Chapter 44: A Perplexing Turn of Events (1)
"Aah!"
The distinct sound of bones snapping rang out in the air along with the screams that accompanied it. The scream came from a man with what was once curly, brown hair. He was cuffed to a chair with Mana Suppressing chains tied around his arms and legs. His once polished suit was torn and stained, looking as if it had just barely survived an attack by a wild beast–which wasn’t too far off from the man’s current predicament.
The strong stench of iron permeated the air. Henry’s nose was wrinkled slightly, but that was the only physical sign that showed his displeasure of the smell of blood.
The wooden door behind him opened. A man wearing a black assassin outfit walked in. The overly large hood of his shirt top was pulled up over his head and a black mask covered the top half of his face. The only thing visible was the sharp jawline the jutting out below the mask. Even though it couldn’t be seen, the blonde hair underneath the hood was temporarily dyed brown.
The man dressed like an assassin closed the distance between him and the man in the chair. "Hmm. Marquis Arden."
Henry nodded. "Yes, Sir. We discovered that the people responsible for the attack were associated with Dahm Dumam."
Dahm Dumam, or Blood in Silence as it was translated to, was one of the top assassin guilds in the Velron Kingdom. The guild was known for its excellent services and for the fact that they not only operated in the Velron Kingdom, but would also take commissions from the other Kingdoms on the Eurasian Continent.
"It wasn’t easy, but we sent someone to infiltrate it. There, they found several documents linking the attack on Lady Lianna Silva, and his highness, Prince Mikyle."
Henry watched as Mikyle bent down in front of Marquis Arden. The Marquis began screaming and thrashing when he saw a hand reaching out to him.
Mikyle pursed his lips, his sour mood palpable. Henry remembered how annoyed his boss had sounded when he had called him earlier. I hope I had not interrupted his highness earlier.
Mikyle gently touched his hand to Marquis Arden, looking as if he were touching dog shit instead of a person. A golden-white light poured out of his hand and slowly covered the Marquis.
Henry watched as all of the open wounds on Marquis Arden’s body slowly stitched themselves back together, resembling smooth skin once again. He faintly heard the snapping of bones as they mended themselves.
The Marquis cried and screamed as he rocked back and forth while trying to create distance between himself and the monster who was healing him.
Mikyle moved away from the Marquis and went over to the wall by the door where he leaned against it. He crossed his arms over his chest, somehow looking both casual and menacing at the same time.
Henry visibly gulped. His boss was more than just annoyed; he seemed upset and angry. I definitely interrupted something. I wonder if it has anything to do with that Count’s son. He ordered us to dig up any information we could find on the boy, and then he didn’t even bother to look at the folder! He knew that Mikyle hadn’t actually looked at the folder because he sent it back the very next day after he had received it and the packet was still tightly sealed. Along with the folder, he had received explicit instructions to hide the folder somewhere safe and to not have anyone look in it.
Was he being sincere when he confessed that he was courting the young Mallorne boy? It was something that Henry could not imagine even after seeing the friendly demeanor his boss had when he was out in public as Mikyle Velron. He was only sincere in his kindness when he was with his family.
Henry mentally shook all the un-necessary thoughts out of his head. He made his way over to Marquis Arden and picked up a pair of pliers.
The only thing Henry could do now was to quickly figure out if the Marquis was acting on someone else’s orders. If he could finish this quickly, then Mikyle could leave to attend to what he was doing before. And that was something Henry desperately wanted after seeing what kind of mood his boss was currently in.
. . . .
Adrien quietly ate the food before him, not really tasting anything. The mood in the restaurant was amicable yet awkward. It didn’t help that he kept feeling eyes on him.
"Should we bring something back for Brayden and Cedric?" The Countess asked.
"If you wish," the Count replied, his eyes lingering on the Countess as they ate.
I guess the stories are true, Adrien thought as he quietly watched his parents’ interactions.
He remembered Lady Aisley mentioning how the Count and Countess had a remarkable love story that was still mentioned even in high society. Adrien didn’t really believe the story, but after watching how the Count interacted with the Countess, he could believe the story somewhat. At least, it certainly seemed as if the Count was smitten with his wife.
But if that’s the case, why does he treat Adri-I mean me so poorly? He certainly doesn’t treat Cedric or Brayden that way, though he is a bit hard on them during sword practice.
The meal ended with Adrien still spooling in his thoughts. He was starting to think of a reason why he was treated so differently and he wasn’t sure how he liked the answer he had come to.
As they were leaving the restaurant, Adrien felt eyes on him once again. He looked behind him. When he didn’t see anyone looking at him, he looked up at the second floor.
A woman wearing a glamorous black dress was looking down at him while sipping on a glass of wine. Her scarlet red hair was tied up in a stylish bun, and jewels the size of his thumbnail hung around her neck. Sitting at the same table behind her was Lianna.
Why is Queen Sarina and Lianna here? I would think it was a coincidence if they weren’t looking directly at me. He pulled his eyes away and followed along behind the Count and Countess.
The carriage ride back to the Academy was rather quiet, which unfortunately allowed for Adrien to sink further into his thoughts. He was starting to realize that the life he had found himself in may be even more complicated than he had originally thought. . .it also didn’t help that he was adding to the complication by dating a prince.
When the carriage came to a stop, the Count was the first one to exit the carriage as he offered to help his wife down. "I need to have a word with Adrien. Would you like to go on and meet the boys first?"
The Countess’ eyes flicked between the two. "I’ll leave first. Do not take too long," she told the Count. She then turned to Adrien and wrapped him in her arms. "Remember to take a break if your studies become too difficult."
"I will."
He and the Count stood quietly as they watched the Countess walk down the walkway heading towards the guest’s hall where Cedric and Brayden promised to meet them.
After a minute of watching, the Count turned to face Adrien and cleared his throat. He then reached into the inside breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a letter. "This is for you. Nadeline wanted to send you a letter of support and I offered to bring it along."
Adrien took the letter with a confused look on his face. Why would Nadeline write me a letter of support? What is she even supporting?
"Are you happy? With his highness, I mean?"
Adrien’s eyes widened and his grip tightened on the letter. So the Count does know.
"I am," Adrien answered hesitantly, his eyes lingering on the Count’s hands.
"Good." The Count looked away, clearing his throat again as he did. "You’ll have to work hard. Just taking over your grandfather’s title won’t be enough to close the gap between you two."
Is he giving me advice?
"I don’t understand," Adrien finally admitted aloud. "It almost sounds as if you’re supporting me?"
The Count sighed and his shoulders visibly sagged. "I know I have been hard on you in the past, it’s just. . .now that your grandfather is passing on his title to you, I have less to worry about. And as for your relationship with his highness. . .I just want you boys to be happy. That’s why I never pushed to have any of you marry for political reasons. It has always been my intention to allow the three of you the freedom to marry for love, if you even wish to marry at all."
Adrien’s mouth fell open minutely at the Count’s words. They were shocking, and what was more shocking was how honest the Count was being. It was also the most Adrien had ever heard the man speak at one time. It had been awkward and there were a lot of pauses, but it had been truthful and completely from the heart, something that Adrien had never expected from the Count.
The Count placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. "If you ever need help, you can always write to me. I’m sure we can find a way to elevate your standing in high society in the future."