After the dinner, Nathan told Alaric to follow him to his study room to discuss the future collaboration of House Silversword and House Paxley.

    For this discussion, Alaric asked Nathan''s permission to bring another person to which the other party agreed after some thought.

    In the next moment, Alaric brought Harris with him to Nathan''s study room. This guy was the best talent House Silversword had in the field of business.

    Harris''s presence made Alaric feel at ease.

    Nathan glanced briefly at Harris before he turned his gaze to Alaric. "Then let''s begin with the first agenda."

    The things they talked about were mostly related to the joint businesses owned by the two households as well as the future collaborations that they would work on.

    Alaric was prepared for this moment, but there were still some key points that he had forgotten. Fortunately, Harris was there to save his ass so the discussion proceeded smoothly.

    Almost three hours later, Nathan stood up and let out a satisfied laugh as he extended his hand. "To our future collaborations!"

    Alaric took his hand and shook it. "To our future collaborations!"

    "By the way, you should stay here in Ryvaad for a while. I''ve already asked Hershey to accompany you in the next few days to give you a tour of the city."

    Hearing this, Alaric nodded his head. "That would be great! I''ve been planning to have a look at the beautiful landscapes of Ryvaad. Having Lady Hershey with me will save me some trouble of having to travel around aimlessly." He chuckled.

    "Hahaha! Don''t worry! Hershey knows this city like the back of her hand."@@@@

    "Then I look forward to my stay here in the next few days."

    Nathan heartily laughed.

    After a few small talks, Alaric excused himself and left with Harris.

    "That was exhausting. I tried my best, but I''m really not cut out for this." Alaric shook his head with a wry smile.

    "You did a good job, my lord. You just need more experience. With a little more training, you will soon be fine on your own." Harris replied with a light chuckle.

    Alaric shook his head without saying anything. He knew his limits.

    They returned to the guest mansion and retired to their respective rooms.

    ***

    Alaric stopped in his tracks and raised his eyebrows as he looked at the person who had stopped them.

    It was the lanky Liam dressed in standard noble attire.

    "Liam? Why are you here?" Hershey looked surprised to see her brother.

    Liam smiled and slowly approached them. "I heard that you two are going to tour the entire city. Will it be alright if I come with you?"

    "That..." Hershey hesitated. She wanted to spend some time with Alaric so she didn''t want her half-brother to come with them. She also felt that Liam had given her strange gazes in the past few days which made her instinctively suspicious.

    What should I do?

    Before she could respond, Alaric''s curt voice drifted into her ears. "I''m sorry, Lord Liam, but I would like to be alone with Lady Hershey. There are some matters that I would like to speak with her privately. I hope that you understand."

    Liam''s smiling face stiffened upon hearing his words.

    This bastard!

    "What a pity! Since you have some important matters to discuss with my sister, then I won''t bother you two. Excuse me." Liam turned around and left with heavy strides.

    How dare that fucking bastard embarrass me in front of my beloved little sister!?

    Just you wait, Alaric! Accidents do happen on the road. Be careful or you might trip!

    A cold smile hung on Liam''s face.

    Alaric''s senses were telling him that something was off with that guy so he rejected his suggestion without hesitation.

    "I''m sorry for rejecting him without hearing your opinion, my lady." He smiled apologetically at Hershey.

    "It''s fine." Hershey smiled as she waved her hand.

    She then changed the topic as they walked inside the carriage.

    "You told him that you want to speak with me privately. So what do you want to discuss with me?"

    Alaric was caught off guard and he was momentarily stunned.

    "Ah... about that..."