Translator: Nox

Chapter 34

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Yuls offered a pleasant expression to the guest seated before him, and the gesture was returned in kind. Both men were clearly evaluating the other through a lens of suspicion, masking their true motives behind a veneer of civility. The sheer perfection of their composure only highlighted the depth of their mutual distrust.

A sharp rap at the door broke the silence, and a nearby attendant moved to open it. Gavin entered the room, balancing a tray of tea and light snacks as the heavy door swung wide.

The servant offered his respects to both Yuls and Spencer Grimaldi.

“Where is Adi?” Yuls inquired.

“She is expected momentarily. After finishing her drills, she wished to wash before presenting herself. Furthermore, Your Excellency…” Gavin lowered his voice, shielding his mouth with a hand. “The Crown Prince has arrived at the estate.”

Yuls raised an eyebrow. “Already?”

“He has, sir.”

Claude’s punctuality was baffling. Typically, he preferred a fashionably late entrance. Yuls wondered if the Count’s presence had prompted this uncharacteristic haste.

Turning his attention back to Spencer Grimaldi, Yuls watched the man sip his tea. The Count looked utterly serene, wearing the mask of a kindly gentleman with practiced ease. Yet Yuls knew better; beneath that calm exterior lay a predator waiting to strike.

“We shall address that later tonight,” Yuls told Gavin.

“As you wish, sir.”

“You are dismissed.”

Gavin bowed deeply and exited. Yuls turned his gaze back to his guest, a sharp smile playing on his lips.

“Forgive the interruption, Count.”

“Think nothing of it. A man in your position is naturally occupied,” Spencer replied, his tone perfectly level.

“The same could be said for you. Your return to Pallesa must have the local nobility clamoring for your time.”

Spencer gave a modest shrug. “Hardly comparable to your stature, Duke. I was told your calendar is full for years to come. I am truly grateful for this audience, and for your hospitality in hosting me.”

“It seemed more hospitable than the palace for your stay in Pallesa. Though I suppose your circumstances have improved. You were barred from the May Festival festivities after that previous friction with His Highness, yet here you are again.”

The Count’s smile didn’t falter, even as Yuls pointedly reminded him of his past exile from the royal grounds. Yuls felt a surge of certainty; this wasn’t the King’s doing. The Crown Prince must have extended the olive branch. It suggested a burgeoning alliance between the Grimaldi line and the heir to the throne.

“And what of your own situation, Duke?” Spencer asked.

Yuls wondered why the Count hadn’t simply stayed with Claude. Perhaps they were attempting to keep their partnership a secret for the time being.

“Word has reached me that your affliction has vanished. You certainly cut a different figure than you once did. It is remarkable to see you fully matured.”

“Indeed,” Yuls replied shortly.

He had expected Spencer to ignore the physical change entirely, but the man had chosen to address it directly. It was a sign of things to come; once the social season truly began, the Duke’s sudden growth would be the talk of every ballroom.

“One might not even recognize you from your previous appearance,” Spencer noted.

“Few people are familiar with my face to begin with. Besides, the transformation occurred within Pallesa Palace, so the court is already well aware of my new state.”

“A fortunate development, then.”

“I can only hope your own family’s misfortune eventually fades in a similar fashion,” Yuls countered.

Spencer lifted his cup in a silent toast. “The curse of my house has long since been put to rest.”

The statement sent a jolt of recognition through Yuls.

“You use the exact same phrasing,” Yuls observed.

Adi Grimaldi had uttered those very words with the same matter-of-fact tone. He found himself wondering if that conviction originated with the daughter or if she was merely echoing her father’s doctrine.

Spencer’s brow twitched with interest. The idea of his daughter sharing such intimate thoughts with the Duke was unexpected. He had instructed Adrian to serve as a shield against the Duke’s enemies, not to forge a genuine connection.

“It appears you and my son have become quite well-acquainted,” Spencer remarked.

“Adi is certainly a person who stays in one’s mind.”

