Cedar carefully addressed the revolt he had been a part of, specifically the fact that he was wanted for treason, to give Lucille a small hint as to why this was a bad idea. He expected her to step back or for her to show regret in return. This woman was already a nervous wreck, so reminding her of who he was should scare her enough to make her stay quiet. She would probably throw him out of this house in an instant or reveal that she had already called the guards. When she didn't do any of that, he was a bit taken aback. “You truly don't seem to be scared. Even though the most wanted criminal in the nation, aside from my just as dangerous mother, is right in front of you? Or did you not know what I did?”

Lucille swallowed. She fiddled with her fingers while fighting to keep her head upright instead of avoiding his gaze. “I am aware, Your Royal Highness. There is no one in the capital that would not know. Ah, wait-”

The prince slowly sat up, only for her to try to stop him

She almost looked panicked as she took a step forward. “Your wound hasn't healed in the slightest yet! You cannot move around already.”

Cedar had noticed that as soon as he had tried to keep his balance. That stupid knight had truly hit a painful spot. Still, the prince put on a bright smile. “Then I will listen to your advice, Lady Valerian.” He could use that as a perfect excuse to hide that he was in pain. He slowly let himself fall back again and ignored how every part of his torso protested. For a moment, he looked at Lucille while question marks flew around in his head. He really didn't understand why this woman would help him. Not only didn't she fear him, she also seemed to want him to go without pain if possible. That was too odd. He gave his body a few seconds before the ache lessened and spoke up again. “I am greatly honored to hear that you care for my well-being. But that still does not explain why you would ignore your own safety for my sake. And not only yours, the one of your entire family too.”

Lucille played with the skin beside her nails and looked at him with slight uncertainty. “I...know that I can't say this when I do not really know you, but... I feel like you would not hurt anyone for fun. You would not attack me when I helped you. Since I do not have any ill intentions, it should be...fine for me to be here...next to you.”

Cedar sighed inwardly. He hadn't been referring to that sort of threat. “That was not what I meant. Of course, I would never hurt any of Artias' citizens unless they threatened me first.” He gave her a soft smile and then stared at her until she began fiddling with her hands again. She was truly a shy person, wasn't she? Normally, a few seconds of eye contact weren't sufficient to intimidate his opponents. He wasn't even trying to seem threatening right now. He looked to the side for a moment to give her a chance to calm down and then resumed. “As you surely know, my brother isn't too fond of me because of that incident. I am known as a traitor, and that is why I was put in confinement. Since I am here now, you should have guessed that I broke out. Now, what do you think would happen if guards found me here? Would they assume that your family helped the emperor's enemies, or would they not?”

Lucille didn't seem as surprised as he expected her to be. She just nodded weakly. “I am aware. That is why I brought you here. In the main building, people could find you, but as long as you stay inside the annex, it should be fine. My father never entered this house since...since something happened over a decade ago. So, the servants don't bother to clean up here. You can stay without worrying about being found out.”

Cedar doubted it. Hiding in such a small estate would be almost impossible. He looked around the room and scanned the nightstand, which lacked any trace of dust, before replying. “I sincerely thank you for trying to make this easier for me. But shouldn't you think about your family first? Even if you wish to help me for some reason and do your best, there is still the chance of one little error ruining everything. For example, people might accidentally come here. This room looks like it has been taken care of for the past few years. Are you sure that no servants clean it?”

“Uhm... I'm very sure. After all, I am the one that takes care of this room.” Lucille almost sounded bashful while saying that. “I clean up, and I exchange the furniture if something gets too old. In the past twelve years, I've never seen anyone else here. The only one who stepped inside once or twice is my maid. She won't do that unless I call for her though. So, you can rest assured that no one will bother you as long as you stay away from the windows.” She paused, and her eyes widened before she corrected herself. “I did not mean to order you around, Your Royal Highness. Please do not see this as me being insolent.” She really didn't know much about politics, did she?

The prince scanned her for a moment before speaking up. “It would not be much of a problem for you to insult the fallen traitorous brother of the emperor. Other people said way worse things without being punished. But I can calm you. I'm not offended that easily. I will remember to hide if anyone ever comes here, and I will not look into the garden either. Are you content with that, or is there anything else I need to pay attention to?”

Lucille seemed relieved and shook her head. “The door over there...” She gestured to the smaller door that was only a few steps away from the bed. “Is the one that leads to the bathroom. I was uncertain whether you would be able to go there, so I can also bring you a bowl with water when you want to wash. In addition, there's this wheelchair here, which you can use to move around at least a little. If you need help, I can also...” She averted her eyes as her voice trailed off. “We will find a way to deal with it. The other door leads into the hallway. For now, it would be better for you not to walk around though since you need to rest. I will bring you your meals. It won't be an issue for me to do that since I usually eat here as well. Aside from that, there is not much to do. You can read all the books inside this room, even though I don't know whether you will even be interested in a single one of them. I can bring you some from the library too, if that helps.”

