The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 85: Glimpes

Chapter 85: Glimpes

The Marquess’s gaze shifted from the leader, still bound and trembling on the ground, to his son. Alaric’s expression was calm as he looked at the leader of the assassins who remained alive.

Alaric turned to his father, his voice as even as if they were discussing morning tea rather than a failed assassination attempt. "What do we do with him, Father?" he asked, ignoring the ash still drifting in the air from the others who had met the Marquess’s flame.

The Marquess considered his son’s question, his eyes narrowed as he looked down at the captive. "We will send him back." He raised his head and continued, "Let him serve as a message to whoever was foolish enough to send them. Let them see what happens when they attempt to cross our family."

The flame he created was still burning with vigour, the light from it made the Marquess look even more dangerous.

Alaric nodded. He leaned down to secure the assassin’s bindings. The man struggled weakly. His face paled as he glanced between this child and the Marquess. He wanted to say a lot of things but they were stuck in his throat.

"H-how..." the assassin stammered, his words barely made it out of his throat, "How are you awake?" He was in utter disbelief.

Alaric’s mouth curled up slightly, this assassin thought it was that easy to take the heir of the West hostage? What a joke.

He straightened, meeting the man’s terrified gaze with a steady look. "How am I awake?" he repeated with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I have been awake the entire time."

The assassin’s eyes widened, slowly he was beginning to understand the situation and where it all went wrong.

He had thought this mission would be easy... That a single sedative would be enough to take down the Marquess’s heirs. But it had been far from the truth.

The Marquess was soft towards his children but not towards the heir. As much as the Marquess loved his children, he went all out when training Alaric.

This was not the first time Alaric had faced danger. His father had ensured from a young age that he was prepared for nearly any threat. As the Marquess’s heir, Alaric had been ingesting small doses of various poisons since childhood.

And as a result, he built up immunity. The sedative they used didn’t work on him in the slightest. The poison these people had prepared was a common, predictable choice.

It had barely fazed him. He had waited in silence, playing along with the act as the assassins dragged him outside. All the while he couldn’t help but think this was the state the assassins fell to. How embarrassing.

He glanced over at his father, who watched him with a slight glint of approval. Still, he knew he had a long way to go before he reached his father’s level.

Once the captive was securely bound, Alaric handed him over to the guards who were back. The Marquess lessened the security for this reason. Since the event was over, they could get back to their positions.

The guards couldn’t help but laugh. The West was known for its military prowess. Both in manpower and magic they have excelled in every field. Who would dare do such a stupid thing?

This was basically sending lambs to slaughter.

With the commotion settled Alaric followed his father back upstairs. They entered the study, where the Marquess calmly resumed his paperwork. It was like this was just another day for him.

"It was a good call to send the children away, Father," Alaric remarked as he settled into a chair nearby, keeping his tone casual. Despite his calm words, he was worried about one person in particular, his sister Adeline.

The Marquess looked up from his papers, studying Alaric for a moment before he asked, "How are you feeling?" He was proud of his son for reacting calmly and rationally at the situation.

But as a father, he couldn’t help but worry. Alaric was just a teenager after all.

Surprised by the question, Alaric straightened his posture and tried his best to hide the slight flush in his cheeks.

It was such a low-level poison, nothing to worry about, he thought. And yet, hearing his father express concern was comforting.

Alaric cleared his throat, glancing away. "I’m fine, Father. It’s just a common sedative, nothing I can’t handle." He turned to look at him before saying, "Should I call back Adeline?"

Thinking of his daughter, he smiled. But it vanished in an instant. He shook his head and explained. "Not yet. Until we’re certain we’ve eliminated every threat, it’s best for her to stay where she is."

Alaric was dejected but he understood. It was safe for her to stay there. He missed his mother... And his siblings could barely remember her, so he had to deal with the grief by himself for the most part.

He found little glimpses of her in Adeline. Her spirit, her antics, his mother was an energetic and spontaneous person... Every day with her was memorable.

Adeline reminded him of her too much. That’s why she was his favourite, of course, he would never admit this to Aaron. He was fond of him too. It’s just that his relationship with Adeline was different. He sees his mother in her.

Despite being the troublemaker she is, he would never wish for her to go away. And the fact that she would be gone for a whole month was just torture.

Seeing his worried expression, the Marquess spoke again. "I would have preferred to send her to the Northern Duchy. I trust them more than the Eastern Duchess." Both of them knew of the situation up North.

Alaric shook his head, he heard of his sister saving the Northern Duchess. She was only five years old but looking at her deeds...

Alaric looked at his father and finished the sentence, "But considering the situation... Eastern Duchy would be the safest option."

He would never let her get close to the Empress much less the Southern Duchy! The only thing left was the Eastern Duchy!

Alaric chuckled to himself before saying, "The Eastern Duchess might think she is prepared but I know she is in for a headache."

The Marquess smiled, he knew his daughter’s personality well. She was spirited and sometimes mischievous, but her heart was in the right place. Seeing Alaric’s lighter mood brought him relief.

Yes, he knew that Alaric could handle the situation. This was what he had been training the child for. But seeing him unconscious in the hands of an assassin... And how they dared to threaten him with his life... He could feel the anger overcome him again.

No one can lay their hands on his children and survive.

Alaric left to resume his studies. He knew that he would miss this so much when he left for the academy. A few weeks ago, he was prepared to leave six months earlier just to get away from this place.

But now, he didn’t want to leave at all. His father changed for the better, and the situation improved. It felt like things returned to how they were when his mother was still alive.