—

The Treatment of Royals was an all-inclusive package, so the self-care portion lasted a whopping two hours, even with the attendants coupling treatments that could be applied simultaneously.

However, Kieran was in bliss for those two hours.

He received a massage from Katarina and another junior attendant, and the way Katarina washed his hair hit a spot that he alone could not target.

It was an indescribable pleasure when another person washed your hair with tender care.

Kieran gradually opened his eyes and looked into the mirror before him, only to see Katarina staring at him with a fawning smile. “I must say, you’re very handsome. As I suspected, this hairstyle suits your dark, thick hair.”

Kieran agreed with her and leaned forward, lightly shifting his hair with his fingers. The length tickled his forehead, but it wasn’t a bad sensation.

Overall, he was pleased with the look since the length wasn’t that much longer than his usual choice.

Although Kieran’s current look screamed a mix of pretty and bad boy, one would be mistaken to judge him solely on his appearance. This was all for his image.

Once the care routine was finished, Katarina brought Kieran to the clothing section, where Bastion and Nemean scratched their head cluelessly.

“It all looks amazing, how can I choose?! I don’t know!”

“I thought I was alone. The suits are great, but so are the other options. So many decisions, not enough brainpower,” Bastion mumbled, tapping his lip in thought.

Kieran appeared behind them and wrapped his arms around their shoulders. “Let’s go for fine dining, so grab a suit. Midnight blue for Bastion and a dark grey for you, Nemean.”

“Excellent decision,” a butleresque individual said off to the side. “Those tones complement their complexion well!”

The males all grabbed a suit and entered a private fitting room. In Kieran’s case, he opted for a simple, sleek black suit and smooth white top. He added a tie, but it was worn loosely.

Afterward, he picked out additional items that would go well with future events.

Over the next few minutes, everyone appeared from their dressing room looking like royalty, which was the aim of the Treatment of Royals package. Alice and Dr. Riley, in particular, looked riveting.

Their fancy hairstyle and minimalistic yet elegant make-up complemented their somewhat shy attitude, creating a breathtaking sight.

“Beautiful,” Kieran remarked, clapping softly. He then looked toward Cygnus and winked at Sithik, who coughed and caught the hint.

“R-Roxy, you look amazing!”

“Do I?” Cygnus looked down at her sapphire dress, wondering if she looked as pretty as the others.

“Undoubtedly,” Sithik responded. His head movement was reminiscent of a bobblehead after being whacked.

“Thank you!” Cygnus beamed. Her smile left Sithik at a loss for words, staring at her in a daze.

Kieran had noticed that the two got along well, so he felt playing matchmaker fit the scenario.

Unfortunately, he could do nothing about the two oafs behind him. Nemean and Bastion were lost causes in the truest senses.

Even now, Kieran could feel them doing something goofy behind his back.

Everyone picked out a couple of outfits, not just clothes like this, which were standard for high-class events. Once everyone gathered their things, Kieran brought them down to the first floor.

“Did you enjoy your service, Mr. Silver?” Estelle asked respectfully and gracefully.

Kieran loosened the tie around his neck further and nodded with a pleasant smile. “Very much. I believe I speak for everyone when I say it was an immaculate experience. I will for sure be visiting again.”

“Excellent; I can’t wait for your return. Overall, that will be $569,455. How would you like to pay?”

The price of this service made everyone gag and gasp. Did they hear that correctly? Everything cost more than half a million dollars?!

“Direct transfer,” Kieran indifferently replied.

This price sounded about right, considering everyone picked up 3-7 outfits. Not to mention, the Treatment of Royals was $25,000 per person. It included one set of clothing. The additional apparel was billed separately.

Kieran paid using what remained on his personal account after drawing out the funds from his second-to-last stream, where he and Altair battled against hundreds of players.

The transaction succeeded, not that Kieran had any doubts. But Kieran also left a hefty tip meant to be split across attendants that helped his people. All in all, Kieran wound up spending exactly $750,000.

This treatment was an investment. Why? Because half of gaining possible endorsements was looking the part. This piddling $750,000 could see a 10,000% return if he played his cards right.

When they left the store, everyone hurried to the luxury van because it felt as if everyone had their eyes on them.

