Chapter 530: The Divine Curse Rumor

Cherion was beginning to think he deserved a certificate for being a professional stalker. He had been standing outside Zarius’s private study for several seconds now, peeking through the slightly open door like some suspicious fellow spying on his next target.

Well, in his defense, the target was his own fiancé. His own mate, no less. Surely that made this a perfectly legal activity.

Seeing Zarius still buried in work despite being so far from the north, Cherion couldn’t help smiling. Honestly, did this man ever take a break? Was paperwork his one true love or something?

"Come in, Cherion," Zarius called without even looking up.

Cherion finally entered the study and made a beeline for Zarius. Forget the furniture. Forget the perfectly good chairs. His fiancé was right there, and clearly, he was the superior hugging option. Cherion leaned over Zarius’s chair, wrapped his arms around his shoulders, and rested his chin on top of his head.

The moment Cherion wrapped his arms around him, Zarius’s serious expression softened. He reached up and held Cherion’s forearm, giving it a gentle rub with his thumb. It seemed the Grand Duke had finally found something more interesting than his paperwork.

"Still working this hard, even this late in the afternoon?" Cherion murmured near his ear, glancing down at the papers scattered across the desk.

"You actually came at the perfect time. I was just about to send someone to look for you."

Cherion beamed. "I’m happy to hear that. It seems we were both looking forward to seeing each other."

"That, too." He lifted a paper slightly and tapped it with his finger. "And this. I was just about to show you this."

Cherion glanced down at the paper, looking rather pleased with himself. "Well, look at that. Two reasons to come see you. How lucky am I?"

His gaze lingered on the paper, and he soon noticed the familiar wax seal at the bottom.

"Wait... is that... is that letter from House Avery?" Cherion asked, lifting his chin from Zarius’s head and leaning forward to get a better look. "Wow, are they huge fans or what?"

Zarius let out a low laugh, glancing up at Cherion’s curious expression. "Derrick might be an enthusiastic fan of yours, but this letter isn’t from the young heir," Zarius replied. "This one was delivered by Marquess Avery himself."

Cherion raised an eyebrow, shifting his posture slightly so he was standing comfortably beside Zarius’s chair, though his hand remained rested affectionately over Zarius’s broad shoulder, his fingers lightly twirling a strand of Zarius’s dark hair. "The Marquess? What could he possibly want with us?"

"He is formally requesting an urgent, private meeting with us," Zarius explained, holding up the heavy paper so Cherion could read it. "He states that after the reckless, unprovoked theater attack yesterday, he wishes to discuss the growing threats against our loved ones, personally thank you once more, and coordinate our efforts to make sure Heinrich faces the consequences of his actions."

Cherion skimmed through the letter, then hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm... Interesting. But speaking of Marquess Avery and the rumors going around high society, there’s something else I’ve been meaning to talk to you about."

Zarius turned his full attention to Cherion. "What is it?"

Rather than bothering with another chair, Cherion simply turned and settled onto Zarius’s lap. The Duke didn’t seem surprised in the slightest. In fact, he looked rather pleased, immediately slipping an arm around Cherion’s waist to keep him comfortable.

"When Derrick and I were talking during our outing," Cherion began, "he mentioned something he accidentally overheard. Derrick overheard his father and other nobles whispering about your health, Zarius."

Zarius’s expression remained calm, though his brow pulled into a tight line. "My health?"

"Derrick said they were explicitly discussing rumors that your failing health and sudden bouts of weakness are the result of a curse brought on by all the blood that has, unfortunately, been spilled because of you." Cherion pressed his lips together. Honestly, that was the nicest way he could think of saying it.

Zarius stayed silent for a long moment, looking down at their joined hands.

"A divine punishment..." Zarius said softly. "I suppose it isn’t surprising that they thinks so. Considering the sheer amount of blood I’ve spilled on the battlefields over the years... the thousands of lives taken during the border wars to protect this empire. Perhaps... perhaps there is some truth to what they say, Cherion."

