Chương 42: Stabbing Someone Was a Very Intimate Act

The room went quiet. The musicians stopped playing and the chattering of teenagers around the table ceased. Tori could feel the sudden tension fill the room as the restaurant master and a server tried to pull Duke Alvere away from the door that led to the enclosed rooftop dining room. Axton looked at the clear, tinted liquid in his wine glass and swirled it around.

"I mean, it's not as if you can afford to eat here." Tori drew in her lips as a small voice in the back of her mind screamed 'ooohhh'.

"The rooftop is only used by you. What are you doing here? You hardly ever come to The Three Queens!" Duke Alvere's irritated voice filled the room. Tori glanced towards Piers and saw him frowning, but did nothing to get in the way of the duke and Axton. Across from her, Axton paused. He lowered his wine glass and looked towards the door, lifting his chin just a bit.

"Why would it matter to you whether I came to my restaurant or not?" Axton asked. He narrowed his eyes.

"Don't tell me you're trying to entertain here and are embarrassed that you don't have access to the rooftop." He let out a small laugh.

"You should be glad I even allow you to enter."

"You ungrateful little-""You're the one who's ungrateful, Mr. Alvere," Axton said in a calm voice.

"Let's not forget whose benevolence allows you to parade around, pretending to be a noble. I'm trying to have a nice meal with my guests and you're disturbing us. It seems you really want to be kicked out of Sun Garden and return to that dilapidated cottage with your mistress and son." Tori watched Duke Alvere's face twist as he trembled.

"How dare you call her a mistress!"

"She is a mistress," Axton said, as if the duke were an idiot who couldn't comprehend something so simple.

"You were legally married to my mother and vowed to have a monogamous marriage, but instead, continued to have a relationship with a third party during the said marriage."

"Your mother understood!" Axton shook his head.

"My mother gave up on you. If she consented to your affairs, why was she so angry when on her deathbed, that you moved in with the mistress and your illegitimate son? If she didn't mind, why did she make sure that anything and everything of value was to be inherited by me and make sure you knew nothing about it?" Axton narrowed his eyes.

"Don't forget that she asked for a divorce, and you refused. If she weren't so weak, she would've fought for it." This was new knowledge to Tori, and likely the rest of her friends, who sat still and quiet, trying to minimize their presence as much as possible. Except for Sonia and Ewan, who looked very interested in what was happening.

"Your mother was deathly ill! Who would take care of her if we divorced!" Duke Alvere still tried to argue, but Axton wasn't taking it.

"Certainly not you. You were at that cottage with your second family most of the time," Axton said. He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head at the duke.

"You don't have to pretend you cared about my mother in front of me. I was there. I know what happened. The staff knows what happened. The peerage knows what happened."

"You were a child! How could you understand the relationships between adults?" the duke said as he was held back and kept from setting another foot into the dining room.

"You talk as if I didn't see what was happening or my mother didn't tell me. Her biggest regret was marrying you," Axton said.

"My biggest regret is that you're my birth father."

"Like it or not, you are my son," the duke said with a glowering look.

"I tried to raise you well! And instead, you treat me as if I'm beneath you and constantly threaten to take my title and land, which rightfully belong to me, away!" Tori raised a brow and even her friends, who only had a basic understanding of the situation, gave each other confused looks. It was clear that the rightful title and landowner was Axton, who carried Alvere blood. Axton continued to look at his father as if he were a joke.

"You are a poor, foolish, and insane man who on cheated my mother and tried to cheat me," he said. He looked away.

"Get him out of my sight."

"Yes, my lord!" The restaurant master and two other staff members grabbed on to the duke and pulled him away.

"You can't just kick me out! I am your father! I have the right to be here-""I don't know what bottom-of-the-barrel company you've managed to delude into loaning you money this time, since you're here obviously trying to impress someone who doesn't know any better, but I suggest you be more careful," Axton said, taking another sip of wine.

