Sebastian placed a finger on his chin and mumbled to himself in a low voice. "So father was the one who suggested the boy be sold to the arena?"

He could not get his head around that thought. All of a sudden, he broke down into a dry, breathless, unhinged laugh and shook his head. "Sorry, sorry. I don’t know why that is funny to me. But yes, I find it incredibly strange. Why would he even be concerned enough with the bondless to suggest that cruelty?"

He leaned back in the chair and his expression grew serious. "Also, now I am curious. Why didn’t the boy take the pill if he was offered one? I would have taken the pill if I were him. Anything is better than being butchered like some animal in the pits."

Caspian, who did not appear to be listening to Sebastian anymore, tilted his head slightly and mumbled to himself as well. "Could he have known he would come back to life after being killed? Wait... could he have had a bond all this while but kept it hidden?"

A few seconds of quiet contemplation passed. Caspian sighed deeply and picked up a glass of red wine from the table. He drank the liquid in one slow, deliberate gulp before setting the glass down.

Then, he placed his elbows on the table and interlocked his fingers as he returned to his thoughts. "But why would he have hidden a bond that powerful? According to the survivors, they would not have even made it out alive had it not been for him."

"Maybe it could be that his bond refused to submit to him," Sebastian added casually, causing Caspian to look up at him. "You know how some of these bonds are. They forget their place. Especially the proud, stupid, or hotheaded ones. They like to test their owners before they reveal their true names, which bind them to us."

"Hm." Caspian’s brow furrowed. "When it is looked at from that angle, that makes a certain kind of sense. Maybe she revealed her true name right before he was killed, knowing she had the power to bring him back to life?"

"Exactly. I mean, if she did not do that, she would have died with him." Sebastian leaned back and continued to swing his legs, which were still resting on the table.

"Hm." Caspian also leaned back and his blue eyes seemed to darken with thought.

Sebastian, on the other hand, suddenly looked excited. "Speaking of bringing people back to life. Man, that is one hell of an ability. I would think that with an ability like that, the cost would be severe. But I hear she literally brought back more than a hundred dead to life when they returned from the first ring, including the son of that duke. It is no surprise everyone, including father, is looking for her. With an asset like that, the Lumierian empire would be unstoppable."

While saying that, his eyes suddenly lit up with a new thought. "Oh, oh! Caspian, can they also bring summons back to life?"

Caspian looked at him and exhaled wearily. "How am I supposed to know that?"

He looked away from his brother and sighed after a few seconds. "All we know is that she came back alone from the first bridge, after which she suddenly vanished. No one has been able to find her to this day. I heard Father asked Leon to use his eye, but even he could not find the lady or her master."

"That is surprising."

"Indeed." Caspian nodded. "Honestly, if Lady Veronica Wilson had not used Truth or Dare on Leon, I would have thought the boy was lying about not being able to find them. I wonder what kind of ability this Cedric and his bond have that hides them even from the eyes of the High Seekers. Lady Veronica even confirmed that she once tried to use a Whisperglobe on him, but it failed."

"Huh?" Sebastian blinked in genuine shock.

"Yes. There are so many mysteries surrounding those two. And the problem now is that despite the official summons from the King himself, those two have not shown themselves. Do they have no regard for the King’s authority?"

Sebastian grinned slyly. "Heh heh. Now I am really interested in them, too."

Caspian exhaled hard.

A few quiet seconds passed between them. Then, all of a sudden, he shot Sebastian a cold, piercing look. "By the way, brother. There have been reports of maids missing from the palace over the last few months. It started as just one or two people, but that number has grown quite staggering. Might you know anything about that?"

Sebastian maintained his gaze and smiled thinly. "No. I do not."

"Then, do you mind if I come check your sanctuary?"

When Caspian asked that, the smile on Sebastian’s face wavered for a fraction of a second. He did not say anything. For a long moment, both men just stared at each other in a heavy, suffocating silence. Eventually, Caspian exhaled and looked away.

"I know you have those maids in your sanctuary, and only the Gods know what shit you’ve been up to. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about what you do in your private time," Caspian said, his voice dropping to a warning low. "But you should know that if you end up drawing father’s attention to this, things might not end well for you. He does not tolerate messiness."

Sebastian’s smile widened.

Caspian continued as if he had not seen the reaction. "I will not be returning to my own sanctuary. I will be residing here for a few days instead. Let us try to live under the same roof in peace, aye?"

"Come on. Stop acting like I am some sort of monster," Sebastian scoffed, waving a hand dismissively.

Caspian ignored him entirely. He stood up from his chair and began heading toward the door without looking back.

***

...

..

.

Somewhere in the outskirts of the Lumierian Empire...

A Tavern.

——

During this time of the night, it was no surprise that the noisy tavern was filled with all sorts of characters, from weary, drunk laborers who were shouting, fighting, or dozing off, to boisterous merchants.

However, in a quiet corner of the room, there was a certain lady who looked entirely out of place in this filth. The lady was dressed in her favorite short black and blue kimono dress. On the table in front of her, several empty mugs of ale were scattered about. Heavens knew just how much alcohol she must have consumed, but one thing was clear. This beautiful lady was as drunk as a sailor.

Her cheeks were flushed a deep red, her eyes were bloodshot, and the only time she lifted her head was to take another long drink. Once the mug was empty, she simply slumped back down on the table with a heavy thud.

After a short while, she mumbled something to herself. It was a faint whisper that barely carried over the roar of the tavern:

"I miss you, Cedric."