Inside the vast throne room, the atmosphere was heavy and cold. King Nalvon sat tall upon his throne, but his eyes betrayed no sense of peace. Beneath his wise gaze, a controlled blaze of anger and disappointment flickered as he contemplated the sheer idiocy of the Eldebrans family.
He reached for a sheet of parchment and began to write secret instructions with firm, decisive strokes. Once finished, he folded it into a small scroll.
"Summon Dorian here immediately!" King Nalvon commanded the soldier standing guard.
The soldier bowed deeply and hurried out of the throne room to carry out the King's decree.
It did not take long for the summoned figure to appear. A man dressed entirely in black, his face obscured by a mask, emerged before the throne. His presence was nearly silent, like a shadow merging with the deep, thick darkness of the hall.
"I, Dorian, have come as summoned, Your Majesty!" the man greeted, offering a solemn bow.
"Take this scroll!" King Nalvon said, handing over the paper he had just written.
Dorian received the scroll with both hands. He opened it slowly and began to read the lines written within: "Call upon all your members! Then, investigate Samuel Eldebrans, ensure your presence remains undetected! Report everything you find there!"
Having understood the message, Dorian quickly closed the scroll and tucked it away. "It shall be done, Your Majesty!" he declared firmly. With one final respectful gesture, he vanished from the throne room.
Upon arriving at the secret headquarters of the Kingdom's special espionage and shadow unit, Dorian immediately gathered his members, experts in disguise and surveillance. "His Majesty has ordered us to conduct an investigation into the family of Samuel Eldebrans! Prepare yourselves immediately!"
The order was met with absolute readiness. In an instant, the members dispersed to carry out the King's secret mission.
Meanwhile, within the palace, King Nalvon walked toward his son's chambers. He found Felix sitting in deep thought, his face clouded with a heavy expression.
"Felix, what did Kazien say to you about this situation?" King Nalvon asked directly.
Felix let out a long sigh. "He said I am weak, Father. He also openly stated that he dislikes me because I have done nothing to face the behavior of Marcos and all the other nobles at the academy."
King Nalvon stepped closer, looking at his son with a profound gaze. "I believe his assessment of you is not wrong."
Felix looked up, his eyes reflecting fear. "Father, I am afraid that the internal political stability of this kingdom will fall into chaos if I act! Not to mention, the Eldebrans family holds immense influence in this realm."
"You shouldn't trouble yourself with such thoughts, Felix." King Nalvon replied nonchalantly.
"What is your reasoning, Father?"
"How can you be a good king if you do not dare to be firm with those who have wronged the people of this kingdom?" King Nalvon said sternly. "A king's courage is tested when he must uphold justice, even if it shakes his own throne."
Felix fell silent, speechless. His father's words pierced him to the core. His heart was a tangle of pride as a crown prince and the terror of failure. To him, the world of politics felt terrifying. One wrong move could strip him of his status. Yet, he did not want to remain a useless prince.
If I move, will the Altavis family support me? Felix thought. That family had long been a symbol of neutral power. Their support was the key to everything.
"Father, may I go see Kazien at his aunt's mansion?" Felix asked suddenly.
"Do you know where they live?" King Nalvon asked, curious himself about Kazien's whereabouts.
"Kazien mentioned that his aunt's mansion is right across from the academy!"
"In that case, I shall accompany you there!" King Nalvon answered.
At the same time, in a cozy mansion across from the academy, the atmosphere was quite the opposite. It was incredibly tense. In the living room, Alvin, Allen, and Arken sat in front of Kazien. The interrogation had begun.
"Answer me honestly! What is the relationship between you and that prince?" Allen pressed, his eyes searching and sharp.
Kazien rubbed the back of his neck, feeling utterly exasperated. "I have no relationship with him! Even if his face is cute, he is still a prince, and I have absolutely no feelings for him!"
"I hope you don't do anything foolish," Alvin chimed in with a deadly serious tone. "Especially anything that would make Arken feel betrayed and cause him to cancel that eternity contract!"
Kazien looked at Arken, who appeared furious but was clearly demanding loyalty. "How could I ever let Arken die? I love him just as much as I love the two of you!"
"Then never let yourself be interested, or let your guard down, and certainly don't be captivated by anyone else's cute face! Especially when you encounter the beastfolk in the future!" Alvin warned.
"Are the beastfolk cute?" Arken asked suddenly, his anger momentarily diverted.
"Almost all of them are!" Alvin answered quickly before snapping his gaze back to Kazien. "If you ever get captivated by them, I swear I will cancel my contract with you!"
"Me too!" Allen added with a serious expression.
The threat made Kazien fall silent instantly. His heart shrank at the fear of losing them. Yet, deep down, he never had any intention of betraying them, especially not Alvin.
Why would I look for another cute man when I already have three people with such extraordinary faces right in front of me who love me so much?
"Alvin, Allen, Arken... I will never betray you!" Kazien said, his voice full of promise yet laced with firmness. "Especially you, Alvin! You must also stop unilaterally deciding things for me just out of the kindness of your heart! Because from the very beginning, I have never wanted to betray you!"
This time, it was Alvin's turn to fall silent. He reflected on Kazien's words and realized that he had indeed been too soft toward people who approached his future husband, especially if they were Kazien's own kin.
"My Love, don't you worry!" Allen suddenly interjected, throwing an arm around Alvin's and Arken's shoulders. "Arken and I will remain your last line of defense! We won't let anyone else try to claim you!"
Kazien smiled in relief at their unity. However, he had no idea what the future would hold. At this moment, Kazien felt that his three fiancés would likely do something ridiculous to him again in the future.
Meanwhile, on the streets of the capital, the royal carriage carrying King Nalvon and Prince Felixius was moving steadily toward where they were.