Maximus successfully managed to throw his pursuers off inside the slums.
While the guards loyal to the Duchess died under the hands of Jaden in the slums, he had already chosen an entirely different escape route.
Several streets away, hidden beneath the city, he slowly pushed open a rusted manhole cover before crawling out of the underground sewer system.
His movements looked almost like those of an undead creature clawing its way back to the surface.
His clothes were soaked. His hair was dripping with filthy water.
The unbearable stench surrounding him was enough to make anyone instinctively keep their distance.
This deserted corner of the city rarely saw human visitors. Broken walls surrounded the abandoned alleyway, while piles of discarded trash rested in every corner. Rats that had long claimed the place as their territory immediately scattered in every direction after sensing the sudden appearance of a human.
"Ugh..."
Maximus finally climbed completely out of the manhole before dropping the heavy iron cover back into place. He staggered forward several steps before leaning against the nearest wall.
The nauseating smell clinging to his body overwhelmed him almost instantly. Without being able to stop himself, he bent over and vomited.
His stomach twisted violently, while his breathing became uneven. For several moments he simply remained there with one hand against the wall, trying to calm himself down.
Only after the nausea subsided did he slowly gather a small amount of mana.
A pale layer of magical energy spread across his body before washing away most of the filth covering his skin.
The sewage stains gradually disappeared. The foul odor became considerably weaker.
Even so, the cheap clothes he now wore still belonged to the elderly drunkard whose outfit he had exchanged inside the slums. The fabric remained worn out and full of patches despite being cleaned by mana.
"Tsk."
A familiar voice suddenly echoed through the empty alley. "I told you to meet me in the forest by midday. But here you are..."
The voice paused for a moment before continuing with obvious amusement.
"...cleaning sewage."
Maximus slowly lifted his head.
His eyes still carried exhaustion, while traces of emotional turmoil remained clearly visible across his face. Standing at the entrance of the alley was William.
He leisurely walked closer with a crooked smile resting on his lips. When he finally stopped a few steps away, he folded his arms before looking Maximus up and down.
"So..."
William smiled even more mischievously. "Is this really how you planned to greet the love of your life after being separated for so long?"
He gestured toward Maximus’s current appearance. "Covered in sewer water?"
Despite the teasing, Maximus could hear the concern hidden beneath William’s words. A small sense of relief finally settled inside him.
He did not answer. Instead, he simply stretched one hand toward William, silently asking for help getting back onto his feet.
William looked at the extended hand. Then a strange smile appeared on his face.
"I have a better idea."
Instead of pulling him up, William lazily raised one finger. He casually twirled it through the air.
Immediately, countless tiny wisps of water elemental mana gathered around his fingertip before rapidly condensing into an elegant spell formation.
A gentle blue light surrounded Maximus.
The accumulated filth disappeared almost instantly.
Not only his skin but even every thread of his clothes became spotless.
William had simply cast a low-tier Water Element cleansing spell.
It was one of the countless practical spells he had learned during his stay inside the Imperial Palace.
Since he had personally designed training schedules and military programs for the future backbone of the Eternal Sun Empire, he had naturally spent a considerable amount of time collecting spell books, scrolls, and useful techniques suitable for every profession imaginable.
Many of those spells had nothing to do with combat. Some existed purely for convenience.
The cleansing spell happened to be one of them. It efficiently removed dirt, blood, sweat, and other impurities without damaging either the body or the clothing itself.
Within seconds, Maximus looked completely clean.
Unfortunately...
The clothes remained exactly the same.
Although his extraordinary facial features, sharp jawline, white hair, and violet eyes made him remarkably handsome, the oversized patched clothing belonging to an old drunkard made him resemble an unusually attractive beggar.
William stared at him for several seconds.
Then he sighed. "Tsk."
"We’re going shopping."
Maximus immediately shook his head.
"There is no need. I don’t need expensive clothes to meet her."
His expression softened for the first time since leaving the Sinclair Estate.
"I just want to see my Lia as soon as possible."
William’s face twitched slightly.
He understood exactly why Maximus felt that way.
If Lia truly loved him, she would not care whether he arrived wearing royal attire or ragged clothes.
That was never the problem.
The real problem...
Was waiting inside the Infinite Domain.
Sera and Tamasya had practically taken over Lia’s preparations.
Even after Lia repeatedly insisted that she did not need beautiful dresses or expensive jewelry, the two women had completely ignored her protests.
At this very moment they were still inside the Elven Capital enthusiastically shopping for cosmetics, dresses, jewelry, perfumes, shoes, and countless other things that William himself barely understood.
"I think this reunion has somehow turned into a game for those two."
William sighed helplessly while remembering their excitement.
The amount of enthusiasm both women displayed whenever clothing or cosmetics became the topic genuinely frightened him.
He honestly could not understand the fascination.
Still, He understood one important fact. If he allowed Maximus to appear looking like this...
Not only would Maximus receive a lengthy lecture... William himself would probably become the primary target afterward.
His peace for the rest of the week would be compromised. William looked toward Maximus once again.
