The Duke's Passion

"Have you found her?"

Rufus sat on the oak chair, eyes on Heliot, who also sat down across from him as soon as they entered the emperor's tent. The latter glanced up at him. His face remained expressionless, like always.

"How was the empress?" he inquired, instead of answering Rufus. "Do you find her to your liking?"

"She is a good empress."

"That is reassuring." Heliot nodded in understanding, keeping his lips closed. "Apparently, I can't track her down. She used to be the late emperor's shadow knight. Hence, she is elusive."

"I don't mean to overstep, but was it necessary to find someone like her?" Dominique inquired, standing on the side of the table near Rufus.

"It is best to eradicate the forces who supported Quentin and Stefan," Heliot replied, not minding Dominique jumping into their conversation. "The organization that Quentin supported was still active. Even though those two had perished, everyone believed His Majesty ended them along with the previous emperor. Thus, revenge is a huge possibility."

"Prince Heliot, are you afraid those losers will invade the Karo Kingdom?"

"They may try, but they won't succeed for sure. However, prevention is better than cure. I'd rather stop that before it happens. Unnecessary deaths are troublesome."

"I received a word from Monarey this morning about a certain organization lurking in Monarey." Rufus leaned forward, hands linked in front of his lips. "Although the earl guaranteed me he was already on it, considering how the organization moves, they might reach La Lona with no one knowing."

There was a moment of silence inside the tent. Although Rufus was confident Claude and Klaus would subjugate the Nightwalkers, he couldn't be complacent. He was the emperor, and he had to worry about these things, no matter how capable his people were.

"Shall we inform Silvia about this?" asked Dominique, eyes on Rufus's rear. Heliot also set his focus on the emperor.

One would wonder why Rufus was discussing this with Heliot. But, for obvious reasons, Heliot was someone he could trust. Especially on matters about the empire since Heliot had been very involved in it. Well, they were in-laws now too.

"I'll let her know after the hunt." Rufus rocked his head lightly. "For now, we must focus on finding that woman. My gut feeling told me... it is not over yet."

Heliot tilted his head slightly. "Aren't you too much worried, your Majesty? Have you considered that this was probably something to make you overthink?"

"Aren't you?" Rufus raised a brow. "If you think my gut feeling is the product of my stress, you wouldn't search high and low just to appease me."

"There's no harm in looking. Although their strongest followers died in Minowa, a part of me can't also shrug what last game they had for us." Heliot smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "They already knew their chances of surviving are slim. I don't buy their reason for returning, although I sincerely hoped it is as simple as that."

Rufus let out a deep exhale while listening to the clever prince. "That's right. It's been so peaceful recently, but out of nowhere, their followers were trying to make themselves known. They even dared enter the empire."

There was a long silence in the tent as neither of the three talked once again. But it was clear to them that there was something they should anticipate. The cunning Samael wasn't in the empire any more. He was already living a carefree life as a painter and a poet.

Rufus didn't want to bother Samael about these 'trivial' matters anymore. That was why he had to resolve this brewing worry, whose source was unknown. Aside from the Nightwalkers, one person's name had been bugging him.

Lena.

Yes. Lena. Lilou's personal maid back when she was the duchess. Lena was the maid Stefan planted to Lilou in the past, and she turned out to be Stefan's shadow knight. That woman was still alive.

Not that Rufus was obsessed with eradicating everyone who supported Stefan. Unless they do something that would catch his attention. That was what Lena did.

Although the woman in question didn't pull any destructive skit, she sent Rufus a letter. A letter Stefan wrote. Rufus could still remember his hair raising after seeing Stefan's handwriting. In it says;

"To Rufus Barrett,

How are you, Sir Knight? Or shall I call you, Your Majesty now? Knowing my irresponsible older brother, I was certain he would do anything to pass the throne. I do not judge him.

Between Hell and you, you are a better ruler. That brother of mine was simply too easy to hate and he would bring destruction to the empire if he reigned longer. He was born that way.

But that... gave me the upper hand. That personality of his was what made him predictable in a way. And that was his mistake. To leave everyone in charge.

I left three letters, Sir Barrett.

One was for the lady in the mansion on the mainland.

The second one was for my beloved sweetheart. My Lilou.

And the third was for you, Rufus Barrett.

The first two letters had hidden riddles. If this letter didn't alarm you, then that must mean they had cracked it. But if it did, then it was overlooked.

I am not heartless, Sir Knight. Thus, just in case it was overlooked, I will give you explicit instruction.

Find Lena, my trusted shadow knight, and the messenger of this letter. Once you read this letter, your time begins. If you found her, you could've saved everyone the trouble. But if you didn't... expect for the worst.

You would not wish for that, would you? Personally, I do not wish for that as well.

I am not your enemy. Time was.

I wish you luck, Rufus Barrett. I truly root for you and I leave our fate in your hands. Whatever the outcome was, I would accept it wholeheartedly.

Best regards,

Stefan."

Rufus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he did, the sound of the horn, indicating that the hunt was about to start, reached his ears. When he opened his eyes, a glint flickered across his eyes.

"After this hunt, we'll look for that woman no matter what."