The royal couple sat down, which just proved that they wouldn't go away any time soon. That probably meant that they wanted to have the important and life-changing conversation about their future now.

Cedar was more than just annoyed with that. Did this seriously have to happen right now? Lucille was still injured. And aside from that, she was also in the middle of eating and needed to wait for those people to be gone to continue. On the inside, he was gritting his teeth, but he just continued to smile.

After the royal couple took a seat while still cuddling as much as ever, Theodore spoke up. “I know that now may be an unfitting moment, but we need to clarify what will happen from now on. We are in a situation that is a little confusing after all. There are multiple options, and each one has its advantages. But I would like to involve you in the decision-making.” He met his brother's gaze before he resumed. “We can't just throw you out after all. Not while everything is like this.” It was fitting for him to act like this. Even if Theodore's brother had betrayed him and worked together with others to kill him, the perfect emperor would still offer him help.

It was typical. And it was infuriating as well.

Cedar wasn't sure what he had expected, but a little more reluctance would calm him down a bit. Right now, it just felt strange to know that Theodore didn't seem to hate his brother as much as the prince hated him. It almost made him suspect that Theodore was hiding something. Cedar responded with a bright smile. “Of course. I will discuss everything necessary with you. But is it a good idea to make Lucille listen? She is still injured, and hearing about all of this may confuse her. So, I would suggest stepping outside if we need to speak now.” As he talked, he glanced to the side and froze when he saw Lucille's expression.

She stared at him with wide eyes as if something terrible had happened.

Cedar lowered his voice and resumed in quieter volume. “They aren't referring to you, so you don't have to be so uncertain. You will definitely be able to recover here. You're safe in the royal palace.”

Lucille pressed her lips into a thin line while meeting his gaze. “I know. But this isn't about me. I can go home and stay safe too, but...what if...” She didn't finish that sentence and dug her fingers into the blanket. “She'll kill you.” Her voice was weak as she said that. It seemed like she was once again worrying about him for naught.

Cedar already knew that Theodore wouldn't just let him go. Either he would stay in the palace so that everyone could keep their eyes on him, or he would need to go to some other confinement mansion to hide there. He sincerely hoped that it would be the first option since he wouldn't be able to protect Lucille otherwise. But either way, he wouldn't need to worry about his mother for a long time. Explaining the true reason was a bit hard, so he just gave Lucille a simpler explanation. “Not yet, I think. She didn't poison that arrow, so it wasn't supposed to kill. It was probably just a warning. I will manage somehow. You know how stubborn I am. It may get ugly, but I won't let any of her stupid assassins get to me. And if I move in with her again, I'll just avoid-” He wasn't able to finish.

Theodore interrupted him. “I think you misunderstood. I just said that we wouldn't throw you out, didn't I? And we definitely won't force you to go back to that woman either. You will stay, that is the only option. The question is more about whether you are trustworthy. I need to decide whether to put you in a cell or whether to let you roam around freely.” That he was considering the second option proved that he was either brave and trusted his security measures or that he was reckless and didn't believe that his brother could cause trouble from within. If it was the latter one, he was more than stupid.

Cedar had already seen countless chances to prepare things that could help him deal some severe damage. Obviously, he hadn't considered any of them, but he still found it worrisome. He grinned at his brother while replying. “Can I choose one of the options, or do I have to go through some test first? Because I don't really like cells. I'd rather stay up here than in the cellar.”

Theodore was quiet for a moment before replying. “I still have to think about that. But since you came here in that state, I assume that I don't have to lock you away. Especially since you killed some of the dowager empress' men. Leon gave me the report yesterday, and it didn't seem like you held back while attacking them. I also received word of the fight that you had with the dowager empress. It was similar to what you mentioned and included the comment about a cup being thrown as well. So, it does sound like your story is true.” Obviously.

Cedar had been careful not to lie openly. He had maybe told the half-truth at some point, but he wouldn't be stupid enough to voice careless things that could be proven to be false. “For once, I didn't lie about anything. We were attacked by assassins, and I didn't let those people hurt us without fighting back. Isn't it obvious that I would make sure that they won't come after us? And the other one had to stall time.” He had to admit that he had only killed two to keep them from entering Lucille's room and three others to ensure that there would be a distraction that could allow them to flee.

