Alpha fell silent for a moment, her eyebrows rising and forehead creasing—clearly startled by Lucian's words. The scandal surrounding the Crown Prince had indeed circulated once, but it had long since been quashed. Most dismissed it as nothing more than baseless gossip meant to tarnish the imperial family's reputation.
She paused, then glanced downward as if retracing Lucian's earlier statements. "The Crown Prince?" she asked, her voice laced with caution.
"Of course. Who hasn't heard those rumors?" she continued. "But what does that have to do with our conversation now?"
Lucian kept his composure, a slight smile playing at his lips as he let out a soft breath and lowered his gaze. A faint grin crossed his face.
"Think about it—why would he pin this on Duke Florance?" he said, meeting Alpha's eyes meaningfully. For a guild like the Servant Guild, such rumors couldn't be taken lightly.
The reason was simple enough to deduce: power struggles were a constant in monarchies. Toppling one faction to strengthen your own position was a classic move in the game of politics.
Alpha narrowed her eyes behind her mask, leaning forward slightly. "Don't tell me… you already knew about this?" she murmured, her tone a mix of doubt and surprise.
Lucian let out a quiet snort and smiled faintly. "Bingo."
"I suspected as much when I heard his name mentioned," he said, his voice carrying a note of confidence. "But what does that have to do with us now?"
Alpha said nothing for a moment, then leaned back in her chair casually. "It doesn't matter," she said flatly. "What matters is that we've made our deal."
"They already took everything from him—and now they want to erase his existence entirely," she continued, her voice growing sharper. "It makes me… furious. So furious!"
Lucian let out a quiet snort and smiled faintly. "Well, that's their loss," he said, his voice steady. "As long as we have each other, that's all that matters."
Alpha fell silent, then glanced downward as if lost in thought. "The Crown Prince…" she murmured, her voice trailing off. "I never thought I'd see the day when his name would carry so much weight."
She paused, then looked at Lucian with a faint smile. "By the way, that second Young Master of the Haelric family—he seems like quite a character. I'd like to speak with him someday."
Lucian exited the room with a slight smile, his steps steady and confident. "Two birds with one stone," he muttered, as if praising the moves he'd just made.
As he stepped outside, a wine cup suddenly flew past his head—so close it nearly grazed his hair.
"Hey, do people around here have a habit of throwing things when they're upset?" Lucian commented dryly, dodging nimbly as he spoke—his voice flat yet curious.
In front of him stood Natty, who'd been waiting quietly. She looked up with a start, her expression shifting from surprise to concern as she saw Lucian approaching.
"Young Master?" she exclaimed, her reaction immediate as she rushed forward. The gambler who'd been hovering nearby suddenly fell to the ground hard as soon as Lucian came into view.
"Wow—looks like your skills are even better than I thought," Lucian said with a small smile, admiring his servant's abilities even in the midst of chaos.
"I guess I've kept you waiting too long," he added, his voice calm as he moved to stand beside her.
Natty straightened up quickly, her expression becoming more serious as she met his gaze. "Y-yes, Young Master," she replied, her tone now steady. "Shall we head back to the mansion now?"
"Let's go," Lucian said, nodding slowly. The two of them left the place, intending to return to the Haelric estate before the day grew too dark.