14 — The Duke and Duchess of Wesealt

Yuden was taken aback as he stared at the papers in his hand.

"These are the documents related to the case of Princess Zahra's kidnapping!" He exclaimed.

Confusion and frustration clouded Yuden's mind as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"What is this doing here? It was supposed to be in Averlyon... The date is 15 years ago! How could this be in my study?!" Yuden wondered, perplexed.

He took a deep breath to think calmly.

"The last time I came here was just at least a month ago. Rei would bring the files necessary at the office—" Yuden paused, a sudden thought crossing his mind.

As thoughts raced through his mind, Yuden pondered, "Was there someone else investigating her? But who?!" Unable to find an answer to his own question, Yuden was left in a state of uncertainty.

The sound of the door opening drew Yuden's attention, prompting him to carefully stow away the papers he held in his hands.

At that moment, Yuden realized that the sun had risen, signalling the awakening of the residents of his palace. The bustling sounds of voices and footsteps echoed through Yuden's study room.

The servant who entered the room hastily exhibited a moment of stunner as his gaze met Yuden's stern expression.

With a respectful bow, the servant stuttered, "G-Greetings, Your Highness."

Curious about the unexpected visit in the early morning, Yuden questioned the servant, "What brings you to my study in the early morning?" Rising from his desk, Yuden awaited an explanation.

The tall ash blond-haired man stepped closer to the trembling servant.

Fearing Yuden, the servant stammered, "I-I heard the m-maids saying you h-have been absent from the study room for a few weeks. I-I thought it must be dusty, s-so I came to clean," he justified.

"Okay, you can go ahead," Yuden, who noticed the dust on his bookshelf and the remaining area in his study room, said. "There should be no dust left." He added, before exiting his home office.

The servant nodded and headed inside while Yuden exited his workspace.

Yuden wasn't surprised by the servant's quivering or his hesitant replies despite Yuden being an impatient person.

Despite his status as the crown prince, Yuden had been involved in multiple wars. The kingdom of Yuranis had successfully conquered several other kingdoms, solidifying its reputation as one of the most powerful in the region.

While Yuden was seen as carefree by the public, only his palace servants were aware that his time abroad was not spent studying but rather participating in battles.

Upon his return from his first victorious campaign, rumours began to circulate within the palace that Yuden had developed a tendency to abduct servants and war prisoners only to torture them to cope with his trauma experienced at the time of the war until he was pleased.

It amused Yuden, to hear such rumours about himself.

It was Rei, his close aide who kept him informed of the palace gossip.

Although Yuden did not necessarily enjoy it, he recognized the importance of understanding his servants' perceptions of him.

Yuden's rules were quite simple. The only way to rule over someone was to use love or fear. Yuden, however, preferred using the latter as love was nothing but a sign of weakness to him.

"Your Highness," A dark-haired man spoke as he came down the stairs.

"Duke Claude," Yuden curved his lips into a smile.

Claude bowed respectfully, greeting the crown prince.

"Good morning, Your Highness. I beg your pardon for suddenly appearing and resting at your palace without your knowledge. You weren't here when I arrived. Additionally, I didn't wish to bother you," Claude explained, keeping his head down, and expressing his apology.

"It's totally alright, Duke Claude," Yuden held Claude's shoulders and helped him rise. "Did you have breakfast yet?" He asked, walking towards the dining room.

"Not yet," Claude smiled awkwardly.

"Has Duchess Gloria had breakfast yet?" Yuden questioned.

"I doubt," Claude replied.

"I will ask a servant to summon her. Meanwhile, we should take a seat at the dining table until she arrives."

As the crown prince stepped near the dining table, a maid pulled the chair for him to sit.

Another maid followed the same gesture for the Duke of Wesealt.

"How is your company doing?" Yuden started the conversation.

"It is going well. I am still apologetic about leaving my wife in your palace while going on a business trip abroad. I couldn't leave her alone in the Duchy. As you know, we don't have an army in case of danger," Claude spoke, gazing down at the table.

"It is alright, there is no need to feel sorry. She is my elder sister and she is no burden for me," Yuden stated. "Even if she weren't married, I would gladly take care of her for the rest of her life if needed."

Claude rolled up his gaze, looking at his Yuden. His clear expression had somewhat clouded.

"What do you mean, Your Highness? You aren't happy she is married?" Claude questioned.

"I'm saying that," Yuden took the cup of coffee in front of him and took a sip, "Duchess Gloria was, isn't nor will ever be a burden to the royal family. If you ever need to let her stay somewhere, feel free to drop her at my palace, the Sapphire Palace or the main palace. She will be taken great care of," Yuden proceeded to take another few sips of coffee after finishing his sentence.

Duke Claude sat in silence, occasionally sipping his coffee as he awaited the arrival of his wife. The sound of heels approaching caught the attention of both men in the dining room.

Gloria entered wearing a dress with sleeves that extended to her wrist and a high neckline. Her long, wavy ash-coloured hair cascaded down her back.

Approaching the dining table, she respectfully bowed to Yuden.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Gloria greeted while her personal maid pulled the chair for her to sit.

"Good morning," Yuden smiled, giving a sign with his hand for her to take a seat.

Gloria rose her head and took a seat next to her husband.

"How was your stay in the palace Duchess Gloria?" Yuden inquired as the maids placed different dishes on the table.

"It was good, thank you," She gave him a soft smile before picking a piece of bread from the plate.

Yuden and Claude followed Gloria's action and started preparing their breakfast.

"Your Highness, I think we should get going," Gloria spoke. "I doubt your engagement will happen anytime soon with all the commotion. It is improper for me to reside in the Sapphire Palace for too long. People will spread baseless rumours," She explained.

"Sister," Yuden spoke, ignoring the ethical way of speech with the duchess. "This is still your home and it will remain so. You can stay here for as long as you wish," He smiled at her warmly.

"Exactly, no need to rush to leave," Claude added. "I have a few things to do here as well. So I hope it's okay, Your Highness, for us to stay in your palace for the remaining time. I will arrange a new mansion for the Duchess as soon as possible. However, as you know, I arrived here only last night. Yet, I apologize," Claude apologetically said.

"Enough." Yuden sturdily said with a stern expression. He then burst into laughter.

"You both are part of my family. Stop apologizing so often," He chucked, as he continued eating.

***

After finishing breakfast, Yuden received a phone call with the name Rei displayed on his screen.

"Hello."

"Greetings, Your Highness," Rei spoke on the other side of the call.

"What is it? Did you find anything?"

"Your Highness, it appears the person who sent the rebels money is very smart. They used the account of a dead person to give the rebels money. I'm afraid I can't dig more into it."

"It's alright," Yuden reassured. "We will find a way to catch that person red-handed when the timing is right," he confidently stated.