Night falls as the moon and stars rise. Oliver stands inside his bedroom, wearing his usual pyjamas—a white shirt, shorts and stockings. As he lies on the bed, Oliver props his head up with his arms and gazes at the ceiling.

     A flurry of thoughts whirls inside Oliver's mind, sweeping his concentration away as his eyes lock on the ceiling. His imagination causes his eyebrows to furrow. His eyes begin to dart left and right as his lips tense up. He then closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and exhales a heavy sigh.

     Oliver's eyes snap open, and he finds that morning has arrived. His head slowly turns to glance at the window where the soft, golden sunlight streams in. With a deep breath, he rises from his bed and leaves his room.

     In the dining room, Frederick sits on an elegant wooden chair with a soft red seat. He reads a fresh newspaper while one of the maids pours him a glass of white wine. Frederick then flips the page and reads another article, peering at the headline.

     Frederick dons his usual dark blue waistcoat with long black trousers that reach his black leather shoes. Under the vest, he wears a long-sleeved white shirt. He then ties a white cravat around his neck, completing his look.

"Oliver! Sir Novelle is finally unifying Asbranne into one country!" Frederick exclaimed while reading the article.

Oliver, seated in front of Frederick, replied with a mouthful of breakfast. "You've mentioned this before," he said while chewing.

"Have I? No, this time, it's confirmed that Sir Novelle is transforming Asbranne into a country!" Frederick stated.

"When will he transform Asbranne into a country?" Gregory asked, chowing down on his breakfast next to Oliver.

"Now!" Frederick said.

"Now!?" Oliver's eyes widened in surprise.

"Just kidding," Frederick giggled.

"Dad..." Oliver murmured with a slight grin.

     Oliver turned his gaze back to his plate, skewering the last piece of meat with his fork. He chewed the tender morsel slowly before swallowing it, savouring the flavour. Then, he reached for his glass of wine and took a quick sip.

Oliver turned to his friend. "Have you noticed how fast time flies?" he asked.

"I have," Gregory replied. "It feels like we recently met on the plains last night, but it's been a year already."

"And it's already Monday," Oliver said. "The weekend has passed."

Gregory stood up. "I know. I suppose I must prepare for work now!" he stated. "Thank you for the weekend again, Mr Frederick."

Frederick smiled and nodded.

"Let's leave together for work, shall we?" Oliver suggested, rising from his chair.

"Of course! Also, are you going to bathe today?" Gregory asked as he headed towards the lobby, leaving the dining room.

"I am," Oliver replied, following his friend.

As Gregory passed through the lounge, he bowed to Frederick and said, "See you next week, Mr Frederick!"

"We're off to get ready now, Dad," Oliver told his adoptive father.

Suddenly, Frederick called out to the two young men and shook his hands. "O-Oliver! Gregory!"

Oliver and Gregory halted and looked at Frederick.

"Yes, Dad?" Oliver responded, turning around immediately.

"...Be careful," Frederick warned, looking worried. "I've been reading more reports of missing people, and the city guards have been finding their mutilated corpses."

Oliver exchanged a concerned glance with his friend. "We'll be safe, Dad. Don't worry," he smiled at Frederick.

Frederick let out a slow, deep sigh and glanced at the newspaper, his expression troubled.

     While the sun progressed higher into the sky, Oliver entered his room and prepared for work. He stood in front of a full-length mirror, carefully examining his reflection. He had dressed himself in fresh, clean undergarments, wearing a white shirt with brown lacing on the collar, cotton shorts and stockings. His silver hair was still damp from his recent bath, and droplets glistened on the strands.

     Oliver reaches for the handle of his wardrobe, situated between the mirrors. Then, he swings the door open, revealing an array of suits. Immediately, he grabs his uniform with gold and silver gradients.

     As Oliver retrieved his uniform from the wardrobe, he tossed it onto his freshly made bed. He pulls out a pair of gold trousers, immediately slipping them on before closing the cabinet drawers. Then, he jumps onto his bed and slides his feet into a pair of white boots.

     Having donned his trousers and boots, Oliver reaches for his gradient tailcoat. He then observes the intricate details of the fabric. He notices the tiny white threads at the top gradually transitioning into gold at the bottom.

     Oliver stands up from his bed and slips the uniform on him. He buttons the attire and adjusts the collar as he peers at himself in the mirror. Oliver grabs a gold band and wraps it around his arms.

     Then, Oliver takes a white belt with a gold buckle and loops it around his waist. Turning away from the wardrobe, Oliver walks towards a cabinet and opens its drawers, grabbing a pair of elbow-length fingerless gloves and sliding them on. Taking a deep breath, Oliver approaches the mirror and stares at his handsome reflection.

     After admiring himself in the mirror, Oliver walked down the stairs, and the chandelier glowed on his silver hair as he descended. Upon reaching the ground floor, he spotted his companion, Gregory, waiting at the entrance. Oliver hastened his pace to join him.

     As Gregory turns around to see his friend, his black waistcoat hugs his torso, accentuating his broad shoulders and tapered waist. Gregory dons black trousers that drape over his legs and black shoes that gleam in the sunlight. He then grabs his dark overcoat from the coat rack near the entrance and puts it on.

"Greg, isn't it sweltering?" Oliver quipped, gesturing towards his friend's coat.

"I couldn't care less if it's blazing hot," Gregory smirked, plucking a shako cap from the rack and passing it to Oliver.

Oliver deftly caught the cap and placed it on his head, winking at Gregory. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"I'm ready, alright," Gregory replied.