Jules looked at the man sitting opposite him with a smile. He responded in kind. Both, hiding their faces and intentions, seemed to study each other to the smallest detail, but did not give themselves away in any way. And that is why it was clear that both were on guard.
There was a knock on the door, and the servant standing in front of it opened it. Gavin appeared with snacks and tea.
Gavin greeted Jules and Spencer Grimaldi.
- And Adi?
- It will be soon. He was at the training ground and said that he would come as soon as he got himself in order. And one more thing, Your Grace.
Gavin carefully covered his mouth with his hand as he said this.
— The Crown Prince has arrived.
- …Already?
- Yes.
“How did Claude get there so quickly?” He usually arrived late. Could this have something to do with the arrival of Count Grimaldi?
Jules looked at Spencer Grimaldi. The man, with a straight face, sipped his tea and looked serenely smiling. He knows how to smile as if he were a kind-hearted person. But underneath this is a coiled snake.
- We'll talk about this in the evening.
- Yes, I understand.
- Come out.
Gavin bowed and left. Jules smiled at the man sitting in front of him.
- I beg your pardon, Count.
- What do you. You must have a lot to do.
Spencer Grimaldi said this with a straight face.
- You, Count, probably do too. Since we came to Palesa again, everyone must want to see you.
- Is it possible to compare with me, Your Grace? They say your schedule is booked at least two years in advance, so it's an honor to meet you. They also provided me with a residence.
— To come to Palesa and stay not in the palace, but somewhere else - isn’t that inconvenient? However, now everything seems to be fine. After His Majesty was out of sorts, you were no longer invited to the May Day in Pales, but now you have come again.
Spencer smiled at Jules' words. It is quite obvious that he was hinting at the situation: an invitation to the May Day in Palesa was received, but not to the palace. Spencer's expression confirmed his guess. This was not an invitation from the king, but from the crown prince. Grimaldi sided with the crown prince?
- And you yourself, Your Grace...
But why didn’t Claude settle them in his own residence? To avoid making it clear that they are on the same side?
“I heard that the curse was lifted.” Now, having seen you, I am convinced that you are really strikingly different from before. I didn't expect to see you so mature.
-...Yes, that's right.
Julius thought that he would not mention this and would not even pretend to be surprised - he would simply remain silent. But no, I decided to speak. However, probably everyone else will also talk about these changes. The grown-up Duke Woodpecker. When the ball starts, there will be even more talk.
- Those who see you for the first time are unlikely to recognize you.
- There are few people who know me by sight. Besides, everything happened in the Palace of Pales, so everyone at court is already aware. About these changes.
- Well, that's great.
“It would be nice if the count’s family escaped the curse.”
“The curse of our family is already buried in the ground.”
After saying this, Spencer raised his tea cup. For a moment, Julius felt a strange sense of incongruity.
- The same words.
Adi Grimaldi said exactly the same thing. As if it were something taken for granted. Was it her own thought—or Spencer Grimaldi's?
Spencer raised an eyebrow at Jules' words.
Does he say the same thing? Who? Adrian? Have they become so close that they are discussing such things? Of course, he ordered Adrian to protect the Duke from assassination attempts and to stay close to him, but he did not at all mean a rapprochement of this kind.
“You seem to have become quite close to my son.”
“Adi really makes an impression.”
Spencer's face hardened. Adi. Adi, that is. He did not think that he would hear this name from someone else's lips. Especially here. He was definitely told that Adrian did not get close to anyone around him, and it turns out that during this time he became so close to the Duke that he addresses him like this. The Count hid his thoughts behind a smile.
- And why did my son make such an impression on you?
- Hm. Perhaps because it is completely unpredictable?
Maybe because something of his own awaited him in the future, but there was almost no greed in him. He craved nothing, desired nothing. It seemed like he was just silently enduring something here. Just what exactly he was suffering remained unclear. If he wanted, he could leave here. But there was no point in talking about it out loud. Jules spoke again:
- Cute face, and nickname - Son of a bitch Palesa.
Actually, not a son of a bitch, but Palesa’s Dog, but Juls thought that the difference was small. But confusion flashed across Spencer Grimaldi's face - it seemed like he had heard this nickname for the first time.