Theodore scanned his brother's expression despite only finding the typical smile. “Yes. It seems like that is what happened. Even though I have to say that you were quite...creative when it came to the man on the second floor. Leonard said that they barely got him out from under that bookshelf. But I can guess why you kept him alive. That was the distraction you needed. Apparently, that worked out quite well. Now he unfortunately can't talk anymore, which is-”

Blanche chimed in before her husband finished. “I don't think that we need to discuss anything like this in front of Lady Valerian. This is only about whether they will stay here and not about that incident. We have enough time for anything else later.” She gave Theodore a bright smile before turning to the other two. “So, what do you say about staying in the palace until this situation gets resolved?”

The emperor stroked over his wife's hair before he replied. “One moment, please. We need to make sure first.” His gaze turned to his brother, and it felt like he pierced Cedar's very soul with his stare. “I need to ask you one thing again. Answer honestly. Do you remember any strange things? Like situations that haven't happened yet? Did you have dreams about things like that?”

Cedar had expected a question about him promising not to help his mother, but this was odd. He could barely keep himself from frowning at the other man. “That's a strange question, Theodore. If it didn't happen yet, why would I remember it? I would say that I have weird dreams, but all of those are about the past. So, it's not exactly what you were referring to.”

Still, Theodore didn't give up yet and narrowed his eyes. “What kind of past?”

The prince questioned whether his brother was thinking clearly for a moment before responding. “Our childhood and adolescence? I would say that this is the only past I remember. I'm not an old man yet.” He choked down a comment about Theodore getting old and just focused on smiling brightly while trying not to remember his nightmares. “Or sometimes, I dream something about my life in general. But that is just the usual stupid stuff. I'm a bit worried about why you are asking this. After all, I don't really have any helpful information about my dreams for you.” He definitely wouldn't admit that he kept having nightmares about Althea.

For a few seconds, it was quiet before Theodore seemed to relax. “Good. Hopefully, it stays like this. Then we can focus on the present.” He pulled his wife closer and cuddled with her while still looking as serious as ever. “As my angel said, we are making an offer. You can stay here to make sure that you are as safe as possible. We will not force you, but it would definitely be better since our enemy is the dowager empress. That woman is insane.”

Blanche added another bit when her husband finished. “Which is why we fear that sending you out would make you a target. So, we would encourage you to stay here.” She made eye contact with Lucille, who looked from one person to the other while being unsure what to say. “Of course, we will not demand any payment or favors in return. We only want to make sure that you are fine. Our enemy is now the same.”

Lucille was silent for a moment and glanced at Cedar. He met her gaze and gave her a little smile, but he wouldn't respond for her. Lucille quickly understood that she needed to make that decision herself. “Alright. Then I...I need to contact Father before...” Her voice trailed off as realization came over her features. She whipped her head around to the prince before speaking up in a louder voice. “Father! Where is he? Does he know about what happened? Did he come home and find everything like this?” She couldn't hide her terror well.

Cedar would have liked to calm her, but he had no idea about any of this. He could only reach for her to pat her hand before quickly withdrawing. “You said that he was out during the attack. He definitely didn't meet the assassins. They always run away as soon as their targets are gone. He couldn't have gotten hurt.” Unless Camille had ordered the whole family to be killed. Cedar had no clue about whether that might have happened, so he couldn't promise anything.

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Thankfully, Theodore locked eyes with Lucille and gave the response. “Lord Valerian is fine since he was at the estate of a business partner that night. We contacted your father and informed him of what happened. He wanted to come here immediately, but we decided to delay his visit for another week. We would like to hide the fact that you two are here. At least for the first days.”

Lucille's shoulders slouched in relief before she flinched and tensed again. Seemingly, her wound had hurt again, so she forced herself to lean against the pillow while trying to keep herself from moving. “That's good. I will try to explain everything as well as possible. It's just...calming that he is fine.” She blinked a few times before lowering her gaze.

