Chapter 5: Is He A Butler or Not?
Raza was in his room, studying alchemy. At this point, he had made multiple models for pistols, rifles, and even rocket launchers. His parents didn't understand what he was trying to do, so they just left him be. Raza however was growing in frustration.
No matter what he did, he was not able to get any of his guns to fire! He even focused his magic training on fire and earth, but he still made no progress. There were two main reasons for this.
One was because he could not mold the bullets to the shape that he wanted. He never paid attention to their shape before, so there were no memory logs that he could look at. The second was that he could not find a substitute for gunpowder. He asked Alden to order a keg of powder used in TNT, but that was quickly shot down.
'Shit! I have been working on this for years. At the end of the day, all of these models are just playthings for Raymond, Dove, and Blythe!' Raza stood up and paced around his room.
He looked at the clock that hung above his desk. He had a clock on every wall in his room so that he was always aware of the time. It was also to keep him organized. It was 11 a.m.
Normally, Raza would begin to study politics and law, but today was different. He was forced to help his mother host a tea party. Raza prepared everything for today in advance. He went to shower and got dressed.
"My, my, you are looking handsome today, Raza!" Vivian hugged her son.
"Mother you say that every day," Raza hugged her back.
"Because it's true every day, but today is different. You're looking like husband material!"
While Vivian's back was toward the entrance of the kitchen, Raza saw Alden and Raymond sneaking out. They made eye contact and gave him a thumbs-up. No words were exchanged, but their expressions said everything.
'You took one for the team. You will be missed.'
"Now, where is your father and brother?" Vivian said after she let Raza go.
"I'm not sure. However, it may be best to begin preparing for the party," Raza suggested.
"He he, you seem eager. Have you finally decided to give Leora a chance?" She poked Raza's shoulder.
"No. However the faster we get started, the sooner we will finish," Raza said.
Vivian sighed as she returned to baking treats for her party. At the end of the day, no matter how handsome Raza was, he was always himself. Vivian knew that Raza thought of things logically, but she wished that he would lighten up a bit. He only seemed to relax when he was spending time with his siblings.
The two of them worked together to prepare for the party. Raza cleaned the table, swept the floors, and cleaned the windows. It was a clear and sunny day, so the party was going to be held on the manor's patio.
Vivian baked various treats and brewed the tea. She set the table with plates, cups, and everything else that was needed for the party. In the center of the table was a bouquet. At some point during the entire process, Dove and Blythe came to "help." They mostly took some snacks when Vivian wasn't looking.
"Alright, I need to get dressed. If anyone shows up early, lead them to the patio, okay?" Vivian told Raza.
"Of course Mother," Raza nodded his head.
Vivian often did this for one reason and one reason only. It was to show off her beauty by being the last person to arrive at her own party. It made her feel like a princess while everyone else found it annoying.
"Brother Raza, are you a butler today?" Dove turned to Raza.
"I am not. I am only helping Mother host her tea party."
"How are you helping, Brother Raza?" Blythe asked.
"By serving the guests and lightening Mother's workload," Raza explained.
The sisters looked at each other and giggled. Raza was able to guess what they were thinking and sighed.
"So that's just a butler!" They laughed.
"Just go and take your seats. The guests will be here soon," Raza gritted his teeth.
After a few minutes, the guests began to come. Raza greeted them all and led them to the patio. Some of the ladies brought their children that were around Dove's and Blythe's age. The only one who was the same age as Raza was Leora.
"Raza!" Leora jumped on him. "Did you miss me?" She asked while poking his cheek.
"I did not," Raza sighed.
"Liar!" She pouted
Raza was already tired of this party. He wanted nothing more than to stay in his room and study the night away. He never had a large social battery, but he was able to fake it in most cases. With Leora, it was impossible.
"Ho ho ho! Leora, leave Young Raza alone. Can't you see that he is uncomfortable?" Lady Anges spoke to her daughter.
