Chapter 45: The Grand Duke Attends Church (1)

"Tell them I will be attending church."

Abi’s laughter rang through the study.

For once, I did not tell him to be quiet.

There were moments in life when laughter became acceptable. Not because the situation was amusing in a harmless sense, but because it had crossed into a level of absurdity where silence would be impolite to fate itself.

I, Skandar Aleksandr Konstantin, Grand Duke of Sonomi, aspiring ultimate villain lord, purchaser of the deadliest poison in the empire, future dark hand behind the throne, and unwilling collector of family members, was about to attend church.

Voluntarily.

Well, not voluntarily in the spiritual sense.

I was going there to investigate child trafficking, suspicious temple transfers, an illegal assessment system, and a symbol that matched the sealed relic beneath the imperial palace.

But still.

Church?

My ancestors were probably laughing. Or applauding. With Konstantins, it could be either.

William, however, did not laugh. He merely lowered his head with his usual calm efficiency, as if canceling my morning appointments because I intended to storm a chapel was a normal administrative adjustment.

"Understood, Your Excellency."

"Make sure the cancellation notes are properly worded. I do not want anyone thinking they deserve an explanation."

"Shall I state that you are occupied with private religious observance?"

I stared at him. Yet William’s expression remained immaculate.

Abi made another strangled sound. The thought that I should strangle him for real came to mind.

"Do you want the Capital to burst into flames?" I asked.

"Not literally, Your Excellency."

"Then do not give them the phrase private religious observance. The Lady of the Crimson Quill would turn it into a three-volume theological romance by noon."

Abi wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Oh, I would definitely read that."

"Let’s hope you survive long enough to do so."

William bowed. "Then I shall simply state that Your Excellency is unavailable."

"That would suffice."

"Will you be taking an escort?"

"Abi is enough. I should put him to use every once in a while, to recoup my expense."

William’s brows moved slightly. It was a subtle thing. Barely there but enough for me to take note of it.

"Your Excellency."

"I know that face."

"It is merely concern on my part."

"I think it is disapproval wearing butler gloves."

Abi placed a hand over his chest. "Don’t worry, Will. I am an excellent escort."

"You are the reason he is disapproving in the first place," I said.

"That is unfair. I have behaved for several hours."

"Even that is quite suspicious."

William cleared his throat. "I recommend Captain Arthur and a small contingent as well."

"No."

"Your Excellency."

"If we arrive with Sonomi knights, the chapel will know we intend to pressure them. I want them unsettled, not fortified for war."

"Then at least allow two shadows to follow."

Sonomi shadows.

William was not referring to official knights or the uniformed guards. Shadows were Individuals trained to be invisible until the moment invisibility became inconvenient for someone else’s survival.

"Fine."

William looked mildly relieved.

"Have them remain outside unless called."

"Understood, sire."

I glanced at the report again.

Mil had been secured along with two other children. They had been transported in a plain covered carriage before dawn, accompanied by a driver and a handler. The handler had attempted self-immolation using a talisman keyed to internal mana. Crude yes, but effective if not interrupted.

The fact that they were willing to die rather than be questioned told me several things.

One, the organization behind this was disciplined.

Two, it was afraid of exposure.

Three, the children mattered. Not necessarily as people. That would require morality, and these insects seemed to be low on supply. But they mattered as assets, materials, vessels, sacrifices, candidates, or whatever unpleasant word the hidden records would eventually reveal.

The thought made my mood sink into a cold, clean place. A familiar place. Which was useful for making decisions.

"And the rescued children?" I asked.

"Currently at the west safehouse," William replied. "They have been fed and examined. The physician reported malnutrition, old bruising, and signs of repeated mana-sensitivity testing."

Spiro, who had just entered silently behind Bernard, froze.

I saw it and so did William.

Bernard looked like he wanted the floor to take pity on him and swallow him whole.

This household truly needed better door discipline.

"Young Master," William greeted gently.

Spiro did not respond at once. His eyes were on the report in my hand.

"Children were taken?" he asked.

His voice was quiet, with a faint tremble to it.

"Our men intercepted their captors," I corrected. "They are safe."

His fingers tightened around the hem of his coat. "Mil?"

"He is also safe."

Spiro looked relieved but then confused by his own relief, perhaps. He had only met the boy briefly, yet children recognized fear in one another far quicker than adults recognized lies.

"Can I see them?" he asked.

"No."

The answer came immediately. I visibly saw his expression dimmed.

I softened my tone. "Not yet. They are still frightened, tired, and undergoing examination. Bringing in another child from the household of the man who intercepted their transfer might overwhelm them."

