Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 175: Royal Family

"Your Majesty. Your Highnesses. It’s an honour to meet you once more."

Caleb did as custom dictated, bowing to the royals on the dias. The little he had learned from his wife was more than enough to get him through the process.

From the corner of his eyes, Caleb could see the court officials staring at him, as if they wanted to drill a hole through his body.

"It’s good to see you again, Caleb." King Gray nodded with a smile, his actions drawing the attention of the court. "Speak freely. There’s no need for formalities between us."

His family nodded in agreement, following his actions. Caleb was no stranger to any of them. Naturally, that was only for the Royal family.

The court officials, on the other hand, had varying expressions. Aside from a few amongst them, none were aware of when the king met Caleb.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Caleb straightened his back and looked smilingly at the Royals. His gaze shifted to the king’s left side, noticing how the princess looked at him.

Naturally, he smiled back, and like lightwork, the princess’s smile broadened. Her cheeks flushed red as she averted her gaze like a shy little girl.

With a subtle shake of his head, a gesture that the Royals and officials did not miss, Caleb looked at the Commander and exchanged a nod with him. It became apparent to the court officials that Caleb was very familiar with the Royals, and they had no idea.

’The nobles have been playing in the hands of these two since the beginning.’ Colour drained from the face of a few officials.

The realisation that all the noise those nobles made only went to draw attention to themselves sent a cold shiver down their spines.

"Tell me then— what did you learn?" King Gray leaned forward slightly. "Word reached us that you engaged the Growian forces at the borderlands."

"Indeed, Your Majesty." Caleb nodded, his expression turning serious. He recognised that the king wanted to give him credit in front of the court officials.

"What I discovered was troubling, to say the least. At first, it seemed like a simple hostile takeover by the enemy nation." Caleb said, noticing the changing expressions on the officials’ faces.

Naturally, it would be a joke if the officials had no clue what was happening. After all, even if they weren’t in on the scheme, they had eyes and ears everywhere. Some were even related to the noble houses involved.

"However, beneath the surface, I found out that the enemy nation’s plans go farther than just expanding their borders," he continued. "Whatever they were up to has been in motion for some time now."

Jefferson narrowed his eyes at Caleb’s words. "You speak of troubling matters, Mr. Zane. How can you be sure?"

To the councilman’s question, Caleb directed a knowing smile his way. "I found evidence in places I need not mention. Evidence already in the hands of His Majesty."

Gulp

A few shifted their gaze to the king on his throne, gulping imperceptibly. They knew the king was planning something. However, they didn’t know he had everything in place already.

"I see..." They all heard King Gray mutter, as if in realisation of something, his gaze slightly distant and thoughtful. "The reports are indeed true."

Focusing his gaze on Caleb, King Gray added. "You’ve done well, Caleb. What you brought may just change the course of things in this kingdom. For now, rest. But stay close. This kingdom has a need for those who clearly see in the dark."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Caleb bowed once more and then shifted his gaze to the other Royals.

Osbourne nodded his way, a look of respect in his eyes. Queen Anastasia, on the other hand, was having a hard time signalling her daughter to remain seated.

The princess had wanted to speak so many times. But this was not the place for her to speak. It took her a lot of effort to get Celine to calm down.

Caleb smiled at the princess one last time and sought permission to leave the throne room. Under the scrutinising gaze of everyone present, he exited and disappeared behind the doors. freёweɓnovel_com

"Your Majesty." One of the Councilmen turned to the king and asked, uncertainty flickering in his gaze. "Is he truly trustworthy? I understand that he has helped this kingdom." He glanced at the princess to make his point.

"Caleb Zane has done a lot more than you can imagine, Lord Davis." King Gray narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Unless, of course, you’re saying my judgment is flawed."

"Of course not, Your Majesty." Lord Davis swiftly bowed, a cold shiver running down his spine. "It’s just that people can be bought."

In his haste to defend himself, he made the king’s point.

"Indeed," King Gray nodded. "People can be bought, regardless of their status. Trust is a difficult thing to find, and nearly impossible to hold."

Gulp

The message was clear. Nothing was going to change his opinion of Caleb. The goddess herself sent him their way. King Gray would be a fool if he went back on his oath.

"There will be no more complaints about my decision. Is that clear?" King Gray stated in a cold tone, getting up to his feet.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The court officials bowed and took several steps back — the official reception was over. Whatever doubts they still had no longer mattered. The king has had enough.

With confident strides, King Gray descended the dais, his family falling behind him as they made their way out of the throne room.

While everyone else had a serious expression on, Princess Celine was the only one with a smile, as she had her own agenda in mind.

Falling behind them was Commander Lance, who did not even spare a glance at the court officials. His duty was to the Royal family first and foremost.

***

Under the guidance of one of the knights, Caleb was led to the guest wing of the Royal Castle. Situated on the far side of the main castle for obvious reasons, the guest wing existed solely to house guests of the crown.

The more-than-three-minute walk to the guest wing was filled with curious stares from the servants and knights stationed throughout the castle.

Along the way, they passed one of the courtyards that served as a training ground for the knights residing in the castle. Soft murmurs and gossip quickly spread as many stopped what they were doing to catch a glimpse of the infamous Caleb.

Although some had seen him during his first visit, the castle had been in turmoil then, robbing them of the chance to truly observe him. Besides, he hadn’t been that well-known at the time.

Some of the bolder ones waved at him and were surprised when Caleb waved back with a smile. Naturally, this led to a scene where the servants — mostly girls — squealed in delight.

"Hehe... The posters don’t do his looks justice at all," one of the servants muttered to her companion. "I can see why the princess was always asking about him."

"Fufufu, I know, right..." another replied, giggling as they moved away. "I bet she’ll be running this way anytime soon."

Though the servants kept their voices low, Caleb’s senses were far from ordinary. He caught every word they whispered. From what he had already seen in the throne room, their words came as no surprise.

Sometime later, the knight guiding him came to a stop before a set of double doors. The curved ceiling of the hallway, along with the light filtering in from the high windows, gave the space a unique feel—medieval with a touch of modern.

"We’re here," the knight said, turning to face Caleb.

"Thank you."

Nodding appreciatively, Caleb watched the knight nod and walk away. After the knight disappeared from his view, Caleb turned back to the doors, stared for a moment, then placed his hands on the door handles.

He pushed the doors open to reveal a spacious guest chamber bathed in soft, golden light. A large canopy bed stood at the centre, draped in fine silk, with plush cushions arranged neatly.

The stone walls were adorned with subtle tapestries, and a small sitting area near the arched window offered a clear view of the inner gardens. Despite its regal feel, the room had a quiet warmth that made it feel more welcoming than imposing.

"This is nice."

Caleb muttered in approval, walking into the room and closing the doors behind him. He moved to the bed, gave a quick test by sitting and lying on it before moving to the sitting area.

"Better than some hotels I stayed in back on Earth."

Finally, he moved towards the arched window and stared outside, appreciating the view of the garden below and the city in the distance.

"She should be here soon," he muttered to himself, not bothering to take his eyes off the grand view. "Hah... How does this even work?"

This was a mystery to him. However, recalling something he had heard or read back on Earth, his situation might not be far-fetched.

"The heart knows what the eyes have never seen, huh?" A slight smile graced his features as he turned his gaze towards the door, where he could see two figures making their way over.

Soon after, a knock resounded throughout the room, prompting Caleb towards the door. Meeting his gaze were the prince and princess of the Luntheria Kingdom.

"Hello..."

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