Ban Lifted

"Master! Master! Wake up!"

Serphine rushed into Valac's room, pulling the curtains apart allowing the sunlight to light up the dark room.

"Serphine, since when did maids rush into their master's room without permission?" Valac rubbed his sleepy eyes as he stared at the back of the maid's figure.

"The Duke has lifted your ban! He also called the entire family for breakfast today. Please pardon my rudeness."

Valac blinked, taking a moment to process Serphine's words as the light flooded into the shining clean room.

Looks like Nico's men did a good job cleaning. But, why did the Duke lift the ban suddenly?

Out of all the things, Valac hadn't expected the Duke to lift his ban so suddenly. That was... unusual. It made him suspicious, and a sharp wave of caution tugged at the back of his mind.

It's not necessary to lift the ban to participate in heir selection ceremony. What is he playing at?

"The ban's lifted?"  Valac repeated, more to himself than to Serphine, sitting up slowly.

Valac's body still ached from the venom coursing through his veins, and his limbs felt heavy, but there was no time to dwell on it. "What does he want now?"

"He's summoned the entire family for breakfast today," Serphine replied, turning around to face him, her eyes wide with urgency. "I thought it best to wake you early, Master Valac. You don't want to be late for breakfast."

Valac grunted, pushing himself up from the bed. "Yeah, I suppose not." His voice was laced with irritation, but it was more directed at the situation than Serphine.

Ah! I completely forgot I need to reward Serphine first.

There was a small glint of satisfaction in Valac's eyes. He had to admit, things were slowly falling into place. Serphine had done her part, and now it was his turn to hold up his end of the bargain.

"Serphine," he said, his tone softening as he sat back down, reaching for the small pouch he kept tucked away in the drawer beside his bed. "Come here."

She stepped forward hesitantly, her eyes flicking to the pouch in his hand.

Valac took a moment to assess her. Her expression was neutral, but he could see the lingering tension in her shoulders, the wariness in her eyes. She was expecting him to lash out at any moment, as if accustomed to unpredictable tempers from her previous master.  The original Valac Noctis.

The fear was palpable.

But, Aamon... The new Valac wasn't going to hurt her. Not when she had proven herself useful. Not when she was going to grow powerful enough to slice his throat later.

"You did well," he said, pulling out several gold coins and dropping them into her palm. "Here's your reward."

Serphine's eyes widened, her fingers trembling slightly as she accepted the money. "Master Valac… this is more than I expected. I—"

"Consider it a down payment," Valac cut her off, standing and stretching, feeling the venom's dull throb in his muscles. "You handled the task perfectly. Now you have my trust. Don't make me regret it, Serphine."

Serphine bowed her head quickly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you, Master Valac. I… I will make sure to carry every order with efficiency."

"Good." Valac turned away from her, his mind already on the next steps. "That's how it should be."

I should take a bath. I kind of smell.

"Serphine, have you prepared the bath?"

"No, master."

First, I need to wash off the fatigue. The warm water would soothe my aching muscles, and more importantly, I needed to clear my head before walking into whatever the crap that might happen in the dining room.

Valac crossed the room, his movements slow but deliberate, heading toward the adjoining bath chamber.

Lav, who had been napping by the bed, chirped sleepily and stretched his tiny wings before hopping off the bed to follow him.

"Kyu! Kyu!"

Pfft. He barely woke up and started again.

"Prepare my bath," Valac called over his shoulder to Serphine, who immediately moved to obey, heading toward the chamber with quick, silent steps.

Valac watched her for a moment.

An assassin. It's quite useful. I'm sure she can't betray me. But, what are the chances she won't accept death over being loyal to me in a certain circumstance?

Serphine is still fragile, still teetering on the edge of fear and loyalty, but that was exactly what made her useful. I must train her carefully. She has nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to.

Her desperation will be greatest asset. Her naivety will give me the greatest assassin of the future.

As the water began to fill the tub, Valac dismissed Serphine with a flick of his hand, signaling that she was free to go. She bowed one last time before quietly exiting the room, leaving him alone with Lav and his thoughts.

Valac undressed slowly, every movement a reminder of the poison's lingering effects.

Valac had to find a cure soon, or else all his plans would be for nothing. The suppression deadline was decent but not too long.

Valac's mind drifted back to Servan's and the deal he had arranged through Serphine.

If all went well, Nico would be indebted to me, and once Ixia was safe, I would have leverage on Nico and an Information Guild.

Valac sank into the hot water with a relieved sigh, letting the heat seep into his muscles and ease the pain. Lav perched on the edge of the tub, his small tongue flicking out curiously as he watched Valac with unblinking eyes.

"I hope this meeting with the Duke isn't some sort of setup after yesterday's assassination attempt," Valac muttered, his voice low and reflective. "Elenora's behind this, I'm sure of it. But, why assassins suddenly? Did I get ratted out? It can't be Serphine. Did... Xavier? But, System... Nevermind, I can't trust this rigged system till tasks are completed anyway."

Lav chirped in agreement, his tail flicking from side to side as if sensing Valac's unease.

"I can't afford any mistakes," Valac continued, running a hand through his damp hair, his mind racing with possibilities.

"The family will all be there. That means eyes watching from every corner. I need to be cautious. One wrong move, and I'm not sure how many of them will pounce on me."

Valac soaked in silence for a few minutes longer, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

Heir selection... Venom... Quest...

Once the water had cooled, Valac climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, noting the faint dark circles under his eyes and the slight pallor to his skin. The venom was slowly eating away at Valac's body.

"I'll survive this," he muttered under his breath. "I have to."

Valac dressed quickly, pulling on the great suit gifted by the system.

Valac's mind kept turning over the possibilities of what the Duke wanted from him.

Why is he doing this? Is he helping me? Or, making Eleanor notice me?

"Kyu!"

Guess, I'll have to find out.