Thaddeus’ expression hardened at Lucavion’s question. He had been prepared for many things during this conversation, but this?
This was dangerous.
He exhaled slowly, his gaze sharpening as he regarded the young man before him.
“The Royal Family of Lysandra.”
The name alone carried weight. Power.
Right now, they were the ones who controlled the entire Arcanis Empire. That had always been the case. Since the unification of the kingdom into an empire, the Lysandra bloodline had held the throne, ruling over the continent with an iron grip veiled beneath centuries of divine right.
And at the center of it all—
“The current emperor is Clades Lysandra,” Thaddeus said, his voice measured. “The man responsible for the recent changes in the empire.”
The name alone stirred countless opinions across the nobility. Clades was not just another ruler born into privilege—he was a reformer, a strategist, and above all, a man who had reshaped the empire’s very structure.
He had strengthened the central power of the monarchy, stripping away much of the autonomy that the noble houses once wielded. Where previous rulers had balanced their authority with the influence of the ducal families, Clades had taken a different approach—one that leaned toward absolute control.
He was neither loved nor hated entirely. Some admired his vision, calling him the emperor who sought to bring stability to an empire that had been fractured by noble rivalries. Others despised him, calling him a tyrant in the making, one who would reduce even the greatest noble houses to mere extensions of the throne’s will.
Thaddeus had seen it firsthand. The shift in power. The silent but undeniable consolidation of authority into the imperial family’s hands.
“An ambitious man,” Thaddeus muttered. “And one who does not take kindly to those who stand in his way.”
His golden eyes flickered toward Lucavion, studying him.
“Why do you ask?”
Lucavion smiled. A slow, knowing smile that carried the same weight as his words.
“Indeed, all of the words you have said are correct,” he mused, his tone light yet deliberate. “Nearly everyone knows this about the emperor, don’t they?”
Thaddeus remained silent, watching him carefully.
But as he listened—
As he really listened—
Something felt off.
There was something about the way Lucavion spoke, the way he phrased his words, that sent a quiet unease creeping into the Duke’s mind.
It was subtle. Almost imperceptible. My Virtual Library Empire
But it was there.
Because this young man—
He wasn’t just speaking about the emperor as someone who understood him.
He was speaking like someone who knew more.
Much more.
Thaddeus’ fingers curled slightly at his side, his golden gaze never wavering.
Then—
Lucavion’s smirk deepened, his dark eyes flickering with something unreadable.
“But the question is…” His voice dipped lower, quieter. “Duke, don’t you already know what I’m asking?”
A pause.
“Why are you trying to beat around the bush?”
Thaddeus’ gaze sharpened.
Aeliana stiffened slightly beside him, her breath hitching ever so slightly.
There was no mistaking it now.
Lucavion was leading him somewhere.
And he was doing it deliberately.
Thaddeus exhaled through his nose, his expression unreadable. “Then ask your question plainly.”
Lucavion chuckled.
“Alright then.”
He tilted his head, watching the Duke carefully.
“For instance…”
Then, with precise, cutting ease, he asked—
“What does the Royal Family think about you?”
The air in the chamber shifted.
Aeliana’s amber eyes narrowed.
Thaddeus’ golden gaze darkened.
For a single moment, there was silence.
Then—
Thaddeus exhaled slowly.
Indeed, this kid knew more than he let on.
The way he spoke, the way he carefully guided the conversation—Lucavion was no fool. He wasn’t merely speculating.
He was implying.
And what he was implying was clear.
Thaddeus exhaled slowly, his gaze unreadable.
“What does the Royal Family think about me?” He repeated the question, his voice calm. “I have no way of knowing that.”
Lucavion let out a small chuckle, shaking his head slightly.
“Come on, Mister Duke. We both know that’s not how politics works,” he said, his tone almost chiding. “In politics, actions speak louder than words, don’t they?”
Thaddeus narrowed his eyes slightly, but he could not deny the truth in those words.
And as Lucavion continued to watch him, waiting, the Duke knew exactly what he was implying.
Because the truth was—
The relationship between the Royal Family and the Thaddeus Duchy was not good.
That was obvious.
It was a silent conflict, one not openly discussed, not yet acknowledged as a true power struggle, but it was there. A tension that had been growing for years.
And the reason for that was painfully simple.
The Thaddeus Duchy held too much power.
The Duke took pride in his lineage. His family had stood as one of the empire’s greatest pillars for centuries. The strongest noble house outside of the Royal Family itself.
And why?
Because they controlled the entire naval force of the Arcanis Empire.
They were the commanders of the sea, the holders of the official Head of Naval Forces title—one of the most critical positions in the empire’s military structure.
That authority had been granted generations ago. A reward, an acknowledgment, for the contributions of the past Thaddeus family heads. Their victories had secured the empire’s dominance over the oceans, had expanded its reach beyond the mainland, had made the Arcanis Empire what it was today.
And yet—
Power was a dangerous thing.
And when one family held too much of it—
Even the throne itself grew wary.
Thaddeus knew this.
And judging by the sharp gleam in Lucavion’s eyes—
So did he.
Lucavion’s dark eyes gleamed, watching the Duke carefully, as if reading every thought that crossed his mind.
“And the problem,” Lucavion continued smoothly, “is that the current emperor doesn’t like that very much, does he?”
Thaddeus’ expression didn’t change, but Lucavion didn’t need it to.
Because he was right.
“Clades Lysandra may be a reformer,” Lucavion went on, his tone casual, but his words deliberate, “but he’s also a man who doesn’t tolerate threats to his control. And let’s be honest, Duke—you and your family? You are very much a threat to the throne’s absolute rule.”
Aeliana inhaled slightly beside them, but she remained silent, listening.
Thaddeus exhaled through his nose, crossing his arms. “That is quite the bold claim.”
“But is it wrong?” Lucavion tilted his head. “Let’s talk about actions, then. Not words, not speculation—actions.”
Thaddeus said nothing.
Because he knew what Lucavion was going to say.
“The emperor has been actively trying to reduce your family’s power, hasn’t he?” Lucavion leaned back slightly. “Not directly. No, that would be too obvious. But the signs are there.”
Thaddeus remained silent, but his fingers curled ever so slightly at his side.
“Many of the economic pacts your family made with the capital are being quietly nullified,” Lucavion continued, his voice deceptively light. “Trade agreements that were once guaranteed are now being ‘restructured’—and funnily enough, they never seem to favor you, do they?”
Aeliana stiffened slightly.
Because that—
That was true.
The Duchy had seen a slow but undeniable shift in its standing within the empire’s economic structure. Deals that had been honored for generations were now being questioned, renegotiated, or outright dismissed.
It hadn’t happened overnight. It had been a gradual thing. Small changes. Small denials.
But the pattern was clear.
And more than that—
It wasn’t just economic pressure.
The Royal Army had started requesting more authority over the naval fleets, questioning why the Thaddeus Duchy alone held dominion over the empire’s waters. Imperial envoys had become more frequent, their questions more probing.
Clades Lysandra was testing them.
Slowly, carefully.
Seeing how far he could push before outright confrontation became necessary.
And Lucavion—
This damned young man—
Knew it all.
Thaddeus’ jaw tightened, his golden eyes darkening. “Where are you getting this information from?”
Lucavion smirked.
“That’s not the important part, is it?”