"Insolent!" Mina snapped, her eyes blazing with fury as she glared at Jesse. Her dagger spun in her hand, the blade catching the candlelight in a sharp, menacing arc. The air in the study grew tense, the beastgirls' ears twitching as they sensed the rising hostility.
Ayesha stomped her foot, the floorboards creaking under the force. She raised her hand, palm open toward Jesse, her voice icy. "One more word against the Master, and I'll crush you!" Her purple eyes burned with barely restrained aggression, her cow-like horns casting faint shadows on the wall.
"You…" Jesse's face twisted with indignation, his mouth opening to retort. But the sight of Ayesha's raised hand and Mina's spinning dagger silenced him. Fear flickered in his eyes—he wasn't foolish enough to risk his life against these beastgirls, whose strength and ferocity were far beyond his own. Swallowing his pride, he clamped his mouth shut, his expression sour.
Lucas leaned forward, his hands clasped on the desk, his voice growing colder with each word. "I think Viscount Jesse hasn't grasped the situation yet." His dark eyes bored into the noble, sharp and unyielding. "We're not fools, so spare us the words that demean your status."
"Hmph! I don't know what you're talking about," Jesse huffed, his voice laced with defiance. Admit he had come to seize Sedona City? Never. One wrong word, and he'd be torn apart by these savage beastgirls. His pride stung, but survival trumped ego.
"Don't play dumb," Mina said, her voice dripping with menace. Her eyes flicked to Mira, a silent accusation in her gaze. "Your plot's been exposed—hiring an assassin to kidnap the Master, then swooping in to take Sedona City."
Her words sent a ripple of realization through the room. The beastgirls' gazes snapped to Mira, their expressions a mix of shock and suspicion. 'So that's why she's here,' Annie thought, her fox tail swishing as she pieced it together. Mira's mission to kidnap Lucas was now clear, but her apparent defection raised more questions than answers.
"You…" Jesse's eyes widened, his pupils trembling as he stared at Mina. 'Those damned bounty guild rats betrayed me!' he thought, his mind seething with rage. The guild had promised discretion, yet here he was, exposed before his enemies.
"It seems Viscount Jesse doesn't deny it," Lucas said, his tone calm but cutting, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Jesse protested, his voice rising with feigned outrage. "I came on behalf of my father, Count George, with sincere intentions to visit the nobles of these cities. Yet you ambushed us!" His words grew louder, his posture straightening as if he were the wronged party, a victim of unprovoked aggression. In his mind, denial was his shield—admitting his true purpose would be suicide. By invoking his father's name, he believed himself untouchable, at least in the western lands. 'No one would dare harm the son of Count George,' He thought, clinging to that fragile hope.
"Still lying?" Mina's eyes narrowed, a cold smile curling her lips. With a flick of her wrist, her dagger sailed through the air, slicing past Jesse's cheek. A thin line of blood appeared, crimson droplets sliding down his face.
Jesse's breath caught, his legs trembling as he touched his cheek, his hand coming away stained with blood. "Blood… blood!" He stammered, his voice rising to a panicked wail. "Help me! I'm dying! I'm dying!" His eyes locked onto the scarlet smear on his palm, his fear spiraling into hysteria.
"Shut up, or I'll make it worse," Mina snapped, her voice like a whip. Another dagger appeared in her hand, her stance radiating menace. 'I won't let the Master dirty his hands with this coward,' She thought, her protective instincts flaring.
Jesse's screams cut off abruptly, his throat constricting as if gripped by an invisible hand. His eyes darted between Mina and her dagger, terror silencing his protests.
"Speak," Lucas said, his voice devoid of warmth. "Tell me why you came to Sedona City, and I'll have your wound tended to."
"I…" Jesse's lips trembled, his gaze dropping to the blood on his hand. A flicker of defiance crossed his face, but fear overwhelmed it. He was cornered, and he knew it.
"Speak, or I'll give you another cut," Mina said, her voice low and dangerous. She had seen through Jesse's facade—a spineless noble who crumbled at the first threat to his life, just like so many others.
"I'll talk!" Jesse blurted, his voice cracking with desperation. He couldn't risk another slash from that cat-eared beastgirl.
"Your purpose in Sedona City," Lucas prompted, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. His dark eyes gleamed with curiosity. Count George had sent all three of his sons to the western lands, each with significant knightly forces. Lucas wanted to know why—whether this was a prelude to war or another probing maneuver.
"We… we just wanted a city to station our knights," Jesse said hurriedly, his words tumbling out. "To train them." He kept his explanation vague, hoping to avoid further punishment. Admitting too much could cost him another wound—or worse.
"For what purpose?" Lucas asked, his eyes narrowing as his mind raced. Several possibilities flickered through his thoughts—ambition, rebellion, or something more sinister.
Jesse hesitated, his jaw tightening. "To… support the Fourth Prince's claim to the throne," He said, biting out the words.
"So, a rebellion," Lucas said, his smile widening. It aligned with his suspicions. The pieces were falling into place.
"It's not rebellion!" Jesse protested, his voice rising. "The throne is open to any prince!" Admitting to treason would doom his family to noble retribution, and he wasn't that foolish.
"The throne," Mina said, exchanging a glance with Annie. Their eyes reflected a shared understanding—this was no small matter. The implications rippled far beyond Sedona City.
Mira's green eyes flickered, her mind racing. 'This is critical information,' She thought. The struggle for the throne could offer opportunities for the bird beastkin, a chance for Big Sister to carve out a future for their clan. She filed the knowledge away, knowing it would be invaluable when she reported back.
"You're recruiting knights for this cause," Lucas said, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk. "Which princes are vying for the throne?"
"The First, Second, and Fourth Princes," Jesse said quickly, pressing his hand to his bleeding cheek. Pain and fear sharpened his voice.
"Is the old king gravely ill, or has he named candidates?" Lucas asked, cutting to the heart of the matter. The distinction was crucial—illness would spark chaos, while a formal selection would structure the conflict.
"He's ill," Jesse said, his voice tight with anxiety. "That's what my father said."
Lucas's eyebrow arched, his mind whirring. 'The old king's illness is a spark in a powder keg,' He thought. It gave the princes an opening to seize power, each believing the throne was within reach. Civil war in the Kingdom of Siacan was no longer a distant threat—it was imminent.
"I've told you everything!" Jesse pleaded, his voice desperate. "Please, stop the bleeding!" His head spun, the blood loss making him dizzy.
"Take him away," Lucas said, waving a hand dismissively.
"Wait! You can't hold me!" Jesse shouted, his eyes wide with panic. "Let me go, or my father, Count George, will come for me himself!"
"Shut up and move," Aiden growled, seizing Jesse by the scruff of his neck. His massive hand silenced the noble's protests, dragging him out of the room despite his futile struggles.
Mira stood abruptly, her wings rustling. "Lord Lucas, I must take my leave," She said, her voice steady but urgent. "I've been away too long, and I need to report back about Amelia."
"Very well," Lucas said, nodding. He turned to Nico. "Prepare some wheat for her journey."
"Yes, master," Nicole replied softly, her gray eyes warm with compliance.
"Lord Lucas, please take care of Amelia," Mira said, her tone earnest. The journey back to Stone Mountain would take over a month—she couldn't truly fly, after all—and she wanted assurance that Amelia would be safe in her absence.
"You don't need to ask," Lucas said calmly, his expression softening. "I'll look after her."
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