283 Small Talks
As soon as Everard was full, he got up from his chair so that he could head for the distilleries to inspect them. He also wanted to confiscate the ledgers that were maintained by those distilleries so that he could see how much profit they were actually making, and find out if they were cheating taxes.
As he was about to leave, his eyes suddenly fell on the servants and maids who were standing in line, a little further away from where the table was. For the first time, he noticed how they weren’t his usual maids and servants but those who used to serve his father.
Although he didn’t even recall what he just had for lunch, Everard gave a nod to them and said, “The food was good. I enjoyed it.”
He then left from there while being followed by his guards and headed straight towards the front gate of the castle.
He met Jerome midway and asked, “Are the carriages ready?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Jerome replied and returned back towards the parking area along with the King.
Everard quickly got inside the royal carriage and when he saw Jerome who was about to go and sit in another carriage, he asked, “Why don’t you sit with me? I have a few things that I need to ask you while we are on the way.”
“Ah! Of course, Your Majesty,” Jerome gladly climbed the same carriage as the King.
“Where are we heading first? Which distillery?” Everard asked Jerome.
.....
And Jerome replied, “I thought that we could first go to the one that is close to alpha Romulus’ manor. That is where alpha is usually found. If you had any queries about the distillery then you could directly ask him.”
“Hmm…” Everard hummed and went silent for a while. He thought that rather than beating around the bush by asking other employees of the facility, it would be better to directly ask the person in question.
“Okay, let’s head there then.” He gave the permission to Jerome.
And Jerome informed the coachman about their unchanged destination for their short journey.
The royal guards also mounted their horses and began riding alongside the carriage of their King.
Everard closed his eyes and rested his head on the cushion. He started wondering if this was the reason why Romulus was hovering around him ever since he came back to the Kingdom.
‘Did he need me to do him a favor by reducing the taxes that he owes? Was that why he was trying so hard to get on my good side?’
After traveling a short distance, he opened his eyes and then asked Jerome, “What do you think of alpha Romulus?”
Jerome knitted his brows in confusion and asked, “What do I think of him as in...?”
“As in, how do you find him as a person?” Everard clarified what he wanted to know from the beta candidate.
Jerome thought for a while and then replied, “I don’t know him personally. But judging from what others say about him, and my short interaction with him a few days ago, I find him to be a responsible person. He is very dedicated to everything that he does. I think that is the reason why he successfully became the youngest alpha.”
“Isn’t it because his father died?” Everard bluntly asked while showing no emotion on his face. And he even went as far as saying, “After taking the oath in the coming full moon, I think I will take over his position of being the youngest alpha.”
Jerome smiled uncomfortably and then replied, “That is one factor. But the moon goddess won’t just accept anyone as the alpha. They should have that quality in them. And there is a chance that the alpha candidate will get rejected in the ceremony if he or she doesn’t possess those qualities.”
“Hmm…” Everard clenched his teeth and then looked out of the window. He didn’t think that being cunning was one of the traits necessary to become an alpha. He wanted to reveal the outrageous things that Romulus had said to him once, but he decided not to.
Instead, he wanted to ask Jerome something that was bothering him. “Let me ask you something personal. Feel free to answer me without hiding your true emotion.”
After getting a nod from Jerome, Everard asked, “Why do you want to be my beta? I heard that no young ones applied for candidacy after finding out that you were going to be competing for the position. Don’t you think it is about time you retire from beta’s position and give the chance to younger people?”
Jerome looked at the face of the young King. The once cheerful boy had now turned into someone serious. The innocence in his eyes had been replaced by emptiness.
He took a deep breath and then replied, “I had promised your father that I would look after you until the day I die. And I intend to keep that promise. Also, I believe that I am still capable enough to guide you and be a pillar that you can rely upon.”
Everard felt a prick in his heart upon the mention of his father. He slowly turned his head to look at Jerome and asked, “Can you fully devote yourself to me without holding any reservation in your heart? You can no longer treat me as a mere shadow or replacement of my father if I am to choose you as my beta. I want you to treat me as me.”
Jerome smiled and nodded his head without even thinking for a second. “I deeply respect your father. And the respect that I have towards him in my heart won’t go anywhere. However, I also equally respect you, not because you are his son, but because you are the King who I serve now.”
Jerome further spoke from the depth of his heart, “And if you are going to be the alpha, I want to support you as your beta. It is true that I have been treating you as a kid until now. That is because I see you as someone in need of my guidance. And I want to keep on guiding you until you become capable to take decisions on your own.”
“After you see me as a capable person, you are going to leave my side then?” Everard asked while narrowing his eyes at Jerome.
Although he didn’t like this old man that much because of how he constantly kept on nagging him about every small thing, after listening to him, he found out that he wasn’t ready to let this old man retire yet. After all, Jerome was the only person who was close to a father figure to him now.
Jerome smiled and replied, “After I see you as a capable person, I will keep on watching you from the shadows. I will only intervene when I feel like you are walking down the wrong path. Else, I will support you until my last breath.”
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