"Renata, do you know this?" Gerhard said, chin lifted with that familiar smugness. "I''m the fastest officer in Winchester history. From cadet to captain in just two years. No one''s ever done it before."
He didn''t stop there.
"I still remember the newspapers. My name everywhere. They even called me the Prince of Winchester. Millions of women sent me love letters. I''m practically a legend here."
Renata nodded out of politeness.
"This man is unbelievably shameless," Alex muttered, feeling secondhand embarrassment crawl up his spine.
Gerhard couldn''t read a room if someone handed him the instructions. Why brag about being a captain in front of Renata-the daughter of a duke, the daughter of a general?
A captain''s rank is nothing to her family. But sure, let him strut around like captaincy is the peak of human greatness.
Gerhard kept talking, proudly clinging to his captain rank like it was the center of everyone universe.
Momentster, the flying limousine slid to a stop at the front entrance of The Imperial Amber House.
And to their surprise, a full line of staff stood waiting outside.
Gerhard''s grin stretched wide.
"Looks like they already know I''ming," he said,ughing. "They must be here to wee me."
He practically leaped out first, making sure everyone could hear him.
"Are you all here to wee me-Gerhard Wolfsbane, the youngest captain ever?!" Gerhard shouted, arms wide like he expected a choir to sing his name.
Alex smacked a hand over his own face.
"Why are you shouting your name at them like you''re trying to open a magical gate that runs on ego instead of a password?"
Gerhard sneered back, "Are you jealous?"
Around thirty workers stared at Gerhard, confused, silent. Not a single greeting. Not a single nod.
Just awkward stillness.
Gerhard froze, stunned. Not one person called his name. Not one person looked
at him. They deliberately pretended he wasn''t even there.
It was humiliating.
Then Renata stepped out of the flying car.
Immediately, the entire line snapped to attention.
"Colonel Renata Winter-wee to The Imperial Amber House!"
All of them bowed low.
Gerhard''s face turned bright red. In that instant, he finally remembered Renata held a military rank too.
Inherited from her father, Duke Armin Winter, whose position ced him at a general''s level.
Renata was a colonel.
And he had just spent thest ten minutes bragging about being a captain in front of someone ranked higher than him.
He cleared his throat, pretending none of it mattered, and hurried to walk beside her-trying desperately to regain a shred of dignity.
"Did you prepare all this?" Renata asked, almost stunned. Hardly anyone outside her duchy knew about her military rank.
Gerhard bit his lip, scrambling for a believable answer.
"Uh-yes. I booked this ce and told them an important guest wasing. Lady Renata Winter. So of course they''re weing you... after I reminded them."
Before Renata could reply, Alex stepped out of the limousine.
Instantly, the entire staff bowed again-louder, sharper, more respectful than before.
"Wee, Major General Alexander Saint-ire. We are privileged to receive you today. Marquis Saint-ire, please enjoy your stay with us."
Gerhard''s jaw practically hit the floor.
Even Renata snapped her head toward Alex, startled.
She knew Alex carried a noble title-Marquis Saint-ire.
The title had passed to him only because he was thest surviving member of his entire bloodline. His parents were gone, his rtives gone; he alone remained. As the sole heir, the title and the military rank tied to it transferred straight to him.
A marquis wasn''t just a noble.
It was a military title one reserved for those responsible for guarding the kingdom''s borders. Their families heldmand for generations, inheriting both the rank and the duty that came with it.
Meanwhile, Gerhard was still choking on his pride.
Alex looked at him calmly. "Well, Captain Gerhard... with a Colonel and a Major General present, what exactly are you doing standing in front? You think you''re famous enough to be the one leading the entrance?"
Gerhard''s entire face turned bright red. Now that Alex''s rank was out in the open, his precious captain rank suddenly looked tiny. Embarrassing.
Gerhard snapped back in frustration.
"Hush! My captain rankes from hard work. Your military rank is inherited from your family. And as far as I know, you''re a Major General with no soldiers! Try building your own army before bragging about something that isn''t even yours." Alexughed-cold, cutting.
"I heard you say you''re very famous. But it seems no one here recognizes you. Why do you think that is?"
"Impossible," Gerhard insisted, voice cracking. "Everyone in Winchester knows
me."
Alex raised a hand and waved a staff member over.
"You. Do you know this man?"
Pubfuture Ads
The staff bowed politely. "I''m sorry, Sir. I don''t know him."
Gerhard''s eyes widened. "Impossible! My face filled the newspapers!"
He grabbed another staff member. "You know me, right?!"
"No, Sir," the worker said firmly.
He asked another. And another. And another.
Every single one shook their head.
Nobody knew him.
Renata couldn''t hold it anymore. She burst intoughter-sharp, bright, utterly
unable to stop herself. The entire situation was too absurd, too perfect.
For Gerhard, nothing about this was funny.
His ego didn''t just crack—it shattered. Painfully. Publicly.
A staff member at the entrance let out a smallugh, unable to hold it in.
Gerhard snapped.
He pped her across the face.
The blow was so hard her cheek turned bright red on impact, her lower lip split
open, and she copsed to the floor in shock.
"Why are youughing? You think
this is funny? If you don''t know me, it''s because you''re uneducated. Stupid. Ignorant. And you dare act like you understand anything? Where''s your manager? Aff on you need retraining!
The staff stood frozen in silence, heads lowered, terrified.
Renata ignored him and walked straight into the restaurant. Gerhard had no choice but to hurry after her, his pride dragging behind him like a broken limb. Alex immediately stepped toward her, helping the staff member back to her feet with a steady hand.
"Don''t worry," he said softly, "Your revenge is already on its way."
The Imperial Amber House opened before them-a blend of ssical European luxury and sleek futuristic design. Marble pirs, gold-trimmed arches, crystalline lights shaped like floating stars.
Every detail was expensive. Exquisite. Meant to impress.
For people from Prussia-who lived in a high-tech world-this kind of vintage aesthetic felt magical. A romantic doorway into a bygone era.
But to Alex, who grew up outside that culture, the ce looked almost... ordinary. Estoria was still far behind Prussia in technology, so to him, this wasn''t nostalgia -it was normal.
For Prussians, walking into this restaurant felt like stepping into a time machine.
For Alex, it felt like stepping back home.
They entered the lobby.
Gerhard immediately tried to patch together whatever pride he had left.
He shed Renata a smile, desperate and stiff.
"Renata, I brought you to the best ce in the city. The food is incredible-and expensive."
Then he shot Alex a mocking nce.
"Unlike someone here. He only survives by using his family''s name. If it weren''t
for you, he''d never even step inside a ce like this. High rank but no money- that''s his whole life."
Annabe, Conrad, and Beatrix finally arrived, joining the group.
Beatrix smirked sharply.
"Alex, didn''t you also make a reservation here? Which suite? Show us. Or did you
book something on the roadside? You know the ces with cheap stic chairs and tables?"
Alex didn''t react to her tone. His voice was t, almost bored.
"I didn''t decide which suite to reserve," he said. "To be honest, I just texted
Chairman Ernest and asked him to arrange it. Let me check the message. Give me a minute."
Gerhard sneered, voice dripping with contempt.
"Shut your damn mouth. Do you even know who owns this ce? Chairman
Ernest. If he hears you spouting that bullshit, you''ll die of shame."
Alex ignored every insult. He calmly checked his bracelet.
"He said he reserved the tinum Suite for me."
The entire room fell silent.
Gerhard burst into loud, mockingughter.
"Hahaha-tinum Suite? Alex Saint-ire, stop embarrassing yourself! Do you know who can enter the tinum Suite? Fewer than twenty people in all of
Winchester Youte hot ev
qualified to breathe near the door. You''re nothing but a fart
Even Renata''s eyes widened.
"The tinum Suite isn''t just hard to
book," she said quietly. "Even my father-a duke-struggles to get ess. It''s reserved for the king, princes, the princesses if a duke
the
wants it, he gets one slot pe semester, at best. The ingredients they serve there are rare, limited, and protected. You can''t just walk in."
She looked at Alex with growing disappointment.
She hadn''t expected him to be such a pathetic liar.
Yes, he was heir to a marquisate—but what use was a high rank when you were
poor? Prussia was full of broke nobles with fancy titles and empty pockets.
In her mind, Alex had just thrown himself into the gutter.
Alex only smiled. In his eyes, these people were nothing but arrogant children barking for attention.
Then Beatrix chimed in with venom.
"Alex, even counts can''t get into the tinum Suite. You''re absolutely full of shit."
Conrad followed,ughing cruelly.
"Wife, a loser like him isn''t even qualified to eat the leftovers from The Imperial Amber House, let alone dine inside it!"
Gerhard pped a hand on Alex''s shoulder, smirking as if he owned the ce.
"You should be thanking me," he said. "If you''re not going to show some gratitude,
the door''s right there. Feel free to get out, Major General."
At that moment, a manager walked briskly toward them.
He stopped directly in front of Alex-who was standing side by side with Gerhard
—and bowed deeply, posture respectful, voice controlled and professional.
"Sir," the manager said, smiling. "Your suite is ready. Please follow me." Gerhard let out a triumphantugh.
"Finally! Someone recognizes me. See, Renata? I booked a suite for you. Let''s
follow this man."
He truly believed the bow was for him.