Chapter 326: It Is Really You!
Alaric struck the match with deliberate calm, its flame flaring to life. Without hesitation, he touched it to the ancient scroll—its edges curling and blackening almost instantly.
"No!" Kasmeri lunged forward, his voice a mix of panic and fury, but it was too late. The parchment crumbled into embers between Alaric’s fingers.
"Why did you do that?" he demanded, eyes blazing.
Alaric’s gaze didn’t leave the dying fire. "Because that letter was meant for my eyes alone." He watched in silence as the last flakes of ash scattered in the wind. "They are allies," he added, his voice low, almost unreadable as his gaze followed the direction where the mysterious woman and her companion disappeared.
Then, with a subtle shift in stance, he straightened and signaled Agilus to step forward from the shadows.
"If I were you," Alaric said, eyes fixed on Kasmeri, "I’d heed Orion’s counsel. Take what is rightfully yours—claim the title of Duke of Greenshire. It was never meant for an adopted son to wear. Orion has all the proof of your lineage. Your lineage is legitimate."
He placed a firm hand on Kasmeri’s shoulder, a silent gesture of both support and parting. "And remember," he added, stepping back, "I go by the name Kasmer, not Kasmeri."
With that, Alaric turned, his cloak sweeping behind him as he and Agilus walked away toward the grove where their horses waited, vanishing into the distance.
Kasmeri stood for a long time, his gaze followed the two riders until they disappeared from his sight.
...
Four days later, the weight of Reuben’s ultimatum still lingered in Lara’s mind like a storm cloud refusing to pass. She had thought deeply, deliberated over every angle, and come to a decision that was both painful and necessary: she would sell the patent to the Crown Prince.