Silence loomed awkwardly between the two.
Kaida, lost in her own thoughts, completely forgetting to continue giving Richard information on the world and his family.
Richard, though full of questions, understood this wasn't the right time.
"It would be insensitive of me to ask her after this…" Richard thought, shifting his gaze from her.
His absent gaze wandered over the streets as they neared his estate.
"Sigh, I really am in a new world…" He shifted his gaze, now looking down at his own hands, reminiscing about his time back on Earth.
All this emotional drama wasn't his cup of tea, he had been logical for as long as he could remember.
Maybe the fact that he grew up with no one resulted in his lack of empathy.
He had been on the streets, slowly gaining enough to enroll in school, his hard work resulting in a scholarship which eventually led him to his position as an analyst at the World Bank.
His life seemingly bleak with little to no social interaction.
"Fuck that genie…" He clenched his jaw but relaxed moments later as he realized he didn't really have anything back in his old world.
Maybe thoughts of revenge against Charlotte and Luke lingered, but they weren't a strong enough desire to maintain any real attachment to the old world.
"I guess it's not all that bad—at least I'm super rich here," he smiled to himself, accepting his new reality—not that he had a choice anyway.
As if on cue, the limousine slowed down, arriving at the gates of its destination.
"Gold," Richard muttered, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the majestic gate.
Though he couldn't get the full view from where he sat, he was sure the 15-foot palatial gate was made of gold.
With the gate half-open, he noticed the gems embedded in it—alexandrite, taaffeite, colored diamonds, and rare minerals, even ones from his world.
"A phoenix," he wondered, noticing half of the golden phoenix at the center of the gate.
Below it, numerous ornamental minerals gleamed.
He was too preoccupied with studying the gate to notice the guards that saluted him.
Guards dressed like knights, adorned in golden heavy armor, like sentinels governing the gates of a kingdom.
As they passed through the gate into the estate, his eyes never lost their spark.
Like a child, his gaze never left the window, sparkling as he witnessed what could only be described as grandiose and luxurious.
Shrubs and exotic trees lined the path toward the main house.
Rows upon rows of land stretched as far as the eye could see, all beautifully decorated with ornamental trees, flowers, and shrubs.
"What is that?" he wondered, noticing wisps of blue light moving across the fields, leaving behind trails of rainbow as they watered the vegetation—water spirits inhabiting their ornamental garden.
Kaida couldn't help but be drawn to his childlike demeanor, the gleam in his eyes reflecting off the tinted windows.
It dispelled any thoughts that he had regained his memory; this was something he always saw, brushed off like the wind itself—familiar and common.
"I guess cruelty is innate," she thought to herself, remembering his words.
'I won't die anytime soon.'
Her head lowered in resignation.
There was no way of getting out of the contract.
The limousine finally came to a halt after crossing a five-kilometer stretch, the shortest distance one could cross on the estate by car, as most of the facilities lay beyond the main house.
The doors of the limousine opened, and rows of maids and butlers lined up, heads lowered as they greeted their young lord.
"Welcome back, young master," their voices echoed in unison, professional and rehearsed.
Richard stepped out of the vehicle, the childlike gleam in his eyes nowhere to be found.
Calmly, he bowed to them, acknowledging their welcome.
Their eyes widened in surprise, but no one murmured or commented, maintaining their professionalism.
Yet they all had the same thought.
"Did the young lord just bow to us?" they wondered, as they too were treated like the wind—always there, significant but never acknowledged.
Their surprise understandable.
Richard, who knew not their thoughts, focused instead on his own battles as he fought off the urge to look up at the castle-like mansion before him.
The mansion stood tall, its three stories a stunning blend of Châteauesque and Mediterranean Revival styles—an architectural masterpiece that radiated royalty.
He couldn't help but compare it to the suite he lived in.
Though glamorous, it was no match for this.
He wanted to look, wanted to crane his neck like a country bumpkin, yet he had a face to keep.
He didn't know these people and wanted to maintain his dignity, offering a warm smile as he walked up the flight of stairs, his gaze lowered, fighting the urge to look up.
Yet his eyes widened, impressed by the stairs he walked upon.
The marble beneath him, as white as snow, was incredibly comfortable to walk on, making him feel as though he was walking on feathers.
"How rich is this family…" he couldn't help but think, now completely looking down as he ascended.
"Master!" Kaida's call brought him out of his stupor, and he quickly turned to her.
She only smiled back, Richard understanding what she meant—he had unconsciously been behaving strangely.
"Sorry!" he apologized internally, now walking with his head held high, like any other rich folk.
"I'll get time to study this later," he thought to himself, steeling himself against any distractions.
"Welcome, young master," maids dressed in Russian maid uniforms bowed as they opened the double mahogany doors.
They gleamed as if coated with amber, subtle yet brilliant.
The same phoenix symbol was embedded in the middle—a golden phoenix rising from ornamental minerals.
Once again, Richard bowed to them, eliciting the same reaction from the maids.
"Kaida," Richard called, and Kaida immediately understood what he wanted.
"You can leave; I will take the Master to his room," she excused them, taking the lead as Richard followed.
The maids burst into hushed whispers, gossiping about Richard's seemingly strange behavior:
"Did you see that? He bowed to us."
"And why is Kaida walking in front of him?"
"Didn't he, like, die or something?"
"…"
"…"
…
"This is your room, Master Richard," Kaida opened the door, her voice catching Richard off guard as his gaze lingered on the numerous paintings lining the hallway to his room.
Paintings of all his family members, his attention especially drawn to one—a gray-haired old man sitting atop what looked like a dragon.
He bore a cunning resemblance to himself during his time on Earth, just more muscular with a domineering air around him.
Even though it was just a painting, one could feel the charisma radiating from his being.
Beneath him was a canvas depicting the destruction caused by the dragon's flame breath.
The picture looked out of place, as the rest of the pictures were normal, boring portraits of people and their family.
He was now curious, wanting to inquire, but he couldn't, as the awkwardness from the limousine still hung in the air.
He tore his gaze from the painting, turning to Kaida. "Thank you…" He bowed, a bit awkwardly, the awkwardness still hanging heavy even though Kaida seemed to have gotten over it, her expression professional.
The mahogany door had his name inscribed on it, with what he was sure was gold.
He wanted to admire but paused, there was still a pressing matter—this was a new world.
"What if I need help? I don't know anyone here," he asked, his tone low.
"Don't worry, I've already informed the head butlers of your condition…" She paused, pointing to a spot to the right of him. "This is my room. When you need help, you can come to me…" she added.
"Oh, ok, that's convenient…"
"Then, if that is all, I will take my leave," Kaida requested.
"Oh ok, you can go,"
She left for her room, the door closing behind her silently.
"Sigh… I guess I have to learn more about this place as I stay here…" Richard thought to himself as he stepped into his room.