"Good, then I will fix the date of renovation."
'Was he tricked?' For a second when he looked into her calm eyes, he felt that she knew from the start that he was a man of honor, yet she flared him, so that he would accept her offer.
"Do not think too much. Soon, you will have your 12th birthday and many officials will visit your palace.
Your first impression should be better. But if they looked at the interior of the palace, they would think that you have been indulging in these kinds of activities since you were a kid.
You can give me justification but can you justify all that to them. The more you explain, the more they would doubt you.
As a crown prince, you should come out as a dominating and strong man of character. Not as a kid who is not able to explain himself and get flustered so easily.
You should pay more attention to your expressions. And here I thought that they are doing good work as your teachers.
Shall I get rid of them too?" The last line was for herself as she thought it over. But then shook her head suddenly.
She noticed that he was staring at her with a piercing gaze as if he wanted to know what she was thinking. Did he think that he had the ability to do that?
She was more than twice his age. What made him think that he could read her as he wanted? The thought amused her as she chuckled a bit, surprising him.
His eyes cracked but when he recalled her words just now. His expressions hardened again. His face turned blank and he waited silently for her to stop laughing, so that they could talk again. All the while thinking had she gone crazy?
Or did she have ulterior motives in helping him? He was sure that she wanted her son to be the crown prince and get the crown for himself. Then what changed?
For now he would stay passive and assess her actions. What if it was as Luci said, she was planning to add spies and assassins in his staff.
"I understand that renovation is necessary but I do not need more knights. 6 knights protect me in two shifts with three of them at a time.
Not to forget 4 guards guarding the entrance of the palace.`` Even if she renovated the palace, he would personally look into it and make sure that she would not be successful in making secret doors.
As long as there is no staff of hers in the palace, she would not be able to kill her when he would be sleeping or have his guards down.
"And I certainly did not need the servants you sent a few hours ago. I have my own team of servants that take care of my every need." though he was not a favored child or loved, he was still the crown prince. So, maids did not dare to treat him lightly.
Although he knew that many of them were thinking that he would lose the position to Luci, they have not shown their true colors till now.
Her hands clenched into a fist and her eyes turned cold. He could feel the difference and a cold smirk formed on his face too.
So, it was as he had thought. Renovation and helping him in making a good impression was a ruse, she just wanted to mix her staff in his staff.
"No! I think your staff is not worthy enough. Lennox, you are going to be the emperor in the next 8years.
You should be treated like one from the start. These are the reports I have received from your palace. Take a look at them and then we will discuss later." she passed him a file and waved her hands.
The meeting already ended? But what was the result? Was she using her position to force him? If that was the case then he would go to his father.
"Alright, I will read it before deciding, your majesty. Once again, I thank you for giving me your precious time." she nodded as she saw him walking away when finally her fists loosened a bit.
"The staff you are taking side of Lennox. They are going to betray you next year and serve you poison in your food!" she muttered softly so that only she could hear.
She stood up and walked towards the window from where she could see him leaving and smiled when she noticed that he went to his father's palace instead of returning to his own.
"How predictable!" The child was still so easy to read. No wonder he died so easily. She had thought that staying alone would have made him stronger and bold. But in the end, he was just a 12 year old kid.
"Cough, cough!" Just when she was about to turn, she coughed and when she looked at her hands, they were stained red but there was no surprise in her eyes as if she was anticipating it.
She picked up a glass of water and washed her hands calmly. Thank goodness she had sent all her staff to his palace otherwise it would be cumbersome to explain what had happened.
Cleaning them she walked back to her table and started working like nothing had happened while staring at the watch often.
"Your majesty," the door finally knocked, bringing a smile to her face.
"Yes!"
"Your majesty, may the warmth of the goddess fill your everyday with peace. His majesty have called you for an audience!"
[ I am a new writer who did not have any experience. Please leave a few suggestions and comments for motivation. thank you.]