The atmosphere within the room, which was shrouded in darkness, became strained for a moment when the individual entering walked with subdued confidence. They set down a folded fan with a smooth motion on the table.
Rowan, who was still standing at attention, raised an eyebrow before his lips parted in astonishment.
"You are...", The words were barely out of his lips before he doubled over, his hands gripping his stomach with laughter exploding out of him.
Helia let out a sharp breath, rolling his pretty dolled-up eyes.
The individual, who was Helia dressed up as a lady, slowly performed an unimpressed bow, then straightened and greeted Lucien with smoothly practiced ease.
"Master."
Lucien nodded at him, mixing the liquid in his cup. "Helia, tell me what is the news?"
Rowan, who was still attempting to collect himself, tried to stifle his laughter, but a faint squeak escaped, prompting Helia to give him a pointed glare.
"What's so funny, huh?" Helia glared at Rowan, who was still laughing and gasping for air and pointed at Helia's face with narrowed eyes. "Why in the world are you dressed up as a woman? And carrying a fan?"
Helia muttered under his breath. "Do you want me to get caught, you fool?"
Before the chatter would escalate further, Lucien, who knew his two men, finally interrupted and spoke in a serious tone. "Enough, you two."
Rowan cleared his throat at the command of his master and tried to concern himself, though his lips were still curled with amusement.
Both Rowan and Helia were Lucien's most trusted men. If Rowan was his right hand, Helia was his left. While Rowan stayed close to him, always watchful to avoid danger too his master, Helia operated in the background as his network was far and wide, picking up whispers from the farthest reaches of the capital.
Lucien leaned forward, his fingers tapping against the wooden table as he was eager to know what Helia brought with himself. "Tell me the news."
Helia's normal jollity dimmed as he slouched ever so slightly over the table, speaking in a hushed tone, almost a whisper. "Nothing much, Master. I've been looking, but this is taking longer than anticipated. I've scoured all the files, and I've turned up with nothing."
While he was whispering, he quietly slid a crumpled paper note across the wooden table towards Lucien.
As they noticed Helia's action, Rowan and Lucien exchanged a look. They knew right away.Helia nodded minutely before he turned away to look out the door.
Lucien didn't blink. He scooped up the note and palmed it between the folds of his robe, moving the piece of paper to keep it safe, and at the very moment...
Someone knocked on the door.
Helia stepped forward immediately. He easily lifted the fan and pulled it down to conceal the bottom half of his face, turning his head at an angle as though changing his stance.
His facial features were of course dainty; they were sharp but feminine enough that, with properly attired and with a bit of practice, he could convincingly impersonate a woman without raising an eyebrow. It was a talent he had honed over the years, one that served him well in allowing him to infiltrate where others could not and act as an agent.
Rowan, on the other hand, being taller by nature, stood rigidly next to Lucien, observing silently as Helia changed his attitude in seconds. Helia was shorter than both of them by a few inches, but this never faded his skills.
The cabin's wooden door creaked open, and a waitress entered as the previous servant promised, carrying a tray of steaming food.
Lucien relaxed his posture as if he were enjoying a talk with his female accomplice present with him.
The waitress dipped her head respectfully before placing the plates. "Your food, sirs."
Helia, still clutching his fan gracefully, merely nodded once.
Rowan stifled a smirk looking at Helia.
As the work task was completed, Helia had never been one for carelessness, but during work like this, caution was imperative. As they said, walls have ears, and in the capital, those ears belonged to individuals with keen knives and quicker tongues.This was the reason they refrained from talking too much outdoors. Any phrase spoken recklessly might become a boon to the actual adversary hiding in the wings.
Lucien was dancing on a thin thread. If he entered the court once more, he would be a sitting duck, not just for the nobles who considered him a shame but for the secret player who had manipulated his ruin.
And then there was Alden, the king, and Lucien's brother.
Lucien could still reach out to the court's higher-ups if he so desired. His name, his heritage, and his blood still meant something that he could use at his leverage, even if his title had been revoked. But as soon as he did, Alden's suspicion would fall back on him again. As Alden had never trusted him after all, Lucien stood second in line for the throne.
Whatever mastermind did send him into exile, they were intelligent enough not to get into a direct conflict with him. They didn't wish for a fight; they wished for him to be buried under stacks of shame, too deep for him to see the light again.
It was a lot to think about, but right now, the three men were merely dining.
Well, two were dining.
and for Rowan, however, was too absorbed to pay attention to his dinner. His keen eyes were constantly flicking towards the left, in Helia's direction, his face contorting in barely controlled amusement.
Helia, as ever, sat poised, his posture flawless, picking up his chopsticks daintily, each motion elegant as if he were still acting the part of a lady. Lucien did not even flinch, eating quietly, as he was used to their behavior.But Rowan, Rowan wasn't so patient.
He laid his chopsticks on the table with a dramatic sigh. "Helia, why on earth are you still eating like that?"
Helia didn't even look at him; his mouth was still chewing the piece of steamed meat he just had. "Like what?"
"Like a bloody lady," Rowan sighed. "We're just the three of us here. For goodness' sake, drop the act already."
Lucien raised an eyebrow by about an inch, but otherwise he didn't care about their argument.
Helia, on the other hand, scoffed, finally looking at Rowan with a deadpan expression. "Mingh your bignuss."
Rowan grumbled under his breath, stabbing his chopsticks into his bowl. "It is my business. You're making me uncomfortable."
Helia rolled his eyes but said nothing more, returning to his food.
But then, as if to change the topic, Helia leaned forward and whispered, "M"Master... heard the court sent you a concubine."
Lucien's fingers froze for the briefest instant before he went back to eating like he hadn't heard.
Rowan, however, responded with lightning speed. His head swiveled to Helia, nodding greedily. "Yes! And she's..."
Helia smiled, leaning in closer. "Is she pretty?"
Rowan parted his lips to respond, but Lucien's voice interrupted him.
"Keep your gossip to yourselves. I don't want to hear it."Helia and Rowan shrugged his shoulders and shared a dejected glance before they both let out a sigh and went back to eating.
But Rowan was braver than most would ever be near Lucien, smiling as he made the offhand comment, "She looks like she's from a good family."
Lucien did not answer right away.
Rather, a consideration arose in his mind.
His hold on his cup tightened a bit before he set it down.
"Helia." Helia glanced up at his master's call.
"Investigate her past." Lucien's tone was normal, but there was a bite to it. "And also..inquire about the court messenger as he is late for the reports."
Helia's smile softened a little, and he nodded sharply. "Yes, Master."
Rowan shook his head, sighing. "Why is it we never get to complete one conversation decently?"
Lucien paid him no mind, downing the remainder of his drink before putting the cup aside.
As their dinner was finished.The two men and one dressed as a lady stood up from the table, pushing back their robes as they ready themselves to go.
They walked out of the private room and headed towards the door, traversing the restaurant with silent haste.
Mrs. Madeline Winchester, who had welcomed them earlier, stood by the entrance, watching them with sharp and knowing eyes. As they reached the door, she dipped into a small bow.
"Sir Lois," she greeted, her voice smooth. "Did you enjoy your meal?"
Lucien didn't reply and neither did Rowan.
Without a word, they stepped past her, disappearing into the streets of the capital.