Spiro thought about it then nodded.

"That makes sense, Father."

"But later," I added.

His eyes lifted.

"When they are rested and safe, you may meet them if you still wish to."

"I wish to."

Well, of course he did. Because this child had seen the same darkness and wanted to know whether others had escaped it too.

How troublesome.

"Then later," I said.

He nodded, but his face remained serious.

"Father."

"Yes?"

"What will happen to them now?"

I leaned back in my chair.

That was an excellent question. Very Konstantin of him.

I had not yet decided fully. The straightforward answer would be to secure them, gather testimony, return them to their relatives if it was safe, or place them under proper care. The practical answer, however, was more complicated. These children had been selected for something. Mana-sensitivity testing. Spiritual compatibility. Sponsor interest. Assessment.

If I returned them carelessly, they might be taken again.

If I handed them to the Capital’s authorities, the matter could vanish beneath lace and wax seals.

If I placed them in ordinary orphanages, I would simply be moving them from one mouth of the beast to another.

Sonomi, however...

Sonomi did not waste people.

The desert made sure of that.

The Konstantin household had always taken in strays of one kind or another. Disgraced knights. Abandoned craftsmen. Scholars chased out for inconvenient ideas. Former criminals whose talents had been redirected before they became corpses. Not as charity, of course. Charity, when mindless, created dependency.

Investment created return.

Children raised properly could become loyal personnel. Even more when you educate them, feed them well, train them and protect them. Then there was no need to even say anything, They, themselves would be volunteer to be useful.

And if some of them became Spiro’s people in the future, loyal not merely to House Konstantin but to him personally, then that would be an investment with excellent long-term yield.

A son of mine would need his own foundation eventually.

A proper retinue.

His own circle of people who knew what it meant to be chosen from the discarded and sharpened into something no one could throw away again.

The idea was still rough but it was very promising.

Abi watched my face and slowly smiled.

Annoying creature. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

He figured out my thoughts too quickly.

"Father?" Spiro asked again.

"For now, they will remain under Sonomi protection," I said. "They will be treated, fed, and allowed to rest. After that, we will determine whether they have safe families to return to."

"And what if they do not?"

"Then they will be given a choice."

His brows furrowed. "A choice?"

"Yes. To remain under House Konstantin’s protection, receive education, and eventually work for Sonomi if they are suited for it."

Spiro’s eyes widened.

I continued, "Not as servants bought by pity or as charity cases displayed for praise. We, the Konstantins have no need for that. They will be people trained properly and given value no one can erase."

Silence followed.

William’s eyes warmed again in that irritating way while his son Bernard looked startled.

Abi’s smile became even more unbearable that my hand was itching to raise the paperweight again.

Spiro stared at me as if I had just opened a door he had not known could exist.

"Then, Father. Can they..." He hesitated. "Can they become my people?"

There it was. What a sharp child.

I smiled faintly. "If they choose to. And if you become worthy of being followed."

His expression sobered immediately. A flash of contemplation crossed his eyes.

"How do I become worthy?"

I patted his fluffy head, "By growing well first."

"Father."

"Do not look at me like that. Foundations are important."

"But..."

"You have to eat, sleep, learn, and heal. That is your current path to take."

He looked down, thinking seriously.

"Then... I will do that."

"Good."

I reached out and flicked his forehead lightly. He blinked, startled.

"But do not start recruiting people before breakfast."

His cheeks turned red. "I wasn’t."

"You were thinking about it."

"Only a little."

Abi laughed. I even saw William’s mouth twitched.

I sighed.

Well, this child truly was mine now. The blood seal may have been accidental, but the compatibility was beginning to look deliberate. An eight-year-old child, physically closer to five, barely rescued from death, already thinking of forming his own people.

My father’s side would teach him empathy.

My mother’s side would sharpen him.

It would be a good combination.

"William," I said.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Begin drafting a proposal for a discreet ward program under the Konstantin name. Don’t set it up in the Capital. I’m not too keen and fond of this place. It will be in Sonomi. The children we extract from this network will be evaluated, treated, educated, and later offered positions according to ability."

"Understood."

"Keep it separate from public charity channels. I do not want temple hands or noble patrons anywhere near it."

"Naturally, sire."

"Name?"

William asked the question as if he knew I would care. Well, I did. The old butler knew me too much.

Names mattered more than most people think. They shaped expectations and hope.

I glanced at Spiro. He looked at me, startled.

"Later," I said. "Spiro will name it when he understands what it is meant to become."