The impassive face before him, absorbed in whatever was written on the page, made him feel almost insignificant, as if he were just one more detail in the Duke’s vast, carefully controlled world.
It irritated him, more than he cared to admit.
When the Duke finally finished reading, he folded the letter with deliberate care and looked up, his expression softening instantly as he spotted Lord Thane standing across from him.
A wide, warm smile spread across the Duke’s face, transforming his usually stoic deanor into sothing more approachable, even affectionate.
"Oh, it was you!" the Duke exclaid, rising from his chair with surprising enthusiasm. "Why didn’t you say sothing sooner?"
The Duke, oblivious to Thane’s discomfort, gave him a hearty clap on the back, the sound echoing through the room.
Thane’s smile curled slightly at the Duke’s words, a mix of amusent and familiarity in his expression. "You know , Your Grace," he said smoothly, his tone light but carrying an underlying edge of respect.
The Duke chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that filled the room and seed to shake off the weight of the earlier tension. "That’s right, you protocol-driven bastard," he retorted with a wink, the words laced with playful affection.
Thane couldn’t help but laugh along, the sound coming easier now, a genuine release of tension. "You’re not wrong," he replied, his voice carrying a note of irony, as they both made their way to the nearby couch.
The heavy, upholstered seat lood ahead, soft and inviting, a stark contrast to the rigid posture that both n usually carried.
Thane watched as the Duke’s attention shifted effortlessly from their conversation to the cup of wine that had been sitting on the nearby stool.
The Duke reached for it with a slow, deliberate motion, his fingers curling around the delicate glass as he brought it to his lips.
The liquid inside shimred a deep crimson in the low light of the room, the wine reflecting the flickering flas of the nearby hearth.
The Duke took a long sip, his eyes briefly closing in contentnt as he savored the rich taste. His posture remained relaxed.
A normal noble, of course, would never have thought to leave his drink uncovered, nor would he dare to sip from a cup that had been sitting out in the open for too long.
The fear of poison or so lingering illness that could be transferred through an unattended drink was too great.
But the Duke was not like most nobles.
As we established, the Duke was confident in his abilities to recognize poison and he was also not susceptible to most illnesses.
And so, as he casually reached for the cup that had been sitting on the nearby stool, uncaring of how long it had been there.
The wine had cooled slightly, the once-vibrant warmth of the liquid now a gentle chill, but it didn’t matter to him.
He took the glass without hesitation, bringing it to his lips with the sa practiced ease he used for every other action in his life.
His eyes closed briefly as the rich, smooth taste of the wine slid over his tongue.
Once he set the cup down, the soft clink of it on the wooden stool seed almost like a punctuation mark, emphasizing the calmness of his presence. He looked up at Lord Thane with a knowing smile, his eyes gleaming with that sa confident ease.
"So how was the journey?", The Duke said, looking at Lord Thane with a satisfied smile, before reaching for his wine again.
Thane watched him, an eyebrow raised in silent curiosity, his gaze following the Duke’s every movent.
"The journey? Won’t you ask about the mission?", Lord Thane finally asked.
The Duke took a sip, closing his eyes for a mont as he savored the taste, and then set the cup down with a soft clink. He turned to Lord Thane, his face breaking into an easy grin, the kind that spoke of both familiarity and a touch of playful mockery.
"Oh please," the Duke continued, waving a dismissive hand. "Those monsters didn’t stand a chance once you got there. I don’t need to ask to know that."
His tone was filled with confidence, bordering on arrogance, as if the outco of the mission had never been in doubt. For him, there was no question that Lord Thane would have handled the situation with his usual efficiency and strength.
Lord Thane’s lips curled into a pleased smile as the Duke’s praise washed over him.
"Well, if you say so, Your Grace," Thane replied, his voice smooth, the smile lingering on his lips.
He leaned back slightly, settling into the comfortable armchair opposite the Duke, his posture still commanding, but relaxed. The mission, despite being riddled with monts of tedium and quiet tension, had ended in success—sothing that always pleased him, though he didn’t show it outwardly.
"The journey was quite stressful," Thane continued, his tone dropping into sothing more thoughtful, as he began to recount the less glamorous parts of his trip. "Mostly, it was boring, though." His fingers tapped absentmindedly on the armrest, recalling the long stretches of solitude, the endless hours with only the road to keep him company. "The days blurred into one another, just endless travel, keeping my mind sharp, constantly alert. But for the most part, there was nothing of consequence to keep on edge."
"Not surprised", The Duke replied.
"I heard the young heir suddenly discovered mana within himself," Thane said, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of curiosity.
He had been expecting so form of reaction from the Duke, but his calm response only made Thane more interested in what the Duke would say next.
The Duke shrugged proudly, as though the discovery of the young heir’s mana was little more than a passing inconvenience.
"Ah, well, I suppose news travels fast," he replied, his voice calm and unaffected. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the edge of his wine cup.
"Well, yes, it was just a day ago, in fact. He had been fighting another boy when he used so skills."
Thane couldn’t hide the flicker of surprise in his eyes.
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