Chapter 249: The Price of Exposure
Kneeling on the ground, Sylas was once again disgruntled with Beatrice's tone.
'Again… using my mother to dampen me. How am I any inferior?' Sylas cursed silently.
What made it infuriating was his eldest brother's nonchalance.
Even when it was exposed that he manipulated General Henry, a general under his command, to make a move, Derrick remained stoic.
Was he just a clown in his eyes?
If not, then why wouldn't he at least become enraged or scold him for doing these things behind his back?
"Sylas." Amidst his internal frustration, Beatrice suddenly called for his name.
"Yes, Second Mother?" Sylas quickly snapped out of his internal emotion and responded politely.
In theory, Sylas should have addressed Beatrice as Aunt. But because his Aunt was also married to Emperor Aldros, she could be considered his mother in the complicated web of relationships.
Hence, to avoid further complications, it ended up being Second Mother.
"Do you know what you did wrong?" Beatrice asked. Her eyes were somewhat icy, almost as if she was expressing her disappointment.
Sylas' body jolted slightly upon witnessing the same icy and disappointed eyes.
He hated seeing those piercing, cold eyes the most!
It was judgmental and a complete denial of his capability.
"I shouldn't have manipulated General Henry to target the Crown Prince and Princess Eleanor." Sylas apologized solemnly.
There were two outcomes he hoped for if it were to succeed. One was naturally a rift in their cooperation, and secondly, undermining his second brother.
Unfortunately, the plan failed miserably.
General Henry was seriously incompetent to be sending his own enforcement guards to act instead of sending a random team.
Moreover, he left way too much evidence that could lead back to him. Just because he was under the Second Prince, he acted arrogantly. He thought he was untouchable, but that couldn't be extremely far from reality.
Little did Sylas know… his admission of wrongdoing was way off the mark.
"Looks like you have the mindset to scheme, but lack the foresight to oversee the situation." Beatrice shook her head.
"Manipulating a measly general. Is that something our House Viren will care about? What we care about is the method and avoiding being exposed." She chided him lightly. General Henry was nothing in her eyes. Even if he were to be beheaded, she would have no qualms about it.
Her son had so many generals under his command; losing one foolish general wasn't going to affect anything.
However, getting exposed in the act was something that disgraced their House Viren as a whole.
They were known for spies, informants, and secretive dealings. Many knew about it, but never the actual substance.
After all, they were the master of manipulation and illusions. Yet their pride was repeatedly smeared by none other than Sylas, who had the shrewdness but not the capability.
Sylas flushed in redness. He was unable to refute any of Beatrice's words.
What truly put him in a complete disgrace was the next words directed to Derrick.
"Son, have you dealt with the issues?" Beatrice shifted her attention to Derrick and inquired.
"Yes, Mother." Derrick finally spoke up after a long time. "I've already imprisoned General Henry and his family. By now, they should be awaiting His Majesty's summons in the Imperial Palace."
"You didn't expose yourself, right?"
"No, Mother. The deed was done through multiple channels and committed by the Imperial Guards. It has nothing to do with our House Viren."
Beatrice was satisfied and nodded. She stood up and gave one final glance at Sylas. She shook her head and promptly excused herself, which was guided by Derrick.
Once their presence was gone, Elenya glared at Sylas.
"Go, Mother has lost a lot of face already. I am in no mood to entertain you." She waved her hand in an annoyed mood.
Sylas could only purse his lips and bow.
Today's humiliation… he would remember it!
'Called me careless? Just wait till the academy starts. I'll make it hell for everyone and avoid the limelight.' Sylas' eyes glowed brightly, his face expressing a friendly smile. To those unaware, they might think he was amiable and not filled with malicious thoughts.
The first rule of House Viren was to never expose one's true emotion.
No matter the frustration and anger that had swelled, Sylas must put on a facade and appear amiable.
"Young Master," the nearby servants bowed and greeted him warmly as he passed through the corridors.
"Thanks for the hard work." Sylas returned the gesture with a friendly smile.
Shortly after Sylas left, the servants expressed their sympathy.
"Did you see the Young Master's pants?"
"The Young Master must have been forced to kneel again."
"The Crown Prince's status being taken over by an incompetent one has made every other House furious."
As the servants fell for Sylas' acting skill and lamented the situation, at the Imperial Palace, the atmosphere and vibe were entirely different.
Imperial Palace
"Greetings, Crown Prince and Princess Eleanor." An elderly man approached the two, bowed slightly, and offered his greetings. He was the Royal Steward, Clark, in charge of maintaining the daily operation within the Imperial Palace.
His influence was no less than the high nobles, granted he would often deliver decrees or wordings from His Majesty to others.
Leonard also recognized the person.
Back at the investiture, it was this person who brought the coronet to the Emperor to be placed on top of his head. He hadn't paid much attention at the time because of how sudden and impromptu the situation was overall.
"We meet again, Steward." Leonard chuckled softly.
Clark lowered his head and informed him of the situation in a low tone.
"General Henry and his family are being detained. As for Jasper's side, the injuries he sustained were surprisingly incurable. The healers were helpless at the mana corroding his body."
Upon hearing that, Leonard was certain of Clark's motive.
Or more specifically, his father, Emperor Aldros, was curious or concerned about his ability to corrode others with his mana.
'How boring.' He thought, finding their behaviors to be quite bland.