Chapter 349: Covered their tracks

Louis ran into the Duke’s estate, his hurried steps echoing through the halls, until Roman caught him by the leg.

"Uncle, I caught you!" Roman declared excitedly, laughing lightly.

"Young Lord, I have urgent business with Prince August," Louis gasped, catching his breath. "Please let me go."

Roman immediately released his hold. "What kind of work, Uncle?"

"Roman, let your uncle tend to his duties. Come with me," Georgia said, stepping into the corridor.

Louis offered a quick, respectful greeting to the Dowager Duchess, who offered him a warm smile in return. Roman folded both hands neatly in front of himself, bowed, and quietly followed her away.

Louis headed straight for August’s quarters, only to find the heavy doors firmly shut.

"Sir, Prince August has asked not to be disturbed," a maidservant quickly informed him, stepping forward nervously.

"It is urgent. I must see him immediately."

"Pardon me, sir, but His Highness returned very late last night. He will surely punish me if—"

"Who the hell is barking outside my room at this hour?" August snapped, pulling open the door. He stood in his loose night robes, his dark hair disheveled, glaring coldly at Louis. Beside him, the maidservant swiftly lowered her head, trembling in silence.

"Louis, do you possess a burning desire to be disciplined for disrupting my sleep?" August demanded, arching an eyebrow in rising irritation.

"Your Highness may punish me as he sees fit afterward," Louis replied without missing a beat. "Why did you carry out such an arrest last night? Do you have any conception of what you have done?"

"I simply placed a criminal behind bars where he belongs," August answered, turning on his heel and walking back into his chamber.

Louis immediately followed him inside, shutting the door behind them.

"You work for them, I believe," August said quietly, his tone laced with sharp mockery.

"Your Highness, that is not what I mean," Louis replied, his gaze heavy with worry. "You have no idea what danger you have brought upon yourself. You arrested him for interrogation, not on concrete evidence. There is a vast difference between the two. You have truly given me a massive headache."

August slouched back onto the recliner, closing his eyes once more.

"How have I given you a headache?" he chuckled softly. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"It is my solemn duty to keep everyone safe within this estate during the Duke’s absence," Louis pressed, his voice rising in frustration. "Furthermore, Your Highness went so far as to arrest the deputy manager of the central textile factory. Multiple nobles have taken to the streets holding banners bearing your name in protest! Do not go about creating powerful enemies for yourself, Your Highness."

August’s smile faded, and he finally sat up, resting both hands firmly on his knees.

"The manager you speak of was smuggling illicit substances hidden within textile shipments," August pronounced, his gaze hardening. "I have committed no error. Arrest those protesting nobles as well."

Louis let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face. "I know what you are doing is right, Your Highness. But you must obtain solid evidence to keep him detained. The local inspector I spoke with reported that Flynn Mercer took full, sole responsibility for the operation."

"What did you say?" August demanded, his brows knitting into a deep frown as he stood up.

Before Louis could respond, the chamber doors swung open, and Samir stepped inside, his throat dry and face pale.

"Your Highness... I bring grave news," Samir reported, his voice tight. "Flynn Mercer is dead."

Louis’s eyes widened in shock, his gaze darting instantly to August, whose expression turned unreadable.

"How?" August asked coldly.

"Poison," Samir replied. "He ingested a lethal dose hidden inside a hollow ring secured within his garments."

"Someone silenced him," August muttered under his breath, his jaw clenching. "Useless fool."

"We should never have left him in the custody of the local precinct," Samir said bitterly. "And the nobles are furious. A chaos is brewing outside. What is our next move?"

"Your Highness, you must address them and clarify the situation," Louis urged. "With Flynn dead, you no longer possess a living witness to justify holding the remaining suspects for interrogation."

August turned a sharp, dangerous look onto him. "That will not happen."

"They will set the city ablaze and drag your name through the mud before the royal court," Louis advised firmly. "We must appease their fury to ensure your safety."

Samir nodded in agreement with Louis’s assessment.

"What are you contemplating, Your Highness?" Louis asserted, stepping forward. "You have no conception of how severely this can backfire upon you. I respect your pursuit of justice, but you must exercise caution. Your entire standing and future will be gravely endangered if you do not de-escalate this immediately."

August remained silent for a beat, his expression unyielding. "I shall ready myself first," he said quietly, turning on his heel toward the adjoining washroom.

As the door closed behind the prince, Louis let out a long breath of relief before rounding on Samir.

"Why did you not restrain the prince from making such reckless arrests last night?" Louis muttered in sheer frustration. "You have no idea what a hornet’s nest Prince August has disturbed. He is already disfavored by half the nobility!"

"I have little to no sway over His Highness’s choices," Samir admitted, crossing his arms with a grim expression.

"However, it is unmistakably clear that someone is desperate to keep this investigation buried. A considerable faction of high-ranking nobles is likely entangled in this trade."

Louis hummed softly, unable to dispute the gravity of Samir’s words. "That is entirely possible," he agreed. "Yet regardless of who stands behind the curtain, our immediate priority must be safeguarding Prince August before this situation spins completely out of control and the full blame is thrust upon his shoulders."

"If the Duke were here, he would have handled this with far more finesse," Louis mused, shaking his head. "We have been scrutinizing these exact families for months, searching for concrete proof that seemed impossible to unearth. They have covered their tracks with meticulous care."

"And Prince August just threw a torch into the dry grass," Samir added, staring at the closed washroom door.

"Precisely," Louis murmured, worry creasing his brow. "Damian wanted a strong evidence before striking. If he learns that August moved prematurely and lost our only living witness in the process, the fallout between them will be disastrous."