SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant-Chapter 491: An Evening in Velkaris

A little later, Trafalgar and Rhosyn were already in the north of Velkaris.

The change from the south was obvious enough the moment they arrived. The streets were cleaner here, the stone better kept, the houses taller and more expensive without needing to flaunt it. Lamps, polished windows, trimmed entrances, servants moving where they had to move and nowhere else. It felt closer to the part of the city Trafalgar had grown used to walking through, the part where wealth stayed quiet because it had no reason to prove itself.

Mayla’s house stood among the rest with that same ordered neatness.

Trafalgar had barely stopped in front of it when the door opened and she came down to meet them.

She had dressed for the evening, though not in anything excessive. Something nice, something a little formal, enough to show she had made an effort. Her brown hair was no longer tied the way she wore it while working, and the moment she saw him, her face brightened at once.

"Trafalgar."

She closed the distance quickly and wrapped her arms around him without hesitation.

Trafalgar returned the embrace just as naturally, one arm settling around her while she pressed closer for a brief moment, as if making up for the time apart before stepping back again.

"It’s good to see you," Mayla said.

"You too."

Rhosyn stood a little to the side, watching them with the sort of expression she usually wore whenever she was pretending not to care about anything around her.

Mayla noticed her next and smiled. "Rhosyn."

Rhosyn gave a small nod. "You look strangely proper."

Mayla laughed softly. "That usually happens when people are invited somewhere decent."

Trafalgar glanced between them once before Mayla asked, "Where did Aubrelle reserve it in the end?"

"A good restaurant," he said. "She chose well."

Mayla’s smile deepened a little at that. "That sounds like her."

Footsteps reached them from behind a moment later.

Vivienne.

She had changed as well. Nothing extravagant, just enough to fit the evening better than before. But the moment she stepped into the space with them, Mayla’s attention moved to her at once.

There was a brief pause.

Then Mayla looked at Trafalgar. "And who is she?"

Trafalgar answered without circling around it. "Vivienne. She’s the disciple of a Primordial."

Vivienne went still.

For a second, the color in her face seemed to drain. She had clearly not expected him to say it so openly, much less with that kind of ease.

But Rhosyn remained where she was, calm as ever.

And Mayla did not recoil, did not question whether he had lost his mind, did not look at Vivienne as if she had suddenly become dangerous.

Vivienne glanced between them, then asked carefully, "Is... everything alright?"

Mayla blinked once, as if the question itself surprised her more than the answer Trafalgar had given.

"Yes," she said. "Why wouldn’t it be? If Trafalgar says it, then I trust him." A faint smile touched her mouth. "Besides, with him around, strange things stopped being surprising a long time ago."

That seemed to unsettle Vivienne in a completely different way. She looked at Trafalgar once, then at Mayla again, as if only now understanding the kind of place he held in the lives of the people near him.

Trafalgar let the silence sit for a moment before speaking.

"We should go."

Mayla nodded at once. Rhosyn pushed herself away from the wall. Vivienne followed a second later, still carrying that thoughtful look.

By the time they reached the restaurant, the evening had already settled properly over that part of Velkaris.

The place Aubrelle had chosen stood on one of the better streets in the north, where the lamps cast a warmer glow over polished stone and quiet storefronts. It was elegant, but not distant. The entrance was well kept, the windows clear, the gold details along the frame subtle rather than excessive. It looked like somewhere meant for people who wanted to enjoy themselves, not impress strangers from across a hall.

Aubrelle was already waiting outside.

Pipin circled quietly near her, his pale feathers catching the light now and then, and her cane rested in one hand. The moment they came into view through the bird’s sight, something in her face softened.

She went first to Trafalgar and rose slightly to press a brief kiss to him. After that, she turned toward Mayla and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"It’s good to see you," Aubrelle said.

"You too," Mayla replied with a smile. "You chose well."

"I wanted this to feel nicer than yesterday."

Trafalgar glanced at them, then said, "Aubrelle, this is Rhosyn."

Aubrelle turned toward her at once. "It’s nice to meet you."

Rhosyn gave a small nod. "Likewise."

Then Trafalgar looked toward Vivienne. "And this is Vivienne."

Aubrelle inclined her head slightly, still holding her cane. "It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Vivienne did the same. "Likewise."

There was no awkwardness in Aubrelle’s tone, no tension in the way she greeted either of them. Everything felt natural, easy, the sort of warmth Trafalgar had expected from her.

After that, he looked at Aubrelle again. "Later, I need to tell you something important."

She did not ask what it was in front of the others.

"Alright," she said. "You can tell me when we have a moment." Trafalgar gave a small nod, then added, "Can you do me a favor? I thought Xavier was already inside. If he is, can you call him out for a moment?"

Aubrelle stayed quiet for only a second while Pipin circled once overhead.

Then she said, "He’s not inside. He’s coming from behind you."

Trafalgar turned at once.

Xavier was already walking toward them.

Even dressed for the evening, he was easy to recognize. Black clothes, more formal than what he usually wore, fitted cleanly over his lean frame. The scarf was still around his neck as always, dark against his pale skin, and his mismatched eyes stood out the moment the light caught them, one golden amber, the other crimson red. He had clearly made an effort for the occasion, though on him it still looked natural.

He slowed when he saw Trafalgar.

Then his gaze shifted past him.

And froze.

His whole expression changed the instant he saw Vivienne.

"You!" The word came out before he could stop it. His hand lifted halfway, more out of shock than intent. "It was you!"

The calm outside the restaurant broke at once. Enough to draw a scene from the street, but enough that anyone close could see it. Her shoulders stiffened, and for the first time since leaving Dravok’s side, she looked like she had nowhere she wanted to put her eyes.

Trafalgar stepped in before Xavier could say anything else.

"Give me a moment," he said. "I need to speak with him and Vivienne alone."

Aubrelle did not question it. Through Pipin’s eyes, she had already seen enough in Xavier’s face to understand that this was not something to leave hanging at the entrance. She turned her face slightly toward Trafalgar, and the brief pause between them was enough.

Then she nodded.

"Come on," she said softly, and this time it was to Mayla and Rhosyn.

Mayla glanced once at Trafalgar, then at Vivienne, but did not argue. Rhosyn looked at Xavier a second longer, as if measuring how much trouble he might cause if left alone, then finally moved as well.

The three of them went inside together, leaving the entrance quieter than before.

That left only three people outside.

Trafalgar in the middle.

Xavier still visibly thrown by the sight of her.

Vivienne pale and tense in a way that made it clear she would have preferred almost anything else to this moment. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

And there, just outside the warm light of the restaurant, with the door closed behind the others, the night suddenly felt much narrower.