Cedar mentally noted to ask the doctor for medicine later before looking at Lucille again. It was obvious that she cared for her father to some extent, even though that man was a bastard. It wasn't completely different from what Cedar felt for his mother, so he understood that well. But he didn't say anything about that. Instead, he fought the urge to take her hand in his, which would only make Theodore misunderstand even more, and replied in a calm tone. “He was lucky to have been away that day. But it would be good to send people to keep an eye on him. I'm not sure how far Mother will go when it comes to this matter.” He glanced at his brother.

Theodore just nodded. “We already did that. Until now, there weren't any suspicious movements. We also searched the whole estate to find any remaining pieces of evidence. As expected, we weren't successful. Leon just found the letters that you received from that woman.” Unsurprisingly. They hadn't been hidden after all.

Cedar didn't have much to add to that. “The letters say everything, don't they? My guard came into the estate by climbing up the tree a few times. But I'm not sure whether he came again after that happened. I'm also not sure whether he is trustworthy.” Most likely not. After all, Reeve had always been a bit cowardly. That man would listen to Camille's every order in fear of being punished otherwise.

Theodore let out a huff of air, and his expression darkened. “If he is anything like your last guard, you shouldn't trust him. That man was a sadistic piece of...” He almost cursed and just stopped himself when he glanced at his wife. “In any case, you can contact him if you want to. But you will need to let Leonard interrogate that man first. I won't let anyone I don't trust sneak around here.” That was pretty strange considering that he allowed Cedar to stay. And it seemed like he expected something that wouldn't happen.

The prince quickly spoke up to clear that up. “Reeve won't help me. Not when Mother is the one pulling the strings. You can forget trying to get him over to this side. He is too scared of the consequences that would arise if he was discovered. I'm not even sure whether he was the one that told Mother about Lucille.”

Lucille froze upon hearing that. She stared at Cedar for a moment before speaking up in a barely audible voice. “She knows about me? Why? There is nothing special about me. My family isn't related to any faction, and we've been neutral for decades. And you said that doesn't care much about people she can't use. She definitely can't use us, so she shouldn't care.” She was a bit paler than before and probably remembered something in that moment. “But...that man said that they were searching for a girl.” She slowly locked her eyes with his again. “Is that... Did they talk about me? They had to... So, I was a target too?”

Cedar could see the fear in her gaze without needing to pay close attention, and that was enough to make his smile widen. Damn it. He had been uncertain about how to tell her that her life might be in danger now. It would have been unpleasant either way, but this was the worst time to tell her. This time, he couldn't hold back and took her hand in his. “I'm sorry. I should have known that she would find out in some way. But I didn't expect her to learn about that so soon. She hates it when people around her spend time with others, you know? I was aware of that. It's my fault for not being careful enough.” If he had been on edge before, he might have been able to prevent this.

That was undeniable, but Lucille didn't seem like she was angry. She squeezed his hand tightly while speaking with a serious expression. “Don't say that. It's not your fault if your mother is attacking other people. You can spend time with others as you see fit. If she's upset with that, you aren't to blame. The one who tried to harm others was her. Don't say that you are at fault.”

The prince viewed this a bit differently. After all, he knew how quickly the dowager empress could declare someone their enemy. He should have thought about that instead of relaxing and enjoying his free time. But Lucille gave him such a serious expression that he couldn't talk back to her. So, he gave her a weak smile and didn't say anything about this anymore. He turned to the royal couple again. “Of course, I will also accept your offer of living here for a while. I am eternally grateful to be able to stay.” He showed them a bright smile again before waiting for a reply.

Theodore didn't hide that he scanned the couple in front of him before he responded. “Good. It's much safer like this. I will have someone prepare two guest bedrooms for the two of you. Naturally, Lady Valerian will not be able to move at this moment, so I will have to ask you to stay in the doctor's office for a bit longer.” He made eye contact with the prince after that. “I'm pretty sure that you don't want to leave for long while she is recovering. I will ask a servant to prepare one of the neighboring chambers for now.”

