Chapter 4 The Snake in the Garden

The glowing blue text in the sky vanished. Rudy focused back on Bella. She stayed a few feet away, her hand still near her waist, ready to strike if he made a wrong move.

"Are you going to answer me, or just stand there staring at the sky?" Bella asked. Her voice was cold.

Rudy kept his face perfectly still. "My father is waiting. If you want to stay out here and get yelled at by more guards, that is your choice. But I am not waiting."

He turned and walked down the path. Soon, he heard the quiet sound of her footsteps behind him.

They walked through the grand pathways of the estate. The gardens were huge, filled with rare blue flowers that glowed with a faint light. To Rudy, the beautiful place felt like a cage.

In the center of the garden, a tall, broad-shouldered man sat under a white canopy. He had gray hair, a stern face, and deep scars on his skin.

Lord Alistair Vance.

Rudy felt a sudden tightness in his chest. His new body wanted to tremble. The old Rudeus was terrified of his father, a cruel man who only cared about power.

"You are late," Alistair said. He did not look up from his papers. His deep voice cut through the quiet garden.

Rudy did not shake. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and crossed one leg over the other. It was a lazy, casual posture. The old Rudeus would never dare to do this.

Bella remained standing a few feet away, her eyes fixed on the grass.

Alistair raised his eyes. When he saw Rudy's relaxed posture, his eyebrows came together in a hard frown.

"Did I give you permission to sit, Rudeus?" Alistair asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous level.

Rudy met his father's gaze directly. "My legs were tired from walking from the stables. Besides, if we are going to have a serious talk, it is better to be comfortable."

Bella’s head snapped up. She stared at Rudy, her eyes wide with shock. She had never seen him speak back to Lord Alistair. Usually, Rudeus would bow his head and beg for forgiveness.

Alistair slammed his hand down on the table, making the teacups shake.

"Keep your tongue in check, boy," the lord hissed. "You are lazy and useless, and now you show disrespect? I can easily strip you of your name and throw you to the streets."

In the air next to Alistair’s head, a tiny piece of old parchment appeared. Fresh lines of text wrote themselves quickly:

Rudeus Vance shrunk back in fear. He instantly fell to his knees, crying and pleading for another chance.

Rudy internally smiled. Not this time.

He picked up an apple from a fruit bowl on the table, tossing it lightly in his hand.

"You won't throw me out, Father," Rudy said, his voice completely calm. "If you do that right before the big event, the other noble houses will talk. It will make the Vance family look weak. You care about your reputation too much."

A heavy silence fell over the garden. Alistair stared at his son, trying to figure out what had changed. There was a cold, calculating spark in Rudy’s eyes that had never been there before.

A bright notification flashed on the floating parchment:

+5 Drops of Ink earned for defying your fated action.

Rudy kept his expression blank. It worked. By refusing to be a coward, he was changing the script.

Alistair leaned back, his anger turning into a cold stare. "It seems you have grown a spine overnight. Good. The Crown Prince, Kaelen Xephyrus, is arriving at our estate in less than a month.

There will be a grand banquet to welcome him."

Rudy stopped tossing the apple. His heart gave a heavy thud. The banquet was the exact night he was supposed to die.

"The Prince is coming here?" Bella whispered. Her voice carried a hint of dread.

Alistair looked at her, his expression hard. "Yes. And you will be ready, Bella. I have ordered the finest tailors to bring dresses to your room. You will wear what you are told, look beautiful, and stay silent. If Prince Kaelen takes an interest in you, you will accept it."

Bella’s hands clenched into tight fists. "Father... I am not a prize to be shown off."

"Your only value to this family is to secure a connection to the throne," Alistair snapped.

Bella bit her lip and looked down at the ground, her body shaking with hidden rage. Rudy knew what she was feeling. In the book, this was the moment she realized she was nothing but a tool to the man who adopted her.

Rudy set the apple down. "And what about me? What is my role?"

"Your role is to stay silent and not embarrass me," Alistair said, pointing a finger at him. "You will sit at the side, stay away from the Prince, and not drink too much. If you make one mistake, I will make sure you regret it."

Rudy gave a slow nod. "Understood. I will be on my best behavior."

Alistair waved his hand. "Get out of my sight, both of you."

Rudy stood up and walked away without bowing. Bella followed a moment later, her footsteps quick and uneven.

As they entered a quiet hallway near the living quarters, she stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.

Rudy stopped. "What are you talking about, Bella? I am your brother."

"No, you are not," she said, shaking her head. "The Rudeus I know would be crying on the floor. He would come to my room later to take his anger out on me. But you stood up to him. You didn't even blink."

She took a step closer, her eyes searching his face. "What kind of game are you playing?"

Rudy looked at her defensive face. He could feel her deep survival instinct driving her words.

"People change when they realize their life is on the line, Bella," Rudy said softly, dropping his voice so the guards couldn't hear. "The banquet is coming, and things are going to get dangerous. Watch your own back."

He stepped around her, leaving her alone in the long, quiet hallway.