A Beast's Tale

Chapter 51

 Leon's office door was open. I heard a woman's raised voice well down the hall, one who I recognized, though she made herself scarce in my presence: Theresa, Leon's maid. Scolding him about the deplorable condition of his office again. It was a useless endeavor, and yet she persisted. When I glanced through the doorway as I passed, the fiery redhead stood amidst a mess of empty wine bottles, dirty dishes, maps, books, and paperwork, hands on her hips, while Yves stood off to the side, arms crossed over his chest and a smug smile on his lips, and Jin, Leon, and Licht stared at the floor, suitably chagrined. Jin snuck a glance at me and seized his opportunity.

"Sorry, Theresa, but I've gotta talk to Chevalier about something."

"Get back here! You're the worst one!"

Her groan of exasperation was the last I heard from her before Jin closed my office door behind us. Clavis' laugh was the first sound I heard within the confines of my office.

"Not in trouble with Theresa again, are you, Jin?"

Jin shrugged. "We've been so busy lately that we haven't let her in to clean. I knew we were in for it, but wow, that woman's got a temper. Shouldn't you be in bed right now? You look a little flushed."

Clavis shelved the book he'd been flipping through. "I took my medicine. More to the point, shouldn't you be confessing your crimes to our dear baby brother right now?"

Jin grimaced. "About that. You've seen Luke since the round table, Chevalier. How's he doing? Is he gonna kill me as soon as I tell him?"

"He would have to use his bare hands to do so," I replied, glancing at Luke's sheathed greatsword, propped up in a corner near my desk. "As for his mental state, he allows his emotions to rule him."

"I was afraid of that." Jin pulled a lollipop from his pocket and stuck it in his mouth. "You know, there was a time when I would've offered him my head for this. Figured my life wasn't worth a darn after what I did." He sighed, fingering the hilt of his sword. I hadn't seen him draw the weapon since Bloodstained Rose Day.

"Ah, so that's why you always take on the most amusing jobs." Clavis laughed again. "And I thought you just enjoyed the danger."

Jin grinned and reached out to tousle Clavis' hair. "You're not supposed to know about that, you brat."

Clavis yelped and jumped backwards, combing his thick hair into place. "Just for that, I'm not telling you where to find Ivetta."

"She's too small for me to hide behind anyway." Jin sighed again and turned his burgundy eyes on me. "Well, may as well get this over with."

I had no desire to be a part of this. If I hadn't somehow gained a position of influence with Luke, I wouldn't have agreed to it. But the reason Gilbert could so easily manipulate our youngest brother was the same reason I needed to be there. Luke lived by his emotions. He had reined them in during the years he'd spent gaining power in the anti-monarchy faction and searching for his sister's killer; however, now that we'd thwarted his plans, he'd relinquished control, and if he did more than throw a few punches and cry, I would need to intervene.

"You can't buy me," Theresa was saying when we stepped into the hallway.

"C'mon, Theresa, there has to be something I can do to make it up to you," Leon implored her.

"You can stop making such a huge mess—but that'll never happen." She glanced at Jin and me as we passed. "What about letting Ivetta help me?"

I didn't slow my stride, but that got my attention. Theresa's question suggested she was on good terms with Ivetta. If the little dove was opening herself up to the possibility of friendship with others here at the palace, perhaps she'd changed her mind about leaving after her mother died.