"Brother, what are you zoning out for? Did you know I called you for the 3rd time now." Amelia said, and saw that instead of replying to her back, her brother's again lost in his dreams, staring at her.
Amelia sighed and muttered "First lazy and now deaf. What will happen to my brother now."
Rio looked at her with a confused expression, as she tugged his shirt and proudly said "Worry not, for I, your smart and sensible sister should save you from your .. "
Amelia stopped mid sentence forgetting what was the word to call someone dumb, she pressed her hand on her chin with a thoughtful expression.
"Stupid, that's what you're looking for right." Rio said.
"Yes, I will save you from your stupid, brother." Amelia said happily, but then a slap in her head shaked her up. "Ouch"
"That's what you get for making fun of your big brother." Rio said.
"Humph, bad brother. Don't make me mad or I'll complain about you to your wife. Then you'd be silent just like father hehehe." Amelia said with a sheepish smile, still talking about the marriage topic that she heard between him and Rebecca.
Though surprised when she learned about it, now she had no problems with anything, after all why would she, in her eyes, a marriage is just when you bring someone else into your house for life. And she's actually quite happy that her best friend would be living together with her.
She was happily jumping around yesterday, talking about all the games they'll play together and sweets they'll try. How they'll both beat this big lazy brother, and he would have to keep silent, just like how their father keeps shush in front of mama.
Though her fantasies were broken when her mother and brother said, it was just a joke, and marriage doesn't happen until they're grown ups. But that still didn't stop her from making fun of these two. She was even bullying the princess in her own palace yesterday.
"I didn't know my daughter would talk like that about her father."
Amelia, who was laughing heartily looking at her brother who was silent after her wonderful remark, which she thought was a perfect shot to shut his mouth, heard someone speaking and when she turned around, she realized why her brother was silently smiling.
After throwing an angry glare at him, which meant I'll settle this account later. She turned to her father, as her facial expressions did another 180° shift and turned into a wronged girl, who just fell into a trap.
"Ahh father, when did you come?"
"Just when you were saying I'm scared of your mother." Agnus said playfully, making Amelia flustered.
"That, wh_ who said that? Definitely not me. Ha haha, it must be brother. He's the one who's saying that." Amelia exasperatedly said, trying to cover her white lies, with her innocent smile and stuttering words.
"Unless I'm getting old and my ears stopped working, I'm sure I heard your voice." Agnus said playfully.
"You did." Amelia muttered slowly, but then "ahh that's brother too. He's been mimicking my voice. I even caught him yesterday practicing it." She slammed her fist on her palm and excitedly said "Yes, now I know, he's trying to break our team father, you should punish him. How dare he copy my voice."
Hearing her lies that she spooked out in one full breath, Agnus could only chuckle. "Is that so?"
"Wow, sister. You're getting better and better at your excuses. Why don't we ask Aina who said that? She's been here from the beginning." Rio said pointing towards his maid, who's been standing by the side, trying to control her laughter looking at the little girl, whose face paled seeing her there.
"Father, I _ I was just. Hmm did Rebecca just call me. Seriously she can't do anything without me. We're getting late for the party. I'll go ahead father, I'm hungry. I mean I'll help her." Amelia said, whatever her little brain could think of, and left in a hurry, escaping the crime scene, while cursing this brother who simply stood there and didn't help her. 'I should really complain about him hehe'
After Amelia left, Agnus turned his attention towards Rio, his smiling expression gone from his face, as he took on his stern, serious Duke face. "I heard what happened."
"It was nothing father. We just talked about the engagement." Rio said, knowing that someone must've informed Agnus about the conversation he had with the king.
"I also heard you initiated the business deal that your mother was supposed to start next month." Agnus informed him, clearly showing he shouldn't lie to stuff he's saying. Just because he didn't ask directly, didn't mean he didn't care or didn't know anything.
Rio wanted to come up with some excuse or lies, about why he started the talks about potion deals with Maximus early.
There was a reason for it, but he couldn't say that he did it so he can promote his product on princess at the party, and ruin the plotline.
"Th that was." But there wasn't any excuse that he could come up with. It really was hard to lie sometimes.
"Your sister isn't the only one who's getting better at her excuses and lies, my son.You have our support, but don't let that be your source of arrogance.
Sometimes, some things are better left in the hands of someone else, even if you can do them too.
The one who speaks and when he speaks, is very important when dealing with business matters."
Agnus said, hinting about how, because Rio initiated this topic early withput any preparation and support, and how Maximus was able to secure the deal which clearly gave him more profits, due to him using the canceled engagement talks as an excuse. Had it been 2-3 days later, when he was present, or when the Raven family was present too, the king wouldn't have demanded such outrageous profits.
Though the formula and the product was in their hands, the king who did nothing, would simply take one fourth of the profits. Just for allowing them to sell it openly in Schilla.
But what was done was done, Artemis had agreed to the deal anyways, and it wasn't like their family lacked anything. Let alone this chunk of coins.
Even if the king controlled Schilla, he who knew the effects of potion, was sure they would still earn 100 times more once the potion was sold outside of Schilla, or through the channels of Raven family in auctions and their black markets.
Agnus only talked about this topic, because he wanted to teach Rio about how sometimes, the one who starts the talks loses the high ground, cause they seem to be the one asking for the help or partnership.
If the potion was sold in Damascus first, and people knew its effects, the hype for it would've been high, if they just sold it in some auctions first or to some nobles first, then the demand would've been high, and then, it would've been the king who'd ask them to sell the potion in Haven, even offering something in return. But it was all wasted since Rio already talked with the king and his wife agreed to it.
"I understand father. I'll be careful next time." Rio said, keeping his head low. He understood how just for messing up the plotline and changing this event, he ignored the simple thing about starting a business. In his mind stopping the plotline, took priority as the thought about the profits didn't even matter to him.
'Well, the potion would still earn shit tons of gold, I can just create another one later. Maybe the one for aura which I'll need too.' Rio thought.
"Come, let's go now. Your grandfather's waiting." Agnus, unaware of how his son was planning to ruin another event fixed for a certain musclehead heroine, spoke and brought him back to reality, while also giving him a shocking news.
"Grandfather came. I thought they were planning to enter the Nirschet Mountain towers." Rio remembered the details about the grandfather that he has yet to meet after coming to Arcadia.
According to the hints from plot and the news he heard in the mansion, Samuel Noir Blake was supposed to enter Nirschet towers around this time and would stay there for the next 2 years.
In the plot He only returned to Damascus after Noah's prophecy about him being the devil spread everywhere. It was only the effect of him being there, which suppressed the rumors in the first place, and why the fanatics from the church of Cassandra didn't just outright declare the Blake's as heretics.
Knowing full well how strong and unreasonable the guy could be. While the heads of Blake's and Raven's were strong too, they were also people who could be reasoned with, but everyone knew if this old geezer went nuts, he'd simply slaughter their whole church and laugh at their graves.
That's why no one acted out and kept silent till he was alive, only after his death did everyone start rallying against the Blake family.
But now Rio couldn't be sure what would happen, when he'd return home, or how the story would be changed due to the curse accident and Noah's death, which changed the plotlines.
Maybe he'll stay at the tower for some more time or maybe he'll come back early. He didn't know.
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A/N - first of all, join my discord (https://discord.gg/zFTJsYP7kM -- DevilDarkness#0506)
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