Chapter 25: Special Day [1]
"So, not only did you return... but you managed to defeat Aleck?"
"Yeah," I replied, trying to keep my voice even.
Hans Taylor, the head butler of the Draken estate, studied me with narrowed eyes. He didn’t look impressed. If anything, his expression only grew grimmer by the second.
"Then I suppose you’ve already figured out Aleck’s true identity."
"I have."
Of course I had. But the way Hans looked at me made it feel like I was on trial.
He took a step closer, voice low and heavy.
"If that identity is ever exposed... you understand the consequences, don’t you?"
"Yes," I answered firmly—maybe a bit too quickly.
I wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t bluffing, just laying it out plain. The Draken house hadn’t gone through all the trouble of hiding Alice behind the mask of Aleck just for me to come along and unravel it with a loose tongue.
If that secret got out to outsiders—especially the other noble houses—it wouldn’t just be my head on the chopping block. It could trigger political backlash, assassinations, maybe even a civil conflict. So yeah...