CHAPTER 498: 497. DATE OR DISASTER (3)

Reina ordered Rask to note down the name of the places that the man listed.

"Send your men to these places, no need to capture them alive, get rid of them as soon as you find them." Reina ordered in a chilling voice.

Davian couldn’t have expected these words from her beautiful mouth and somehow he couldn’t help but recall Ocean’s words as how Reina wasn’t quite kind and all smiles all the time.

Rask bowed, "Yes,"

"And report back to Boss once you’re done."

After the instructions were given and taken, Reina and Davian were escorted out. Davian watched as there wasn’t even a hint of discomfort on Reina’s face despite being in the same cell as a man who was tortured so badly.

Davian kept staring wondering if he should ask or not, usually he was shameless enough to pry into other people’s matters, especially Ocean’s but he was hesitant when it came to Reina. He didn’t want to offend her.

Reina felt Davian’s gaze on her but she wasn’t paying attention, her brain was moving lightyears ahead.

The information that they had just got was quite a serious one. In the past, the war between Sestia and Denril had begun because of the sea routes.

Sestia’s rulers were arrogant pricks who wanted the control of other kingdom’s assets and obviously, Denril wasn’t going to hand them over just like that.

The war lasted for nearly a decade before the peace was established by the Princes of both kingdoms but the obvious downfall in this peace was of the Queen who wanted her son to be the King.

Carlos wasn’t invited to Denril even once after the war while Eric was celebrated as a hero in both the kingdoms. The masses loved him, Rune and Davian for their performance during the war as well as for establishing the peace to save the people of both the kingdoms. But it didn’t go accordingly to Katherine’s wishes as she wanted that for her son.

If Carlos receives the love and respect from the people then he would have the throne very easily but now that Eric had stepped up his game it was becoming harder.

And in order to bring him down what better way was to be used than to sow the seeds of unrest among the people. Not everyone of them were happy with the peace, they were relieved that the war was over but the bitter aftertaste of not having victory for either side and losing so many people was still the problem.

Many people shared the hostile sentiment for the other kingdom but since majority was happy they couldn’t do much. In this circumstances if there is unrest, then the embers of war that had just started to cool would spark ablaze again. And this time, peace would not be an option.

Katherine’s primary goal was clear in Reina’s head now. Eric was currently in Denril, in this moment if something happened like a terrorist attack and if there was even an inkling of it being a foul play from Sestia’s side then Eric along with the other Sestian people would be detained immediately.

Katherine would use that opportunity to shift all the blame on Eric claiming that it was his sole action and possibly even on Ocean Ryujin whom she would be seeing as an enemy considering the King had given him the responsibility of choosing the future King. Just like how she had brushed away the matter of Grand Duke and Grand Duchess who were trapped in Mordino a few years ago.

So, she would not only be getting rid of Eric but also of Ocean, Duke Aurelius who was an influential figure of Sestia, Marquis Fairisles who had always been a pain for the Esmertia faction as well as Davian the future Grand Duke.

War or not, she could place Carlos in the throne, have all her enemies eliminated and even Frosthail falling into her hands in one move.

Reina almost applauded her thinking but it was too bad for her that Ocean’s information guild wasn’t made of amateurs.

The moles that Katherine had dispatched in Denril would be caught soon and they would be parceled back to their owner in pieces.

Davian stared at Reina’s face as they stepped out of the inn, a mask of grim iciness was all that he could see, even her eyes seemed like they were a shade darker as if they were suddenly transformed into stormy Ocean’s with the waves violently clashing under the flashing thunderclaps.

Reina sighed deeply closing her eyes as she made a whole calculation in her brain and then looked around, while she was thinking they had managed to come all the way out on the streets with the festivities going on around them in full swing.

She blinked once, then twice before her expression relaxed and her eyes also softened.

"I didn’t expect something big to be happening behind the scenes while we were enjoying ourselves." Davian spoke after a long moment of consideration.

"I had only been thinking that everything is fine now that the war has ended but Master is tackling such a big thing without even letting Prince Eric know of it. Or does he know?" Davian asked.