Cedar scanned her expression and asked himself why she even cared. Normally, a person that helped a prince would already be content being owed something. Lucille truly seemed to want to make him feel as comfortable as possible though. She had even thought about how to keep him busy and about how it would be easy for him to move around with a wheelchair. It was odd. Why would she do this? Did she expect a huge favor from the powerless prince? That didn't make much sense. He was silent for a moment before he opened his mouth. “I have to thank you for your kindness. After this is over, I will definitely be indebted to you. But this also makes me question one thing. May I ask you about that?”

Lucille paused before slowly nodding her head. “Of course. But I would like to say that I have done nothing that would make you owe me. I only did what every normal person should do if they find someone who was injured.” So, she wanted to act modest.

Cedar had to admit that she was good at playing that role. If he wasn't used to this kind of strategy, he would have fallen for it. “I see.” He gave her a blinding smile before voicing the only question that mattered right now. “Why are you helping me then? Doing this creates more issues for you, and you are taking a risk. If anyone found me here, your family might be ruined. That much is obvious, is it not? But you didn't even stop after picking me up. You even decided to let me stay, even though there was no need to go that far. Now you also want to bring me meals personally without thinking about how it will be suspicious if you suddenly take dishes for two people along with you. If I was the emperor himself or someone close to him, I would understand that you put in all this effort. After all, you could expect a great reward then. But you know who I am. I have no power to give. I could certainly offer you money and business connections, but that isn't something your father lacks. Do you understand what I mean? The disadvantages outweigh the benefits by far. Why would you risk your family's name for this?”

Lucille froze and looked at the floor. It seemed like he had caught her. It was obvious that she wanted something. She would tell him what this was in just a few seconds. She wrung her hands and shifted her weight from one foot to the other before slowly daring to meet his gaze again. “I...do not wish to ask for anything. I believe that one shouldn't live based on what benefits you. It's important to help others, no matter what.” That was a boring excuse.

Cedar let out a chuckle and was pleasantly surprised by his wound not feeling like it was torn apart. He turned his head to Lucille and grinned at her. “I've never met a person that truly thought like that. There are always reasons why you would exclude specific people from that rule. That's not an issue. It's normal human psychology. You wouldn't help people that seem dangerous or immoral to you. So, I have to ask again. Would you truly help anyone? Even if they are someone willing to plunge Artias into chaos by killing their own brother? One that wishes to take over the nation for their own satisfaction?” He waited for her to look away and prepared to tell her that he didn't have the right to judge, which meant that she could admit the truth.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

But this time, Lucille met his gaze. “It sounds impudent if I say this, and I am aware of that. But there is no way that you wish to ruin Artias. Even if you...may have done things that weren't good, you weren't really to blame. I have no real way to know, but I feel like I can guess what you are thinking. Even if it's just a little.” Gaining her sympathy was quite helpful, but that she went this far was ridiculous.

Cedar chuckled again and smirked at her. “You understand me? I don't think I've ever heard a person say this so outright. But I am glad to hear that.” He had met many people that believed that they could get him to do what they deemed to be the right thing, but he had never seen a person that seriously claimed to understand what he was thinking. He didn't know whether to laugh at how ridiculous this was or whether he should get annoyed.

Still, Lucille kept a serious expression even now. “Of course, I would never claim to know exactly what you feel. We barely know each other. But I can guess where you are coming from. I'm not saying this to gain your sympathy or something like that either. I just...wished to tell you the truth. Our parents are rather similar. So, even if I don't understand much, I can at least...” Her voice died here. She didn't have to say more either.

The prince already understood. His smile got a bit wider as he scanned her expression. Lucille was self-aware when it came to their backstories, it seemed. She wasn't lying. She truly didn't want any sympathy either despite outright admitting it. But that only made a part of him pity her. He knew well what the public thought of his mother, and if someone felt like their parents were similar to the dowager empress who was openly trying to kill one of her sons, it only meant one thing. “If you really feel like that, you must have had a terrible childhood. That is regrettable.” He knew that saying that didn't help at all. But it was better for someone to acknowledge your past than to just ignore it. Especially if a person like Raymond Valerian, who was known to be cold-hearted and power-hungry, was related to her. Such simple words could certainly earn Cedar the sympathy of a person he desperately needed at the moment.

Lucille looked down for a moment before nodding weakly. “There were a lot of problems. I think it wasn't anywhere close to what you experienced though.” Was she pitying him now?

Cedar didn't need that part. When people told him that they felt bad for him, he just got annoyed. The past was over, and now the way for his future was carved too. So, regretting what happened wouldn't get them far. But at the same time, this might be a more pleasant reason for Lucille to take care of him in comparison to power-hungriness. If he was pitied, he could live with it as long as he got some benefits. Being allowed to stay here for a while would certainly help him.

So, Cedar accepted it quickly and played along. He showed the woman in front of him a little smile. “I see. Then I will have to thank you for your help once again. I will gladly accept your offer. As much as I regret it, I will have to ask you to hide me for a bit longer if you are willing to risk it.”

