Chapter 197: Cat and Dog

While eating in the shed near the garden, the pathway to the main doors of the castle was visible to Vincent. He parted his lips and was about to drop a bloodred cherry on his mouth when he saw someone heading to the doors.

It was the little chief of the Supreme House wearing a black cloak with her head covered with the cloak’s hood. Her face wasn’t very visible, but one glimpse of the side of her face was enough for Vincent to recognize the woman.

"She’s here again, huh?" After the cherry fell on his mouth, a mischievous smirk formed on his lips.

The next second, Vincent vanished from his chair. With his vampire speed, it only took him a few seconds to appear beside Amber who was now climbing up the spiral staircase.

Amber paused for a fraction of a second at Vincent’s sudden appearance, but she did not bat an eye like she wasn’t surprised at all.

"Is there even anything that surprises you? I thought you’d jolt a bit, or even just flinch a little because I appeared out of nowhere," he grinned.

"You must have forgotten that I am also a vampire, Lord Vincent. I am accustomed to such things," Amber said as she continued to walk as if what he said was a complete nonsense.

"Oh right," he chuckled, keeping up with her. "Forgive me for my nonsense, Lady Amber."

When they reached the end of the staircase, she glanced at him briefly, indifferent and distant. "Are you trying to be friendly now, Lord Vincent?" she asked, finding the thought ridiculous.

"I’m just wondering what matters you have with King Alec this time."

"I believe that is none of your business. Are you a subject of this kingdom? You are not, right? So my matters should not concern you. Besides, I am not asking why you are here when you are an Acheron royalty."

Vincent smirked. "Of course, you wouldn’t ask. You are not curious, but I am."

Amber glanced at him sideways, her eyes were like lethal daggers ready to pierce through his heart.

"But I expect you to extend the same generosity. Don’t you know how to read between the lines, Lord Vincent?"

Alec and Lauren who were still inside the king’s office were interrupted by the servant’s voice outside saying that Lady Amber from the Supreme House was asking for an audience with the king. When the doors opened, Lauren’s eyes narrowed upon seeing Vincent enter the room along with Amber.

’Wasn’t he supposed to be eating downstairs?’ she asked at the back of her mind but she shrugged it off.

Amber took off the hood of her cloak, revealing her hair tied in a clean bun. Her striking sea-green eyes met Lauren’s gaze as she curtsied.

"King Alec, Queen Lauren..."

"Hello, Lady Amber," Lauren smiled. She remembered the woman in Alec’s story and now she felt guilty that she thought of her in a bad light. She then turned to Alec. "If you need privacy, I shall excuse myself."

"No need for that," Alec held her waist and guided her to the couch across the room. "Let us have a seat here, Lady Amber."

There were four two-seater couches around a center table. Lauren and Alec sat first, then Amber sat across from them. Amber glanced at Vincent who followed them around, her eyes sharp.

"Are we also expecting Lord Vincent here, Your Majesty?" Amber asked, her unwelcoming gaze directed to the lord.

But before Alec could answer, Vincent had already sat on the east couch and crossed his long legs.

"I don’t see anything wrong with that, Lady Amber. King Alec is a dear friend of mine and I’m staying for a few days in the castle to help him solve his kingdom’s crisis."

Lauren was surprised by the part where Vincent said he would be staying in the castle for a few days to help. She and Alec only talked about what Vincent relayed, but Alec didn’t mention Vincent staying for days to help them fight the rebels.

"We will talk about what you asked me the last time, King Alec," Amber said in a formal and diplomatic tone. "You know how confidential the matter is and I cannot risk my reputation with an outsider’s presence here. If you trust him, then I don’t."

Vincent’s jaw dropped. He shook his head in slow motion. He couldn’t believe that someone was so brave to talk about him that way while he was present in the same room. For the first time in his life, he felt unwelcome and unwanted.

"Why the animosity, Lady Amber?" He clicked his tongue. "For you to think that you’d risk your reputation with me present in your meeting, does that mean you did something against the rules and you don’t want me to know it because you’re afraid that I might tittle-tattle?"

Lauren went back and forth between Amber and Vincent. They were like cat and dog, two opposite poles repelling each other.

"He won’t say a word, Amber. I’ll kill him first before he spreads unnecessary news."

Vincent scoffed, looking at Alec. "I don’t know if I should applaud you for implying that you trust me enough, or feel awful about your latter statement. Seriously? You shouldn’t use such harsh words between brothers, Alec."

Lauren suppressed a smile. She crouched to reach for the kettle and cups on the center table. She started to pour tea into the teacups.

"Let’s talk this through over a cup of tea, shall we?" Lauren said, but Amber’s expression remained hard and distant; the set of her lips had a hint of annoyance.

"Vincent came here to warn me about Dimitri’s vision," Alec informed Amber. "Dimitri saw that there would be a lot of bloodshed on the night of the lunar eclipse in Evardin which only means one thing: the rebels would attack in three nights."

Amber’s eyes twitched the slightest bit. She was stunned but it didn’t show in her stone-hard face. "Do you have the cure for the deranged humans?"

"No. Dr. Bentley is still investigating the Evera plant which this human corruption drug is made from. It is hard since it is an ancient plant."

"If they are going to do a full-blown attack, that means they are planning to corrupt as many humans as they can to stir chaos and create a distraction. For sure they will go for the town first, then when the chaos begins, they will attack the castle," Amber’s words were precise and sure.

Lauren noticed the similarities Amber and Alec shared. They were both wise and calculative, the kind who had very sharp minds.

With his elbow on the armrest of the couch, Vincent’s index finger was lazily tracing his bottom lip back and forth as he thought about the big war that would take place in Evardin three nights later. He had no doubts that Amber was right and he also knew Alec had come to the same conclusion, but he didn’t know why he was having an ominous feeling about the whole thing.

"I brought you the books you need, but I doubt if you’d see anything that will help you fight the deranged humans and a stronger army of black mages," Amber said, pulling something from her pocket—a small dice. She put it on the table and her eyes turned crimson.

After muttering an incantation in her mind, the small dice became a brown bag. She opened it and pulled out about eight books with leather covers and parchment pages.

"Ancient books from the Supreme House?" Vincent was surprised, and then the surprise turned into disbelief. "You must have gotten it with Lord Eleazar’s permission, right?" His eyes squinted darkly at Amber. "No, there was no way the chief allowed this..."

"That is why I said it’s confidential," Amber glowered at Vincent.

"Good lord," Vincent muttered under his breath, lips an inch apart from each other. He never thought the strict and upright successor of the Supreme House’s chief was actually a lawbreaker.

"These are everything I can get for you. If I got too many, it would be too noticeable," Amber told Alec, ignoring Vincent.

As Lauren stared at the books on the table, she noticed they had the same old leather covers and metal clasps as the one she got from the ship.

"Lady Amber," she called. "These books... do they have a locking spell or something that doesn’t allow just anyone to open them?"

Lauren wondered if Amber could help her unlock the mystery book.

"No, only back in the room where they are stored, but I got them out from the spell so anyone can read them now."

Lauren nodded. As Amber came for something else and they had to discuss the rebels’ attack, which was more important, she didn’t bring up the book she got from the ship. She would just tell Alec later when they were alone.

"Thank you for this, Amber. I’ll see if there’s anything that could help me in these materials," Alec said.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read