Duke Hail stood across Damon's bed with a slight frown. He felt like there was more to this boy who was a mere peasant before getting adopted by the Ross family.
His insight and calmness were strange for someone of his age. This was Duke Hail's first time coming across such a personality from a youth.
Even after waking up in a bloody magic circle where he gained the werewolf bloodline, he didn't panic like others would. He was covered in blood and naked, yet his priority was inspecting the array.
Damon was told to stay indoors and avoid experimenting with his werewolf powers. While Duke Hail expected him to obey these words to the letter, he also understood that youthful curiosity cannot be suppressed.
But till now, Damon has not used his werewolf powers and has never even been caught experimenting. This boy's patience and temperament were something unusual for his age.
Not even Lara, who was in her late twenties, was this mature.
"You gain my trust. That's what you get out of this." Duke Hail responded with knitted eyebrows.
"Your trust is worth nothing to a corpse." Damon retorted without hesitation.
Lara and Damon walked through the streets, with Slaughter following closely. Along the way, they purchased a few snacks, feeding and petting the wolf openly.
"Are you sure they are here?" Lara said while rubbing slaughter's fur playfully, and the Duke's frown deepened.
He wanted to refuse, but Damon was right. His trust meant nothing to Damon if he was killed while in the forbidden palace's custody.
"What do you want?" Duke Hail let out a defeated sigh.
"I will take an I owe you for now. It will be useful in the future." Damon grinned mischievously.
… Midnight, Fifth Day …
Shadowy figures lurked around the Hail family castle, patiently waiting for Lara Hail, but she had yet to leave home. The wait was becoming frustrating and many considered giving up.
Clank!
The heavy sound of the Hail family gates could be heard creaking open. The shadowy figures frowned as they peeped from the safety of their hiding spots, and they saw a cloaked figure sneaking out of the building with Slaughter.
The strands of hair dangling loosely at the edges of the hood and the pet wolf which has been spotted multiple times were all they needed to believe this person was Lara.
As soon as the figure quietly closed the gates, he got on the wolf and sped into the lonely streets.
The shadowy figures exchanged confused glances, unsure if this was a trick. Why would Lara leave her place by this time of the night?
They were only here merely based on orders, but mostly expected to catch her during the daytime. This unexpected development caught them off guard, so they needed a few seconds to gather their thoughts and realize they would be brutally punished if the person who snuck out was actually Lara, but they failed to capture her due to their doubts.
Riding atop Slaughter, Damon was calm and calculative. The enemy planned to capture the weakest member of the Hail family.
Two things could happen once they get their hands on her. They could either try to kill her on the spot or use her as a bargaining chip for a sizable settlement from the Hail family.
"The Forbidden Palace is eager to embarrass the Hail family publicly." Damon couldn't help but chuckle.
Who would think one of the great three Dukes whose status is only inferior to that of the royal family would be going through all this trouble because of a mere brothel owner just because of a bunch of horny nobles?
Instead of going through such shame, Duke Hail planned to eradicate the forbidden palace and the forces of noble families protecting them. Damon even suspected the Duke may go as far as to accuse them of purposefully protecting these fox spirits once he gets his evidence.
Regardless, a lot of noble families would get in trouble regarding this matter, but this also meant it was an opportunity for other noble families to rise.
"I will get rid of Hector… Gain the trust and backing of the Hail family… Gain some achievements in the name of the Ross family and gain recognition. Hmph! Mortals are truly the playthings of deities like myself." Damon chuckled mischievously as he felt his pursuers closing in on his location.
{Let's focus on surviving first.} The voice complained
"Now then. I believe it's time to meet our guests." Damon grinned, ignoring the concerns of the voice, and jumped off Slaughter's back.
His job was to get caught and not escape.