Two days later, they travelled back to the Rheid Mansion located in the Archduchy of Rheid via Rheid's private aircraft.
After arriving in the Mansion, a 20 Maid and Servants appeared in the front, lined in two's and almost a dozen of Knights.
"Welcome Home, Your Excellency. "Butler Wang led the group to greet him.
He just nodded in response then said, "From this day onwards, Lord Rowel de Cruz is no longer the Head of Rheid Knights. He will be replaced by Lawrence Argentine once his back from his vacation."
His announcement made everyone shocked and surprised. Rowel De Cruz has been working in the Rheid's for almost two decades. And now all of a sudden, he was removed from his position without prior announcement.
"Since he is no longer a Rheid Knight, I am expecting everyone to not disappoint me." He added and went inside the Mansion.
"Just what is happening?" Everyone is asking on what is going on.
"Who knows? Each time His Excellency went back here, Lord Rowel is always with him. But today…"
"Did something happen between them?"
"Have you heard about the disappearance of our Master? Do you think…"
Butler Wang is just observing them. After hearing something unnecessary, he slightly coughed and give them a warning stare.
After seeing this, the maids and servants scattered and went back to their works.
When his Stepmother heard about this, she immediately dragged Rowel and went back to mansion. It caused a great commotion outside the gate as they have been warned not to let him in.
"I am still the Madam of this House! Who do you think you are?!" Abelia shouted back at the Knight guarding the gate.
"Madam, I'm sorry. But it was – "Before he could finish speaking, a cold steel was pointed at his head. Once the trigger is pulled, he will die on the spot.
"Move away!!" Abelia's Knights pushed inside, but before they could successfully get in the Mansion, Michael and several Knights behind his back faced them.
"Where is your Master?" Abelia haughtily asked the aide.
"His Excellency is in his office right now. Kindly follow me." Michael politely answered and before he turns his body, he shot a cold glance to the man beside Abelia: Rowel.
Before going in, he knocked twice then lead the group inside the room.
Inside the room, there is Butler Wang in the back of Ezekiel and on the right is Bern. Then Michael went into the right side of his Master.
Ezekiel swept a cold glance and in an instant, the temperature suddenly dropped by folds.
"Ezekiel, why did you suddenly replace Lord Rowel? He was working in the Rheid's for all his life!! And now, you pay him back suddenly like this?!! Have you known no shame? "Abelia immediately run her mouth after sitting in the sofa.
"First and foremost, I am the Head of the Rheid House. Second, I am not your son nor you are my biological mother, so you should address me with my formal Title."He said in a warning tone. "Regarding your question, I as the Archduke and Head of the Rheid House has every right to replace or fire someone."
"But you have replaced him without giving a valid reason!! He was already the Head Knight since your father's time! What will your Father think if – "
"Do not ever mention my father before me." Ezekiel said cutting her speech off. "A Knight's Loyalty to his Master, is one of the most important thing in the Nobles. Without loyalty, will you still keep someone like that beside you? He will turn into a deadly sword and you will never know, how you died. Am I right, Rowel?" His voice was cold. His stare was deadly.
Indeed, a knight without Loyalty is just a blade that will hurt you.
Abelia went speechless while Rowel clinched his fist. He is thinking that he should have killed this person in front of him last time. That he should have wield his sword and bloodied his hands than let someone do it.
"What? Are you regretting that you didn't kill me that day?"
Rowel sighed and frowned. "I don't know what you are saying Your Excellency. I was on a mission." He answered trying to calm his self. There's no use in being angry.
After hearing his answer, Michael laughed coldly. "I'm sorry Your Excellency. But I didn't know that Sir Rowel is a good actor. He should be in the Entertainment industry instead of being a Noble Knight." He said with a hint of sarcasm on his words. He doesn't need to sugarcoat it, after all, he does not deserve it.
Ezekiel just gave him a side glance then he finally stood up.
"Butler Wang, kindly escort our guests out. I don't think we still have any important thing to talk about." He said and return back to his working table.
"Ezekiel, don't think that we are done with this." Abelia said angrily.
He glanced back at her. "If I said it's done, then it is."
Abelia throw the vases and other things on her room when she came back to her Villa.
"That bastard!!! How dare he!!! He will regret everything!! I will pay him back a thousand times!!!" She yelled and throw everything that she grabbed.
"Calm yourself. Didn't you said that you put a poison on his body when he was still an infant? What happen to it?" Rowel asked then he drank the wine on his glass.
Abelia fall into silence then she glanced back at him. "Yes. The poison. That poison is one of the rarest and no one can cure him. Do you mean – "
"I am not sure. But if it's true that no one can cure him, maybe he is just pretending to be okay. Or, he found a way to stop the pain and no matter what he does, the poison will slowly consume his life."
"Yes. That's it." Abelia's face lighten up after hearing it. Yes, she still has a way. She just need to wait and everything will fall back to its place. That person will die no matter what he does. She will have the last laugh. "How could I forgot about it? But what will happen to you? You are no longer the Captain of the Rheid Knight?"
"What? Are you also going to throw me just because I'm no longer on that position?" He smiled.
Abelia sprung up from her sit and sat on his lap. "How could I? You know how much I love you." She said daringly.
"Don't worry. Even if I am no longer the Captain, I have already established strong connections to the other Families. And besides, I have my own Mercenary Group and other Businesses."
"I know." She laughed and kissed him on his lips.
One Week Later, Ezekiel and the others flown back to the Capital. He disappeared for almost a month, thus he has a lot of things to do in his office.
Aside from being the only Archduke in the Empire, he is also the CEO of Rheid Financial Group of Companies. From Hotel to Various Restaurant Chains, Financial Institutions, Car Manufacturing and hundreds of other Businesses. He is widely known as the Cold Big Boss of the Company. He is not just known in the Clovis Empire but also to the other Empires in and out of the Continent.
A week upon his return to the Capital, he immediately received an invite to a Birthday Banquet of a Marquis, Marquis Hue Eliazar Ludwig. He is one year older than him and is considered one of his Close Friends in the Noble Society.
On the day of the Birthday Banquet, a young man on his early 30s is being surrounded by several Beauties of the Capital that mostly came from Noble Houses. He seems to be enjoying the spotlight when suddenly the Entrance Door opened and a Silver Hair Blue Eyed Man drowned in Grey Suit and black under shirt entered the Banquet hall and behind him is his aide.
The 30-Year-old Marquis laughed bitterly upon seeing who stole the spotlight.