Chapter 12 The False Report

The sun was high in the sky when a loud horse whinny echoed through the front gates of the mansion. A royal messenger, dressed in the bright blue colors of the Capital guards, rode his large horse straight into the dirty courtyard.

Inside the main sitting room, Aurelia stood by the window, watching the man arrive. Her hand was buried deep in her dress pocket, her fingers tightly gripping a folded piece of paper. It was a secret letter she had written to her father, Duke Vance, during the early hours of the morning. In it, she detailed the bizarre events of the town, the sudden behavioral changes of Captain Boros and Merchant Donald, and her deep fear that a hidden enemy was manipulating everything from the dark. She needed her father's intelligence network to find out who was pulling the strings.

The door to the sitting room opened, and Kaelen was rolled inside by Captain Vance. Kaelen looked exceptionally weak today. The silver strands in his hair seemed to catch the light, making him look even more fragile.

"Are you ready for this, Kaelen?" Aurelia asked, her voice dropping to a low whisper as she walked away from the window. "Cedric’s man is here. He is not a friend."

Kaelen looked up at her, his eyes watery and tired. He let out a dry, raspy cough into his sleeve before answering. "I am just... I am very tired today, Lady Aurelia. I hope he does not stay long. My chest hurts when the air changes."

Before Aurelia could respond, the front door was kicked open, and the royal messenger strode into the room. He did not bow. He kept his muddy leather boots on, stepping right onto the clean rug.

"Well, Prince Kaelen," the messenger said, his voice loud and full of arrogance. "Crown Prince Cedric sent me to see if you were still enjoying your new home. He wanted to ensure his favorite little brother was settling in well."

Kaelen flinched at the loud voice, pulling the blanket higher up his chest. "Please... tell my brother I thank him for his concern. I am trying my best to survive."

"Survive?" The messenger laughed loudly, walking in a circle around the wheelchair. "You look like you are about to fall into a grave. Look at you. Your hair is turning grey, your skin looks like a corpse, and you can barely speak without choking. Cedric will be very pleased to hear that the border air is doing its job."

Aurelia stepped between the messenger and Kaelen, her eyes flashing with anger. "Watch your tongue. Even in exile, he is still a prince of the bloodline. You are a mere messenger from the Capital."

"Ah, Lady Aurelia," the messenger said, his smile turning mockingly polite. "I apologize. But let us be honest. The Emperor has forgotten about this place, and the Crown Prince is the one who signs my pay papers. I only report the truth. And the truth is, the fourth prince is a dying wreck."

Kaelen coughed again, longer this time, his whole body shaking in the chair. He reached out with a trembling hand, grabbing Aurelia’s sleeve. "Please, do not argue... it is fine. I do not want any trouble."

The messenger snorted in disgust. "Useless as always. I have seen enough. I will ride back to the Capital immediately and tell Prince Cedric that he has absolutely nothing to worry about. You won't last until the winter frost arrives."

"Wait," Aurelia said, stepping forward as the messenger turned to leave. She pulled the folded paper from her pocket. "Since you are returning to the Capital, you will deliver a message to my father, Duke Vance. Tell him I require his advice on the estate management."

"Of course, milady," the messenger said, reaching out his hand. "The Crown Prince told me to allow ordinary family letters. I will take it."

As Aurelia moved to hand the paper over, Captain Vance stepped forward to adjust Kaelen's blanket, his large frame passing directly between Aurelia and the messenger for a brief second. His movements were smooth, ordinary, and fast. Under the cover of his wide body, his fingers slipped into Aurelia's hand, expertly sliding her real letter out and replacing it with an identical folded parchment he had hidden in his cuff. The switch took less than a moment.

Aurelia, entirely unaware of the trick, handed the folded paper to the messenger. The messenger slipped it into his leather pouch, gave a lazy salute, and marched out of the room. A minute later, the sound of his horse's hooves faded away into the distance.

Aurelia let out a long breath, a small sense of relief washing over her. Once my father gets that letter, he will send help, she thought to herself. He will find the mastermind.

She turned around to look at Kaelen, intending to tell him to go rest. But as she did, she noticed Captain Vance standing quietly near the door, his hands behind his back. Something about his posture felt slightly off. She looked down at the floor near his boots and saw a tiny corner of white paper peeking out from inside the captain's heavy leather glove.

Aurelia’s eyes went sharp. She walked over to the captain, her voice turning dangerous. "Captain Vance. What is that in your glove?"

Captain Vance did not look nervous. His face remained perfectly blank, his eyes dull and empty as he pulled the paper out and held it out to her without a word.

Aurelia snatched it from his fingers and unfolded it. Her breath caught in her throat. It was her real letter. The ink was her own handwriting, describing the strange behavior of Boros and Donald, asking her father for an army to uncover the secret boss.

"You..." Aurelia whispered, her heart dropping into her stomach. She looked at the captain in absolute shock. "You switched the letters? What did you give to the messenger?"

"An official update, milady," Captain Vance replied in a flat, calm voice. "The new letter states that Prince Kaelen is managing the town beautifully, that you are very happy in your marriage, and that the mansion requires no assistance from the Capital. It was signed with your family name."

"Are you insane?" Aurelia screamed, grabbing the captain’s collar. "You serve the Vance family! Why are you doing this? Who told you to do this?"

Captain Vance did not answer. He did not fight back or try to remove her hands. He simply stood there like a stone wall, his empty eyes staring right through her. He looked completely unreachable, completely trapped under a spell she could not break.

Aurelia slowly let go of his collar, her hands shaking with a sudden, overwhelming terror. She turned her head and looked across the room.

Kaelen was still sitting in his wheelchair under his blanket. He looked like a harmless, sick child who didn't understand the world around him.

But Aurelia could feel the cold truth settling into the room.

The guards were not acting on Cedric's orders.