"Your Majesty!"
The guards and palace maids around them bowed respectfully, and the atmosphere in the dining room instantly turned solemn.
The members of House Augustus had still been chatting and laughing, but they were immediately affected by the guards' and maids' behavior, and for a moment, they did not know what to call Rayne.
They were Rayne's parents and siblings. Now they had to address their own son and the elder brother they had grown up with as "Your Majesty" and perform a formal bow. It felt rather awkward. But if they called Rayne directly as they had before, it would seem disrespectful.
Rayne was the emperor now!
Although they had been excited about this for three days and looked forward to seeing Rayne, when he actually appeared before them, they suddenly felt at a loss.
Old Bard and Malinda looked at their impressive son. Beyond their excitement, what they felt even more was awe.
When Rayne had left home back then, all they had felt was worry and frustration that he was wasting his potential. They had thought that young people were bound to suffer setbacks out in the world and would return home sooner or later, bowing their heads to them. Yet Rayne had been gone for several years without any news. When they saw him again, it was in Longsand City. Not only had he become a Transcendent and made a name for himself, he had even bought a luxurious villa.
In their entire lives, the couple had barely left their small town a few times. Given their limited horizons, this was already an extraordinary achievement.
However, that had only been the insignificant beginning.
Over the next few years, Rayne hardly met with them, returning home only once.
Yet news of Rayne continued to arrive frequently.