"One day, you'll meet an even bigger con artist than yourself and your favorite son will know what it's like to have a dead parent." Tori lowered her eyes. The restaurant master and servers dragged Duke Alvere away.

"Are you all right?" The question came from Piers and Tori looked over. Piers had a calm look on his face and his words were steady, but the fact that he even asked told her how much he cared about his knight and aide. Axton let out a heavy breath.

"Maybe it's time I kick him out," he said.

"I wanted to wait until his kid graduated Lycée, but if he's just going to grow more arrogant with time...."

"Sir Nassaun," Ewan asked with a bit of caution in his voice.

"Are you close with Mr. Alvere, I mean, Montan Alvere?" Axton shook his head. He took a deep breath and leaned forward.

"Listen, I know it's not his fault that his parents are the way they are. I know it's not his fault that his father cheated on my mother with his mother. On a rational level, I know none of it is that little bastard's fault. But... it's hard to look at him and not know why he exists. He is yet another physical reminder of that old man's betrayal and I can't bring myself to like him because of association."

"You have every right to dislike who you dislike," Tori said as she reached for her wine glass.

"You don't owe anyone an explanation." A few curious looks were thrown her way and Ilyana looked surprised that she said such a thing. Tori didn't elaborate.

"I am curious, though, Sir Nassaun," Albert said in a tentative voice.

"Why were you going to wait until Montan Alvere graduated?" Axton shrugged.

"I may not like him, but I don't think it's necessary to disrupt his life while he's still young and studying. His father wasn't causing many problems before, but now that they have little to no money left, the old man is starting to become more annoying."

"Cornered animals will bite," Tori said as she looked across the table.

"Be careful." Axton chuckled and nodded.

"All right. I'm sorry that you had to witness such an embarrassing encounter," he said.

"Pretend it never happened." He looked towards the musicians and gave them a small nod of his head. At once, music floated into the room and everyone seemed to relax. Piers stood up and headed to the glass doors leading out to the roof that overlooked the thoroughfare.

"Where are you going?" Tori asked.

"They're going to kick him out," Piers said, looking over his shoulder.

"Want to watch?" Several chairs scraped against the floor as everyone, except Tori and Axton, stood up to follow. Axton laughed a bit and looked over at Tori.

"You're not going to follow?" She shook her head and let out a small snort.

"If his son is with them and he notices me, he'll probably think this is all my doing." Axton furrowed his brows a bit and began to frown.

"Has he been bothering you?" Tori froze. Her eyes flickered away and she pushed her seat back.

"You know what, I think I will go watch-""Tori," Axton said in a stern voice. He narrowed his eyes.

"Has Montan been bothering you?" When she didn't answer, he took a deep breath.

"Ewan told me about what happened during the excursion; that the little bastard tried to buy your things. But, has he done or said anything to you beyond that?" She crinkled her eyes. She didn't want to trouble Axton with this, at least not when Montan's little threat of using his charms against her felt so benign. Like the rest of the love interests, he was more annoying than life threatening at the moment.

"He is very... invested in one of our classmates and he thinks I'm bullying her," Tori said carefully.

"I'm not. Everyone else can attest to that." She motioned her hand towards the doors, where everyone else was peering over the wall, out into the street.

"He told me to leave her alone or else."

"Or else?" Axton raised a brow, his frown growing deeper.

"What do you mean 'or else'?"

"He uses... charms...." Axton closed his eyes and took in a low, measured breath, as if to calm himself.

"That little bastard took after his mother, then." A flash of hatred went across Axton's usually relaxed face and Tori felt her stomach twist.

"Axton, I can manage it," she told him at once.

"Don't worry about it." He shook his head.

"How can I not? Charms are dangerous if they're not neutralized quickly. And the stronger the maker, the more effective and longer lifespan of the charm. All he needs is to touch you with one." Tori frowned. She was missing something about charms, and she wasn't sure what.

"Axton... what did his mother do?"

"Charms work by manipulating energy, right?" Axton asked. Tori nodded.

