"Roman has school, so we wouldn’t be able to take him along anyway," Eilika said, leaning back as she watched him. "But what exactly is your business with the North Duke?"

"It concerns enhanced military weaponry and border defense procurement," Damian explained, adjusting his cuffs. "The King sent a formal request earlier this morning wanting me to oversee the evaluation personally. Rest assured, there is no immediate threat. It is standard protocol to ensure the long-term safety of the kingdom."

Eilika nodded slowly, digesting the information. "Prince August is also here now. He said his status as an illegitimate son was the real reason he came to Varos rather than remaining at the capital court."

"August can never gain an official position in the palace or in the capital. The reason is Queen Victoria. She doesn’t like August. Well, the King is also at fault for having a mistress," Damian affirmed.

"Hmm. But I think Prince August isn’t as dangerous as everyone portrays him. Maybe he does certain things because people never understood him," she murmured.

"Why are we even talking about him?" Damian felt annoyed suddenly.

"Ah, I suddenly recalled, that’s why I brought the matter. Let’s head to bed. It is already so late," Eilika stated, turning to leave when Damian caught her wrist. He drew her back, his arm wrapping around her neck as he rested his chin above her head.

"Shall I take off from work tomorrow?" he questioned.

"Huh? Why?" Her heart started drumming against her chest.

"I thought we should go somewhere," Damian stated.

She tilted her head, trying to parse the shift in his demeanor. "You have never set your work aside like this before. The Duke is suddenly doing things he never did previously."

"I have decided I want to change a portion of myself. Do you find a problem in that?" Damian stated, his tone playful yet searching.

"No, I do not find any fault in it," she replied, shaking her head. "It is only that the Duke is usually quite serious about his duties; I saw the files in your study, and there is so much to be done. We can simply take walks within the residence grounds. I would prefer you focus on your work for now, at least until the burden lessens."

"Very well, as you desire."

"If you ever require my assistance, I am always available," she whispered.

"For now, I can manage well enough on my own. Let us retire to bed; it is quite late." He stepped forward, his arm resting securely across her shoulders as he guided her back into the bedroom.

~~~~~

August rubbed his eyes, leaning back against the cool leather of his chair. The fire incident Eilika had mentioned had piqued his interest, and he intended to begin his investigation there.

Yet, his mind remained restless. He had never imagined he would choose Varos as his base of operations. The capital, with its towering palace, was not the sort of place where he could build a reputation or even begin the work he envisioned; it was suffocating.

But then Varos was once a place of Liliana, the woman who once made him believe in love.

"Why am I even thinking of her?" he murmured, the words falling flat in the silence of his room. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

He closed the file and surrendered the struggle for rest, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Sleep remained elusive, his thoughts circling back to the same grievances.

After several minutes of restless tossing, he gave up entirely, rising to make his way toward the wooden cupboard. He retrieved a bottle of wine, uncorked it, and poured a generous amount into a glass.

Holding the vessel by its base, he walked toward the balcony. The night air was crisp, immediately brushing against his face and stirring his disheveled hair.

It caught the edges of his loose robe, pulling the fabric back as he leaned against the railing. His eyes settled on the dark expanse of trees, the rhythmic, soft rustling of their leaves the only sound in the suffocating night.

"I intended to expose the entirety of Liliana’s deception, yet I held back. How have I grown so soft?" he murmured into the darkness. "Damian ought to have been ruined by now, yet I lacked the resolve to see it through. Eilika... she is the root of this hesitation. She has altered my perspective. And the boy. the one who shares my eyes, he is yet another complication. What if he is truly mine? Even if I harbored the desire to claim him, I cannot. The world would only brand him illegitimate, and I would not subject him to such a life."

He took long, desperate gulps of the wine until the glass was half empty, then set it down on the cold stone of the balustrade. As he raked a hand through his hair, the silence was shattered by a voice from the adjacent balcony.

"Roman is not yours."

August stiffened, his annoyance flaring instantly as he recognized the voice. It was Louis.

"What are you doing here?" August demanded with irritation.

"My house is being renovated, so I opted to spend the night here, Your Highness," Louis remarked, his gaze steady and probing as he studied August, a man he had always found dangerously deceptive. "You are speaking quite loudly; any soul could have overheard you. I was under the impression that you had agreed not to stir trouble for the Duke and the Duchess."

August let out a sharp chuckle. "Damian sent you, didn’t he?"

He stepped closer. "You and Maurice are still a persistent thorn in my side. Tell me, Louis, how much longer do you intend to lick Damian’s boots? Performing these kinds of errands for him, it hardly suits a man of your stature."

"Prince August, I happen to stay here tonight. Besides the Duke is a good friend of mine. I don’t lick his shoes. Mind your words," Louis pronounced. He then gave him a slight bow before walking inside his room.