Arvin, who had been standing silently in one corner of the throne room in his invisible form, breathed a sigh of relief after hearing very clearly that the ruler of the Victoriaz Kingdom granted absolute permission to his tenth spouse. All worries about obstacles on his way to the library slowly faded from his mind.
His plan to search for the library's secret underground room was now one step closer to reality.
"Thank you very much for your extraordinary generosity, Your Majesty." Kaydan said with a voice made as sincere and respectful as possible, playing the role of an obedient slave flawlessly. "If it pleases Your Majesty, I beg your leave to immediately find the book I need in the library right now."
The King, who was still sitting arrogantly on his throne, merely gave a slow nod and a wave of his hand, allowing the gray-haired youth to quickly remove himself from his sight.
Having obtained the official permission, Kaydan stood up from his kneeling position, bowed his head once more to give a final salute, before finally turning his body and walking away, leaving the throne room.
Arvin immediately followed his spouse's footsteps from behind with soundless steps. However, just as they stepped out of the throne room area and walked down the palace hallway, Arvin's detection magic instantly caught a danger signal.
There was a presence intentionally hidden very neatly, moving slowly and tailing the two of them from behind.
"Do not turn around and stay calm!" Arvin whispered firmly right next to Kaydan's ear. The tone of his voice was very low, issuing a stern warning so that the youth would not trigger any suspicion from the figure currently watching them from the shadows. "There is an assassin secretly watching you from behind. Keep walking as usual, and act as naturally as possible when you read a book in the library later."
Hearing that warning, Kaydan's heart beat wildly for a moment, but he immediately regained control of himself. The youth merely curved a faint smile as a signal that he understood and would execute his husband's instructions perfectly.
Meanwhile, inside the throne room that now felt quieter, Prince Lionias stared at his father's face with an expression full of dissatisfaction and worry.
"Why did you allow that lowly slave to enter the royal library area at a crucial time like this, Father?" Lionias protested, his voice rising slightly.
"Because the reason he gave makes a lot of sense, Lionias." the King answered in an authoritative baritone voice, silencing his son's protest. "You know yourself he has never interacted with the outside world. If he possesses no knowledge of the tactics and ways to melt the heart of a terrifying youth like Arvin Vedegra, then our future invasion plan will fall apart from the very beginning."
"But Father, the main problem is not just about tactics!" Lionias cut in quickly, his face tensing up. "From their conversation in the arena, the delegation from the Astoria Academy will be leaving the capital and returning to their territory tomorrow morning!"
Hearing that highly crucial information from his son, the King was quite surprised. His eyes widened slightly. He truly never expected that the Astoria Kingdom delegation's movements would be that fast, considering the tournament had just concluded.
The middle-aged man fell silent for a moment, his brain working rapidly to recalculate all the variables. Like it or not, he had to drastically alter the details of his plan.
"Search and find out where the entire Astoria Kingdom delegation is renting their temporary residence during their stay in the capital!" the King suddenly commanded with a firm, booming voice directed at the empty air around him. "Report back to me this very night once you have obtained accurate information. Because tomorrow morning before they depart, I myself will go and meet Arvin Vedegra in person!"
Lionias was extremely shocked to see his father go as far as ordering all the assassins guarding the throne room to move out and find the whereabouts of that Vedegra descendant, even intending to meet him personally.
Is my father that obsessed with taking over that gold mine? the prince thought, unable to fathom his father's ambition. Just how rich and powerful is that Vedegra territory to make my father act this fast and this crazily? I truly cannot understand my father's train of thought.
While the assassins inside the throne room had quickly scattered like shadows to find out the temporary resting place of the Astoria delegation, the atmosphere inside the palace library felt starkly contrasting.
The room, filled with countless books and towering wooden shelves, was rather quiet. The only sound that occasionally broke the silence was the rustling of paper pages being turned.
At one of the tables, Kaydan was seen sitting quietly, his eyes glued to a thick book open in front of him. He was reading so seriously, playing his role perfectly so as not to attract the slightest attention from the assassin who was still hiding in a dark corner of the library, continuously watching him.
Meanwhile, Arvin, who was still maintaining his invisible form, was actually busy pacing back and forth between the massive bookshelves in the library area. His brain was at work, analyzing every inch of the floor and the room's structure. He was searching for the exact location of the secret door leading to the basement.
Damn it! Arvin cursed in annoyance in his heart. If only that assassin weren't here watching Kaydan, I would definitely be freely knocking on the floor of this library to find the empty space beneath it!
The thought of killing the assassin suddenly crossed his mind, but he immediately abandoned the intention because the risk was too high.
If I kill that assassin right here, right now, there will be no witnesses. But no, that is too reckless! he thought, holding himself back. If I kill him, the king will definitely suspect Kaydan immediately and cause my entire plan to fall into a messy ruin. I must remain patient and restrain myself until Kaydan is finished with his act.
Arvin let out a long, slow breath, discarding all his annoyed and impulsive feelings. Once his mind was calm and clear again, he stepped soundlessly, walking over to his spouse who was still pretending to focus on reading.
"Return to the throne room now. Ask the king for permission to go back to your room and prepare yourself to execute the mission." Arvin whispered gently right into Kaydan's ear. "I will stay here for a while."
Kaydan did not answer with words. The brown-skinned youth slowly closed the thick book he was reading, then stood up from his chair.
"Once my business here is finished, I will come see you in your room immediately." Arvin whispered again, giving an assurance. "Wait for me calmly over there."
Hearing such a soothing assurance from his husband, Kaydan offered a small smile that went unseen by the assassin. He then walked over to the shelf, neatly placed the book back in its original spot, and walked away, leaving the library with as calm a demeanor as possible.
Along with Kaydan's departure through the library doors, Arvin could sense the presence of the assassin hiding in the corner of the room fading away as well, continuing to tail Kaydan's movements.
Now, only Arvin was truly left alone inside the massive room.
Finally, that annoying assassin is gone! Arvin thought in relief, the enthusiastic smile of a gamer beginning to adorn his face. Now... it's time for me to find the door leading to the secret room hidden beneath this library!