Just as per the instructions, Earl Kirkland was incarcerated while Matthis was being followed by the guards to keep him from escaping.

The mansion that once belonged Earl Kirkland was now being cleansed of all of his portraits and personal belongings leaving only the mansion and its over-the-top interior decor.

Nyx was shocked beyond her wits when she and her aide were informed by Sir Hopkins about what Carlos had done and what he wanted them to do.

"A-Are you sure that Young Master Matthis has surrendered his inheritance?" Marimer asked and Sir Hopkins nodded.

"Yes," he then looked at Nyx, "His Highness has asked My Lady and everyone at the Valmest estate to pack their belongings and shift to Earl Kirkland’s mansion tomorrow."

Nyx frowned a little, "But... how can we suddenly..."

Sir Hopkins offered her a gentle smile, "You should please have a talk about this with His Highness about it tomorrow. Besides, His Highness has ordered you, Mr Marimer that you prepare the papers as earliest as possible as tomorrow at dawn before the people, Young Master Matthis will official step down from his title."

Marimer’s jaw dropped, he glanced once at Nyx but then he cautiously asked.

"Is His Highness taking over the Barony?"

Sir Hopkins shook his head.

"No, he ordered for the inheritance to be solely given to Miss Nyx."

Nyx’s eyes widened and Marimer beamed.

"Thank Heavens!"

Nyx seemed unsettled and pursed her lips before she asked.

"Was this also decided by gambling?"

Sir Hopkins pressed his lips in a thin line before nodding. "Yes."

Nyx sighed before she said, "I’d like to talk to His Highness before we uproot." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Sir Hopkins glanced at the frail looking lady before he nodded, "I’ll let His Highness know."

"I want to talk to him now." Nyx pressed.

Sir Hopkins was a little wary of letting her talk to Carlos right now since he had seen Carlos faltering after the entire gambling ordeal.

"It might not be the right time, My Lady." He said and noticed as how her body grew strained.

"But if you want I can take you along for now and see if he would grant you an audience." He offered and she nodded.

Marimer happily started making the papers while Nyx went to change her dress.

After an hour as it was close to getting dark, Nyx and Sir Hopkins were at Earl Kirkland’s mansion. Nyx could see that the servants were removing all of the portraits that belonged to Earl Kirkland and his ancestors. Moreover, all of them seemed like they were too scared to stick around and appear as if they weren’t working.

Nyx felt the sense of foreboding as she entered the mansion, there were guards everywhere. They glanced at Nyx and bowed making her flinch.

Sir Hopkins gestured for her to follow him and led her up the marble stairs. Nyx had only been in the mansion once when Matthis had brought her along to get her to agree to be engaged to Earl Kirkland.

And here she was again with the news that her engagement was now broken and she was free but the feeling of her being enclosed in a trap was still the most vivid sensation she felt.

Sir Hopkins stopped before the large double doors and knocked.

"Your Highness? It’s me." He called.

Nyx waited behind him patiently, there was no response from the other side.

Sir Hopkins knocked again, "Your Highness?"

After a few seconds of wait, a grumbling response came through the closed doors.

"Come in."

Sir Hopkins gestured for Nyx to wait as he opened the doors and walked inside.

Nyx felt her heart beat starting to grow faster with each passing second as she waited but it didn’t take long for Sir Hopkins to come right back.

"Miss Nyx, please come inside."

She nodded and stepped inside the room that screamed luxury. It was the kind of room she had never dreamed to live in for her entire life. When she was a child, she was trapped in a small servant’s quarter’s room with her mother and after she passed she was given an old room, it wasn’t in the servant’s quarter’s but her status was still the same.

She felt out of place in such a fine room.

She lifted her head and looked at Carlos who was slowly pushing himself off of the bed. He was only dressed in a shirt which had the top two buttons undid and simple dress pants.

Nyx quickly lowered her eyes forcing on her composed expression as she curtsied.

"I apologise for disturbing, Your Highness’s rest." She said and just heard the fabric shifting.

"Sir Hopkins, you may leave." Carlos ordered and Nyx heard Sir Hopkins’s footsteps walk away before she cautiously looked up at the bed but Carlos wasn’t there.

"What did you want to talk about?" She turned her head looking at Carlos who was now at the table where the bowl of fruits was kept.

"Yes." She spoke and he nodded.

"What is it?"

"Is-Is it true that my brother Matthis is stepping down from his title and giving it to me? And that my engagement with Earl Kirkland is broken?" She asked and Carlos hummed as he seemed to wonder which fruit he should choose.

"Do you think Sir Hopkins is capable of weaving such an elaborate lie?"

Nyx blinked and then was surprised as she heard him chuckle.

"It’s the truth." He confirmed, before he selected a red apple.

"Did you really decide it after gambling?" She asked.

He held it up in his long, slender fingers that looked like they had rarely wielded a weapon. Carlos then glanced at her, his scarlet eyes glinting from the light of the burning mana lamp in the room.

"Are you disappointed? That your life was decided by other people’s gambling?" He asked.

Nyx didn’t feel anything when he said that, she was used to it by now. She was born a bastard to Baron and was always shown her place before she could forget it. Moreover, she had never been allowed to make a single decision about her life. She was a proxy as per her late father’s order to keep the Barony from completely drowning but even then, her stepbrother had the say. She couldn’t refuse the engagement with Earl Kirkland.

She knew as she couldn’t do anything even in this arrangement. She was basically Carlos’s property now because he had taken away everything that belonged to Earl Kirkland, including herself.

For a moment, her eyes grew hollow and lifeless as the realisation settled and she avoided his eyes.

"This is the last time that happens." He said making her blink.

"What?"

She watched as he picked up a knife and started slicing the apple, his eyes focused on the apple.

"I used gambling to snatch away the authority they had over us and this territory. I didn’t have any better way than the give them the taste of their own medicine."

He placed a well cut slice in the plate as he continued speaking and slicing, "But, till the time I am here, I will need to make sure you are untouched by them. The investigation will happen quickly since I’m personally commanding it and both Kirkland and Matthis will be locked away in royal prison soon, till then I’ll ask you to stay by my side and,"

Nyx stiffened as his eyes finally met hers, "you will be able to use my name and authority to do what you want."

"I-I can’t just-"

Carlos picked up a slice of the apple before he walked up to her, she stood rooted in her spot as she watched him stop right in front of her.

He held up the slice to her, "You can." He said, "You have to."

"If there are some bad people who are trying to trample what you cherish then it’s only right that you use an even bigger bad as your leverage to trample those people. As long as I’m here, I’m at your disposal, Nyx. So, you can use me and my name as much as you like."

Nyx’s eyes slowly returned to life as he kept staring into Carlos’s eyes that seemed to have a darker edge to them, somehow the eyes that had looked like scarlet seemed like they were starting to grow darker.

She had always found herself in the helpless situations but, right now, someone was offering her the power to change the fate of her territory and her people. She didn’t know how it would affect her but she knew if she turned down this offer she wouldn’t have it again. She would then be choosing her deplorable fate herself.

Nyx didn’t take long to think as her hand moved and she took the slice of apple from Carlos’s fingers before she bit onto it and a smirk made Carlos’s lips curl up.

"That’s like a good girl."