Chapter 18: Shadows Beneath the Valcroix Name

The royal investigators arrived at House Valcroix beneath a sky drowned in rain.

Not snow.

Not frost.

Rain.

Cold gray water falling endlessly across the massive ducal estate as black carriages bearing the royal crest crossed through the outer gates beneath the watchful eyes of armored guards who stood in perfect formation despite the tension slowly spreading through the mansion since dawn.

No trumpets announced their arrival.

No ceremonial greetings followed.

Because this was not a diplomatic visit.

It was an investigation.

And everyone inside House Valcroix understood exactly what that meant.

The poisoning of a ducal heir was not a private matter anymore.

Not after rumors had begun spreading through noble circles.

Not after fragments of information reached the capital.

And certainly not after the royal family learned that assassins had attacked Lucien during his exile transfer.

Someone—

Had crossed a line dangerous enough to attract the crown’s direct attention.

Inside the central estate hall, servants moved quietly between pillars while several senior members of the Valcroix household waited beneath oppressive silence, their expressions restrained carefully beneath layers of noble discipline despite the unease lingering throughout the chamber.

At the center stood Duke Aldric Valcroix himself.

Tall.

Cold.

Unreadable.

The Duke had not slept properly in days.

Not that anyone would dare mention it.

Because the situation surrounding Lucien had evolved beyond simple embarrassment.

At first, the failed awakening could have been hidden.

Managed.

Contained beneath political excuses and succession restructuring.

But poison?

Assassination attempts?

Internal betrayal?

Those things invited scrutiny.

And scrutiny—

Was dangerous.

The massive doors of the hall opened slowly.

Three individuals entered.

All wearing dark coats marked with silver insignias of the Royal Investigation Bureau.

Not knights.

Not nobles.

Worse.

Investigators.

The kind authorized to question even high-ranking houses under royal decree.

The lead investigator removed his gloves calmly as he stepped forward, his sharp gray eyes moving across the hall with practiced observation before finally settling upon the Duke.

"Duke Valcroix."

His voice was polite.

But completely without warmth.

Duke Aldric inclined his head slightly.

"Investigator Rowan."

No further pleasantries followed.

Because both men understood protocol.

And both understood power.

The investigator spoke immediately.

"By authority of the crown, we will be conducting a full inquiry into the poisoning of Lucien Valcroix and the subsequent attack during his exile transfer."

The hall remained silent.

Several nobles standing nearby shifted slightly nonetheless.

Because hearing the accusation spoken openly carried different weight than hearing whispers behind closed doors.

Rowan continued calmly.

"We request unrestricted cooperation."

A dangerous statement.

Not a request.

A declaration.

The Duke answered without hesitation.

"You will receive it."

Because refusal would imply guilt.

And House Valcroix could not afford that.

Not now.

The investigator studied him briefly before nodding once.

"Good."

Another investigator stepped forward afterward carrying several sealed scrolls.

"Staff records."

"Guard rotations."

"Kitchen inventories."

"Internal medical reports."

"All requested immediately."

The estate administrators hurried to comply.

No one dared delay royal investigators.

Not even ducal servants.

As documents began moving across the hall, Investigator Rowan slowly walked through the chamber itself, observing everything carefully.

The servants.

The guards.

The tension.

Because investigations rarely succeeded through evidence alone.

People revealed more than paper ever could.

Eventually—

His gaze settled upon a young noble standing several steps behind the Duke.

Cassian Valcroix.

Lucien’s half-brother.

The current acting heir.

Cassian maintained composure perfectly.

Well dressed.

Confident posture.

Controlled expression.

But internally—

His thoughts had already become unstable since receiving news from the north.

The assassins had failed.

Not only failed—

They had died.

Completely.

Wiped out.

Even the infiltrators hidden among Lucien’s escort had disappeared without leaving survivors capable of silencing loose ends.

And now—

Royal investigators stood inside the mansion.

Dangerously close.

Cassian met Rowan’s gaze calmly.

The investigator observed him for a brief moment before speaking.

"You are Cassian Valcroix."

"Yes."

"Brother of Lucien Valcroix."

"Half-brother," Cassian corrected smoothly.

A tiny mistake.

But Rowan noticed it immediately.

Not emotionally.

Professionally.

"Of course," the investigator replied calmly.

