The arena located in the center of the city was packed to the rafters, as it was before every fighting match. The local people looked forward to this event, held four or five times within a moon cycle, with great anticipation.
Today, there was a different rush even in this place where excitement was always at its peak. Since the city lord announced that he would come to watch the fights, leaders of leading families, various trade groups, and bureaucrats were in a race to grab seats.
"Make way! The little lady of House Partheni is here!"
When she arrived at the protocol section of the arena with the two orcs carrying her palanquin and her human bodyguards, everyone's attention would gather in one place. While she was slowly proceeding to where her family was located, a middle-aged gray-haired man started walking towards them.
"My dear daughter, what a surprise! You always refrained from coming to the arena; what wind blew you here?"
Niko ran excitedly to his daughter, whom he doted on, upon seeing her in front of him.
"Daddy, I learned that the city lord would come to the arena today. That's why I guessed you would be here too. You've been neglecting me a lot lately."
When the young girl spoke with her pleasant voice and coquettish movements, her father's heart melted. While walking in front showing the way, he hadn't even seen Nafız standing next to his daughter. When the newly arrived group settled in their places accompanied by Niko, a sincere voice rang in their ears.
"Father and daughter, how well you get along. It's hard not to be jealous!"
A tall man with his braided hair in a ponytail and kohl around his large black eyes was calling out to them from the top of the stairs.
"Stop showing off, Fernandez; how come you weren't the first one to arrive at the arena? You love these shows!"
When the gray-haired man answered with the same warm tone, Eftelya spoke excitedly.
"Uncle, I'm angry with you too! Can you remember the last time you came to see me?"
The dark-skinned man descending the steps kept his smile, but no one knew that a piece of him broke inside after what he heard. Every time he saw the child resembling his sister whom he loved dearly, the wound closing inside him opened once again.
"My beautiful niece, please forgive this foolish old man!"
Niko was childhood friends with Fernandez and his deceased wife. He knew very well what his old friend felt. Therefore, to change the subject, he started talking about business.
"Marcos has seized a gate; how do you plan to protect yourself from this young man?"
When the subject of his son came up, Fernandez raised a single eyebrow and grumbled.
"I don't know what I'll do. He resembles his grandfather, I guess; once he sets his mind on something, it's very hard to stop him!"
The man finishing his words was about to take his place neighboring the Partheni House when he was startled by a booming voice.
"Isn't it time for you to retire, old man, or do you want me to crush you?"
When Marcos entered the environment where the city's notables were present with two bodyguards beside him, eyes turned to him. The fierce young man was at least as handsome as his father, and together with the courage given by his youth, his sharp gaze pierced into people. Today, he had specially dressed in his flashiest clothes and tied his hair with a black ribbon.
"You little monkey! As long as I'm alive, you can only play boss at that small gate of yours!"
When father and son started bickering, those sitting around, especially the rows of the Partheni house, burst into laughter. This event was a situation frequently encountered by the nobles of the city of Parthenia. Every time, the duo would get into it without caring about their surroundings, and a spectacle worth watching would emerge.
"What is this disgrace? The City Lord will be here any moment, but two impudent people are raising hell!"
While cheerful laughter flew in the environment, the short fat man shouting with an arrogant tone of voice would cause everyone to fall silent. While the dwarf-like man, assuming his outburst was the reason for the cessation of sounds, puffed up, people's gazes were on the woman beside him.
This dazzling beauty, walking by tossing her long blonde hair in a sky-blue dress sweeping the ground, seemed to give a lesson in nobility to her surroundings with every step. The woman, making hearts leap with her bold décolleté located under the flashy necklace on her neck, scanned her surroundings with indifferent looks and said, "Hubby, can we move to the place reserved for us? I don't want to cause a misunderstanding by standing in the same place with these commoners!"
The person the monument of beauty addressed as 'hubby' was Quintus, the owner of the Agustus gladiator school and the arena. When he entered the arena with his wife, the leaders of the other two noble families also stood up and welcomed them.
These people, who would watch the fights in front of their families positioned side by side, formed the cream of the city. Although they were in competition with each other, they had grown up all together from childhood to adulthood.
"Athena, I guess you have a secret to stopping time that you haven't explained to us. Years simply have no dominion over your beauty!"
Fernandez started teasing his old friends who had just taken their places. The event didn't seem strange to those who knew him because he had been famous for his tactless speeches since the old days.
"You are a blabbermouth as usual. Some things seem like they will never change!"
After addressing the head of the Cervantes house, on whom she kept her gaze for a short while, in an arrogant tone, Athena directed her attention to the other family.
"Niko, you are not alone today. I see that sweet Eftelya's company has put a smile on your face!"
When the gray-haired man got a bit tense after the words of the woman who had feelings for him, his daughter came to the rescue.
"Aunt Athena, what luck for me to witness your legendary beauty once again today when I came to see my father!"
When his daughter answered for him, Niko also hastily jumped into the conversation.
"We wanted to spend some time together. Eftelya hadn't seen you for a long time either; it was a pleasant surprise for her."
"I am sure my dear friend Maria is watching you proudly from the heavens. I wish she could be with us too!"
Athena couldn't finish her speech because her eyes filled with tears, but a few words she said were enough to drown Eftelya's father and uncle in sorrow. Maria and Athena were childhood friends who were inseparable before Maria married Niko.
Maria and Athena, two beautiful women! Two goddesses of Parthenia! Two close friends and a man fate pushed between them. Maria always knew that her friend loved Niko madly, so she suppressed the feelings blossoming inside her. Until the young man declared his love for her in front of everyone. The fire of this legendary love engulfed Maria, and the end of the matter extended to a marriage where two families united.
When people overhearing the conversations thought about the death of the golden-hearted woman, a section of the arena overflowing with enthusiasm was enveloped in an air of mourning. People hadn't even heard the footsteps of the heavy armored guards.
"City Lord Astute has entered the arena! Pay your respects!"
After the voice ringing through the arena, everyone's mind cleared, and they bowed turning their faces to the head of the stairs to pay their respects. The medium-height man dressed in black from head to toe, scanning the surroundings with coal-black eyes, walked towards his seat with quick steps.
The people lifting their heads as he sat seemed hesitant to look at him; they were waiting where they stood without making a sound. Within the crowd, only one person's eyes shone frantically upon seeing this arrogant man.
Nafız hadn't taken her eyes off Astute for even a second since his appearance. Especially when she saw the black lily tattoo on his neck, a thin killing intent was involuntarily released from her body.