"You are getting a new haircut."
He pointed at his clothes.
"A new outfit."
Then he thoughtfully rubbed his chin.
"...and probably several more aesthetic upgrades."
He genuinely had no idea what those upgrades might involve.
As a man focused on getting stronger, fashion remained completely outside his area of expertise; he only followed the system’s suggestions while dressing up, and in the future he will probably listen to his women.
Orion finally let out a long sigh.
[Leave it to me.]
William’s eyes immediately brightened. "Thank you."
Without wasting another second, he grabbed Maximus by the shoulder. "Come on."
Before Maximus could react, William had already begun dragging him down the street. "W-Wait!"
Maximus struggled slightly.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To buy you something decent to wear."
William answered while continuing to walk.
"I already told you..."
Maximus tried reasoning once more. "Lia won’t mind."
William absentmindedly replied,
"Her preferences have changed." The words escaped his mouth almost automatically.
Maximus froze. "...What?"
Before he could ask another question, William casually sealed his mouth using a thin layer of spiritual energy.
Several minutes later...
William calmly dragged the speechless Maximus straight into one of the most luxurious clothing stores in Riverdale.
Meanwhile, inside the Elven Capital...
"Why are all of you forcing me to dress up like this?" Lia asked softly while looking toward the women surrounding her.
"For your marriage."
Katherine answered without changing her expression as she folded her arms. Lia stared at her reflection inside the enormous mirror.
Several elegant elven maids continued carefully brushing fragrant oils through her long hair.
The moment Katherine’s words reached her ears...
Lia immediately stood up.
"W-What?" Her breathing suddenly became uneven.
Her eyes widened in panic. "I don’t want to!"
For a brief moment, she genuinely believed they intended to force her into marrying someone against her will.
The room remained silent. Then Katherine suddenly burst into laughter.
Sera immediately walked over before lightly pinching Katherine’s cheeks.
"Don’t bully her, Kath."
Katherine laughed even harder. "I couldn’t resist."
The spacious room assigned to Sera had practically transformed into a dressing hall.
Several maids busily moved from one side of the room to the other carrying dresses, jewelry boxes, perfumes, cosmetics, and decorative accessories.
Leila, Kara, and Katherine comfortably watched everything from a nearby couch while occasionally offering their opinions.
Lia herself remained completely overwhelmed. She had never experienced anything remotely similar.
Throughout most of her life, she had barely owned enough clothing for daily use.
Now dozens of people were fussing over every tiny detail of her appearance.
It felt almost unreal. Fortunately, her physical condition had improved tremendously compared to when William first rescued her.
Blessing of the King, one of the abilities granted by Will’s Divine Genesis Physique, had accomplished what ordinary healing magic and expensive potions had completely failed to achieve.
Her body had gradually regained its strength.
The unhealthy thinness that once made her resemble little more than a living skeleton had disappeared.
Healthy color had finally returned to her skin.
Her figure had naturally filled out again, giving her an elegant and delicate beauty that had been hidden beneath months of suffering.
Unfortunately. Her emotional wounds remained far from healed.
During the previous three hours alone she had already suffered two severe panic attacks while the maids attempted to prepare her.
Several hours later...
Everything was finally wound up. Lia slowly opened her eyes before looking at her reflection. She barely recognized herself.
She wore an elegant ivory-white princess gown with an off-the-shoulder neckline delicately framed by layers of soft lace ruffles.
The fitted satin bodice gently accentuated her graceful figure before flowing into a beautiful A-line skirt covered with intricate floral lace embroidery.
Her long hair had been carefully arranged, while shimmering golden jewelry decorated her neck, wrists, and ears.
The gentle gemstone necklace resting against her fair skin completed the entire appearance.
The frightened young woman who had once been rescued from captivity now looked every bit like an innocent princess.
Her beauty possessed the ability to capture countless young men’s hearts.
Sera smiled warmly. "I think we’re ready." Beside her stood Tamasya with an equally satisfied smile. Leila, Kara, and Katherine also stood up from the couch.
The excitement visible on each of their faces was almost impossible to hide.
In the next moment the scenery around them completely disappeared.
Space around them distorted, and within an instant, all of them arrived inside the Infinite Domain.
The women looked noticeably excited. They had spent hours preparing this reunion.
Lia, however, remained completely clueless about the whole plan.
She had no idea why everyone suddenly appeared here.
Only after the familiar surroundings came into view did she realize she had returned to the place where she had been staying these past several days.
Slowly...
She noticed something strange.
The girls around her quietly stepped farther away.
None of them said a word.
Instead...
They simply smiled.
Lia looked at each of them in confusion.
Then Sera gently gestured for her to turn around. Curiosity eventually overcame her uncertainty, and she slowly turned.
The moment her eyes settled upon the figure standing several meters away, time seemed to stop.
Maximus stood there completely speechless, staring at her with indescribable emotions welling up in him.
Lia’s breathing suddenly halted.
The world around her faded away.
Countless forgotten memories surged violently through her mind.