"But Mom!" She let go of Raza and turned to Lady Anges.
'This is my chance,' Raza thought to himself as he escaped into the crowd.
Leora pouted when she saw Raza run away. However, Lady Anges placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder and knelt down.
"Mind your time, my daughter. Look at Young Raza's attire. If I had to make an educated guess, I would say that we would be seeing him throughout the day," She whispered.
Understanding what her mother meant, Leora's face brightened up as she shook her head up and down. The mother and daughter duo gave each other a thumbs up before going to take their seats.
As the tea party began, Raza spent most of his time serving the guests. Pouring tea, serving treats, and even entertaining some of their conversations... Raza was basically a butler. Dove and Blythe talked to some of the children, mimicking some of the mannerisms that they saw from the adults.
After Raza was done with his duties, he sat down at the piano and began playing for everyone. He learned piano for two reasons. He didn't want his parents to worry that he only cared about politics and the arts of war, and he learned that the piano was his mother's favorite instrument. Raza himself, had no interest in music in general.
As time went on, all of the guests had one thought on their minds.
'Where is Vivian!?'
As if to hear their thoughts, a beautiful woman walked in to make her appearance. Her hair was styled into a bun, her makeup was done, and she wore a dress that complimented her tanned skin. Although they were all close friends with Vivian, they couldn't help but be jealous of her beauty. Despite being their close friends, they didn't know the trouble that her beauty brought. And Vivian planned to keep it that way.
"Good afternoon, ladies. I apologize for my late arrival since I had some duties to attend to. I hope my son was able to keep you all entertained," She gave an angelic smile.
'Duties my ass!' All of the guests thought.
They all knew that Vivian was a stay-at-home mom. Despite that, no one dared to say anything because she was still their friend.
Raza however, changed the music to match Vivian's appearance since he knew her goal all along. He figured that if he had to be at this terrible party, he might as well play along with his mother's schemes as well.
"That is alright, my dear Vivian. We were just beginning to worry that you weren't going to make an appearance," Lady Anges chuckled. "I thought all of those treats you like finally got to you," Shots were fired.
"Thank you for your concern, Clare. I see you still have the energy to spew jokes despite working all the time," Vivian's smile turned cold.
This was how most parties began. A not-so-friendly banter would begin before they actually sat down to relax. One by one, all of the ladies slowly joined the conversation, choosing a side to argue for. This continued for 30 minutes, all with Raza playing in the background.
'I had to give up an entire day for this? I should have tried to sneak out with Father and Raymond,' Raza sighed to himself.
While Raza was playing, his sisters ran up to him. They were excited that their brother was at the tea party, and the two of them wanted to be spoiled by him.
"Brother Raza, we're tired," Dove yawned.
"Indeed, we are tired, Brother Raza," Blythe yawned as well.
"That's what happens when you keep eating snacks and warm tea before playing around. Now your bodies are beginning to relax," Raza sighed, not turning from the piano keys.
The two sisters only pouted to this. Dove whispered something in Blythe's ear, and she smiled and nodded her head. The sisters ran away and came back with two stools and blankets. They sat on a stool on either side of Raza, sat down, and laid their heads on his lap. They covered themselves with their blanket.
"Brother Raza, good night," Dove sighed.
"Good night, Brother Raza," Blythe smiled.
Raza shook his head and sighed. He didn't want to be a pillow for Dove and Blythe, but at the same time, he didn't want to disturb their nap. Raza changed the melody to a softer one.
"Good night, Dove. Good night, Blythe," Raza said softly.
At a distance, Leora watched as all of these events unfolded. She was a bit jealous, but she knew that there wasn't much that she could do.
'He's always so cold towards me, but so warm to his family. I can tell from how he plays the piano that he doesn't have any interest in music himself. I just wish he didn't treat me like an annoyance," She pouted as she sipped her tea.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't take her eyes off of Raza.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
DrFantasy
DrFantasy Raza got his priorities straight!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone