The butler of the mansion Finn seed a little on edge when we entered the mansion.
"Yo-Your Grace..." He gestured to Duke before whispering sothing in his ear.
Thanks to my Dragon's senses I was able to hear it, "H-His Excellency is here. He has been waiting for you since this morning."
The colour drained from the Duke's face and he asked, "Wh-Where is he?"
"He is in the waiting room."
Duke nodded once and then turned to and Rune.
"You two must be tired so, go and take rest."
"Yes, Father." Rune yawned and then looked at as he took my hand.
"Let's go, Reina."
He tugged towards the stairs while Duke smiled at us, once we were up the stairs I looked at him as he panicked before rushing towards the waiting room.
I wondered who this "His Excellency" was to make the Duke panic so much. Was it soone from the Queen's side?
Maybe they weren't satisfied with executing the guards so they were looking for another scapegoat or was it about sothing else?
My curiosity kept growing with each step that I took until I stopped making Rune look at .
"What's wrong, Reina?"
"My room is here." I said as I pointed at my room and he nodded looking drowsy.
"I'll see you later then." I smiled at him as he walked away and I turned on my heel and rushed back.
On my way, I noticed how the maids and the servants were on edge which made even more wary of this guest. Who was it that was scaring my people so much?
I reached in front of the door of the waiting room and felt the mana of the ones inside, one belonged to the Duke while the other was of an unfamiliar person. The mana presence of this person seed almost like a raging storm which was ready to destroy anything in its wake.
"You think you can hide it from forever." It was a masculine voice which seed quite deep and heavy with age.
"I-I'm not hiding it!" The Duke squeaked.
"Then why didn't you tell earlier?" The other man thundered.
Duke Arthur was a gullible man and if the Queen really sent soone to make a scapegoat out of him or if it was soone else who had co to take advantage or intimidate him then I had to make sure that they knew that they shouldn't ss with us anymore.
I reached out and knocked on the door making the conversation halt for a mont before the doors opened and Duke looked at with wide eyes. I was facing the guest's back so all I could see was their muscled, broad shoulders and grey hair.
"Re-Wh-What are you doing here?" He stuttered looking so pale that I was worried that he would faint any minute.
"I heard there was a guest so I ca to greet them." I said as I walked inside but the Duke quickly rushed to .
"Th-That's good but aren't you tired from the traveling and the banquet? You should go rest, exerting too much isn't good for you." He said as he held my shoulders trying to push out of the room.
"You won't even let see her when I've co all the way here, Arthur?" The old man said making the Duke flinch.
"Tha-That's not what I ant."
"Then let her co." The old man ordered and I patted on the Duke's arm as a gesture of reassurance.
"I won't let anyone bully you, so rest assured." I whispered in a low voice and Duke sighed.
We walked back inside and I curtsied before the man sitting on the couch. He was a mountain of a man with an equally imnse mana presence, grey hair dotted his upper lip and strong jaws, and his blue eyes seed to radiate with years of experience as he looked at .
"Good noon, I'm Reina, daughter of the house of Aurelius." I spoke with the politeness that was taught to .
"You seem to have grown quite a bit." The old man said as he observed and I took a seat beside Duke.
"Do you know ?" I asked and the old man leaned ahead picking up the teacup from the table.
"Yes, I do. I was there when you were born."
My eyebrows jumped at that, "Is that so?"
"Looking at how you speak, I guess that your father hasn't told you about ?"
Who is he? Another debt collector?
"I'd like to hear from you then." I said with a smile and the old man stared at for a mont before he grunted.
"That fake smile doesn't work on ." He said catching off guard.
"Pardon?"
"You share the sa kind of smile as her," He spoke as he sipped his tea, "the kind that says that you are not pleased with the conversation."
What the- Is he a mind reader? A body language expert? And who is he ntioning?
"No need to be on guard, I have seen that smile on various occasions from my daughter that's why I'm familiar with it."
"Your daughter..." I kept smiling making him stare at and then at Duke before he sighed.
"My na is Desmond Fairisles, and I'm glad to see that you have recovered well now, Reina."
Desmond Fairisles... didn't I hear this na with a warning from Silas?
"Marquis Desmond Fairisles?" I gasped making the stoic-faced man's lips twitch.
"You are familiar with my na it seems."
Yeah, I just got a warning from your son a few days ago about you.
"I didn't know you were going to pay us a visit, Marquis. I apologize for intruding on your conversation with Father."
"I was just asking him about you so there's no need to apologize."
"Ah... Is that so?"
"Yes, well, now that I've seen you-"
"Are you leaving?" Duke asked almost cutting the Marquis off.
The Marquis's impaling gaze swept over to the Duke before he spoke ahead, "So, I was thinking of spending so ti with you since I am also in the capital for a few days."
"That's good to hear." I smiled making his eyebrow twitch.
Ah, he knew about the fake smile. But I guess I couldn't help it, I had a habit of smiling like this.
"Then, would you like to co visit my mansion?" He asked as he stood up.
"Your mansion? Now?"
"Yes."
"Wa-Wait, Reina is still recovering so, I don't think travelling around so much is good for her." Duke spoke up wrapping his arm around as he held against his chest.
The Marquis eyed for a mont as if pondering over the Duke's words before humming, "It can't be helped then."
For a mont, the Duke seed relieved but what the Marquis said next made his jaw drop.
"I'll just ask my servants to bring my stuff over here then."
"Pardon? What?"
"If I can't take my granddaughter with then I can stay here for so ti." He announced.
"Bu-But..."
"Is there a problem?" Marquis Fairisles's sharp gaze turned to the Duke.
"No! There's no problem at all."
"Fine then,"
With that said the Marquis left the waiting room. The Duke resembled a deflated balloon beside while I leaned back relieved that it wasn't soone who was from the Queen's side.
Speaking of which, now I had another variable in my hands apart from the obvious one that I still had to take care of.
User Comments
0 comments from readers