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The ducal house of Parbelini owned one of the most expensive mansions in the capital.
This was an ancestral estate passed from generation to generation.
Although the ancient mansion of a noble family preserved a majestic external appearance with a touch of time, its interiors corresponded to the latest trends of fashion.
The ducal mansion in the capital, where modernity and classics harmoniously combined, alongside the platinum hair of the family members of Parbelini, was the object of their special pride.
The Parbelini were the roots and center of the Traon Empire.
Duke Parbelini, Asef, with a satisfied smile looked at his mansion from the window of the car on the way home.
Maybe, today at the party he’d overdone it with alcohol?
Suddenly in him boiled a feeling of pride for that he is a Parbelini.
*‘Yes, let even this crazy one be enraged...’*
The Parbelini will be eternal.
Even if the imperial family changes, the Parbelini, as-if a huge ancient tree, will continue their history.
Asef searched in the pocket and reached out a case with cigars.
He’d already opened the window and gathered to light up when...
The car sharply jerked and braked.
The case with cigars fell from his knees onto the floor.
That which he held in hands too slipped out, and now expensive cigars haphazardly lay across all the floor of the carriage.
*‘Tsk!’*—irritatedly clicked his tongue Asef and lifted voice on the driver:
"What is happening!"
An experienced driver never would have stopped so sharply without a serious reason.
Asef usually was condescending, but by some reason the driver didn't answer.
He only with wide-opened eyes looked forward.
Asef tried to follow his gaze, but here same screwed up eyes—the headlines of an oncoming car suddenly were switched on, blinding him.
When the light was dimmed and he slowly opened eyes, then involuntarily swallowed a smirk at the sight of the picture having unfolded before him.
Armed soldiers surrounded the car.
Before them, holding on aim their rifles, stood a tall man in an evening suit.
Seeing those scarlet eyes, Asef quietly squeezed out a curse which for long he hadn't pronounced.
*Knock-knock.* A light knock on the glass was distributed.
A huge soldier outside ordered:
"Exit."
This was a knight of Grand Duke Erzet.
It seems, his name was Rotan.
Recalling this vaguely familiar name, Asef himself opened the door and went out from the car.
When his feet touched the ground, he felt cool air.
Asef only then realized that the sensation of cold was caused by his own sweat.
Swallowing dry saliva, he approached to the Grand Duke.
That one was dressed not in the military uniform of the imperial army, but in an unofficial suit.
And all thus same he instilled more fear than soldiers with rifles.
From him issued a thick scent of blood, from which Asef's breath was inter-cut.
"Good evening, Duke Parbelini.
A bright moon today," pronounced the Grand Duke in a non-obligatory tone, having thrust hands into pockets.
Judging by the intonation, one could think that they accidentally met by night on the street.
Asef lead with tongue along the parched mouth.
Since those as he became a duke, to him, it seemed, there was nothing to fear...
But this feeling, turning feet, was fear.
A primitive feeling squeezing the heart seemed such strange.
Grand Duke Erzet couldn't kill Duke Parbelini.
At least, not without minimal legal procedures, not thus, on the spot.
For Parbelini is a deserved kin of the empire.
And all thus same, despite this obvious truth, Asef was not sure that he’d not be killed.
Damn it, this madman could in a fit, not reflecting of consequences, transform him here same into a sieve.
Especially if to remember those quiet killings which he committed in the last time.
"Your Excellency... what brought you in this late hour?"—Asef even didn't dare to lift voice, fearing that the Grand Duke will order to lower the hammer.
He carefully selected each word, and the Grand Duke intently looked at him.
His gaze as-if spoke that he knows what Asef fears.
From this goosebumps ran along the back.
"Into the laboratory of my wife broke in a rat's cub."
"!"
Asef scarcely restrained the excitement having flashed along his face.
Once into the domains of the Grand Duke was able to penetrate an outsider, he simply chose some kind of harmless young scholar.
He ordered to track down what the Duchess is occupied with, and find on her compromising materials.
And promised for this wealth and fame.
