Chapter 97
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Claude had expressed a desire to fix a meal, prompting him to dismiss his guest. The morning had already slipped away, and the sun sat high in the sky, well past the hour of breakfast.
As they exited and moved through the corridor, Yuls glanced back at Adi, who was trailing him. He slowed down until they were walking side by side. When she attempted to resume her position behind him, he cut her off. He told her to simply stay next to him, then watched her face for a moment before speaking.
“Are you bothered?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“By the way I spoke of the Count.”
“I am not.”
There was no pause in her reply, nor a trace of doubt.
“What makes you ask that?”
“He is your kin.”
“That fact carries no weight for me.”
While some found deep meaning in blood ties, Adi was not among them. There had been one person who meant everything to her, of course, but he was gone now, his body long since surrendered to the earth.
“My goal is…”
The words died in her throat, and she pressed her lips together. Her eyes locked on the path ahead. Following her gaze, Yuls saw Lev Zid standing directly in their way.
It occurred to him then that the Count was also a guest in this place.
Lev Zid, whose expression was hard as he looked at Adi, gave a respectful nod to the Duke.
“Sir Lev Zid.”
Yuls saw no reason to be openly hostile, regardless of his personal feelings. He maintained a polished, easy smile.
“I see you have just arrived.”
“Your Excellency.”
“I understand the Count is in the quarters Claude arranged. I assume it is close by?”
“Indeed. He is situated on the third floor.”
“I understand.”
In truth, Yuls didn’t care where they had put the man, though it seemed Claude had provided respectable accommodations.
Still watching Lev, Yuls reached out and rested his arm over Adi’s shoulder. His hand didn’t pull her in; it simply lingered there, barely touching her. When Adi looked up at him in surprise, Lev’s expression shifted, his eyes burning with a very specific emotion.
It was unmistakable jealousy.
“Let’s go,” Yuls told her, leading her past Lev. The knight remained rooted to the spot. Yuls could feel the man’s glare boring into his back, but he didn’t bother to turn around. Neither did Adi. Her characteristic lack of interest in others felt like a gift in that moment.
Once they reached the stairwell, Yuls pulled his arm back. Adi showed no sign of wonder regarding the gesture.
“I realized I never asked,” Yuls began. “What exactly is the nature of your history with Lev Zid?”
“He was Adrian’s foster brother. He despised me.”
Yuls doubted that. The look in the knight’s eyes hadn’t been one of hatred. Adrina, however, seemed completely blind to it. She was notoriously poor at recognizing when someone felt genuine affection or desire toward her.
“After Adrian passed, Lev was my instructor with the blade. The Count taught me as well, of course.”
Yuls wanted to warn her to stay away, to tell her that the man looked at her with a hunger that was far from brotherly.
“That is the extent of it.”
He bit back the warning. If he spoke of it, she would start noticing Lev. It was human nature to ignore what was invisible, but once a truth was pointed out, it could never be ignored again. Yuls preferred Lev Zid to remain a non-entity to her—someone who didn’t even warrant caution.
“I see.”
It was better this way. He wanted to be the only one she truly saw.
“I believe the Count once intended for Lev Zid and me to produce an heir.”
The revelation forced a startled “What?” from Yuls. He looked at Adrina, whose face remained perfectly flat and indifferent, and felt a surge of cold fury deep in his chest.
“I cannot be certain, but that was his plan at one point. If Lev failed to meet his standards, however, the Count would have simply found a replacement.”
Her lack of emotion was what stung the most. That dry, hollow expression in the face of something so revolting suggested she had lived through so much despair that she had simply stopped feeling it. It made Yuls want to burn the world down.
“But that will never happen. Because…”
Adi stopped mid-sentence, a small frown creasing her brow. Yuls didn’t push her; he simply waited. Eventually, she looked at him and apologized.
“I cannot discuss the reason.”
“Do you truly feel nothing for Lev?”
“If you count hatred as a feeling, then yes.”
“…”
Yuls fought the urge to sigh.
“If it qualifies as an emotion, I suppose it counts.”
Hatred was still a connection. He wanted to sever it. He wanted to strip away every shred of feeling she had for that man until he was less than a shadow in her mind. He wondered how to make that happen.
Should I just dispose of him?
He couldn’t do that yet. Any such move would have to be handled with extreme care and secrecy.
