House Valmont
Cassian stared at the family crest of A silver wolf standing beneath a crescent moon, seated above the top of the oak doors leading into the building and something dark flashed in his eyes when he read the family motto seated below it.
“Truth Outlasts Shadows.”
Once, he had taken this motto as the bane of everything he did, he had taken this as the truth and nothing but the truth, he had been made to believe that only by saying the Truth can one live in peace.
He had been made to think that this motto was one that would still stand despite any lies that were being told.
Laughable how foolish he had been then.
Now, this motto stood here mocking him…..laughing at him for believing and trusting in it like an idiot.
Hatred surged deep within him and the urge to scrap it out of that place rushed through him like a tidal wave.
His hands clenched together and unclenched as he tried to hold back his rage because this glaring motto only served as a painful reminder that this same truth did not save him from that accursed executioner’s blade.
It didn’t save him from the lies and frames that had put him to death.
Alas, he had been a fool in his past life and nothing could change that.
He had been the honest, reliable and kindhearted man that everyone trusted but even all these had not been enough to save him at the end.
And now that he was finally over that and ready to embrace the villain everyone had seen him as, his plans were twarted by that stupid Crown Prince.
He felt the urge to punch a hole through the head of that prince but he knew he shouldn’t do so, at least not right now.
It would be easy to tear him apart but something was stopping him from doing so.
He didn’t know what that thing was but right now, he didn’t care.
If the Crown Prince didn’t stay in his lane and out of his business then he would have to deal with the bastard.
And those words the crowd had been saying when he quickly left that place infuriated him so much that it made him sick to his stomach.
He hadn’t even known what to do when he heard it and when he had tried to refute them, they had crafted out something entirely different from the angle he was hoping for.
Which hadn’t seemed right to him the longer he thought about it.
And finding out about that illegal dealings had been done without his help so what was that supposed to mean that the Crown Prince was saying to those people about him being the one who had helped him solve the mystery?
It didn’t make any sense to him at all.
Because how was that any of his business?
He had burned down a building, not gone on a search to find out bad people!
Two lifetimes didn’t make a person stupid, it made them smart enough to know what their priorities are and know exactly when some thing were wrong and since his first attempt to go rogue had been so successfully twarted, he would have to find someone else.
Now, who would be his next target?
And strangely, that system voice had gone awol in his head now for quite a while.
He didn’t think much of it but it was becoming clearer the more time passed.
Was it because it hadn’t seen enough gossip to make it interested?
Whatever.
He wasn’t really that invested in it anyway.
Quickly, before he punched a hole into that crest and motto, he walked into the house and walked straight to his room to wash up and change out of his smoke smelling clothes.
It dint take that long for his father to return to the house and he instantly sent a servant to call for him.
He didn’t respond to the call right away and took his time staring nonchalantly at the ceiling, his mind blank as a sheet of white paper.
It took another two servants before he reluctantly stood up from the bed and threw on a loose robe that showcased his body build and went downstairs to see his father.
“Old man, you called for me.” He said as he stepped into the large living room and his father turned to him before shaking his head and turning his face away.
“Don’t you have decent clothes?
The Crown Prince came here with me!” His father scolded and he snorted as he walked to an open sofa and took a seat, swiftly throwing one of his legs over the arm of the sofa.
“What is the matter?” He asked as he palmed his head and his father made a choking sound before clearing his throat.
“Crown Prince?” He asked and for a moment, no sound was made in response so the Count tried again.
“Crown Prince?”
Still nothing and that was when a sound filled Cassian’s head.
[New Gossip Discovered.]
[The Crown Prince has been staring at your abs for five minutes!]
What?
Why’s he staring at them?
Is there something on my skin?
Maybe dirt?
I knew I hadn’t gotten that soot out of my body completely.
Well, whatever.
He would do that later.
“Crow–”
“I heard you, Count Valmont.
My apologies for the inconvenience, I had something on my mind.” The crown Prince proceeded to clear his throat and clasp his hands together before he continued.
“I came here to make sure the rewards get into the hands of the individual it was assigned to.”
The Crown Prince wasn’t even done speaking when someone interjected.
“Rewards?
Who are you giving it t—”
“Woman, bridle that tongue or I’ll cut it out for you!” Father warned and my mother slammed her lips shut before giving father a halfhearted glare.
How funny.
“My apologies for the interference, please continue.” Father turned to the Crown Prince whose eyes still hadn’t left Cassian and the Crown Prince nodded.
“Noted.
For the help that was rendered to I and the Aurelia Security District by the third son of the Count, the King has chosen to reward Young Master Cassian Valmont with five hundred taels of gold, a private carriage of his own, a castle medal, and the decree that Young Master Cassian is to attend court every time court is held or every time the King orders him to.”
Say what now?
Cassian didn’t move from his spot on that sofa but gasps could be heard from everyone present in that living room
Crown Prince Lysander felt his lips twitch as he fought back a smile at how calm, composed and reactionless Cassian was even after receiving this news but what he didn’t know was that although Cassian didn’t make any move to say or do anything, he was anything but calm.
His mind was in turmoil as he tried to understand why the King had made such a decree and to even call it punishment was like an insult to his intelligence.
Was he trying to keep an eye on me?
I mean it was just one involvement with that stupid bakery owner but he didn’t have to go to such lengths!
How had this day turned out to be so different from why he had expected it to be?
Shaking his head in resignation, he opened his eyes lazily and scanned the room.
“So I’ll have to attend court tomorrow?” He asked and the Crown Prince nodded in affirmation.
“Okay.
Send my rewards to my room.” He stood up and left the living room behind without wasting time for proper etiquette that demanded that one had to stay back until every attending or present royal had left the room.
When he got to his room, he palmed his head and then his mind began to race with different thoughts.
What was up with this King?
Why did he and his son seem to hellbent on spoiling every single one of his plans?!
Well, if he was to go there without putting up any resistance at all then he would be the most insensible person to ever exist.
Before court tomorrow morning, he would pay a visit to that Pet Home in the street up ahead.
And he wasn’t going there to play games with the animals there, he was going there to put an end to their peaceful lives.