A Bait Draped in an Invitation

The scroll was wrapped in deep crimson silk like the shade of dried blood.Molton stepped forward two paces and held it out. His withered hands trembled slightly, but his gaze remained fixed directly on Kaelus.“His Imperial Majesty invites the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess to a private dinner banquet at the main hall of Hera Palace tomorrow evening,” Molton stated. His tone was flat—far too flat to be called calm.Kaelus did not reach for the scroll. His ruby eyes narrowed, scanning the royal butler as if skinning away every hidden motive behind his words.“A dinner banquet?” Roselyn interjected softly from her seat beside him. “While the Empress is ‘severely ill’ and kept in isolation?”“It is a banquet, Grand Duke,” Molton replied without fully turning toward her. “The Emperor wishes to clear up recent misunderstandings and ensure that our relationship with Valthorne remains intact.”“Do you feel our relationship has become problematic?”“…”“Never mind. Continue.”“There is one mor

Before the Hall Doors Open

The red silk scroll was still warm on the table. Kaelus had already ordered the guards to burn it, but the tension it brought did not vanish with the smoke.The morning air in the Valthorne lodge was cold and heavy. The smell of last night’s rain lingered in the crevices of the wooden window frames, carrying a sharp scent of damp earth.In the corner of the room, Eden inspected a row of small glass vials and silver needles as thin as a strand of hair. The clinking of glass was the only sound shattering the silence.“There is no poison that leaves no trace, Your Grace.”Eden dipped Roselyn’s jeweled hairpin into a neutralizing liquid without looking back. “However, Cedric will not use a fast-acting poison. He needs a slow one—something

All Chapters of No Longer Your Puppet, Duke : Chapter 191 - Chapter 192

A Bait Draped in an Invitation

Before the Hall Doors Open