“I don’t work for you,” Cedric scoffed. “Just because you’re the Baron’s son doesn’t mean you can order me around.”

“I know,” Elysian said, smirking. “Do you think I’m arrogant enough to boss you around?”

“You are,” the commander declared, raising a brow at the boy.

Pondering for a moment, the young noble suddenly burst into laughter and said, “Now that I think about it, you’re indeed right.” Staring directly into the officer’s eyes, he continued, “You might be onto something there, but this is different. Well, this is actually an opportunity for you.”

“An opportunity?”

“An opportunity to redeem yourself,” Elysian remarked with a satisfied smile. “I think it is unquestionable that you failed to protect your own people—specifically Osric and his family. You might argue against this…”

“It’s easy for you to say,” he scoffed, cutting off the boy. “Being a noble and the son of the Baron, you can do whatever you want without any repercussions.”

“I wish that were true, but I assure you that it’s not,” Elysian said, chuckling. “While it might seem like I’m chastising what you didn’t do, I understand there are limitations to your role as a military commander, especially in my father’s absence,” he said. Pausing a little and observing his reaction, he clarified, “What I’m trying to say is that I know the limitations of your position. With my uncle as the custodian, it’s even worse. Rest assured, I’m not here to criticize you, even though it might appear that way. However, for this discussion to move faster and more smoothly, honesty is essential. Are you willing to let go of your ego for a moment?”

“Are you?”

“Always.”

“You’re an arrogant and spoiled child who thinks he knows everything,” Cedric stated. Eyeing the boy, he smirked and continued, “Now, here you are, sitting in front of me, acting like some shameless moral authority without a strong moral compass. When you face yourself in the mirror, what does your ego say?”

“An arrogant and spoiled child,” he quipped. Locking eyes, they suddenly burst into laughter, both agreeing with the statement. “Though that’s true, it’s also true that I’m always acting in my own self-interest. I think we can both agree on that.”

Chuckling, the commander nodded and inquired, “You mentioned earlier that I have an opportunity to redeem myself. Care to explain, young master?”

“Let’s be honest, your protection of Osric and his family was pretty lousy.”

Sighing, Cedric nodded, conceding to the boy’s assertion.

“I’ve managed to convince the merchant to return all the money that Osric paid, which is about two gold and twenty-one silver,” he remarked.

“So you want me to get Osric’s money from the merchant?” Cedric nodded in understanding. Suddenly, more questions flooded his mind, and he asked, “If the merchant already agreed to return the money, what do you need me for? Can’t you just go there and get it?”

“Well, here’s the fun part. I’ve not only managed to convince him to return Osric’s money but to also add a little extra money to it,” he stated nonchalantly.

“So, how much money am I going to collect from the merchant?” the commander asked, arching a brow.

“Hmm, about ten gold coins.” Elysian grinned smugly, observing the expression of the soldier.

Upon hearing the amount, Cedric’s mouth just dropped in shock. He remained like that for a while.

Upon seeing his expression, he chuckled and teased, “Are you alright?”

“How did you manage to steal from that greedy b*stard?” Cedric asked in disbelief. “Merchants are notorious for being scrooges,” he said. After pondering for a moment, he sighed and added, “Nevermind, I don’t want to know. Still, this doesn’t answer my question earlier.”

“Well, my uncle knows about this, and he’s eyeing a slice of the pie,” Elysian explained, sighing as he leaned back to the chair. “Knowing my uncle, I’m afraid he won’t stop at his share, but more likely pocket the entire amount.”

The commander snorted and said, “I don’t doubt that at all.” Observing the boy for a moment, he continued, “So, you’re using me against Lysander?”

“Yep,” Elysian nodded. Rasing a brow, he quipped, “Are you afraid?”

Cedric grinned and exclaimed, “Of course not!”

“That’s more like it!” he replied, grinning back.

“I have a question, though,” the commander asked curiously. “I thought that you and your uncle are tight.”

“Yes, we’re tight. So tight, in fact, that in the future, it’s inevitable that we’ll snap at each other,” Elysian chuckled. “As I said earlier, commander, I’m the type of person who will protect his own self-interest. And that f*cking bastard is encroaching on that,” he stated. Staring at the soldier with a dangerous edge in his eyes, he added, “He’s a parasite that keeps feeding until nothing is left—a very greedy b*stard! What’s even worse is that this particular type of parasite has an uncontrollable urge to usurp its host. I can’t let that happen. I can’t allow anyone to take what’s mine,” he declared. Seeing the commander was about to dispute his last claim, he quickly added, “I know you don’t agree with my last statement. Let’s just agree to disagree on that matter. However, I believe both of us would agree that my uncle should never rule this place.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Don’t be too sure,” he said, a serious expression on his face. “I always thought you were a lot worse than your uncle.”

“Were—in a past tense?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

The commander grinned and replied, “Now, I’ve realized that you might be right. Between you two, he’s the worst.”

“That’s good to hear.” Elysian nodded. Watching Cedric’s reaction, he grinned back and added, “Let it not be said I’m not fair. So, to sweeten the deal, I’ll just take five gold.”

“That means Osric will get his two gold and twenty-one silver,” the soldier stated, his expression unchanged. “While the rest will go with me, correct?”

