"More than two drops were supposed to be enough to send him straight to the grave," Elias began, his face twisting into a bitter, furious scowl. "That is exactly what you assured me. Yet Damian is standing tall out there, completely unaffected. Worse, he is actively searching for a way to get his hands on the evidence against me."

Aldrick, the man who had arranged to procure the poison, sat across from the Count with a genuinely bewildered expression.

"The poison was lethal, My Lord. I swear it," Aldrick muttered, shaking his head. "Anyone who consumed even a fraction of it died within mere minutes. It is utterly baffling how the Duke managed to survive."

"Clearly, the dosage wasn’t strong enough," Elias snapped, pacing the room. "And now we have a bigger problem. I have already received word that the investigation into the poison is tightening, and they are closing in on the source."

"Only the two of us know about this. Unless you want to tell the Duke yourself, he would not know," he pronounced.

"Yes, he wouldn’t. Still, I can’t help but get worried," Elias stated, his voice tight. "You need to stay underground for the next few months. Stay inside the capital residence I provided for you, and do not draw any attention to yourself."

"Understood, my lord," Aldrick answered, rising to his feet. "Rest assured, nothing will trace back to us. I will take my leave now." He offered a formal bow and quietly exited the study.

Left alone, Elias rubbed his temples, anxiously calculating the possibilities of being caught. The chances were slim, but they were not entirely zero. While he was locked in his thoughts, a soft knock on the door broke the silence.

"My Lord, I have brought your tea," a voice announced from the corridor.

It was the maid, and she was none other than Aisha, the spy.

She set the tea service down with practiced care and said politely, "My Lord, my father has fallen quite ill. Because of this, I must leave my position immediately. I kindly ask that you relieve me of my duties."

"What? So soon? You only joined the staff last week," Elias muttered, frowning.

He had grown fond of how she prepared his tea. In all his years running the estate, she was the first servant whose work actually satisfied him, and he had no desire to replace her.

"Very well," Elias stated, sighing as he picked up the cup. "But if your situation improves, you are welcome to return and resume your work here."

"Thank you, My Lord," Aisha replied, lowering her head in a respectful bow.

She offered her gratitude for his understanding during such a difficult time, then turned and quietly exited the study, quickening her pace to pursue Aldrick before he could vanish into the city.

~~~~

Sylvian pushed the parchment away, completely rejecting the list of eligible women the Queen had presented to him.

"What is it that you actually want?" Victoria remarked, her tone sharp with frustration. "Every single woman on this list is a potential match. They are the daughters of the most elite noble houses in the kingdom." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Mother, none of them interest me in the slightest," Sylvian answered smoothly, rising from his seat. "I will see you next month. I am heading to Varos."

"What? Why there of all places?" Victoria questioned him, her voice rising in disbelief. "Look, Damian is already entirely consumed by his own married life. You have your own territory to govern and a title to uphold. I understand that you have always been close to your cousin, but it is time you start focusing on your own future as well."

"Yes, I am doing exactly that. And Varos is a perfect place to start," Sylvian stated coolly.

"How, exactly? Please, explain it to me," Victoria demanded, her expression softening into a look of maternal anxiety. "Look at your elder brother. He is not only preparing to ascend the throne, but he is already managing kingdom affairs and taking care of his own family. I am simply worried about my younger son, who refuses to settle down."

"Mother, I am not my brother," Sylvian countered, entirely unphased. "I value my freedom. I have no desire to be bound by the rigid laws of court life. As for my future, I will address it when the moment arrives. For now, my only plan is to travel and gain new experiences."

"Oh, please, Sylvian. The only experience you seem interested in right now is rushing off to Varos," she said, her voice tight with genuine concern. "I do not want you going there. August is currently staying in that territory. What if he tries to do you harm?"

"We cannot constantly suspect August of everything," Sylvian asserted. "Yes, he has his schemes, but the fact remains that he saved Damian’s life, Mother. I highly doubt he would risk doing anything that could get him banished a second time. Besides, I trust Father’s judgment. He must have had a strategic reason for sending him to Varos in the first place."

Sylvian finally rose to his feet, smoothing down his coat. Giving his mother a respectful, formal bow, he offered a reassuring smile.

"Now, please give me your blessings instead of your worries. Who knows? Perhaps I might actually fall in love this time," he added, a hint of genuine hope in his voice.

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, heading straight toward his chambers to prepare his luggage for the journey.

However, his true motive was far simpler: he desperately wanted to escape his mother’s relentless nagging about marriage.

It wasn’t that he opposed the idea of settling down entirely; he just refused to do it out of obligation. He wanted to genuinely fall in love with a woman who intrigued him.

The poised, calculated noblewomen of the court simply weren’t his type.

He found himself drawn to someone completely different, someone free-spirited and cheerful, who wouldn’t be perpetually weighed down by the rigid expectations of high society and court protocols.