The Count’s face darkened at the casual use of the nickname. It was a familiarity he hadn’t anticipated, especially given reports of Adrian’s antisocial behavior. He masked his irritation with a thin smile.

“And what exactly about my child has left such a mark on you?”

“Her lack of predictability, perhaps,” Yuls mused.

He reflected on how she seemed devoid of the usual ambitions, as if she were simply biding her time and enduring her current life without desire. She had the power to walk away, yet she stayed. It wasn’t something he could explain to her father.

“She has a striking face,” Yuls added, “not to mention her reputation as the ‘Son of a Bitch of Pallesa’.”

Though the common slur was ‘Pallesa’s Dog,’ Yuls felt the distinction was minor. Spencer, however, looked genuinely stunned, as if hearing the derogatory title for the first time.

“I expected a disruptive brawler,” Yuls continued, “but she has proven to be remarkably reserved.”

“I apologize if my child has been a burden,” Spencer said.

“Not at all. As you are well aware, a Grimaldi saved my life.”

Spencer’s eyes grew cold. He knew the Duke was referring to Adrian, yet the use of his family name felt like a pointed jab, especially in the capital where people often addressed him by his knightly rank rather than his noble title. He chose to ignore the potential slight.

“There was an attempt on my life,” Yuls explained. “Adi shielded me, even at the cost of being poisoned herself. She is an exemplary knight—though perhaps her survival wasn’t part of your original design.”

“You wound me,” the Count replied.

For once, Spencer was being honest; the Duke’s death at this specific moment would be a logistical nightmare. Still, the turn of events was frustrating.

“I am simply glad Your Excellency remains unharmed.”

Spencer found himself annoyed that Adrian hadn’t reported the Duke’s physical transformation. He dismissed the thought, concluding that she simply lacked the intellect to realize its importance. He had raised her to be a tool that followed orders, not a person who analyzed situations. A mindless puppet was far easier to control.

Before Spencer could continue, another knock sounded. Yuls called for the visitor to enter without hesitation, knowing his security would have already vetted whoever was at the door.

“It seems she has arrived,” Yuls noted as the door opened. “I imagine it has been some time since your last reunion.”

Spencer turned to see his child entering the room.

“Your Excellency,” Adi said, her voice steady. From her position, she could only see the back of the guest. Yuls greeted her with a warmth that made Spencer’s eyes narrow in suspicion.

“Are you hosting someone?” she asked.

To an outside ear, her voice occupied a strange middle ground—not quite masculine, yet not distinctly feminine. Spencer knew this charade had an expiration date. He would need to bring her back to their territory within a few years to finalize his plans.

“A guest you know quite well, Sir Knight,” Yuls said.

Adi felt a pang of apprehension. She had no friends in Pallesa and very few acquaintances anywhere else. She hadn’t received any correspondence regarding a visit. Was this a surprise, or a lapse in communication?

She studied the man’s silhouette—the graying hair and the familiar set of his shoulders. As he stood and turned, her heart sank.

“Adrian,” the Count said.

“…Father.”

Spencer stepped forward and gripped Adi’s shoulder. Yuls watched the Count’s hand tighten with enough force to wrinkle her uniform before he let go. It was a chilling display of their supposed familial bond.

“Your hair is longer than I remember,” Spencer observed.

“And it has gone curly,” Adi added.

The water in the Grimaldi lands was pure, drawn from granite cliffs, but the limestone-heavy water of Pallesa had turned her hair brittle and wavy. She had tried to manage it with treatments provided by the knights’ staff, which helped the texture but not the shape. She realized his comment was a subtle critique of her discipline.

“I will have it shorn,” she promised immediately.

“Good.”

“Leave it as it is,” Yuls interrupted.

Both Grimaldis turned to him in surprise.

“The length suits you,” Yuls added firmly.

Spencer’s mouth twisted into a dark, mocking grin. Yuls found the Count’s obvious displeasure incredibly satisfying and met his gaze with a bright, challenging smile.

“It’s quite becoming, wouldn’t you agree?”

Spencer remained silent, his irritation fueling Yuls’s amusement.