In her luxurious private chambers, Lady Seraphina received the urgent news through her personal crystal orb.
The moment she learned that the Third Prince intended to publicly break off his engagement with Lady Reina the very next day, pure malicious joy exploded inside her. A wide, triumphant smile spread across her stunning face as she rose from her seat. She was so ecstatic she could barely stop herself from dancing with glee right there in the middle of the room.
*This is perfect,* she thought gleefully. Reina's reputation was about to be completely ruined by the humiliating scandal. With such a public rejection, it would become far more difficult for the eldest daughter of the First Wife to have any realistic chance at succeeding to the Duke's position.
Filled with delight, Lady Seraphina decided to visit Elias—her favorite stepson—right away. Just the thought of him sent a rush of heat surging through her body. Unable to control herself, she subtly rubbed her thick, plush thighs together beneath her elegant dress, squeezing them tightly as slick arousal pooled hot and wet between her legs. A soft, needy sigh escaped her lips.
Even though Reina was weak and soft-hearted, she was still the eldest daughter. There had always been a lingering possibility that she could cause trouble in the succession. But now, with the Third Prince about to publicly break off the engagement with Lady Reina, that lingering threat was gone forever.
Seraphina's smile deepened into something dark and hungry. She adjusted the front of her dress, feeling the damp heat between her thighs, and headed straight for Elias's quarters.
Seraphina strode through the corridors with eager steps, her body still humming with anticipation.
Inside the dimly lit private office, Elias rubbed his brows in frustration and let out a long, weary sigh. He collapsed onto the sofa, eyes heavy with exhaustion after the shocking revelations.
"Reginald," he muttered, "give me a cigarette."
The old butler shook his head calmly. Instead of reaching for tobacco, he retrieved a bottle of premium cherry blossom liquor from Lord Valerian's private collection. He poured a generous measure into a crystal glass and handed it to Elias.
"Young Master," Reginald said in his steady voice, "if you start smoking, you won't stop. But with liquor, at least you will eventually stop."
Just as Elias lifted the fragrant glass to his lips, the door to the private office burst open with dramatic force.
Lady Seraphina strode inside, her stunning face glowing with unrestrained excitement and joy. She still had no idea about the shocking display of power Lady Reina had shown earlier in the dojo.
The moment she saw Elias holding the glass, her full lips curved into a playful pout.
"Did you start the party without me?" she teased in a sultry voice, walking toward the sofa with sensual, swaying steps that made her hips and breasts move enticingly beneath her elegant dress.
Reginald greeted her with a respectful bow. Seraphina paused briefly and returned a polite nod. She then turned toward Lord Valerian Nightshade and offered him a deep, elegantly respectful bow. The old spymaster simply nodded in acknowledgment, his expression calm and unreadable as ever.
Then, with a bright, radiant smile, Lady Seraphina sank gracefully onto the sofa right beside Elias. The soft cushions dipped under her curvaceous figure as she leaned in close, her thigh pressing warmly against his.
She reached for the bottle of cherry blossom liquor and poured herself a generous measure before bringing the crystal glass to her full lips and drinking deeply.
She cleared her throat softly in a dignified manner. "Ahem… ahem."
Hearing this, both Reginald Voss and Lord Valerian Nightshade rolled their eyes in perfect unison. Without a single word, the two men stood up and quietly exited the room.
As he walked out, Lord Valerian couldn't help but glance back at his grandson. Even though the seductive fourth wife—Elias's own stepmother—was sitting right beside him happily sharing the liquor, the young man remained completely lost in his own thoughts.
Valerian sighed inwardly. *Why is he so fixated on securing the Duke's position for someone else? If he's this worried, he could easily compete for it himself.* He shook his head. *I still don't know what that boy is truly planning.*
With a soft click, the door closed behind them, leaving Elias and Seraphina completely alone in the dimly lit room.
Meanwhile, inside the vast, shadowy halls of the Obsidian Veil—the duchy's most powerful and secretive intelligence and espionage headquarters—the two men walked side by side through the endless corridors of ancient stone and glowing runes.
Lord Valerian Nightshade eventually broke the comfortable silence with a casual question. "So, how are things going in the Duke's house these days?"
Reginald Voss felt the corner of his mouth twitch. *Seriously? He's asking me for information about the Duke's own house?* Although he knew it was nothing more than idle conversation, the question still felt absurd coming from the man who probably knew more secrets than anyone else alive.
Reginald cleared his throat and replied respectfully, "The Duke's house is fine, sir."
Lord Valerian waved his hand with a low chuckle. "Drop the act now, buddy. We're alone. You can relax."
Reginald's stormy grey eyes flickered for a brief second. Then he nodded and let his rigid posture ease.
Valerian continued without missing a beat. "What is my grandson planning?"
Reginald offered a silent apology in his heart. *Young Master… please don't misunderstand. Even if I didn't speak, your grandfather would find out eventually anyway.*
He cleared his throat and spoke in a casual tone.
"It isn't some grand scheme, really. The fourth young master—Lady Seraphina's son—is a typical spoiled heir who only cares about living in luxury. Lady Seraphina herself comes from a merchant family and has never been much of a political schemer. Elias believes that if he can fully win over this faction and place the fourth young master on the Duke's throne, he can control the entire household from behind the scenes. At the same time, he can expand his influence both inside and outside the duchy by leveraging Lady Seraphina's merchant networks, eventually building his own independent business empire."
Lord Valerian Nightshade raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
Although what Reginald had described appeared straightforward on the surface, a deeper look revealed a rather clever and ambitious strategy.
Lord Valerian couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Although he claims to hate his father, the Duke, the boy truly thinks exactly like him, don't you think?"
Reginald nodded in agreement.
Both men wore identical smiles. They knew the truth well.
The union between Elias's mother—the battle-hardened Holy Knight—and his father—the cunning Duke—had produced exceptional offspring. But Elias had inherited the finest qualities from each: his mother's fierce, unyielding spirit tempered in countless battles, and his father's sharp, calculating intellect.
This rare blend made him far more exceptional—and far more dangerous—than any of his siblings.