Misunderstandings

Spade came forward with his plan using Shadow as his spy, in the castle meanwhile tension begins to build up.

In the King's corridor, Sabre entered.

"Your highness I have something to report"

"What is it, Sabre? You didn't have to go to me directly you know, Lacquer can relay it to me"

"It involves Lacquer himself milord"

"Oh? Speak then"

"I'd prefer to say to you alone if you don't mind"

He said as he looked at the 4 maids and 2 guards that surrounded the King.

"No, they stay"

Rexcarius looked at Sabre with seriousness.

"Very well, Lacquer intends to start a rebellion that will occur a month from now at the Blue moon Festival"

Rexcarius didn't show even a hint of surprise and neither did any of his attendants.

"Ah, so you've found out, when?"

"Your Majesty knows? Then why have you not acted? In your order, I would strike him down without blinking twice"

"I've known this day would come ever since I sat on this throne, everyone wants to sit at the top of the mountain Sabre never forget that"

"Your Majesty aren't you being too casual about this? Your children and the mysterious scholar are already planning to act should I not support them?"

"Ohoho! Spade has decided to play, alright Sabre I command you to help my children and Spade in any way you can but under no circumstance shall you take part in their battle. And you, tell the force that there has been a change of plans"

Rexcarius pointed at his guard.

Sabre could barely understand. King Rexcarius acted as if his enemy wasn't the Grim Strategist but some mediocre chump and he even let his children do all the work in defending his throne. The rumours were true that Rexcarius only cares about entertainment and he would throw away anyone to get it.

He simply left unable to grasp what the King is thinking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Alfron was just training in the field when he saw an odd pair. Captain Sabre and Spade's maid Claudia.

Normally when a high ranking official calls a maid to talk it involves some shady interactions and Spade surely knows this but Claudia being young and naive sure didn't.

Alfron became confused as to what to do, usually, he would cut off these perverts and win over the poor servants but this Spade's maid, probably one of his many followers and this could be his plan to win Sabre over.

Alfron admits to himself that Sabre might be the best ally they could get at the moment but he was unsure whether it's right to sell Claudia, a human being to get his help. Spade is a very scheming man and this could truly be his plan, and if so going in the middle of their interaction would disrupt it but he couldn't just let a married man like Sabre defile a naive woman like that.

Confused on what to do he simply followed them to where they were going, prepared to strike at any time that things become problematic. He will listen to his morals over his teacher, that's what he has decided.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Sabre left the King's corridor, he accidentally bumped into a maid. He paused for a while as he remembered this maid is Spade Escroc's and if his plan is truly amazing then Sabre might considering disobeying the King just to kill Lacquer and if there is anyone who knows about his plan, who even the royal children didn't know it would be his most loyal servant.

"You follow me, there's something I need to ask you"

Captain Sabre asserted promptly.

Claudia knew better than to just follow a stranger but then again her fate in humanity is starting to recover after meeting her master Spade, the kind maids and even the king and Claudia wholesomely believed that everyone in the castle was a good person.

She followed him as they passed through the fields and into the dining room.

"A month from now you know what happens yes?"

Claudia simply assumed he meant the Bluemoon Festival, the grandest celebration in the country.

"Ah yes! We are preparing for the celebration now actually"

"You can't be serious!"

Sabre blurted out, he was in awe of Spade Escroc's arrogance, preparing for the celebration as if he already knows he would win.

Alfron who was trailing behind them was now preparing a quick spell to defeat Sabre. He couldn't hear what the two were talking about but basing on Sabre's shock he assumed that Claudia rejected him harshly and as a high official couldn't accept it.

Both Claudia and Spade have distorted ideas of authority, Spade has his arrogance while Claudia her aloofness. It wouldn't be surprising if Claudia spoke frankly in a way that is fine with friends but not to superiors to a high ranking person like Sabre.

"Why are you surprised? Isn't it normal to do this on such a grand victory?"

Claudia said but what she meant was the origin of the Bluemoon Festival which represents the country's victory and independence.

"I see so it's truly that amazing?"

Sabre asked to confirm if she was sure Spade

would win.

"Yes, I've never heard anything like it"

She meant the festival traditions...

Sabre was convinced by her sheer confidence that Spade has a plan. He would have never agreed to help if he hadn't seen both The King's and her utter faith in Spade.

Sabre was about to shake Claudia's hand to symbolise a partnership but at that same moment, someone came after him who was fast as a bullet.

Alfron released his fastest spell the "Nightfall" as soon as Sabre tried to touch Claudia but unfortunately, Sabre was able to dodge the attack and he came tumbling down.

"The hell is this?"

Sabre exclaimed as he stared Alfron down as he was getting back on his feet. Had Sabre not have been as trained as he had been, the damage dealt would have been critical.

"The hell are you doing to Claudia?"

"Oh, Master Alfron this man wants to join the party. Do you want to as well?"

"The hell kind of girl did you hire Spade? She wants to do a freaking threesome?"

Alfron thought to himself.

"Sabre it would be best you not involve Claudia in... this. Or perhaps you'd like my father to know?"

Sabre let down his defences as he saw that Alfron was no longer willing to fight.