Cherion stared at him in disbelief. Oh, absolutely not. He wasn’t about to let Zarius start blaming himself for this nonsense. Before the man could get another word out, Cherion gave his shoulder a sharp slap.

Smack

"Ssh! No, it is not!" Cherion snapped firmly. "Don’t you dare sit here and say something so utterly foolish!"

Zarius blinked, genuinely startled by the sudden slap on his shoulder.

Cherion immediately rubbed the spot he’d just hit, as if he could somehow undo the damage. "There, there. I’m sorry. But honestly, what am I supposed to do with you? You can’t just go around saying things like that and expect me not to smack you!"

He let out a long sigh, then gently took Zarius’s face in both hands, making sure the other man was looking at him.

"Zarius, look at me," Cherion insisted, his tone softening slightly. "Listen to me very carefully. There is no such thing as a ’divine punishment’ for protecting this realm and keeping thousands of innocent people alive. You fought to save lives, not to take them out of malice. That ridiculous rumor isn’t coming from the heavens above, it is coming straight from rotten, scheming snakes in this capital who hate you and are utterly terrified of you and your power!"

Zarius looked into Cherion’s fierce eyes. "You really believe that?" Zarius asked softly.

"I don’t just believe it, I know it," Cherion whispered back, leaning forward to press his lips gently against Zarius’s. Cherion kissed him softly, lingering for a moment before pulling back. His hands remained cupped around Zarius’s face, his thumbs gently stroking his cheeks. "We both know that what you’ve been dealing with isn’t a natural illness or a punishment from the gods. Well, that’s what the author said in the novel, at least. It is a dark, foul, man-made curse planted by an enemy. And who benefits the most from spreading a rumor that your condition is a ’divine curse’?"

Zarius’s eyes sharpened instantly, his brilliant tactical mind locking onto Cherion’s reasoning. "Probably anyone who wants to cover up the fact that they actively planted the curse themselves."

"Exactly!" Cherion exclaimed, nodding his head emphatically as a triumphant smile broke across his face. "If everyone believes your failing health is a divine punishment from the gods for past bloodshed, no one will ever investigate foul play! If the truth about your condition ever begins to come to light, people will just shrug it off and say, ’Oh, it’s just the gods judging Duke Valtrane for his sins.’ It is a deliberate, highly calculated cover story."

Cherion squeezed Zarius’s hands tightly in his lap, his expression turning cold. "Which means anyone who actively brought up or pushed the topic of a ’divine curse’ might actually know something serious about it. They aren’t just casually gossiping over wine, they are either testing the waters, or they know for a fact that it’s a curse and want to ensure the public accepts the ’divine’ narrative before anyone digs deep enough to find the real culprit."

Zarius couldn’t help looking at Cherion with pride. People had once seen him as nothing more than a spoiled, delicate noble who knew little beyond his own comforts. If only they could see him now, calmly connecting the dots behind the rumors and uncovering secrets involving both high society and dark magic.

"You are incredible, do you know that?" Zarius murmured softly. He reached up, cupping the back of Cherion’s neck and pulling him close until their foreheads rested softly against each other. "Every single day, you amaze me more than the day before."

Cherion let out a quiet, happy hum, closing his eyes and leaning into Zarius’s touch. "I just won’t let anyone hurt you, Zarius. Not with blades, not with dark magic, and certainly not with cruel rumors."

"And I will spend the rest of my life protecting you too," Zarius promised softly, his thumb stroking Cherion’s cheek. He smiled, a genuine, warm expression that lit up his handsome, stern face. "So, my brilliant strategist... what is our next move?"

"Our next move," Cherion smiled, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes as he looked into Zarius’s face, "is meeting this Marquess Avery. Whether the Marquess himself is involved in these whispers, or merely surrounded by snake-like political guests, spending some time with him while keeping our eyes open might give us something."

Zarius turned Cherion’s hand over, interlocking their fingers tightly together. "Then it’s settled," Zarius whispered warmly against Cherion’s lips. "We will go meet this Marquess Avery."