A loving father

When Count Rudlief had sent his bastard son Maguire to attend the banquet of Duke Moscros daughter, he only had one thing on his mind.

Pleasing the boy's mother.

He knew people spoke ill of him behind his back, it was only natural when he publicly acknowledged the boy as his own when he belonged to a woman that strictly speaking, shouldn't have been his. Not when he had already married someone else. The fact that his mistress was lowborn didn't help matters.

But when the Count's first wife had died in childbirth he was distraught.

Although he didn't want to remarry, his heir needed a mother, and of course, politics was always a factor.

So he relented and married an older woman from a prestigious family that had about as much interest in him as a fish had in rowing.

It was just a week before the marriage ceremony when he had discovered a young woman of exceptional beauty.

Liena was the daughter of a butcher who had recently lost her husband to the war.

Her sapphire like eyes glistened like the ocean on a warm summer's day and Rudlief couldn't contain himself.

Despite their status, it was she who had rejected him initially, citing that it would be improper.

Which was why the Count dedicated so much to be with her, and continued to do so when he finally took her in his bed.

It was why despite turning his indifferent wife hostile and destroying his reputation as an adulterer, he had not hesitated in acknowledging the bastard.

However, despite his acknowledgement, he personally had little feelings towards the boy.

Compared to his first son, the boy had no talent.

Whereas his heir was his pride and joy in becoming one of the most talented young mages in the Merpose Empire, his bastard was his disappointment who couldn't use magic at all.

He was a living blow to Rudliefs pride as rumours circled that his first son's talent could only have come from his first wife's side of the family.

The only thing his incompetent second son could do was swing a sword around. However, despite having had renowned fencers as his teachers since he was young, his skill was still only average.

Perhaps taking over his grandfather's butchering business would have suited Maguire best.

But Liena wanted the best for him.

And Liena would always get what she wanted!

Indeed that was the case at this moment.

He was enjoying a secret dinner with Liena in a small cottage by the river. He practically drooled watching her in the new dress he'd bought.

"Do you think Magure will be okay?" Liena asked

Whenever she was worried, she had a habit of pulling a piece of her golden hair close to her cherry like lips.

To Rudlief there was nothing sexier!

"Of course dear, I sent my best men with him and the Duke's territory is one of the safest, as long as you stick to the roads."

"I'm glad." Liena smiled.

Even if that Maguire is useless, his existence ensures his mother will always be close to me. Count Rudlief thought as he gave a small chuckle at the pleasantness of the evening.

At that moment, a shadowy figure appeared.

"My lord Duke Moscro sends his apologies for interrupting your meal."

Rudlief jumped. He was ready to call his guard to take this intruder out and execute him on the spot.

But at the mention of the Duke, he grit his teeth.

Not only that, but he had heard of these cloaked figures and he was sure the hooded character in front of him was a tracer.

Tracers were agents of the empire with horrifying powers. They had an authority all of their own and only a select few had the ability to command them.

Count Rudlief was not one of them.

"Of course, I am always at my lord's service." Why now! Why tonight of all nights! Rudlief cursed inwardly.

"Your son Maguire has been kidnapped." The tracer said.

"The one responsible is known to our lord and is considered to be extremely dangerous. The men who were guarding him are on route to report in more detail and we predict they will arrive in a few days.

"But your orders are very clear, Count Rudlief."

The tracer turned around and was swallowed up by the darkness but as he did so he left some parting words that boomed around the dinner table to express the importance of the order.

"Do not attempt to retrieve your son." With that, he was gone.

Liena broke out into a panic and Rudlief attempted to calm her down. His guard that was stationed outside the cottage door charged in at the noise only to be met with a hideous glare from the Count.

He didn't understand why the Count was upset at him. If dinner with the lady has not gone well, don't blame me. He thought as he tiptoed his way back outside.

"Liena, my dear. Please calm down, it's alright!" Rudlief reassured her.

"Who even was that man?" Liena cried. "How did he just appear and disappear, is he some demon?! And he claims my Maguire has been kidnapped by someone dangerous? How is any of this alright?!"

"I, I will figure it out. I will make this right."

"How?" Liena said after a moment of silence. She pushed Rudlief away and looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Are you going to defy the Duke's order? Are you going to defy that… that thing?!" She asked.

Rudlief was taken aback.

Even without trying to win Lienas affection, his pride as a Count would have driven him to rescue his idiot son and deal with his captors ruthlessly.

But his captor is known to the Duke and now I've been ordered to just turn a blind eye? Rudlief thought to himself.

To ignore the order of the Duke was bad enough, but to ignore it when it came through the messenger of one of the Empire's powerful tracers was to court instant death.

Not just for himself, but for his family.

With that said, a true noble knows that when it cannot act as a lion, to act as a fox.

If he was smart, he could find a way out of this situation.

He always did.

Although he would be risking everything, he had no choice.

After all, Liena always got what she wanted.