Isaac's magnificent crying eventually caused a commotion within the Frenzel family.
Upon hearing the cries, the knights rushed over, each one taken aback to see Isaac holding his head, squatting in front of Riezel, and sobbing uncontrollably.
"Young Master Isaac!"
"Someone attacked Young Master Isaac!"
"Quick! Surround him!"
Without hesitation, the knights drew their swords, encircling Riezel, and assigning a few to protect Isaac.
"Charge!"
The leader of the knights immediately ordered, ready to lead the charge and capture Riezel, but, just as an unnecessary conflict was about to erupt, a sudden voice stopped everyone in their tracks.
"You shall not be rude to my elder sister's guest!"
Riezel also lifted his gaze, looking toward the source of the voice.
Walking briskly from the manor's gate was a figure, a figure of a young girl.
She bore a striking resemblance to Yuri, with bright silver hair cascading down her shoulders, swaying gently as she walked, giving off a sense of standing tall against the wind.
However, unlike Yuri's ever-changing demeanor, sometimes innocent like a child, sometimes cold like a queen, and sometimes elegant and noble like a noble lady, this girl's expression was overly serious, her gaze too stern, giving off an impression of early maturity.
"Young Lady Mediste!"
Seeing the approaching girl, the knights one after another kneeled on one knee.
"El-Elder Sister Mediste?!"
Isaac, who had been crying heavily, abruptly stifled his tears, as if he had seen something terrifying.
The girl, known as Mediste, reached Isaac and showed a severe look.
"Isaac, what trouble are you causing now?" Mediste asked with a severe tone.
"I-I'm not causing trouble!" Isaac shook his head like a tambourine, then pointed at Riezel, complaining and arguing. "It's all because of him—"
Before he could finish his sentence, however, she slapped his hand away from pointing at Riezel.
"I don't recall teaching you to point at guests." Mediste glared at her younger brother. "It seems you need to retake some etiquette classes, Isaac. Make sure to free up some time tonight."
"No, please, Elder Sister Mediste!" Isaac cried out loudly, tears streaming down his face once again.
"A man isn't allowed to cry at the drop of a hat!" Mediste said mercilessly. "Can you still call yourself a member of the Frenzel family by acting like this?! Alright, you must clear the schedule for tomorrow night too!"
Upon hearing that, Isaac rolled his eyes and collapsed to the ground, feigning unconsciousness.
Ignoring her younger brother's playacting, Mediste turned to Riezel and gave a nod of respect.
"Sorry for this inappropriate display."
She spoke with her tone now notably different from before. It wasn't stern or harsh but rather carried a sense of openness and grace. Her manners were impeccable, neither too formal to make Riezel uncomfortable nor too casual.
It was evident that this etiquette was honed through rigorous training, showing her dedication.
"You're Yuri's little sister, right?" Riezel finally spoke, his voice softening a bit as he looked at the seemingly mature young girl.
"Greetings, I'm Mediste Frenzel, the fourth daughter of the Frenzel family." Mediste nodded reservedly. "Our family head, Yuri Frenzel, is my elder sister. And this boy lying here is my younger brother. Sorry for the trouble he's caused you; I'll make sure to give him a strict lesson and make him apologize to you later."
At the mention of a 'strict lesson', Isaac, lying on the ground, couldn't help but twitch involuntarily, followed shortly by trembling, resembling someone trapped in a nightmare.
This made Riezel cast a slightly sympathetic glance at the boy on the ground, but it only lasted a moment before he withdrew it.
Truthfully, this boy was too arrogant.
While it could be attributed to youth and immaturity, displaying such an arrogant demeanor at such a young age made him wonder if this boy might grow up to be a spoiled brat like those Chinese young masters in wuxia novels.
So with that in mind, he decided to 'bully' the boy a bit, perhaps to let him experience some of society's harsh realities and understand its complexities.
However, witnessing Mediste's stern attitude toward Isaac, Riezel realized he might have been worrying unnecessarily. With an elder sister like her, if this boy still managed to become a spoiled brat in the future, he would actually be impressed.
Nodding inwardly at Mediste's stern attitude, Riezel smiled faintly before responding to her apology.
"No need for apologies. Young Master Isaac is right. I'm just a mere commoner, so a noble like him doesn't have to apologize to me. Please, Young Lady Mediste, just educate him properly."
'Then I'd rather apologize!' Isaac, lying on the ground pretending to be dead, roared in his mind.
Unfortunately, Mediste couldn't read her younger brother's mind.