Then—

He continued watching him slightly longer than necessary.

Cassian remained perfectly composed.

Years of noble education ensured that much.

But internally—

Pressure had begun building.

Because he had expected the matter to end once Lucien disappeared into the northern frontier.

A failed heir exiled to a frozen border territory rarely survived long enough to matter politically.

That had been the expectation.

Instead—

Lucien survived.

Then assassins failed.

And now the crown itself had become involved.

Cassian hated uncertainty.

Especially when it threatened things that should already belong to him.

The position of heir.

The future marriage alliance.

The authority of House Valcroix.

All of it had finally moved within reach after years spent standing behind Lucien’s shadow purely because of birth order.

He would not lose that now.

Not because of one failed exile.

Meanwhile, the investigation continued relentlessly.

Servants were questioned individually.

Kitchen staff interrogated separately.

Guard captains examined regarding escort formations during Lucien’s departure.

Even healers involved in Lucien’s awakening failure were summoned for direct testimony.

Hours passed.

Then more.

The rain outside never stopped.

Inside the estate—

The pressure only increased.

Eventually, Investigator Rowan entered one of the private side chambers alongside several assistants where the collected reports had already been organized.

A healer stood waiting there nervously.

Old.

Thin.

Terrified.

Rowan placed a document onto the table calmly.

"You treated Lucien Valcroix after the awakening incident."

"Yes..."

The healer’s voice trembled slightly.

"You reported severe mana instability."

"Yes."

Another document followed.

"But not poison."

The healer froze.

Only briefly.

But investigators noticed everything. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Rowan’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"Explain."

The old man swallowed hard.

"At the time... the mana backlash obscured symptoms..."

"Did it?"

Silence.

The healer’s breathing became uneven.

Because now—

He understood.

They already suspected internal manipulation.

Rowan leaned slightly forward.

"Or were you instructed not to look deeper?"

The healer’s face paled instantly.

Too fast.

Too obvious.

One of the assistants immediately began writing.

The old healer realized his mistake immediately afterward.

But too late.

Because fear—

Created openings.

And royal investigators specialized in finding them.

Elsewhere within the estate, Cassian stood alone near one of the upper balconies overlooking the rain-covered courtyard below, his jaw tightening slightly as thoughts moved rapidly through his mind.

Someone had talked.

Or worse—

Someone had panicked.

He could handle suspicion.

But evidence?

That was different.

Footsteps approached from behind.

Cassian turned slightly.

His mother.

Lady Seraphine.

Elegant.

Sharp-eyed.

Dangerous in quieter ways than most nobles ever understood.

"You’re unsettled," she said softly.

Cassian frowned slightly.

"The investigators are digging too deeply."

Seraphine stepped beside him calmly.

"They suspect the poisoning."

"They suspect everyone," Cassian answered coldly.

A pause followed before he lowered his voice slightly.

"The northern assassins failed."

For the first time—

A slight shift appeared in Seraphine’s expression.

Not shock.

Annoyance.

"That complicates matters."

Cassian laughed quietly without humor.

"Complicates?"

Another pause.

"If Lucien returns with royal backing—"

"He won’t," Seraphine interrupted immediately.

Cassian looked toward her sharply.

The woman’s eyes remained calm.

Controlled.

"Lucien was weak before."

A pause.

"And weakness rarely changes."

But Cassian remained silent.

Because deep down—

Something bothered him.

Not fear exactly.

But instinct.

The assassins he sent were professionals.

Experienced killers trained specifically for noble eliminations.

Yet they vanished completely.

That was not normal.

And neither was the sudden silence surrounding Lucien afterward.

No reports.

No panic.

Nothing.

As if something in the north had swallowed the entire incident whole.

Meanwhile below—

The investigation continued advancing steadily toward truths House Valcroix desperately wanted buried beneath noble decorum and political stability.

And Investigator Rowan had already begun realizing something important.

This was not merely a failed succession dispute.

No.

Someone inside House Valcroix had attempted systematic elimination of the legitimate heir.

Which meant—

The deeper he dug—

The uglier the truth would become.

And somewhere far away beyond snow-covered frontiers and hidden western mountains, Lucien Valcroix remained completely unaware that the royal family had finally begun pulling apart the shadows hidden beneath his family’s name.

End of Chapter 18