"YOUR MAJESTY, I have returned."
Nikolai didn't show it, but he was relieved to have Rufus Quinzel back. "You took your time, Rufus."
He did tell his cousin to stay with his daughter as long as he needed to, since Hanna Quinzel was currently in the process of mastering the complete Shadow Manipulation Technique of the Quinzels. Thus, the child needed all the support that she could get from her family.
But Rufus was still the duke of the empire. His cousin had duties to fulfill– especially now that the crows had formally announced their return.
"I apologize, Your Majesty," Rufus, who was standing in front of his office table, said with a smile. "I came back as soon as I received the report about the crows' appearance."
The smile on the duke's face disappeared, and his eyes turned sharp.
[Of course, Rufus has a personal grudge against the crows after they almost killed his one and only daughter before.]