Cedar shook his head. “That's not necessary. I will just sleep in one of the beds in the other room of the office so that I can hear whether something is going on here.” He didn't trust his mother after all. “I don't need a room for now.”

The emperor accepted that without discussing with his brother. “Understood. I will tell a servant to take care of that then. I believe that is everything we need to talk about right now. After all, Lady Valerian is still undergoing treatment, and we do not wish to keep her from eating any longer.” He looked like he was about to stand up, which made Cedar freeze.

This was it? There was no way. Why would his brother trust him this much? Cedar wouldn't even allow himself to roam around freely here. Why would his cautious brother give him permission? That was stupid.

The prince should be happy about being treated like this. As long as no one saw him as a serious threat, his movements weren't limited as much, and he could run around on his own. This was only beneficial and gave him many more chances he wouldn't have had otherwise. He could do what he wanted without needing to win Theodore's trust after all.

But Cedar wasn't happy at all.

The prince had no idea why his brother should act like this, and it upset him more than he cared to admit. He had wanted to stay quiet, but he couldn't help himself. “That's it? You're not going to tie up my hands or give me a guard?”

Blanche looked at him with confusion. “Of course, we will not tie you up. You didn't come here with ill intentions, so there is no need to do that. But I understand if you are worried about being attacked again. Do you want a guard?”

Cedar's smile widened as he replied. “No. I meant someone that is supposed to keep an eye on me. You're a bit lax when it comes to me being here, aren't you? I'm not sure if I remember it incorrectly, but didn't I lead the revolt four months ago? I think I broke into the palace with a bunch of mercenaries while trying to kill the emperor. Or are my memories messed up because my head is still affected by Theodore's blow? What would others say when they hear that I'm now hiding here? It would seem a bit odd to them, wouldn't it?” He truly hadn't meant to say all of that, but the reaction only made him more angry.

Theodore was much too calm as he responded. “You didn't try to kill me though. You purposefully kept your back turned to me while you knew that I was coming. Be honest with yourself. You even said it out loud. You wanted to lose, and that is the only reason why we didn't have to duel. You could have given me a hard time defeating you, but you didn't try to win at all.” This was true, but hearing it was still frustrating.

Cedar gritted his teeth while still smiling as brightly as possible. “I don't think that this makes up for me starting an assassination attempt.”

This time, Blanche chimed in. “You didn't start it. Your mother did. You still had your part in it, but you weren't the person that really wanted to defeat Theo. Of course, we won't just forgive you and forget what happened. But we are of the conviction that everyone deserves a second chance.”

Theodore cleared his throat before correcting that statement. “Almost everyone. There are people that don't deserve it.”

Blanche nodded and stroked over her husband's hand before continuing while glancing at Cedar. “But you wanted to keep everything from ending in a massacre. You could have killed dozens to hurt us that day, but you didn't harm a single person. That proves that you don't have bad intentions. We believe that you can change. I told you about the riverbed metaphor, didn't I? You started digging and redirected the flow of the water. And now we are giving you a chance to move forward in your new direction.” She said that with a soft smile as if she really believed in what she said. As if she believed Cedar to be a good person.

That was stupid.

When Lucille acted like that, Cedar could tell himself that it was because she hadn't seen him at his worst. But Theodore and Blanche had met him while he hadn't been too kind. So, it was ridiculous for them to trust him.

Maybe the empress wanted to believe in Cedar because he had tried to prevent a situation in which he would have needed to kill her and her husband, but the emperor didn't have any excuse.

Theodore should know how Cedar had been during their childhood. He should be aware of the fact that there wasn't any hope left here. And the fact that he still acted as if he agreed with his wife when it came to giving Cedar a second chance only proved that he was foolish. Or he was just as flawless as always.

The perfect Theodore would definitely forgive his horrible, younger brother even after all that had happened. It was like in a storybook.

Cedar could only beam at the others while the fingers of his free hand dug into the blanket. That was just perfect.

Perfectly infuriating.