

“Whatever, we need to find Emily,” Karim said, his tone regaining its seriousness.

Luca glanced around quickly, frowning with a frustrated grunt. “Where the hell are we supposed to look? This place is massive.”

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Karim gave the chaotic crowd a brief scan, then replied in a hushed voice, “I don’t know. She was wearing a yellow dress. We’ll just have to look around and hope we spot her.”

As they moved through the sea of nobles, they kept their eyes peeled for Emily— but couldn’t help overhearing the twisted, venomous snippets of conversation around them:

“Filthy peasants…” “Lice-ridden sacks…” “Shitbags…”

And countless other insults, each word making it crystal clear just how rotten this place really was.

The ball was being held in a grand, four-story building, ornate and ostentatious. But the first floor turned up nothing—no sign of Emily anywhere.

As they made their way to the second floor… the atmosphere suddenly changed. Something felt off.

What caught their attention immediately were the servers. Male or female—it didn’t matter. Every one of them was nearly naked, draped in barely-there, transparent fabrics that only hinted at covering anything. Each wore small, elegant masks over their faces. They weren’t being presented as people. They were toys.

Karim recoiled at the sight and quickly nudged Luca, whispering with horror: “Holy fuck. This isn’t like any ball we trained for at the Academy.”

Luca’s eyes widened as he tried to process what he was seeing, then shook his head with clear disgust. “I know. They’re fucking naked.”

Karim quickly looked away, his voice firm and sharp: “I’m not looking for Emily in this goddamn place.”

Luca smirked, clearly trying to take advantage of the moment. With a sly grin, he muttered under his breath, “You’d love to search this floor, though. Don’t lie.”

Karim shot him a sharp, threatening glare, gritting his teeth. “Say one more thing and I swear I’ll have every male server here fuck you.”

Luca immediately clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing, while Karim didn’t waste a second and stormed up to the third floor.

Once they reached the third level, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.

Most of the people here were men. The air was thick with laughter, the clinking of glasses, and clouds of cigarette smoke. Everything reeked of overindulgence.

Luca scanned the area and lowered his voice, “At least we might find the General here.”

Karim frowned, still visibly uncomfortable with everything they’d seen so far. “Yeah—but no splitting up. After what we saw downstairs, I’m not going anywhere alone,” he said, his tone resolute.

Luca nodded, still keeping his usual cocky tone, “Agreed. These bastards look like they’d rape us if no one was watching.”

The two started scanning the room, eyes searching for any sign of General Jonathan.

And then—they spotted him. Off in the distance, near a wide doorway leading out to a balcony, the General stood speaking with another high-ranking officer.

Karim took a steady breath. “There,” he said, and the two began making their way toward the balcony.

But just as they were about to step through the doorway, Karim’s eyes caught something— a small wooden sign mounted beside the door.

“Authorized Personnel Only.”

Karim and Luca both paused in front of the sign.

As they stood near the restricted door, trying to figure out how to get to the General out on the balcony, Luca offered an idea.

“You think if I wave or something, he’d notice us?” he asked, squinting toward the balcony and tilting his head in the General’s direction.

Karim rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, “Yeah, he’d notice—along with the fifty fucking people behind you. Don’t be stupid. He might be upstairs.”

Luca thought for a moment, then made a quick decision. “You go ahead. I’ll stay here and try to get his attention somehow. If I manage to reach him or find out where he’s headed, I’ll come find you.”

Karim gave him a suspicious look. “Didn’t you just say five minutes ago that you weren’t going anywhere without me?”

Luca shrugged casually. “Yeah, but this area feels safer. Plus, worst-case scenario, I yell for the General and he’ll be here in seconds.”

Karim didn’t exactly trust the plan—but he also didn’t have a better one.

“So basically, you’re dumping the shitty part of this plan on me, huh?” he said, placing his hands on his hips.

Luca smirked and gave Karim a light pat on the shoulder. “Not dumping. I’m sending you off to chase the girl you’re totally not in love with, asshole.”

Karim froze for a second. “I told you, Luca…” he growled, but Luca cut him off impatiently, throwing his arms out. “Yeah, yeah, not the time! Just go already!”

With a long, resigned sigh, Karim turned and headed for the stairs to the fourth floor.

As Karim stepped into the grand ballroom on the fourth floor, his eyes immediately scanned the crowd, searching for Emily. While carefully making his way through the clusters of people, he noticed something different about this floor. The guests were younger—some barely fifteen, others in their early twenties. Their polished clothes, innocent faces, and overly rehearsed manners gave this level a distinctly different feel from the rest.

Finally, he spotted her. Emily was standing near a table, talking animatedly with another girl. She was laughing—genuinely, effortlessly. Karim had never seen her so relaxed before. From the energy between them, it was clear the girl she spoke with was an old friend.

Rather than approach immediately, Karim stayed back at a safe distance, quietly observing. Unaware of being watched, Emily radiated warmth and confidence.

Then, a young man dressed in flamboyant, eye-catching attire began to approach her. From his arrogant posture and smug gaze, it was clear this wasn’t just any partygoer. His clothes were so polished they practically glowed under the chandeliers.

Even before he spoke, Emily’s body language shifted. She tried to smile politely, then subtly stepped back—but the man ignored the cue and kept closing the distance.

Karim noticed the change and instinctively took a step forward— but stopped himself. He wanted to see if Emily could handle this on her own.

The more the young man spoke, the more Emily’s smile faded. It was clear she was uncomfortable. Even the friend beside her glanced at her nervously.

But the man just kept going, completely ignoring her subtle protests, his words growing longer and heavier. Karim stood still, debating. If he stepped in now, it might cause a scene. He was still an outsider here—unarmed, technically uninvited. But if he waited too long, things could cross a line.

He took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes as he watched Emily closely. If the guy made one more move—he’d step in. No hesitation.

Then he noticed it—Emily’s eyes. The look she gave him when she saw him approaching. It wasn’t fear. It was sharp. Focused. “Where the hell have you been?” That’s what her eyes were saying.

Karim walked toward them slowly, with deliberate calm. His eyes locked on the smug expression of the young noble, but his voice remained courteous as he arrived:

“Good evening, sir. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

The young man looked Karim up and down with a disgusted sneer, raised an eyebrow, and said: “And who the hell are you?”