As Lucius Malfoy's car merged onto the highway, a vehicle began tailing him.
By the time he reached central London, a plain-looking police car—its lights flashing—pulled him over.
Two young men in plain clothes stepped out.
Through the lowered car window, Lucius immediately recognized that while they were real police officers,
they were also agents of the Ministry of Magic.
One of the officers knocked on the window, and as Lucius rolled it down,
he smiled and said,
"Can we hurry this along, gentlemen?
I have an appointment with Duke William Devonshire at 7 PM."
"You're meeting William Devonshire?"
The officers immediately dropped the act—one pressed his shoulder radio, and the other called the Ministry directly.
Meanwhile, Sunday, who had been monitoring the situation, didn't even need to ask for William's approval.
A phone call was made, and moments later, a sleek Aston Martin Phantom pulled up next to Lucius' car.
As it came to a stop, two middle-aged men in black suits and glasses stepped out, grinning.
"Good evening, officers.
We're barristers from Clifford Chance, here to escort Mr. Lucius Malfoy.
May we see your identification?"
Clifford Chance?
The two Ministry officers immediately knew they were in trouble.
William had publicly stated during his Mars livestream that he was a major shareholder in Clifford Chance.
At this point, it was obvious—William had personally invited Lucius.
With lawyers present, stopping the car for a legal check was fine,
but if they didn't find any contraband, there was no legal basis to detain him.
One officer, frustrated, asked,
"Does Devonshire even know this man is dangerous?"
"If there's a legal issue, officer, then please—follow the proper procedures and arrest him," one of the lawyers replied, adjusting his glasses.
"But if there's no evidence, then we ask that you step aside.
Of course, if you'd like to take this to court,
I'd be more than happy to bill my client for my time.
After all, my employer certainly wouldn't mind paying a six-figure legal fee."
"FK."
"Hans, calm down."
Hans' partner quickly grabbed his arm, worried he might say something reckless.
If they pushed too hard, these corporate lawyers could drag them into a lawsuit that lasted months or even years.
Hans understood this well.
Frustrated but powerless, he reluctantly backed off and returned to his car, keeping an angry watch on Lucius.
Meanwhile, the two lawyers ignored them,
escorting Lucius into the Aston Martin Phantom and heading toward Gordon Ramsay's restaurant near Stamford Bridge.
Arriving at the Restaurant
At 6:50 PM, the car finally arrived.
Before even stepping out, Lucius saw William standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, smiling at him.
Lucius had briefly wondered why William hadn't come outside to greet him.
But after a moment's thought, he dismissed the idea.
Not only was there a vast difference in their status in the muggle world,
but in terms of magical ability, Lucius was not even worth mentioning.
Furthermore, the moment William appeared by the window,
a flurry of camera flashes went off.
Within seconds, Lucius counted at least a dozen paparazzi outside.
As the car came to a stop, the restaurant manager himself opened the door for Lucius.
"Welcome to Gordon Ramsay's, Mr. Malfoy.
Duke Devonshire is waiting for you upstairs.
Please, follow me."
Lucius was curious as to why William had chosen the main dining hall rather than a private room.
But stepping inside, he quickly realized—
apart from a few previously booked guests on the ground floor,
William had rented out the entire second floor.
The Meeting
"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy," William greeted, extending a hand.
"Was your journey smooth?"
Lucius shook his hand, smiling.
"Thank you for your assistance, Duke Devonshire.
Without it, I doubt I'd have made it on time."
After exchanging pleasantries, Lucius presented the gifts he had brought.
William merely glanced at them and smiled.
With a snap of his fingers, a long-haired Asian man in a black suit silently emerged from the dimly lit part of the hall.
He bowed, took the gifts with both hands, and then… vanished into the shadows.
Lucius froze.
Even though he had stared directly at the man—even using magic to enhance his vision—
he still had no idea how the man disappeared… or where he had gone.
If an assassin of this caliber had attacked him unprepared, Lucius knew he wouldn't have survived.
His fear of William only deepened.
Seeing the effect of his display, William smiled and gestured for Lucius to sit down.
"Apologies, Mr. Malfoy.
Raizo is a Shadow Guard—he prefers to stay in darkness.
Please forgive his lack of manners."
"No offense taken, Duke Devonshire," Lucius said with a sigh.
"In fact, I must congratulate you on having such a loyal and powerful bodyguard.
With someone like him,
even a wizard would have no fear of assassins lurking in the dark."
William, who had just sat down, paused mid-motion.
"You mean to tell me that your world also faces threats from assassins?"
Lucius was momentarily stunned by William's naïve question.
But in the next second, he realized something—
William truly had no knowledge of the wizarding world.
Oddly enough, this relieved Lucius.
Once the restaurant manager finished presenting the wine selection,
William chose a 1961 Château Latour, and after the manager left, Lucius spoke in a low voice:
"For the past thousand years, England's wizards have fought wars against giants, magical creatures, and even muggles.
Even decades ago, before they abolished the inter-school dueling tournaments in Europe,
a single competition could result in dozens of deaths.
And if people died in the tournaments,
then off-the-field grudges naturally led to vendettas.
When magic alone wasn't enough to settle scores,
many turned to hiring assassins.
And while we wizards wield great power,
we're just as vulnerable to knives and bullets as any ordinary person."
Great power?
William wondered if ancient wizards were stronger than the ones he had encountered.
Or perhaps, since his impression of wizards mostly came from Hogwarts students,
he had underestimated their capabilities.
But feeling the magical energy inside Lucius Malfoy,
William thought,
"If my magical power were a full glass of wine, then Lucius' would be a single drop."
"It's practically insignificant."
Maybe… he should see for himself.
Setting down his wine glass, William calmly looked at Lucius and said:
"Cast a spell on me."
(End of Chapter)
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