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"Sister Scarlett, you don't have to refuse it now," Theodor smiled. "The party is in a few days, so you can let me know if you decide to come..."

Scarlett nodded.

"And, just so you know, I've been inviting your husband every year, but he's always been out of Europe during the King's Birthday festival, so he has never attended. But I hope he can make it this year, especially since he is here," Theodor continued, his words making Scarlett feel guilty for initially declining the invitation.

"We will inform you later, Theo!" Xander chimed in, sensing his wife's uneasiness. He wanted to change the subject and ease the tension. But someone made it worse. It makes him speechless.

"Oh, Sir... Brother Theodor... Can I have the invitation instead?" Cruz suddenly voices his words. "I would love to attend the royal party. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. Please... please brother..." His eyes gleamed as he stared at Theodor, waiting for his answer.

Theodor smiled, appreciating Cruz's enthusiasm. He had gotten to know Cruz over the past month and had come to admire his strong work ethic and unwavering loyalty to Scarlett. This was the reason why he want to be friends with Cruz.

"Of course, Cruz! I'll give you the invitation."

"YES!!!" Cruz exclaimed happily. "Thank you, Brother Theodor... you are the best!!"

Scarlett was rendered speechless. She had the strong urge to scold her shameless assistant. How dare he refer to Theodor as his brother? Did he forget that Theodor was a noble in this country?

"Boss," Cruz, who was still brimming with excitement over the royal invitation, looked at Scarlett from across the table. "Don't be sad, Boss. Even if you don't come, I will share my experience from the party with you... Ugh, I will take a picture with the king and show you!"

Scarlett, "..." 

'How foolish!' She scolded him silently, then shifted her gaze to Xander. "Why are they grilling the meat so long? I'm getting hungry," she said, unsure if she was genuinely hungry or just annoyed by Cruz's smug face. Oh goodness!

Xander furrowed his brows as he looked at the chefs. Then, he signals Ben to check on them.

"Babe, I apologize for making you wait. If I had known they would take this long, I would have had them start grilling the meat before you came down here," Xander expressed regretfully.

"It's alright..." Scarlett replied, mustering a weak smile.

Upon hearing Scarlett and Xander's conversation, Theodor swiftly stood up from his seat and retrieved something from a nearby table. He returned with a small jar of almonds and a glass of milk in his hand.

"Sister-in-law, have this first..." Theodor offered the almonds and milk to Scarlett. "I knew you would be hungry, so I arranged for this to be prepared for you."

Scarlett remained speechless.

Xander's expression grew darker, his gaze piercing as he stared at Theodor. "Theo, can you please stop acting like you own this house?" He no longer held back his scolding.

"Hahaha, sorry, brother!" Theodor chuckled, then settled back into his chair. He conversed with Logan and Cruz, seemingly unconcerned by Xander's grumpiness.

Not long after, their dinner was finally served.

Scarlett indulged in her meal without engaging in the conversation around her. She was too hungry and relished the delectable grilled beef prepared by the chef.

The dish was so heavenly delicious that she couldn't help but request seconds, unaware that she had eaten too much, and it made her feel uncomfortably full. 

"Babe, we still have a lot of meat... do you still want some more?" Xander asked. 

"NO!" Scarlett immediately answered. She might not be able to stand up again if she eats more.

"Alright, let me know if you still want to..." 

She could only nod.

The dinner didn't last much longer, and they all returned inside the house.

While Xander and the others headed to the third floor, Scarlett requested a chat with Theodor in the living room.

She needed important information regarding her upcoming mission to trace her mother's trail, which would commence the following day.

After sitting opposite Theodor, Scarlett expressed her gratitude again for his assistance in establishing the RAS Branch in this country.

"Oh, please, sister..." Theodor paused, glancing around to ensure they were alone in the spacious living room. He continued, "...Boss, don't feel bad about me. I am your loyal servant. Have you forgotten about how loyal I am?"

Scarlett remained silent, realizing she had indeed forgotten about their arrangement.

"Boss, it is my duty to assist you during your stay here!" Theodor's face beamed with happiness and pride, leaving Scarlett at a loss for words.

'Has he left his brain elsewhere? How is he so deeply committed to his role?' She shook her head slightly, setting aside their master and servant relationship.

She focused her attention on asking about her mother's last known location when she had visited this country.

Scarlett reached into her coat pocket and retrieved her cell phone, quickly typing a message. Shortly after, Theodor felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"Boss, did you send something?" Theodor asked, seeing Scarlett's name flash on his phone screen. "What is this?" He looked at her with curiosity.

"Please, read it first..." Scarlett replied.

"An address? This seems to be a location in this country..." Theodor recognized the address but couldn't recall the exact details.

"Yes, it's an address in this country. Can you tell me which area it is?" Scarlett inquired. She hadn't yet checked the specific details of the address, and asking Theodor might make her search easier.

After pondering for a moment, Theodor finally remembered the place.

"Boss, if I'm not mistaken, this address belongs to one of the old towns that have now become a tourist area," he explained. "Why are you looking for this place?"

"I'm searching for someone, and the person's last known address in town was at that location," Scarlett revealed. Although she trusted Theodor, it didn't feel like the right time to share her sad life story with him just yet — she couldn't tell him that the person she was looking for was her mother.