Chapter 20: The Grand Duke Returns Home Empty-Handed (3)

The study welcomed me with the scent of leather, parchment, and old wood. A far superior atmosphere compared to the floral massacre of the ballroom. I removed my mantle and draped it over the back of a chair before sitting behind the desk.

Abi made himself comfortable on the sofa without invitation.

Of course he did. Shame was an emotion that has long vanished from his vocabulary. I suppose being ancient does that to you.

William, bless him, entered moments later with tea.

I accepted the cup and inhaled the clean, bitter fragrance before taking a sip. Finally. Something not contaminated by palace theatrics and potentially drugged noble ambitions.

"Your Excellency," William said, "how did the ball proceed?"

"Boring. No one died."

"I see."

"Your disappointment is well hidden."

"That was not disappointment, Your Excellency."

"Yes. Of course, it isn’t."

Abi snorted.

I set the cup down. "The Crown Prince did request a private conversation."

William’s expression did not change, but I noticed the subtle shift in his posture. "About what matter?"

"Nothing direct. He told me about gossip first. Then he asked about Sonomi, tested where my loyalty lie, and proceeded to ask about the difficulty of determining who can be trusted before a coronation."

William’s eyes narrowed slightly. "He is seeking your support."

"That much is obvious, but not openly."

"It matters not. He will do so eventually."

"We can only wait and see."

Abi raised a hand lazily. "Also, he might be dying."

William froze.

I looked at Abi, admiring his open exaggeration.

He blinked innocently.

"Was that not relevant?"

"You have the conversational finesse of a dropped brick."

"I am efficient that way."

William’s gaze moved to me, alarm now visible. "The Crown Prince is ill?"

"Hmm. Abi noticed a suppression in his life force. It may be a curse, poison, seal, or some other unpleasant thing the palace has buried under its carpets. Who knows what unclean thing they threw at him?"

"And His Highness is aware of it?"

"I cannot say. But given his carefulness, he either knows or suspects something is wrong around him."

William fell into thought. I could almost see the invisible abacus of consequences clicking behind his eyes.

"If this is true, Your Excellency, then the matter is quite grave. A hidden affliction on the Crown Prince before coronation could destabilize the succession."

"Yes."

"If exposed, factions may use it to oppose his ascension."

"Naturally."

"If cured, the one responsible would gain tremendous leverage."

I smirked. William looked at me.

"Ah," he said.

See? This was why William was excellent. He arrived at the correct conclusion without needing me to lay down every little brick on the road.

Abi clapped softly. "Your butler is amazing."

"He is already under my employment."

William ignored him with admirable dignity.

"Then what do you intend to do next, Your Excellency?" William asked quietly.

I glanced at the ring on my finger.

"I intend to do quite a few things."

"Master Skandar."

There it was. Not Your Excellency but Master Skandar.

The tone that reminded me of childhood lectures, sword training, and the unfortunate years where William could still knock me flat on my back in under three breaths.

I seem to have forgotten that this old man is my mother’s unbeatable spy and rod of righteousness planted on my side. Sigh.

I smiled pleasantly. "No one has died, William."

"Not yet."

"Your faith in me is touching."

"My concern is not without foundation."

True.

But saying that aloud would only encourage his scolding.

William sighed, the sound faint but heavy with the exhaustion of a man who had raised someone like me.

"Your Excellency, may I remind you that assassinating or poisoning the Crown Prince inside the imperial palace during the coronation festivities would have dire consequences?"

"I am very much aware."

"Are you really?"

My fingers tapped on the chair’s arm rest and then stopped, "William. Do not overstep."

He lowered his head. "Forgive me."

I waved a hand. "There is nothing to forgive. Your concerns are valid. Annoying, but valid."

Abi leaned forward, smiling. "Don’t worry, butler, he has decided not to assassinate or poison him yet."

William’s gaze returned to me.

"Yet," he repeated.

"Do not sound so aggrieved. I haven’t done anything. I am already exercising restraint. That deserves praise."

"It deserves continued observation, sire."

"Same banana."

"I beg to disagree."

I clicked my tongue.