"I will..." Mediste nodded earnestly as if she had taken on a sacred mission. "But please don't call me 'young lady'. You are the guest of the family head, my elder sister. So, please, just call me Mediste."
"Is that okay?" Riezel asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm just a commoner, y'know?"
"It doesn't matter if you're a commoner or not..." Mediste shook her head. "You are considered a valued guest by my elder sister, and so far, you're the first. In that case, we cannot be disrespectful to you."
Upon hearing that, Riezel understood.
This fourth child of the Frenzel family, Mediste, seemed not only intelligent and attentive to etiquette but also deeply respectful of Yuri.
No, it wasn't just Mediste; Isaac, the youngest child, was the same.
Otherwise, why would Isaac immediately question whether he was a man brought back by his elder sister? Upon closer inspection, his unfriendly tone at that time did indeed carry a hint of jealousy.
Could it be that this boy, out of admiration for his elder sister, imagined that she might be taken away by a bad man, and out of jealousy, came to pick a fight? If that were the case, Riezel couldn't help but think that this boy was much cuter than he had imagined.
But—
"You said I'm the first guest Yuri has ever brought home?" Riezel raised his brows.
"Yes." Mediste confirmed without hesitation. "There have been plenty of guests who came to visit her on their own initiative before, and they've been treated well by her as well. But it's the first time she has brought someone home like this on her own initiative."
As she spoke, Mediste couldn't help but sneak a glance at Riezel.
When she first found out that her elder sister had brought someone home, especially a young man, she was equally surprised. But after the initial shock wore off, she became intensely curious about this man.
What kind of man did his elder sister bring home?
Could he be her future brother-in-law?
If so, that wouldn't be too bad.
After all, this man looked pretty good. Despite being a commoner, he showed no signs of subservience or flattery when facing a noble. He remained calm throughout, even managing to subdue Isaac, who was quite a troublemaker. This kind of composure surely indicated competence.
Since her elder sister said this man was her schoolmate, it meant he was a student at Spriller Academy.
Being able to attend one of the top four academies in the Akasha Continent, suggested he had significant potential as a magician. He might even have the potential to become a Tactical-Class Magician. Once a magician reached this class, they would immediately be recognized by the royal family and become a noble.
Even if he were just a minor noble like a viscount, not comparable to major nobles like the marquis family of Frenzel, given his young age, it wouldn't be difficult for him to earn merit on the battlefield and be promoted to a count later on. Moreover, once he became a count, he would be a genuine major noble, only one rank below a marquis.
With such qualities, he could be considered suitable for her elder sister.
At this moment, Riezel was unaware that he was being analyzed and evaluated by Yuri's younger sister, whom he had just met, with even his future prospects being considered.
If Mediste hadn't concealed her thoughts well, Riezel might have suspected that he was being treated as Yuri's secret boyfriend, being judged and evaluated by her family members.
He simply silently took note of Mediste's words, gaining a deeper understanding of Yuri's oppressive life at home.
Yuri, who seemed to enjoy chatting in front of him like a friendly lady, really seemed to have no friends.
Riezel sighed inwardly, then turned his gaze to Mediste's face.
"In that case, I'll just call you Mediste directly, and you also don't have to use honorifics with me. I don't like that kind of formality."
"Uhh... Okay." Mediste wanted to refuse politely, but seeing his calm gaze, she paused and softly agreed. "Since it's your request, I won't be formal anymore."
She was not only intelligent but also adept at reading people.
Riezel's evaluation of Mediste rose another notch.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the pretended-dead boy was quietly squirming, evidently intending to leave this troublesome situation behind.
"Isaac." Mediste calmly and composedly spoke.
"Yes!" Isaac straightened up instantly, as stiff as a bamboo pole. In his eyes, his elder sister seemed like an executioner.
"Clear your schedule for the night after tomorrow as well, understand?"
"I... understand..."
At this moment, Isaac felt the urge to run away from home.
In the next moment, a maid suddenly appeared and quickly approached the three of them.
"Young Lady Mediste, Young Master Isaac. Master and Young Master Sefaz have returned." The maid informed respectfully while bowing her head.
Unexpectedly, after the maid finished speaking, the somewhat relaxed atmosphere immediately shifted.
Isaac fell silent, while a gloom passed over Mediste's face.
"I understand..." Mediste said with her head lowered. "We'll head over right away."
After saying that, she flashed an apologetic look toward Riezel.
"No need to worry about me, just go ahead." Riezel said, nodding with a gentle smile upon noticing her expression.
Mediste apologized briefly before leading the hesitant Isaac away.
Riezel watched them leave, lost in thought.