"Charms can take energy away from a person and weaken them. They can also give a person energy, making them feel revitalized. The reason the old man continued his relationship with Montan's mother when he was married to mine was because Montan's mother kept putting charms on him to weaken him, then fed him more energy, making him reliant on her.

When my mother found out, she used crystals to break Montan's mother's ability to ground and channel energy, but it severely weakened my mother and she couldn't fight her illness, which led to her death." Tori looked towards Instructor Ignatius while reviewing for finals in the metacrystals classroom, still unable to get Axton's words out of her head. Duchess Alvere wasn't a strong crystal user. She was deeply knowledgeable in the subject, but her innate power was weak.

Still, she chose to break Montan's mother in order to stop her husband's addiction, but Duke Alvere was angry at her for hurting Montan's mother, who had been dependent on her ability to use charms to survive. In the end, Duke Alvere couldn't sever his old love and affection for Montan's mother despite his vows to Axton's mother, which he'd kept for the first few years of their marriage. Duchess Alvere saved his life, but he turned on her and purposely refused to divorce her with the belief that she owed them.

At the very least, Duchess Alvere had the last laugh. She left them with as little as possible and in a way, crippled Montan's mother.

"What does one need to do to break another's ability to channel energy?" Tori asked. Instructor Ignatius looked up from the axinite he was fiddling with. He crinkled his eyes and looked a bit concerned.

"Why would you ask that question?"

"I have enemies." She said it with such a straight face, Instructor Ignatius barely held back a muffled laugh. He clearly didn't believe that she had enemies, but she didn't correct him.

"Is it really possible?" Instructor Ignatius nodded.

"It is, but it requires an obscene amount of energy to be collected and then channeled through a crystal and into the other body." Tori's head snapped up.

"What do you mean through a crystal and into another body? Can't it be done through direct contact?" He shook his head.

"No, we cannot transfer energy into another body directly. It must go through a medium, like a crystal or a charm. Let's look at the late Duchess Alvere, for example."

"You know about the late Duchess Alvere?" She was a bit surprised, but then again, Instructor Ignatius did know a lot of random things about crystals and their usage that weren't in books. He nodded and let out a low breath.

"My grandfather was involved in the investigation of Duchess Alvere's death as foul play was suspected. It was kept quiet, and her death was confirmed to be 'natural,' although other things were found out during the investigation, such as how she stabbed her husband's mistress with a jasper dagger. The mistress survived, but she apparently could no longer channel energy or even ground and connect to earth energy." Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Wow, Axton's mom did not give a fuck and was all in.

"I see." Tori lifted her hand and rubbed her chin. She wasn't sure she could bring herself to actually stab someone if it weren't in self-defense. She'd always had little fantasies of stabbing people when she finally snapped, but it was always in retaliation for something. Besides, stabbing someone was a very intimate act. To push the blade into a person's body required her to be at a very close distance. She'd be able to feel that person's breath and the heat of their body and blood.

She'd be close enough to look into that person's eyes.

"What did she do after she stabbed the mistress? Was the jasper dagger carved with something?"

"I'm not sure, the duke had it destroyed," Instructor Ignatius said.

"But the basic idea is to flood the other body with energy to the point that it cannot hold the amount and the internal energy field collapses in on itself, or rather... it... bursts." Tori narrowed her eyes a bit.

"Like the crystal exploding?" Instructor Ignatius nodded.

"For most people, this wouldn't cause much of a physical reaction as if one doesn't use the ability, it grows weaker, and they eventually can no longer ground or channel energy. However, for someone who was actively using it and was rather powerful, this could cause fevers, as the mildest physical symptom. It can get as serious as putting them in a coma. Mentally, it can cause a breakdown, which I believe the duke's mistress had." Tori leaned back against the desk.

"So, theoretically, if an enemy threatened me with charms or crystals and I wanted to stop them completely, I'd need to pierce them with a crystal and, while connected, flood their body with energy until they collapsed?" Instructor Ignatius seemed to go over the steps she described and then nodded.

