The sun was barely lifting its head above the jagged peaks of the northern border when Lucius tightened the saddle on his black charger. He had spent the last twenty-four hours drafting a report for the Duke that was as meticulous as it was damning, detailing the Baron's corruption and the massive influx of reclaimed wealth.
Now, he needed to disappear.
Evelina, he thought, the name tasting like cold metal and warm wine. Seven days. I have seven days to build an ally and go back to her.
On the table in his temporary study lay a single, crumpled parchment addressed to the Duke. It was not a formal resignation or a request for leave; it was a note a child might leave behind after running away to play.
"Father, I am taking a short break to check on a… friend and help him in some personal matter. I will rejoin the convoy at Oakhaven in seven days. The ledger is on the desk. Conrad knows everything as well, even where the bodies are buried. Literally."