But why did he suddenly attack? Could this be Spade's plan? He looked at Spade's room and he saw a figure looking at the window. "That cunning man," he thought to himself.

"Don't worry, I won't involve her. Your sisters will suffice"

Sabre said misunderstanding Alfron and thinking he meant not to involve civilians in the fight.

"Why not? I heard from Sarah that you would do it on occasions too"

Both Sabre and Alfron gasped.

"The hell?! Why would Sarah tell her!"

Alfron thought to himself.

Sarah Guile is Alfron's maid and also someone he has an illicit relationship with.

"This kid! Does he involve civilians in a personal fight? How sickening"

Sabre thought as he looked at Alfron with a disgusted look.

"You too became silent! Well if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving"

Neither of the two could stop Claudia and become stuck in the awkward gazes of each other.

Claudia simply left humming unbeknownst to the great misunderstanding that has occurred.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in Spade's room, Siderene looks through his belongings. As for the reason, she claims it's for research.

Siderene looks through everything, like a thief going through every book and cranny of a rich man's home.

While she was doing so the door suddenly opened. Siderene panicked as she hadn't expected anyone to come, Spade was out doing who knows what, while his maid Claudia seemed to be in the crossfire of a spar between Alfron and Sabre which she saw in Spade's room when she entered.

She believed that Alfron fought Sabre to earn his respect and poor Claudia got caught in the middle of it. To fight someone to make them a friend is a boorish manner of thinking that fits very well with her simple brother but seeing as he was trying his best she might as well check whether Spade could truly be trusted.

As the door opened Siderene sighed in relief as it was only her maid Pharise, had this been anyone else she would have a lot of explaining to do but Pharise knows her and she would naturally understand she just wants to spy.

"Oh, Mistress what brings you to Master Spade's room?"

Siderene didn't even try to make an excuse as she assumed Pharise already understood she was suspicious of Spade.

"Nothing, just looking through some things"

Pharise understood this phase, one of a young maiden in love. She has been there herself going through Alfron's room any chance she gets.

"Would you like to help me clean then Milady?"

"Ha?! But I'm royalty?!"

"Very well"

Pharise said blandly and started to clean the mess Siderene made digging through Spade's room.

Siderene looked at Pharise who seems to not care at all what she does.

"Alright"

Siderene gave and helped in cleaning.

"So this is what it's like to be a housekeeper huh"

"It's also what it's like to be a wife milady"

"W-what are you talking about. H-him?"

Siderene stuttered at the thought of her being Spade's wife almost tearing apart the notebook she had taken from Spade's table.

"You misunderstand milady, I'm talking about a wife for commoners but you are royalty, one cannot simply clean rooms, or… marry a commoner"

Pharise pointed out and Siderene was slammed with the hard truth, it wasn't whether she liked Spade or not but just the fact that they could never be together.

Siderene paused a while.

"You're right, I have no business being here. I'll be taking my leave then"

Pharise nodded.

"And Pharise, you will tell no one of this understood?"

Siderene commanded before she left.

"Not a soul"

Pharise replied as she continued cleaning up.

Pharise walked away not noticing she had still been holding on to the notebook and when she noticed she had been outside near the palace gates as she planned on going to the fields.

She opened the notebook and skimmed through the pages only to see that what was written there was in another language but it wasn't an invented language like what she had seen in Crystal notes, it was much refined and longer and she came to admire the calligraphy filled with all sorts of shapes and symbols.

As Siderene remained standing looking through the notes Crystal passed by her and said hello.

"Greetings sister"

Siderene noticed Crystal and stopped looking through the notebook for a while.

"Greetings to you as well Crystal"

"That notebook, could that be Teacher Spade's? "

"Ah I'm not sure, I uh found it while I was walking in the hallway, I wanted to return it but I couldn't read what was written"

"Yes there's no mistake, this is Teacher Spade's handwriting, it's a language called English he said"

Siderene has never heard of such a language, perhaps it is where Spade is from, her curiosity is piqued as to what is written.

"Could you read what is written?"

"Ah yes he taught me a little bit"

Siderene felt slightly jealous that Spade taught only her but she tried to calm herself and not think of that cunning man.

"…How could she love me? I'm a beast and she's a beautiful woman. We are too different, royalty and a commoner cannot be together..."

Crystal read in the notebook. That notebook happened to contain the stories Spade paraphrased and the part Crystal read from happened to be part of the story "Beauty and the beast".

"Could he be talking about me?!"

They both thought, mistaking the story book for Spade's journal.

"Is there a name written there?!"

Siderene tried to take the notebook.

"Wait I'm looking"

Crystal pulled back trying to continue reading but as they both fought over the book it ripped and fell to the ground which happened to be muddy.

"Oh no!!"

They both exclaimed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside of the palace Sabre had one last meeting and this was to the one who he was truly loyal too, who he was wiling to betray the king for.

This man happens to be someone he fears beyond anyone else, a man who can defeat armies singlehandedly.

The man came forward from the shadows and approached Sabre. This is the only place they could meet because had they done it in the Palace, chaos would surely be the result as their two armies who have collided for so long see their leaders meeting.

"Lacquer, what are your orders?"