Lucille slowly nodded. “Of course. You should be able to stay here for a few weeks until everything has calmed down. Until then, you should focus on recovering.” She paused and corrected herself. “I mean... I would kindly suggest that you move around as little as possible for your own sake. And it would be good for you to gain strength quickly, Your Royal Highness.” She walked over to a small cart and pulled it toward the bed. “I prepared a little meal for you. I didn't know what you would like to eat, so I just brought a bit of the most simple dishes. If you wish for anything specific, please tell me, and I will bring it to you.”

Cedar scanned the food carefully, and for a second, he wondered whether there might be poison inside. Then he remembered that this woman could just have killed him by refusing to get a doctor for him. She wouldn't take the detour to poison him, which could end up troubling her and her family. So, he gave in to his hunger and took a piece of bread. “Thank you very much, Lady Valerian. This is certainly a luxurious service. But I do not need anything special. I would like to ask you something though. Have you heard anything about the situation outside of the mansion? Did anyone mention something about a group of knights running around? Or a guard that was injured or killed?” He bit into the bread while searching her expression for a reaction.

Lucille pondered the question for a little moment. “I...don't think so. I have to admit that I do not know very much about what happens outside the estate in general though. There might be trouble in the capital, and I wouldn't know. But I can try to find out something if you wish for it.”

Cedar shook his head. “No, it would be suspicious if you suddenly asked about it. If something is going on, you will know it soon.” There was no way that Leonard would give up after all. The prince nibbled on his bread for a moment before speaking up again. “We are currently in the Valerian estate, correct? So, we should be close to the capital and near the Northern Market. Is that correct?”

Lucille played with her fingers again while replying. “Yes. That is the place at which the inhabitants of the royal palace buy their goods, so you might know it. We are directly next to it.” She hesitated momentarily before resuming. “But it would be hard for you to go there. You are injured, and you would also risk being recognized by some servants if you have bad timing. So, it may be better for you to stay far away from that. I mean... It would probably be better for you to refrain from leaving this building in general. At least for now.” She almost looked a bit scared when she continued. “Of course, I cannot order you around, but...”

Cedar just gave her a patient smile. “There is no need to worry. I don't have the intention of walking around in the near future. And if I do, I will certainly not go to the one place at which countless guards will wait for me. Even I have some self-preservation instinct.” He definitely didn't need anyone finding him prematurely when he was still in the middle of dealing with his goal. For now, he would probably not be able to take care of it thanks to his injury, so he needed to rest for a few weeks before trying it again anyway. In that case, it would be best to stay here and accept Lucille's hospitality as her mansion was the perfect spot for him. Still, he needed to prepare some things for his departure already. “Say, Lady Valerian, would you perhaps mind giving me some paper and a pen? I need to take a few notes.” He almost expected her to question him, but she didn't do that.

Instead, Lucille stood up and walked toward a desk, which was hidden between two bookshelves. “Please wait for a little moment.” She opened a drawer and put her hand inside. She took a few seconds before she pulled out three pens and a thick stack of paper. Then she brought everything to the cart and placed it there. “Is this enough?”

Cedar scanned the items and had to hold back from making a sarcastic comment. He wasn't planning on writing a book series. A few pages would have been more than enough, but it was nice that she was considerate. “Thank you very much. This will suffice. There will even be some leftovers.” A part of him wanted to begin writing now, but this would be unfitting. At the moment, he had other things to do, specifically ensuring that the person in front of him stayed his ally. He showed Lucille a soft smile and gestured to the chair that stood a few steps away from the bed. “But I will not start right now. That would be impolite. You brought your meal here as well. If it does not bother you, we could eat together.”

Lucille seemed to be surprised at that. “Would that truly be alright? You are-”

“The person whose life you saved. There is no need to be shy. I don't really care for formalities. If you want to, you can sit down with me. But if you wish to eat with your family, that would naturally be more important.” He only noticed his mistake when Lucille's face scrunched up.

She pressed her mouth into a thin line before shaking her head. “My father and I don't usually eat together. So, it would be an honor to be able to join Your Royal Highness.” She waited for him to nod before she grabbed her full plate from the table and sat down on the chair next to the bed.

At that moment, Cedar remembered that he had asked something stupid. Lucille had said that she usually ate here alone after all. She had previously claimed that his situation was worse, but it seemed like her relationship with her father was even more strained than Cedar's with his mother. At least Cedar still ate with his mother. But he probably wouldn't do that again any time soon either. For now, he would stay here and recover until he was ready to move on with his plan.

Maybe he could use being here because of his injury to his advantage too. Before, Cedar had planned on taking a very similar route before acting right now, but delaying this a little wouldn't hurt. After all, he could wait until the situation calmed down and Leonard changed his focus to another part of the city. In the meantime, Cedar could let his wound heal and prepare some other matters that would help him later.

The prince moved one of the plates over to him and used a fork to pick up a piece of vegetable. While eating, he watched Lucille from the corner of his eyes, trying to pick up on what she was thinking as much as possible. He had seen her during events a few times and knew that her family had some secrets, but he hadn't thought that it would be this easy to make her help him. It was definitely a nice surprise though. It seemed like even he couldn't read everyone's intentions. Waiting for those to reveal themselves only made it more exciting.

Things would get interesting from now on.