Everyone in this household was becoming increasingly bold. Was this the influence of Abi? It had to be. My people were disciplined before he came along. Now even William was openly contradicting me more than usual.

This Jinn was a household pollutant.

"I will not act recklessly," I said at last. "Besides, no matter what I plan, the Crown Prince is more useful alive for now. If his condition is what Abi suspects, I may even get the whim to save him in an unexpected manner."

"Hah. Unexpected, he says," Abi echoed with delight.

I ignored him.

"If he dies, the empire becomes chaotic. If he lives because of my help, then he becomes indebted. If it something else happens entirely, I will adjust accordingly."

William looked as if he wanted to age ten years in one breath.

"That is not reassuring, Your Excellency."

"It was not meant to reassure anyone. It was meant to inform."

He sighed again.

Poor William. At this rate, he would need a vacation too. Perhaps I should send him with my parents next time.

Then again, my parents would likely return him with stories, gifts, and a new trauma involving sea monsters or some obscure island custom. I better not. He had suffered enough.

"Prepare a report on the Crown Prince’s known health history," I said. "Quietly. I want court physician records, rumors from palace servants, procurement lists for rare medicines, and anything related to warding formations in the prince’s residence."

William bowed. "Understood."

"Also, find out who benefits if he fails to ascend."

"That list may be extensive."

"Then use more paper. We don’t lack the money to buy it."

Abi laughed. William just gave him a very calm look. A look that would have made ordinary men question their life choices. Abi merely smiled back, shameless creature that he was.

After William left, the study quieted.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.

The night had become far more complicated than I planned.

I came to the Capital to begin my glorious career as a villain lord. Instead, I had acquired a son, introduced a Jinn as my brother, saved a lady’s dignity by accident, intrigued the Crown Prince, and possibly discovered that my poison might be a cure.

What kind of absurd progression was this?

If my past self were reading this in a web novel, I would have left a scathing comment.

Something along the lines of:

Author, what is this nonsense? Why is the villain doing charity work every Chapter?

Hmm. Then again, perhaps that was the charm.

No. Nope.

Absolutely not.

I refused to accept that.

Abi’s voice drifted from the sofa. "What are you thinking?"

"That I should have stayed in Sonomi."

"You would have been bored to death."

"I enjoy boredom, thank you very much."

"No, you enjoy pretending to enjoy boredom."

I turned my head toward him. "Are you psychoanalyzing me now?"

"I have lived for a very long time. I am excellent at observing patterns."

"Then observe in silence. I don’t need you buzzing around like a fly."

He grinned. "You’ve changed. You no longer fear me. Kidding aside, you... You are excited."

"Wrong. I am tired."

"You are excited," he repeated. "The prince amused you. The child’s mysteries concern you. That hidden sickness interests you. The court is full of enemies you have yet to identify. You are surrounded by problems and here you are pretending to dislike it."

I stared at him.

He stared back, far too pleased.

This was the unfortunate thing about having a brother connected to me by a vow of the soul. He noticed too much. Worse, he said too much.

"Abi."

"Yes?"

"Go to sleep."

"Jinns do not need sleep."

"Then pretend to go to sleep."

"Why?"

"Because I need silence to plot."

His eyes gleamed. "See? I was right. You are excited."

I picked up a paperweight.

Abi vanished from the sofa before I could throw it.

What a coward.

A powerful, ancient, transcendent coward.

His laughter echoed faintly from somewhere beyond the room, proving that he had fled but not far enough for my peace.

I set the paperweight down with great restraint.

The window behind my desk reflected my image faintly. Amber eyes, black hair and a face blessed with excessive beauty and noble dignity.

A man who wished to become a villain, yet kept collecting people and problems like decorative daggers the moment he made his move to become one.

I lifted my hand and studied the ring. Vita’s Tears rested within.

The future of the empire sat behind palace walls, diseased by something unseen.

Spiro slept in the room nearby, a child with too many secrets in his small chest.

A slow smile curved my lips.

"How troublesome," I murmured.

Truly troublesome.

But perhaps, just perhaps, this would be more entertaining than simply poisoning someone at a ball.