“As I’ve said twice already, commander, I’m the type of person who protects my self-interest,” Elysian smirked. “Since I’ve already secured my share, I take it upon myself to protect the interests of my people. As I mentioned earlier, this is your chance for redemption. Considering you owe the boy, wouldn’t it be right to just round the number to a single digit with Osric having the advantage? Therefore, I propose that Osric and his family receive three gold while you get two. I think that’s just fair; do you agree?”

“I have no problem with that.” Cedric nodded in agreement.

“Good,” Elysian nodded back, rising to his feet. “Ah, I’d like to make myself clear; the two gold coins you receive are not just for you but for everyone.”

The commander snorted, proclaiming, “I’m not like you. The entire money will be divided among all the soldiers, even my share. I’ll not get a single penny from it.”

“That’s good to hear,” Elysian said, turning his back and leaving the room.

----------------------------------------

“Where are we going?” Lyra questioned, hesitating to enter the carriage.

“Trust me on this, sweetheart. I’ll explain later,” Edmund said, urging his daughter to enter the vehicle.

“I won’t move until you tell me what’s going on.” Lyra scowled, crossing her arms to show her displeasure.

“You brat!” Edmund snapped. Knowing his daughter’s stubborn personality, he sighed. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he explained, “Your engagement to the Baron’s son had been broken off.”

“What?!” she gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. “What on earth happened?”

“Elysian had somehow gotten wind of your past engagement to that insufferable soldier,” Edmund scowled.

“How did he even find out?”

“I don’t know,” he sighed. “Perhaps that dumb soldier of yours had told the young master.”

“That idiotic bastard!” she snapped, cursing in frustration. “I told him not to tell anyone. If not for his face, I wouldn’t have even given him a second glance. He should understand that no matter what he does, he’s just a lowly soldier and not a noble. He should just be thankful that he got to be my fiancée, even if briefly. Than gratitude, this is how he repaid me? What a mess!”

“Lyra?” Sybil said softly. Stunned by the revelation, he just stood there frozen like a statue.

“Sybil?” she inquired, surprised to see the young soldier.

“Boy, what are you doing? Tsk, this just confirms it,” Edmund scowled. “You already ruined everything! Now, you dare show your face here?”

“Please be quiet, father!” Lyra exclaimed, scolding the merchant. Wearing her fake smile, she quickly moved close to the stunned boy, held his hand, and said, “I’m sorry for that, Sybil. My father is just agitated about what happened.” Smiling sweetly, she slowly gazed into his eyes and continued, “I’m sorry, okay? You know that you’ll always be dear to my heart.”

When the boy did not answer and averted his eyes, she suddenly started crying and said, “You don’t care about me anymore. Just like everyone else, you’re a liar. You promise I'll always be in your heart, but I can see that isn’t true.” Seeing that he glanced back at her, she cried even more and gently punched his chest. “After I’ve given you my heart, this is what I get? You are the worst.”

“I’m sorry,” the boy said, hugging the girl.

After a while, they looked into each other's eyes. Lyra spoke, “You’re already aware of my situation. I don’t want to break our engagement, but I have responsibilities. Even though it’s against my will, I have to marry that despicable person. You understand me, right?”

“I do, but the young master had already called off your engagement,” the soldier stated.

“He did,” she affirmed, her tears flowing again. “Everyone will know that he’s the one who ended the engagement. Because of that, people will start assuming I have a problem or did something wrong. You realized it’s your fault, right? You’re the one who sullied my honor.”

“I’m asking for forgiveness if my action has caused any unintended consequences. However, I still think that this is our opportunity. Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility. I know we’re still young, but I’m ready to marry you anytime,” the boy said in a desperate voice. Scowling, he added, “I dare anyone say anything against you!”

“My dear, you’re so sweet. That’s the reason why I’ve fallen for you,” she remarked, locking eyes with him and smiling. With a sigh, she shook her head and said, “You know I can’t do that. If you genuinely want to help me, could you go to the young master and say that you lied? Confess that you fabricated a fake engagement story because you have feelings for me. Please persuade him not to break the engagement—beg if you must. If you do that for me, I know that your love for me is real. Could you do that for me, my dear?”

As the words flowed into his ears, then down, piercing his heart, Sybil’s eyes widened, and his tears slowly flooded his eyes. Stepping back, he shook his head in disbelief. Faced with the truth, his eyes were finally opened—and it goddamn hurt. Overwhelmed with emotions, the boy turned back and ran.

“Hey, where do you think you're going?!” Lyra yelled, taken aback by his sudden action.

“Tsk, you can’t even handle that boy?!” Edmund snorted.

“Shut up! This is all your fault,” she scowled, turning to his father. “I can’t believe this! That useless piece of sh*t just ran away from me. Ugh!”

Hearing those cruel words broke his heart. Sybil just ran, never stopping. Even when people yelled and cursed at him, he never stopped. He just wanted to get away from there as fast as possible. Unfortunately, fate was not on his side, and he collided with someone, falling to the ground.

“Hey, watch it!” Cedric exclaimed, turning to the boy, his displeasure suddenly replaced by surprise. “Sybil, is that you?” he asked, making sure that he wasn’t mistaken. Once he verified the boy’s identity, he continued, “Are you okay? Why are you crying?”

When the boy did not respond but instead averted his gaze, Elysian stepped forward and said, “Commander, I will take care of this. I have some idea of what happened. Go there quickly and complete our objective.”