To him they reported that in the quality of a guest of the Duchess that one will fall under much less observation, therefore he and decided on this risky step.
But this, it seemed, smart fellow turned out such a fool that he was immediately revealed.
Or, maybe...
*‘Is it really that the Grand Duke waited for this?
Set a trap...’* So that Asef would commit a mistake and was caught in a trap.
While Asef tensely reflected, the Grand Duke asked:
"How is the young mistress Parbelini living?"
He didn't set about to interrogate of Asef's crimes.
By one only question he blocked his oxygen.
Not having withstood this exquisite blackmail, Asef heavily sighed.
In his head were passing political considerations, but in that moment he answered not as Duke Parbelini, but as a father.
"Your Excellency...
I was foolish.
I request your magnanimous condescension."
This person could appear by night to Duke Parbelini and set on him a rifle.
Nothing hindered him now same to lead soldiers into the ducal mansion and intimidate Ornella.
His daughter, "Lily of Traon," grew up surrounded only by the most expensive and exquisite things, and wouldn't endure the sight of powder and blood.
When Asef bowed head, asking for pardon, the Grand Duke magnanimously accepted his apology.
But in exchange for that to close eyes on today's incident, he put forward an unexpected condition.
"Give to me a lion's feather."
He demanded to pass to him the relic preserved in the house of Parbelini.
The relic of Parbelini—a gold feather, allegedly fallen from a winged lion from the myth about the founding of the empire.
Asef always laughed, looking at this feather: who knows, did it indeed belong to a winged lion or was plucked from some unknown bird and painted with gold.
But that which exactly Grand Duke Erzet requested a lion's feather was strange.
Asef well knew that that one didn't believe in god and despised superstitions.
Of course, he will give the feather—he wanted to live.
But Asef couldn't restrain a sudden impulse and asked the Grand Duke:
"What exactly do you want, Your Excellency?"
His intentions of the Grand Duke interested since then as to him reached rumors that that one had hacked off the head of the King of Kalpen.
To hack off the head of a king—this was the worst choice.
He after after all must understand that better it was to leave the king in living and conclude an agreement.
How did he gather to settle the consequences of his actions?
But this was not arrogance, but confidence.
Immediately after the execution of the King of Kalpen the Grand Duke destroyed and the resistance headed by the crown prince of Kalpen.
Under ordinary circumstances the suppression of resistance would have taken as minimum a half-year.
But the Grand Duke as-if saw through what nobles in Kalpen helped the rebels, how they obtained supplies and where they were based.
The rebels of Kalpen literally played on the palm of the Grand Duke and were crushed less than in a month.
Such a transient crush was impossible without divine intervention.
Unless that he himself became a god.
Earlier Asef too feared the Grand Duke, but the current fear was incomparable.
It seemed the current Grand Duke had comprehended all laws of the heavens and sees the future.
The situation in which Grand Duke Erzet looked a master of the world evoked in Asef a bitter smirk.
His almost prophetic actions continued and after the return to the empire.
The nobles of Traon defenseless-ly fell to his feet, as-if he saw the future.
But for the Grand Duke it was little to break the nobles—he methodically destroyed them one after another.
A multitude of nobles were deprived of titles or were quietly killed by various ways.
The majority even didn't weren't worthy of decent funerals.
But why?
In his actions there was no logic.
Not similar so that he wanted to seize the empire and usurp the throne.
For he destroyed even those who clearly could be useful to him.
The Grand Duke only continued meaningless massacre.
For the sake of whom was this silent slaughter in which was not visible any kind of criterion?
Asef sincerely wanted to understand the intentions of the Grand Duke.
"What I want..." The Grand Duke, it seemed, sank into thought and answered, as-if talking with himself: "If already to speak... then peace."
Asef here same was twisted.
He thought that the Grand Duke was mocking him.
What yet peace can desire a person sowing a bloody wind?
The Grand Duke, as-if-having read his thoughts, slowly continued:
"If I had not desired it..." He stared at Asef with his bloody-red eyes and distortedly smiled.
"To you it would have been unlikely to manage to stand before me now whole and unharmed."