Chapter 48: Morning in Eldham
At the outskirts of Eldham Vale, Baron Slovene’s villa.
Morning broke gently over the hills, washing the fields in soft golden light.
Inside the villa’s east wing, a man sat in silence by the window, one elbow resting on the table, his hand cradling his chin.
Sunlight filtered through the parted curtains, casting warm stripes across the wooden floor and catching faint motes of dust in the still air. His gaze, calm yet focused, lingered on the winding road beyond the hills.
His tousled brown hair framed a face marked by quiet confidence, and his dark eyes, steady and unreadable, gave little away.
"They are near, my lord," a voice said gently behind him.
An elderly woman, face lined with age, placed a small cup of steaming tea onto the table beside his elbow. Her voice was soft, but it carried a weight earned from decades of silent service.
The man didn’t turn his head. He simply reached for the teacup, lifted it to his lips, and took a slow sip. The warmth spread through his chest.
Allen Slovene.
The Slovene family had four children. At least, that was what the forged records showed.
The eldest, Henry Slovene, served the empire from the shadows. Outwardly, he was attached to a modest department in the court archives, a position that invited little scrutiny. But behind that quiet title, Henry was the head of the empire’s spy division, running one of its most critical covert operations.
The youngest sibling, Clara Slovene, only sixteen, had already spent two years undercover in the Wittelsbach Duchy, serving as one of the household maids. Her mission was to gather intel and aid Alessio’s covert mission from within enemy territory.