18 A prey watching its meal

Hern looked around, judging his surroundings. He's a difficult person. It's hard to read his expressions. "The atmosphere is befitting of its owner. This is not a place for such a majestic person as you, Lady Carina," he said. Although his voice and expression is serene, his words are like daggers.

I glanced at the person beside me and saw Uld's calm face. Although I can see her hands clenching tightly, she controlled her face well. "You don't even have a personal maid or a knight around. And you're in your training outfit. Is this how the emperor's concubine treat their personal tutor?,".

Uld and Hern is facing each other, as if sizing their opponents individually. I feel like I am stuck in between. Although Uld is my friend's daughter, I can't be siding with her completely, or the whole 'tutor' farce is going to be revealed and people will find out that I am doing it more as a protection not educating a royal family member.

"Your highness Hern, I personally requested to be alone with Lady Uld during her strolls as I am enough to accompany her. I am also in my training outfit because I just finished training his highness Vance,"

Hern widened his eyes and quickly gave a satisfactory smile as hold his chin. "Of course of course. Indeed, the daughter of the Aspera is a genius. To think you just recovered, but you quickly educate and train yourself, enough to be a tutor in a mere span of 8 months. Both trained in swordsmanship and literature,".

Now Hern and I are facing each other. He stares at me deeply as if analysing something, while I stare at him back to exert dominance. This child, he underestimated me too much. "That's too much your highness. I am merely doing my duties,"

"A needless duty I must say. Your talents are wasted here,"

Wow, now he's playing direct.

"Your highness. Today is the day Lady Carina tutors his highness Vance. To visit a concubine's palace require an invitation, so today is the same as you barging into my house," Uld defended herself.

"Lady concubine, are you implying this crown prince is the same as an intruder?,"

The two knights that accompanied the crown prince place their hands on the hilt of their sword, ready to execute a potential treasonist.

I watched the battle of nerves between them. I sighed. "There must be a reason you're here. Your highness if you don't mind, what are your troubles?," I asked, hoping the little fight between them will be over and things won't escalate further.

Fortunately, Hern noticed my intention and smiled at my question. "Ah yes. I am here to see you today, Lady Carina. However, this is not a place to talk. Do you mind coming to see me at my palace soon? I, of course, will send you an invitation,"

"To personally come here and tell me that. I am flattered. You should've just send an invitation. I must've troubled you," I said. Of course, my emotions behind them are close to zero.

Flattered? Felt sorry to trouble him? Why should I?

It's obvious why he's here personally. He wants to judge me with his own two eyes rather than believing the rumors. He's not a simple person.

"I am in a completely good mood now that I've met you. Please await from my invitation,". Hern took my hand and kissed it, saying his farewell.

After making sure he completely leaves, I looked at Uld, who is now showing me pleading eyes. "I hope you forgive me Xenia...I really do. Please, can you help my son?,"

I placed my hands on my hips as I stare at her. I admit. I feel played. But that is because I don't know much about Frigore. So I couldn't really blame her. "I will continue helping you…but only because I am doing it for Vance,".

Uld covered her mouth and tears flowed down her cheeks. "Oh, thank you...thank you...,".

---

"Your highness, what do you think?," Luciel, my veteran knight asked.

I turned behind and smirked. "She's perfect. Eloquent, beautiful, prideful. The only reason that she could make 3 people lose their noble titles on her first day of her debut shows how much of a genius she is. And do you see how she made the worthless prostitute kneel down like that? She's born an empress through and through," I said.

"Yes! I think she's made for you your highness!," Jared, the innocent looking knight added. Jared and Luciel exchange glances with each other, completely satisfied that their master is in a good mood today.

I nodded my head, agreed to the statements my knights commented.

And that training outfit she wears, it emphasizes her beauty and curves so well just thinking about her makes me all the more possessive. The silver hair, the violet eyes. The sharp gaze that seems like a wolf sizing its prey behind the bushes. The sharp, defined features that seem to embrace her nobility as she raised her chin when she spoke. She needs to be beside me on my throne.

"Your highness Vance, wait!!," a person shouting disturb his thoughts.

I saw a figure running towards us, but he slowed down when he noticed me.

My smile twitched.

The damn son of that wretched witch prostitute.

"B-brother," he meekly called.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Luciel panicked when he noticed his master's mood change quickly at the sight of the son's concubine. "You do not deserve to call me brother," I said.

It's all because of him. He already made plans to ascend the throne that is supposed to be his. But after the second prince Hugo won the support of the nobles, he needs to make connections left and right, even putting on a fake smile and insincere calm, mature personality for the ladies to seduce them. But all that effort came crumbling down when the one woman he wanted the most puts her attention to a worthless scum.

Vance does not deserve to even join the fray. He assumed the fight for the throne to be only between him and the second prince. But now that Vance is tutored by an Aspera, many nobles quickly side with Vance in order to win the support of the Aspera itself. It shows how powerful Aspera really is. And it also shows how easy it is for Vance to win the throne.

He feels threatened, but more towards insulted, because he needs to compete for the throne with someone like Vance.

"You...you're worthless and stupid. I don't know what Lady Carina sees in you," Hern said, glaring at Vance as if he's disgusting to look at. Then he grabbed Vance's hair and whispered.

"She's going to slowly notice that you could not match her ideals. You're not her match," Hern smirked.

But he was taken aback when Vance's reaction is different. He was supposed to be meek and scared. "Heh, I wouldn't believe the words of a man with inferiority complex," he said, his voice slightly low and threatening.

Hern released his grip on Vance's hair and quickly took out his handkerchief to wipe his hand. "Shit, talking to you just made me lose my patience," he quickly left the scene when Demetrius arrived.

"Your highness the crown prince," Demetrius greeted and bowed.

"Do your job better. Why do you let a wild animal loose unsupervised," Hern warned and left.

Demetrius glanced at Vance worryingly. He saw Vance at a dishevelled state. Something must've happened. "Your highness Vance, are you alright?," he asked.

Vance is never good at confrontations and Demetrius clearly knows that. But he was taken aback when he saw Vance running, saying that both Lady Uld and Lady Carina seems to be taking too much time. He is a knight, but is never a fast runner like Vance.

Demetrius paled when he saw Vance clutching his head. "Argh, my head! It hurts! Argh!" Vance screamed. Demetrius panicked. He never saw Vance like this. "I will notify Lady Uld immediately!," Demetrius quickly ran to the garden

Everything is slowly turning dark for Vance. He tried hard to keep his consciousness awake but he couldn't let go of what Hern said to him. He definitely doesn't want Carina to go to someone as vicious as him. But the most important thing is, he doesn't want Carina to deliberate at all. He wants Carina to be with him without a doubt.

All these thoughts hurt his head.

Those thoughts don't belong in there, as if poisoning him.