The way Hadrian asked, which was filled with calm, made Axelle's heart skip a beat. It felt like the person in front of him was ready to skin Axelle even the cracks.
"Please don't get me wrong, Prince Axelle. I have spies to watch over you in the Palace. But out of respect for your privacy, I request these spies not to follow you to this castle," continued Hadrian.
How kind, thought Axelle.
Well, now what can Axelle say to Hadrian? Like what his thoughts just said, Hadrian had been kind enough to him. Axelle didn't have any particular reason to hate this man either. But unfortunately, he still has to keep his secrets from people who are said to be loved by His Majesty the King and Princess.
"Anything I would say to Marquess Hadrian would sound like an excuse, right?" said Axelle then. He smiled apologetically at Hadrian. "I'm sorry, Marquess. I can't say anything to you."
"Even if I insist?" Somehow the question sounded like a threat.
"Marquess Hadrian, I'm a weak person – once you see it you will know. The last martial arts and armed education I got was when I was 15 years old. After that I only held a dinner knife and a carving knife," Axelle said calmly. "But I'm also sure if you know I don't like bloodshed, even in this little castle."
"That means, even if I drag the Your Highness before His Majesty the King now, you will come willingly?"
"Yes."
"Sounds like the Your Highness is very fond of and takes care of whatever it is you've just discovered."
Axelle smiled faintly. "Gods have infinite love. I'm just trying to emulate Him."
His words just now made Hadrian squint his eyes. "Like what people say, Your Highness has a kind and broad heart to love and forgive whatever it is," he said.
"I'm just trying to be a good person, Marquess Hadrian. Although actually… I'm not sure about the definition of a good person myself. Hiding something from the Marquess isn't a good thing, but I'm doing it for the good of many people too."
"It's very difficult to talk to you," snorted Hadrian amused.
"Does that mean Marquess Hadrian will drag me before His Majesty the King?"
"No," said Hadrian. What a reassuring answer. "But I will still find out what Your Highness is really looking for and find in the palace."
"I hope you didn't find it," Axelle said honestly.
Hadrian just stared at Axelle flatly. "I'll excuse myself then. Thank you for the dinner and the talisman."
Such was the sudden visit of Marquess Hadrian Melchoir and Axelle's dinner with him.
Axelle would never want to have dinner with Hadrian again.
Serious.
***
Long confined in a high and dark place made Rheannon train her eyesight to be sharper.
Even from the third floor of the castle, in the dimly lit room, Rheannon could still see clearly out the window. Yes, there, outside, Hadrian was being escorted by Axelle and a castle knight. They were talking, sometimes tense sometimes familiar.
Or, it's just Axelle trying to get along. The Prince is too kind.
Rheannon really appreciates Axelle's efforts to hide her from Hadrian. But if she had a choice, Rheannon actually wanted to meet Hadrian. Rheannon wanted to get a better look at her parents' killer; every line of his face, the strands of his long hair, and his eyes. Then, he would ask Hadrian a question, "How could someone as intelligent as the Marquess be deceived by that stupid king?"
But apparently, Rheannon knew why.
[That dark aura. Khekhekhe. There's no mistaking it.]
Yes. That extremely dense dark aura indicated that Hadrian was currently being influenced by a demon who was possibly under contract with someone in the Palace.
Who dares to make a contract with the demon?
***
Someone was watching Hadrian in the castle earlier.
Something or maybe someone, from one of the floors in the castle. Watching Hadrian with an eerie calm and silence. It's so hard to just ignore it. At the same time, Hadrian was also afraid to check it out.
But really, what made Hadrian hesitate to check it out? What made him not dare to stare back at that stranger's gaze?
"Is that something that Prince Axelle is hiding?" Hadrian muttered in disbelief. It was strange that someone like Axelle would keep something so heart-fluttering.
"Marquess Hadrian." A knight, Sir Ichabod, entered Hadrian's study in the townhouse. The food trolley was pushed in along with it. "I brought tea and snacks," he said.
Hadrian looked at Ichabod and the food trolley in turn, then took a deep breath.
Usually Hadrian always asked for tea and snacks to accompany him to work all night. He doesn't like to work alone, on the other hand, he doesn't have the heart to tell his people to work until dawn. The snack came in their place.
Well, it's not like Hadrian wants to work until dawn. The problem was he was the one who couldn't sleep. If he could sleep, of course Hadrian would prefer to sleep.
But this time… Hadrian felt able to sleep at a normal hour and a normal time. Tonight he felt calmer and his mind was clearer.
"Marquess Hadrian?" Ichabod asked. "Are the snacks not to your taste?"
"No. I forgot to say that tonight I don't need tea and snacks," Hadrian replied.
"Pardon?"
"Tonight it looks like I'll be able to sleep early."
"Huh?!"
"Don't be so surprised, Sir Ichabod."
"But this is a rare thing to celebrate!" said Ichabod excitedly. He then hurriedly called the maids to get rid of the food trolley and asked them to get Hadrian's room ready as soon as possible. He even cleared Hadrian's desk without being asked.
"Hey, I'm not going to sleep yet!" said Hadrian. Unfortunately Ichabod didn't or pretended not to hear it.
Come on, Hadrian thought. After all, he did intend to sleep for a while.
It didn't take long for Ichabod to drag out Hadrian of his own study. Ichabod looked happy that Hadrian sleeping earlier because it means the servants resting earlier too.
"Not usually, huh?" said Ichabod happily while whistling. "Too bad Young Master Desmond didn't get to say goodnight to you."
"Yeah, I was wondering too," Hadrian said honestly. Unknowingly she touched her red hair tie ribbon. "Maybe it's because of Prince Axelle."
"Prince Axelle did something to you?"
"Not really. Earlier His Highness offered to give a blessing to the thing I brought and I agreed. Apart from that, didn't you feel it in the castle?"
"Well… I have to admit that the little castle does feel more–what, huh?–cozy?" said Ichabod uncertainly. "The air is more pleasant and calming than the Palace. It's cooler, it's more relaxing too."
"He said it was because His Highness kept a lot of homemade sacred items."
"The castle turned into a half temple?"
"Maybe. But the air is like a temple, right? Even more comfortable and cool than Beulah Temple."
"Prince Axelle's divine power must be great."
Hadrian didn't think that way.
Axelle graduated from the temple academy. His abilities were never seen because after graduating Axelle immediately locked himself in the castle. But if his abilities are that great, why not join the Beulah Sacred Temple instead?
Hadrian arrived at his room and immediately lay down on his bed which tonight felt more comfortable and soft.
In the dim light of his room, Hadrian looked at the red ribbon that Axelle had given divine power.
His mind wandered. From the Outcast Prince and the futility of his great purification abilities, the Beulah Sacred Temple, something or someone hiding in Axelle's small castle… How does it all relate?
But thanks to the sacred object, Hadrian was not left to think for long. Within minutes, Hadrian had fallen into a deep, soothing sleep.