“I say we end our day with dinner. Dinner sounds nice,” Kieran voiced after closing the door behind himself. “Take us to the Golden Palace, please.”

“You really know how to splurge, don’t you?” Dr. Riley remarked while combing her mauve dress underneath her thigh.

Kieran looked across, directly into her eyes, and smiled. “Go big or go home. When you step, you must aim to the world shake with your every advance—that is my belief.”

“I believe it. I mean, why else would the boss announce his feats,” Nemean commented.

“Mhm,” Alice nodded, becoming sparse with her words.

As everyone conversed amongst themselves, the chauffeur drove to a street where everyone dressed in attire matching that of Kieran and his teammates.

The Golden Palace was a famous restaurant where elegance was desired and required. The menu was versatile and fit everyone’s palette ranging from Indian to Italian cuisine.

Even tropical delicacies could be found. But the catch was that only the most exquisite versions of the recipes were served.

The establishment commonly functioned by reservation, but one could bypass the need for a reservation with a large enough party.

It merely required the party to rent an individual booth.

As they stepped through the door, a chic environment graced their sights. There were cascading waterfalls, coy fish sculptures sprouting waters, and dimly lit lanterns in place of actual lights.

The building’s temperature varied depending on where one stood because some cuisines were served cold, and others were prepared before the guest.

Kieran ordered a private lounge within the rest on one of the restaurant’s open floors.

“With pleasure, young man. Please follow me.” An older man, seeming to be between the ages of 45 to 55, led Kieran and company upstairs, where they sat down and continued their chat.

They ordered their food, and with the help of the nifty persuasion of money, they also ordered drinks. Underage alcohol consumption was no longer a problem due to advances in medicine.

An elixir like an X-hancer could correct the issue that arose from drinking.

Besides, the humans of this age were genetically stronger than the humans from 100 years ago. It wasn’t a huge disparity, but overall health in certain parts of society experienced as much as a 30% boon.

Since the party was open to trying new types of cuisine, Kieran opted for the adventurous menu with possessed appetizers of varying origins and several main entrees to choose from.

The atmosphere became joyous as everyone cheered and clinked their glass.

Kieran glanced down into his cup of red wine and swirled it around in his cup. Under the dim lights, the ruby color somewhat resembled blood.

‘Sometimes it all feels so surreal. I can’t believe I’m here again. Living. Thriving. But again, it’s without my parents,’ Kieran thought.

He had internalized his pain, but it had its way of seeping through at times, especially on special occasions.

However, the change wasn’t so prominent that the others could easily detect it. If they scrutinized Kieran’s actions, it would appear as if he were examining his drink.

“Yuck! This doesn’t taste as great as I assumed. How do people eat squid?” Nemean almost gagged, but he covered his mouth after considering the etiquette within this establishment.

“Dude… that’s snails, not squid,” Bastion corrected, noticing the shell in Nemean’s grasp.

“That’s an oyster,” Altair corrected again.

“Same difference,” Bastion shrugged. “They both have shells, so I was closer.”

Altair didn’t intend to argue with the bullheaded Bastion, so he dropped the subject entirely.

Kieran lifted his gaze and quietly analyzed everyone interacting with one another. ‘This was a needed outlet. It’s great to see them smile so lightheartedly.’

Although Kieran had his upcoming meeting with Zerim, he wasn’t in a rush to leave. He had asked Xithora to relay the message to the guard and Commander Ezrath if she ran into him.

He allowed everyone to eat to their heart’s content. Perhaps it was because of the residual X-hancers in their system. Everyone grew tipsy, however, complete intoxication was delayed.

It wasn’t until four hours later that they arrived at the medical facility with plenty of bags in hand.

“What a great experience,” Dr. Riley sighed. She leaned against Kieran’s shoulder and wrapped her arms around his. “I really want some sleep~! Sleep sounds so good~! Screw my work!”

“Atta girl, Dr. Riley~! Screw work! Woohoo,” Sithik exclaimed, following Dr. Riley’s example.

“It seems the lovely doc has drunk a tad too much,” Kieran remarked. He let her use his arm and opened the facility with the passcode she gave him.

The two had garnered trust, so she felt secure enough to reveal this sensitive information.

“We’re back~!!” Cygnus raised her arms and shouted.