Was I right in telling them all that?

I gazed out the large windows that provided a floor-to-ceiling view of the outside. Dark clouds filled the skies over Genise, and rain poured down freely over the capital city. A lightning bolt flashed across the dark sky in a jagged web, illuminating the downpour for a fraction of a second before a resounding, rolling thunderclap followed.

I sat in the formal dining room of our temporary residence, the heavy silence broken only by the patter of rain, the sound of thunder, and the occasional clink of silverware. Only my twin siblings and I were here. Father, Mother, and Micah were all attending to urgent matters.

Perhaps Fin and Leo would have joined us. However, they were far too invigorated by my words and had instead decided to fill in their journals with insights I could pass on to their past selves.

I wrapped my hands around my third cup of tea that morning, letting the warmth seep into my fingers before taking a slow sip. The potent brew did little to shake off my exhaustion from not sleeping through the night.

I hadn't lied to them.

I was too afraid of the repercussions if Leo did awaken and remembered our conversation in the next Round. Even so, I did not divulge beyond merely suggesting there was indeed a possibility of remembering this Round, at least in Leo's case, albeit stating that it was improbable.

But would there be a point in time when I should share the whole truth with others beyond Micah?

So far, the only ones who truly knew my predicament were this snake, Leona, and Chase Daylan. Even Sedna Ozeryn—one of my best allies—wasn't privy to the whole picture. Then there were Saga Duex and Claude Noire, both dangerous in their own ways, knowing just enough about me to make my life infinitely more difficult or manageable if they chose to.

Given the lack of trust I had built up due to the backstabbing events in prior Rounds, I wasn't keen on divulging the truth to anyone outside my immediate family. Even within it, I suspected my reputation was too tarnished in Mother's and Father's eyes for them to believe my story.

But my siblings…

My tired eyes drifted to Jarvis and Elda. They sat across from me, stirring their porridge in a daze, the usual energy they exuded nowhere to be found. Evidently, my younger siblings had been just as unsuccessful as I was in getting proper sleep.

I sighed.

Or would that be too much of a burden for them?

They were still children, after all—though only two years younger than Fin and Leo.

Then again, they were sharper than most adults. So, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Clank.

Elda's spoon hit her bowl as she took another spoonful of oatmeal porridge, her gaze distant.

I watched her for a moment, then looked back at my untouched porridge.

I should ponder about it more.

I reached for the small dish of toppings and sprinkled a handful of raisins and chopped nuts over my porridge.

The meal before us was far from the elaborate feasts that Fiona and the Frey Manor's kitchen staff once prepared. Instead, a modest spread sat between us—oatmeal porridge, a few hard-boiled eggs, and a basket of pastries.

Leona would have been sorely disappointed by this.

I inadvertently smiled.

The Frey kitchen staff, unfortunately, had all perished in the fire.

Despite the loss, we hadn't been left to fend for ourselves. Someone—whether my parents, Micah, or Princess Evelyn—had arranged for a trustworthy cook. Given the simplicity of the meal, however, I suspected it was a single person managing the task.

It's challenging to find someone on such short notice who could pass the needed background checks to avoid hiring someone who'd poison our meals. We had plenty of enemies, after all.

I picked up my spoon, scooped up a bite of porridge, and put it into my mouth.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The warmth should have been comforting.

But it wasn't.

My gaze moved toward the downpour outside.

However, the poor weather was appreciated. I had several requests I wanted to put to Frieda Stran, and she only worked on rainy days.

"Remlend?" I called out without breaking my eyes off my bowl of porridge.

"Yes, young master Luca?" Remlend's voice sounded behind me.

I smiled. I knew he'd be nearby—that perfect attendant.

"Please have a carriage prepared. I'm going to go out," I told him.

"Very well, I'll set it up momentarily," he replied. "However, it might require some time due to the current circumstances."

I nodded and stood up from the dining table, having finished eating my porridge.

"I understand," I replied. "I need to get changed anyhow."

I was still in my robe and pajamas, and while I didn't really care how I appeared nowadays, there was still a limit.

"Please fetch me when it is ready."

I took a few pastries from the basket, wrapping them neatly in a cotton napkin.

The staff may have already provided something for Leo and Fin, but with so few surviving members left—many likely still recovering—I wouldn't be surprised if the two non-family members of Frey Manor had been overlooked.

***

They must have been exhausted.

