"By the way, what did you arrive so early for?" Slapping the plump meat buns of the still twitching maid beside him, the white-haired young man inquired.

    "Ahh~" Jolting up and letting out a small cry, the maid rolled over on the bed.

    "Your Majesty is waiting in the dining room. He asked me to call you to have breakfast." Previously dazed and lost in the thrill of pleasure, the mature maid spoke upon recovering herself.

    "What does he want now?" Letting out a muffled groan while slumping onto the pillow, the young man asked.

    Letting out an annoyed sigh the young man, Lucian Celestian, reluctantly shifted his gaze from the naked female body lying beside him.

    The young man got out of bed and went to freshen up. He then dressed and prepared to face his father, the Emperor, in the dining room, leaving the exhausted maid behind.

    ...

    The distance between Lucian’s room and the dining hall was not too far, and the heel of his boots clattered against the marble floor, making a piercing sound.

    Lucian initially tried to reduce the noise, but eventually gave up and walked towards the dining hall.

    Lucian was dressed in a red royal robe with gold embroidery and a few supplementary pieces made only for ceremonial purposes.

    A crown was adorned his head, a large stone hung above his forehead, and the gem was almost shining like a star, making his appearance unique in the eyes of others.

    As soon as he opened the door to the Imperial Dining Hall, he heard sarcastic voices.

    "Wow, 5th Brother, it must be a long time since you have attended the family breakfast."

    "Walking here must have been exhausting after all of your activities last night!"

    "Say, the entertainment area is also nearby, I heard you can pick one of the courtesans to ease the tension."

    All heads turned to Lucian as if he was being observed closely, making comments about him as soon as he stepped into the hall, putting an end to the previous commotion.

    Amid the stifling air in the room, Lucian could sense a wave of impatience surging inside him.

    The Imperial Dining Hall was a spacious room with a lavishly decorated chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

    Several taps of gold decorates the area around the ceilings, making the place look exquisite.

    In the middle of room, a long dining table was placed, and 10 vacant chairs still stood around it.

    The table and chairs were made of marble, carved beautifully, and embellished with a golden touch.

    Listening to their sarcasm and mockery, Lucian’s face turned cold as he narrowed his eyes, but choose to ignore his ’siblings’.

    He took a bite of the meat on his plate, never deigning to answer them.

    But it seemed that his nonchalance only served to further irritate his siblings.

    "You’re not worth the title of Prince."

    "Seriously, what did you do to earn it? Must have been licking up the Emperor’s shoes, that’s for sure."

    "ENOUGH!" A sudden outburst from the Emperor brought the snide remarks to an abrupt end.

    Surprised at the sudden interruption, they all shut their mouths.

    "This Emperor had decided that Lucian will be the one to check on the suspicious activity in the Duke’s territory." The Emperor’s gaze was frigid, and his voice terse and uncompromising.

    Listening to this, Julius’s face became bright as he quickly hid it from the others with a smile.

    But Lucian’s face darkened, and his hands clenched into fists.

    "Father, you must have thought this through. He might be a dutiful son, but he’s not capable of handling a task like that. There could be danger for our younger brother." Even though Drake, the Second Prince, said this sounding concern, his tone was mocking.

    "I’m not surprised though, seeing as he’s a failure when it comes to anything else."

    "Enough, Lucian will be the one assigned to the Dukedom of Darkhart. Lucian what are your opinions about this?"

    Surprised to be addressed by his father suddenly, Lucian was silent for a while before letting out a sigh.

    "As you wish, father."

    "You’ll be leaving in a week!" Saying this the Emperor abruptly stood up and left the dining room, followed by the Empress.

    But when they were out of sight, the dining room was filled with laughter and mocking voices.

    "It’s just like father to have a weakness for that boy. He clearly doesn’t care about anything else. Only he cares about so much, and he’s wasting his effort."

    "Well, maybe it’s time we just don’t warn the Emperor and let Lucian fail on his own accord."

    Lucian too left the dining hall, ignoring the backhanded remarks of his siblings, he planned to get some information about the Dukedom of Darkhart from a reliable source.

    Lucian’s eyes glinted with a dangerous allure as he let his gaze drift suggestively. "I can’t help but wonder," he murmured, his tone a soft whisper, "if the Duke’s wife can match the Empress in her beauty."

    He savored the thought with a slow, deliberate smile, his mind weaving fantasies that danced just out of reach, entirely indifferent to the disdainful looks of his imperial kin.