Chapter 121: Moan in the Dark
In the streets of Demor’s capital, the church was distributing food and warm clothing to those who passed by.
Lisbeth Vitalis stood at the forefront, leading the entire effort.
People stood in line and gazed with adoration at Demor’s "saint."
Our protagonist was walking through those same streets at that moment.
Cassian’s eyes fixed on the woman, who looked exhausted, and he shook his head in disgust.
The young fanatic seemed to notice his presence. She paused for a moment and approached him.
"You should hide that rotten personality of yours a little better."
He raised an eyebrow and asked:
"Did I say something?"
"Your face says it all. I suppose someone who has no interest in finding out who killed so many people is the same person who wouldn’t enjoy seeing others helping each other."
"At least I don’t cry in every corner."
She stared at him for a moment, frozen.
"Cynic," she whispered.
And, as if it weren’t worth continuing the conversation, she walked away with an angry expression. Cassian remained there for a moment, watching the children receiving help with cold eyes.
"Useless..."
He turned around and headed toward a certain establishment, passing through the city’s commercial center.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, the place revealed its true nature.
The dense air of Demor’s streets was left behind, replaced by the deep aroma of old wood, antique furniture varnish, and high-quality tobacco.
From the back of the room, the notes of a piano and a violin flowed with impeccable elegance.
It was a slow, classical piece that seemed to float through the air, enveloping the place in an atmosphere of absolute warmth that clashed completely with the misery and cold outside.
The lighting was dim and strategic.
At the far end, an imposing polished mahogany bar gleamed under the reflection of imported bottles.
It was a sanctuary of discreet luxury and controlled hypocrisy.
Cassian had asked Elizabeth to build it.
At first, he thought it would be good for gathering information, but the atmosphere they achieved ended up making him come there to pass the time whenever he needed a change of scenery.
With a glass of the best whisky in the house in hand and darkened eyes, Cassian noticed that a drunk man in the armchairs and he were the only ones in the place.
However, someone had been following him for a while.
The person didn’t take long to settle beside him at the bar and discreetly order a drink.
"Why is the Duchess of Valois in a place like this?" he asked.
Cordelia stopped and fixed her gaze on him.
She smiled confidently as she took the drink that had just been prepared for her.
"I thought I’d move our meeting forward... When they told me you went out alone—something you don’t usually do—it made me curious."
He leaned against the bar and looked at her, searching for the truth in her eyes.
She glanced around.
"It’s a nice bar."
"Mmm..." he replied, uninterested.
"Didn’t you want to see me? Although I would have preferred to welcome you with one of my teas, I suppose this isn’t bad."
"Why are you supporting Leonardo so strongly?"
The question caught Cordelia off guard.
Her confidence cracked for a moment as she stared intently at the man in front of her.
"What makes you think I’m supporting him?"
"Rumors are circulating that your husband is giving large sums of money to the Vitalis family."
"It seems you have excellent information management," she sighed. "But why are you asking if you already know about my relationship with Caelia?"
He looked at her as if the answer were obvious.
"I also know that she most likely told you to stop, but you ignored her, didn’t you? Why?"
Cassian had a vague idea of the reason, but he still wanted to hear it from her own lips.
She turned away and remained still for a moment, carefully considering her words.
"I simply choose the winner," she finally answered. "Caelia can play along now to please you all she wants, but there’s too much at stake, and it has been for a long time. Whatever you think you’re playing at here is not something you can control. I’m covering my back—and hers. Don’t get mad; I like Elara, even though I haven’t known her very well."
"Basically, you think Elara is going to lose?"
"I don’t think so, Cassian. I know it," she replied. "You’re my daughter’s fiancé now. Believe me, even if I don’t fully agree, I’ve always made sure the people I care about are safe. So don’t thank me when reality catches up with you."
"The reality, huh?" Cassian flashed a cold smile. "Very well. I want to see what makes you so sure of everything, Cordelia."
A thick tension settled between the duchess and him.
The stiffness in the air broke when Cassian downed the rest of his drink in one gulp.
He stood up to look down at her, wearing a smile that screamed blind confidence.
"It’s on me. I’m afraid it will soon become difficult for you to pay."
A clear crack of annoyance appeared on the duchess’s perfect facade, though it lasted no more than a blink before she repaired it with a soft, disdainful laugh.
...
In the palace, the emperor had a bad feeling.
Night had fallen too quickly amid all the imperial affairs he had dealt with during the day.
To clear his mind, he had gone to visit one of his concubines and, at that moment, was having a good time.
"Ah... Elizabeth!" he cried out in the midst of his delirium.
The woman beneath him didn’t feel the need to correct him; she simply rolled her eyes and continued with the act.
The royal chamber was wrapped in a warm, seemingly harmless atmosphere.
However, the emperor would not wake up as usual the next day.
The following morning, when the royal guards came to fetch him, chaos had already erupted in the room.
The concubine, sitting beside him on the bed, looked terrified at the man she had just woken up next to.
The monarch lay completely rigid, his eyes open and fixed on the ceiling, unable to make a sound or move a single finger.
The woman’s heart-wrenching screams quickly alerted the guards, who burst in without thinking.
The Gu of Silence would not kill the emperor, but no one would doubt that the need for a replacement was urgent—or at least, there would be no doubt once the doctors confirmed that Alric Heidelberg Demor had become a paralyzed man who could only let out small moans from his mouth.