“I thought he was some kind of street tough who only gets into fights, but in reality he turned out to be surprisingly quiet.”
“It looks like my offspring caused some inconvenience to someone.”
- What do you mean, of course not. The Count himself knows that Grimaldi is my savior.
Spencer Grimaldi's eyes darkened calmly. He understood that by “Grimaldi” they meant not himself, but Adrian, and yet sometimes it seemed as if they were addressing him specifically. Especially here in Jonad. When the Duke, despite the count's title, deliberately called him “sir” - as if he were some kind of knight. Of course, Spencer did not think that the Duke had any special intention in this. And even if such a thought came to mind, it is better to accept that there is no intent.
- They sent an assassin to me. Adi protected me, even though he himself got poisoned in the process.
- Poison... did you say?
- Yes, poison. He protected me even when he was poisoned. An excellent knight. Although the Count, I suppose, doesn’t like it too much.
- What are you saying, not at all.
The count said. Whatever it was, he said it sincerely. If the Duke dies now, it will be worse for him. But he did not foresee such a turn.
“I’m glad that Your Grace remained unharmed.”
“When did the Duke grow so big?” And why didn’t Adrian say a word about his changes? Did you consider this unimportant? After thinking for a moment, Spencer stopped thinking about it.
He did not teach that Adrian to think independently. Most likely, it never occurred to her that this was worth mentioning.
Stupid, of course, but it’s easier to control her this way.
Adrian Grimaldi has no need to think about anything significant. Let her remain as she is now - an obedient puppet.
Just as Spencer Grimaldi was about to speak again, someone knocked outside. Yuls didn’t even bother to clarify who it was and simply ordered him to enter. Since a person has entered the Residence, it means that he has already passed the identity check.
Looking at the opening door, Yuls said: “Finally, they’ve arrived.”
- Long time no see, huh?
With these words, Spencer realized that his child was entering.
- Your Mightiness.
Adi said, crossing the threshold. The man sitting opposite the Duke had his back turned to her, and she could not see who it was. The Duke smiled and called: “Adi.” His voice sounded kind. Spencer's eyes narrowed - both from the change in the Duke's behavior and from Adi's unusual-sounding voice.
- Do you have a guest?
The voice was low, but if you knew that it was a woman, you could hear a feminine sound in it, and if you considered it a man, you could hear a masculine sound. Overly androgynous. It won't last long.
In a few years I will have to be called back to Grimaldi. Before that, complete all matters.
“The sire also knows this guest.”
At Yuls’s words, Adi shuddered. There were very few people she knew. And in Pales, one might say, there is no one at all.
"How is this..."
She obviously didn't receive the letter. After all, it should have mentioned approximately when he would arrive - why did he arrive so suddenly? Maybe the letter was sent but has not yet arrived? Or is this intentional?
Adi looked at the back of the man sitting on the sofa. Gray hair, familiar physique. The man, Count Grimaldi, rose from the sofa.
- Adrian.
Turning, the count called out to Adi.
- …Father.
Spencer Grimaldi put his hand on Adi's shoulder. Jules noticed how the fingers clenched and then unclenched. Looking at the crumpled fabric on his shoulder, he thought that their relationship was quite “good.”
Spencer then said, “The hair has grown a lot.”
- And they curl.
Grimaldi is located on a rock, on a granite massif, so the water there is quite clean. In Pales, the water is chalky, which makes your hair heavier and starts to curl.
Adi was also surprised when her hair became coarse and wavy. She asked the maid assigned to the 3rd Order of Knighthood, and she gave her hair product; it made them smooth, but did not stop curling.
Normally this wouldn't be noticed, but since Spencer mentioned it, it's a warning of sorts. Adi answered without hesitation:
- I'll get my hair cut.
- OK.
At this moment, Jules spoke.
- Leave it.
Adi and Spencer Grimaldi's eyes turned to Juls.
- Long ones are much nicer to look at.
Spencer Grimaldi grinned wryly. Looking at the raised corner of his lips, Yuls also smiled. How good it is to see that Count Grimaldi is not happy about this.
- He's cute.
-......
Yuls became even more cheerful.