I had made my way to the room where the boys were temporarily staying. Inside, both Fin and Leo were fast asleep, still seated at the desks on opposite sides of the room.

Should I call someone to move them to their beds? Or just let them be?

Opting for the latter, I quietly set the wrapped pastries on Fin's desk. His journal lay beside his tousled brown hair, fingers still curled around it. Gently, I pried it from his grasp and flipped through the pages, imprinting the contents into the System's memory.

I did the same with Leo's journal before slipping out of the room as quietly as I had entered.

The moment I closed the door, a voice sounded.

"Young Master Luca, the carriage is nearly ready for your outing."

I barely managed to suppress a startled yelp at Remlend's presence. Instead, I exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to my chest.

"Thank you, Remlend," I muttered, keeping my voice low to avoid waking the boys.

"That being said," he continued, "you have a guest."

I frowned. "Who?"

"Claude Noire," he replied. "He says he has something important to discuss with you."

Ah, that dangerous guy did say he wanted to meet with me when I returned to Genise.

I sighed.

Dismissing the head of the Spiders Syndicate was not a wise move. Moreover, I was curious about what he wished to talk to me about.

"Very well, please bring him to the drawing-room," I said. "I'll head out after meeting with him first."

While I needed to take advantage of the rain to see my favorite information broker, I had the whole day. And outside of Grandov, no one else seemed aware of her services. Moreover, I had an agreement with Grandov that he wouldn't take up Freida Stran's limited access, so it didn't matter if I went now or after my chat with Claude.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"You've had quite the turbulent past few days," Claude Noire observed as he eased onto the couch opposite Luca Frey, who sat draped in a robe over his pajamas.

Claude crossed one ankle over his knee, making himself comfortable. His gaze roamed the drawing room of the Frey family's temporary residence, taking in the peculiar paintings left behind by the mansion's previous occupant.

I did hear that Alexandre Lavoisier had some odd tastes…

Luca's voice cut through his musings.

"What did you want to discuss?"

Claude's eyes flicked back to the young man seated across from him—tense, wary.

Ah, I'll have to put some effort into rebuilding my rapport with him, especially if his memory is muddled. But I expected as much.

"Straight to the point, are we?" Claude smiled. "That's fine. I imagine you're busy. Fortunately, I'm here to help."

Luca's brows furrowed together. "Help?"

"Yes, help."

Claude reached into the inner pocket of his dark coat and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper—a report he had Beletris procure in the last few hours.

He placed it on the small table between them, next to the pot of tea and two empty cups a maid had brought in just before his arrival.

Luca eyed the document. "What is it?"

"See for yourself." Claude gestured.

Luca picked up the paper, unfolding it carefully.

His golden eyes skimmed over the contents—then widened, just slightly.

Claude smirked, satisfied that at least some of the information was new to him.

It would have been quite disappointing otherwise.

The document was regarding Ra Sol, the current person of interest in the attack on the Frey Manor. The document summarized his previous residence within the Maudel Duchy, his meddling in Adovoria's affairs from the shadows, and his purchase of an abandoned mage tower where he had put away his only living daughter, Rana. Finally, there was his last known location.

Luca's gaze snapped up to Claude's.

"Is she Awake?"

By 'she,' he obviously meant Rana Sol, who possessed phoenix eyes. But that was where Claude's intel on her ended.

He shrugged. "I haven't been able to confirm one way or the other. Her father is excessively protective—limits her outside contact as much as possible."

"I see." Luca nodded, his expression unreadable. Then, after a pause: "What do you want in return for this information? I doubt you're offering it out of pure goodwill."

Claude chuckled. "Fair enough. My intentions aren't entirely selfless." He leaned back, resting an arm over the couch's back. "I did it out of a selfish desire to build a solid relationship with you. In this and future Rounds."

Luca's expression turned blank.

"Then is—" However, Luca's words cut off abruptly.

His eyes locked onto something in front of him, but it was not at Claude.

Then, with sudden urgency, his hands flew over his robe, patting himself down in search of something unseen.

"Damn it."

Claude sat up straighter. Luca's eyes darted wildly around the room, desperation creeping into his features.

"What's the matter?" Claude asked, his voice turning serious.

Something has gone horribly wrong.

Luca turned to him. His golden eyes had a crazed look to them.

"You want to build a relationship with me, right?" His voice was hurried.

"Yes…" Claude answered warily, uncertain where this was leading.

"Then kill me. Right now."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.