Reina shook her head watching the giggling kids who were chasing each other.

"Master had only the hint from the information that some people from Sestia had crossed the borders into Denril." Reina clarified.

He had indeed gotten this news out of nowhere the night they had ended up at Denril. While being in the slums the other day, Ocean had given Rask the instructions about what needed to be done and that’s how one of the moles was caught.

"Then is it because it’s such a sensitive matter that’s why you’re here?" He asked and Reina sighed twirling a strand of her hair in her fingers.

"That’s half the reason," she answered and then lifted her eyes to the very cause of her being there.

If it weren’t for Davian insisting Ocean to be his chaperone she wouldn’t have ended up there and it would have been a bigger problem if she wouldn’t have agreed. Task or not, she could have lost some good advantage over the situation.

"It’s also thanks to you," Reina admitted and Davian’s breath hitched.

She smiled and slowly the color crawled up Davian’s cheeks before he averted his eyes clearing his throat.

"H-How come you’re thanking me, Miss Reina?" He asked and she giggled relaxing her shoulders as she stepped ahead.

"If you wouldn’t have insisted Master on coming with you, I wouldn’t be here." She said turning her head slightly with an enchanting smile.

Davian couldn’t only stare at her. He had no idea of how much he liked her, but everytime he thought of her or saw her, it seemed to grow. The desire and the need to have her.

He was afraid of turning into a beast who wouldn’t think of anything but her.

"So, shall we head back or do you want to have some lunch?" She asked making Davian blink in surprise.

"Pardon? Lunch?" He blurted, shocked that she offered it first.

Reina tilted her head slightly, "You don’t want to?"

"No!" Davian almost shouted making the few people from around to turn and look at him.

His cheeks flushed and Reina took the moment to tease him.

She approached him with a disappointed expression and asked, "No? You’re not hungry? Oh, your face is really red. Are you not feeling well?"

Reina lifted her hand to touch his forehead but before she could, he grasped her wrist. His long, thick fingers seemed like they could snap her frail and soft wrist with just a little pressure.

Reina’s eyes widened, feigning surprise while trying not to laugh as he grew even more flustered.

"That’s not it... I... I’d love to have lunch with you, Miss Reina. I was just... um... taken aback... I mean, I should have asked you before but you’re the one being considerate... I’m sorry." He spoke and Reina bit the insides of his cheek to stop herself from laughing.

She found him adorable.

"You don’t need to apologise, Your Highness." She smiled noting that he still hadn’t let go of her hand and continued, "I just thought you might be a little surprised after what we got to know. Being affiliated with Marquis Ryujin’s business this kind of thing becomes normal but I could understand if it was a little shocking for you."

Davian’s jaw nearly dropped as he heard that and he quickly defended himself, "Not at all, I wasn’t surprised by that!"

Reina tilted her head, feigning innocence as she stared up at him.

"I... was surprised but it wasn’t because of him... It was because," his eyes met hers, "I wasn’t expecting Miss Reina to talk to behave like that... You seemed like a completely different person... Unlike your kind and soft-hearted self..."

Reina’s eyes softened, she felt the urge to ruffled his hair as he looked down at her with an innocent expression but she held herself back.

"Like I said, being affiliated with Marquis Ryujin’s business makes one step up to things like this. We have to be strong to shoulder the responsibilities that would be placed on us. If I weren’t up to it, I wouldn’t be here." She said with a smile and Davian nodded in understanding.

They fell into a silence after that, letting the sounds from the surroundings fill the air between them until a woman bumped into Reina’s back and despite Reina being unmovable, she stumbled ahead into Davian’s chest.

She heard his heart beating hastily from up close and quickly stepped back to keep him from having a heart attack.

"I’m sorry," she quickly said.

"N-N-No, it-it-it’s fine," he stuttered with flushed face.

Reina tried her best to not tease him but she couldn’t help it as she brought her hand up which was still in his grasp.

"Will you let go of my hand now?" She asked and his face flushed even more if that was possible as he quickly let go of her hand as if being burned.

Reina wondered if he would pass out from the embarrassment before she chuckled and turned.

"Well then, shall we continue our date?"