A loud bang echoed through the mansion as Nicomaine stormed in, slamming the door open.
"Nicomaine, my dear sister, would it kill you to slow down?" I asked but she didn't respond. "Hey, can you not leave me behind?" I asked again as I followed her walking the hallway.
She is on her way to her room. And if I let her enter it, I will lose the chance to talk to her like this. I don't want her to be mad at me like this. "Nicomaine, come on. Just listen to me for a second—"
"You ruined everything! I don't want to see you anymore!" she shouted, storming down the hall.
How do women manage to run fast wearing heels?
"What do you mean I ruined everything? We plan to make sure you will be the crown princess as what our father wants, right? And we even learned that he is also in love with you—"
"Stupid! I hate you!"
Finally she stopped walking and she looked at me. But tears falling down her cheeks. With her makeup running down her face, she looked like a tragic painting. I'd laugh, but I'd rather not be labeled the world's worst brother—at least, not today.
"My dear sister, why are you crying? What have I done wrong?" I asked carefully.
The only thing that I can think of is why she is very angry with me is because I didn't follow her instructions of how to talk to the prince.
But what can I do? She interrupted my conversation with Nicolo, and I've lost track of how I was supposed to continue it. But even though the conversation went off track, we still achieved our goal for going there. So why is she still angry?
I tried to step forward to approach her, but she just stepped backward, so I understand that she doesn't want me to come closer to her.
"I knew trusting you was a mistake... but I did it anyway!" She sniffled between words. "I thought… you… care for me… that you will take my problem seriously… but you didn't! You are stupid!"
I frown at her. "Nicomaine, I—"
"Stop following me!" she sniffs again. "I don't want you… to be my big brother anymore! I hate you!"
I'm getting used to her getting mad at me, but this is not the right time for her to get mad at me because I still need her for my plans.
"Nicomaine, if things didn't turn out the way you wanted, it's still fine as we have a good start. We can always—"
"Just stop it!" she shouted as if she burst out her frustration from her lungs. "You… you never treated me like a sister. You are just like our father, you are just using me to get what you wanted!"
Well, I won't deny she is right.
"Sister, can you please calm down?" I frown at her while extending my arms towards her. "You know that is not true. We both don't like being told what to do, that's why we do everything we can to make the situation work in our favor, right?"
Instead of answering, she just continued crying while staring at me. I want to approach her to calm her down, but I hesitate to move even just an inch because she might run away from me again if I did that.
After seconds of crying, she wipes her tears and says, "Say that again after you prove to me that you're not using me like a bargaining chip."
Then she turned around again and started running away from me. And this time I did what she said, not following her.
Well, that could have gone better. Note to self: figure out what crime I committed this time.
"Well, I let her cry alone for now and deal with her again later. I still have so much need to do," I said as I shrugged.
Thanks to my skill 'Inspect,' I caught every twitch and glance from Nicolo's retainers. And now, I have a pretty good idea who Dreymore's mole is.
Now, all I have to do is to wait for him to report to the rebels what he heard from our conversation earlier. That's my cue to start my move also.
While remembering my initial plan regarding investigating Dreymore, I walk quietly down the hallway of our house back to my study room as I need to finish some pending work.
To be clear, I haven't suddenly become a diligent worker. I just need to look busy in case one of Father's lackeys decides to check in on me.
I was about to turn the doorknob of the study room when Marcus called out to me. "My lord," he said as he bowed his head.
I let go of the doorknob, turned to face him, and replied. "What do you need?"
He handed me an envelope with sealed parchment and said, "There is a letter for you, my lord. It is from the Chamitillon household."
My eyes furrowed as I got the letter to check it. "Chamitillon?" I asked. I opened the letter and read it. "Interesting. Kaiden requested to speak with me."
Then I look at Marcus and say, "Send him a response, I'll meet him before supper."
He bows his head again. "With pleasure, my lord."
I just look at him for a second, then turn my gaze back to the door. I hold the doorknob and before I opened it, I spoke to him again. "Is the duke available for a sweet deep talk?" I asked him.
Marcus didn't move since he bowed his head. He just answered my question normally as if he was used to bowing his head like that. "Yes my lord," he answered.
I didn't move for a second when I heard his response. Then I let go of the doorknob and immediately turn my attention to Marcus.
"Make sure everything is ready when my visitor arrives," I told him. Marcus is still bowing his head.
Then I walk past him and speak again, "I just need to go somewhere that I didn't think I would go," I added.
I had no idea what kind of self-sabotaging impulse brought me here, but here I was, standing in front of my father's study.
I knock for only three knocks before I hear him saying, "Come in."
I didn't hesitate to come in. When he noticed his visitor opened the door, he paused what he was doing for a while to look who had visited him, but when he saw who it was, he continued reading the paper he was holding.
"What brings you here? I didn't summon you," he said calmly.
I'm still standing at the door as I close it slowly. Did I go in a different door? Someone is pranking me? Father's aura is different from what I usually see for a particular reason.
I smirked at him while crossing my arms. I decided not to get close to him. "You're pushing Nicomaine too hard. I told you—I can handle this family. I don't need you interfering," I said.
He didn't stop reading the paper he was holding. But he immediately answered me, "It's for her own sake. Don't interfere."
I scoff and shake my head when I heard his reason. "I know it's useless to tell you this but she is crying because Nicolo rejected our proposal. He said he wants to focus on monitoring the move of the Rebels than involving other people with his dilemma."
Finally, he let go of the paper he was reading and looked at me intensely. "What do you know about the rebels' movements now?"
I shake my head again while grinning because my intuition is right, he will be interested in a topic like that.
"You can't even show just a little concern with your daughter, worst is you're asking a very important news as if I am going to tell you that for free?"
He clears his throat and leans back in his chair. His gaze towards me turns into a frown. "What do you need?"
I smirked the moment I heard exactly what I wanted. I immediately walk closer to him and sit on the chair in front of him. "I need some of your subordinates, order them to follow me and anything that I say…"
At first, he glares at me for at least ten seconds before going back to what he is doing. "Make sure you didn't waste my time. And don't make stupid moves."
Oh, that was fast. I expected him to disagree with what I desire from him first, and we would have a very long argument before he agrees, but it didn't happen. Is he sick or dying?
"Very well, I need to go," I said as I stood up. But before I went off, I left a phrase for him. "And oh, before I forgot, brace yourself for a big surprise that will come…"