“If his presence bothers you, I can change your duties.”
The immediate solution was to keep them apart. If she didn’t see him, she wouldn’t have to think of him.
“It isn’t necessary. I would hate to disrupt things over something so small.”
“You consider that a small matter, Sir Knight?”
“I do not see it as a significant problem.”
Yuls stared at her. He wanted to know what she actually considered significant. How far did someone have to go to actually wound her or make her care? He needed to understand her boundaries so he could protect her—and, perhaps, so he could find a way to leave a mark on her himself.
If her own family couldn’t reach her, he feared he might never be important enough to matter to her either.
“Let’s get back to the house.”
He kept those darker, selfish thoughts hidden behind a calm mask.
While Adi was with Claude and Yuls, Bert had stayed in Ionad to finalize the guarding rotations with the royal knights.
Though the King’s men wouldn’t harm Yuls directly, they weren’t to be trusted implicitly. Consequently, the most sensitive shifts—the afternoon and the dead of night—were split between Adi and Bert.
When Bert asked for her preference, Adi chose the grueling late-night watch, wanting to spare the older man the exhaustion.
Bert agreed. Beyond the physical requirements of managing the Duke’s curse, being active at night kept her away from Count Grimaldi during the day, which was a strategic benefit.
Following Bert’s instructions to rest, Adi slept until late, then refreshed herself and changed before heading to the Duke’s chambers.
She knocked and entered to find Billy assisting the Duke with his attire, while Dimitri stood by. The head chamberlain was more than a servant; he was a vital advisor, fulfilling the role Gavin usually held.
“Will you be agreeing to that clause, then?”
“I’m undecided,” Yuls replied. “If the trade laws shift, we have to pivot. It’s unclear if the impact will be positive, but every lord will be fighting to keep their land competitive.”
“The lords in the North will love it because of the Thuringen border,” Dimitri noted. “Those with coastal access will agree too. We have our own port, so we stand to gain, but the inland nobles and the Crown will hate it. The King certainly won’t sign off on it now.”
“True. But Claude’s strategy is different. He’s looking for loyalists. He might promise to lift those very restrictions once he takes the throne to win people over now.”
Dimitri passed him a document.
“This came from Macauliffe. He’s pushing for a regulated reserve of gold, gems, and mana stones. He claims the Northern Continent is already doing this and we’re falling behind. He’s taking it to the Council.”
“Set it aside. I’ll review it tonight.”
Dimitri left the letter on the nightstand.
“That’s enough for now. I need sleep before I deal with anything else.”
Yuls walked toward the bed, already dressed for rest.
“You are dismissed.”
Billy and Dimitri bowed and left. Adi noticed that Dimitri, who was usually cold toward her at the estate, gave her a surprisingly soft look as he passed. He had been acting much kinder lately, and she couldn’t figure out why.
As she watched them go, Yuls spoke her name.
“Adi.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
She stood at attention. Yuls held out his hand. He looked incredibly princely, his expression demanding her service in a way that was almost playful. Adi felt a strange flicker of amusement.
It was an odd feeling, but not a bad one. In fact, it was almost charming.
She walked to the bedside and took his hand. Seeing his large, strong hand offered to her like a princess in a story made her want to smile. She wasn’t entirely sure what this feeling was, but it was certainly positive.
Adi leaned down, lifting his hand toward her face. She pressed her lips gently to the back of his knuckles.
“There is an old story about a knight who saved a princess from a dragon’s lair,” Yuls said, a hint of a laugh in his tone. “The knight kissed her hand to show his devotion and honor.”
Adi wasn’t familiar with such tales. Stories and fables were luxuries neither she nor Adrian had ever known as children.
“You remind me of that knight.”
“…And Your Excellency is as striking as any princess.”
Yuls let out a sudden, genuine laugh. It wasn’t the response he expected, but he didn’t mind it at all. He squeezed her hand—not enough to hurt, but with a firm, grounding pressure. Adi didn’t pull away.
“Very well. Perhaps you should start treating me like one.”
She gave a nod.
“Then you must take care of me, Sir Knight.”
“…I will do my best.”
At her solemn vow, Yuls laughed again. She clearly didn’t understand the weight of what she was saying, but that didn’t matter. Not yet.
For now, it was enough that she was right where she belonged—by his side.