"Yes. And note that I mentioned 'stab.' This is because no one in the right mind is going to hold on to a crystal long enough for you to flood them with energy." Tori narrowed her eyes.

"What if they were sleeping?" She watched her instructor open his mouth and then pause.

"I suppose that can be done, but you can feel energy when it's going in and out of you. The other party would wake up."

"Not if they're knocked out...." Tori muttered more to herself. Instructor Ignatius laughed weakly.

"Miss Guevera, I think I should make it clear that forced manipulation of another's body, whether physical or, in this case, their ability to channel energy, without their consent and in a non-emergency situation is against our laws."

"Right, right, of course." No face, no case.

"I was just curious." I'm considering this, but it seems kind of wrong when he hasn't done anything yet. At least, nothing serious. Also, considering my own abilities are probably worse than the late Duchess Alvere's, I could kill myself trying this. And I'm not about to ask Sebby to do it. I won't risk him. Tori sighed and continued working on re-writing her notes. Finals were next week and she was going to spend the weekend at the delta.

It was a questionable decision on her part, as she really should study a bit more seriously in order to maintain her top five ranking, but she wanted to do one final check on the delta as she also had to submit her last report of the year for her Lycée project on the last day of finals. Considering how busy it was the last few weeks, and the amount of work that was being done for the Lycée project, Tori could see why many students' ranks would drop. Despite this, Ilyana's review sessions were still packed full.

Tonight's review was the last night, as Ilyana wanted to review on her own before the final exams. Before Tori finished re-writing her notes, Instructor Ignatius showed her a tabletop model of the piling machine on which he'd been working. The delta was working with two wooden piling mechanisms to hammer the wooden logs into the ground with a heavy cylindrical stone block.

One belonged to Université, and the other was borrowed from Leemburg, a city built partially over a lake where one of Professor Meyer's associates worked. There were a few more being built in Leemburg, but they were costly and private guards needed to be hired when they were transported over that summer. Tori already paid and arranged for several dozen private guards to escort the six additional wooden pile drivers and their parts to the delta through Daybreak Garden.

While the pile drivers did speed up the process considerably, Tori was still a bit impatient and discussed with Instructor Ignatius if there was a way to add more force to the stone block to get it to push the pile in deeper each time the stone hit it. Instructor Ignatius had been playing with axinite rings on a small model of a pile driver that would force more energy into the stone to send the pile deeper. The problem was that the stone on the model would crack every time.

"I've tried lowering the charge, but I just don't think the stone piece can take the excess energy needed to get our desired result," Instructor Ignatius said with a heavy sigh.

"I know you want to speed this up, but perhaps the best way is just to buy more pile driving rigs." Tori wrinkled her nose.

"It was worth a try," she said.

"Thanks, Instructor." He smiled happily.

"No, no, this is fun. I'm quite enjoying all the opportunities the delta has been giving us to innovate. I'm excited to bring the carnelian ovens to the delta after finals." He saw her out of the classroom and Tori headed back to her dorm to collect her things and get ready to go to the delta. As she crossed campus to get to the east dorm, she saw Gideon and Fabian standing by the dorm entrance with Alessa. Tori tilted her head back and looked around.

She didn't want to deal with them and would have to go around one of the side entrances. She quietly walked down one of the smaller paths that would lead to another entrance a little further away. Then, she heard it.

"... going with my mother to Anlar for the succession of Marquis O'Tuagh." Tori nearly did a double take. She froze behind one of the large trees lining the walkway as she heard Gideon speak. Tori knew the empress was going to go, but she didn't know Gideon was going to tag along. Which meant she'd see him at her cousin's succession ceremony and there was nothing she could do about it.

It was too late to back out and even if it wasn't, she didn't want to miss her cousin's succession ceremony, or the mini-family reunion she had grown excited about, because of Gideon. If anything, he should be the one to back out.

"How long will you be in Anlar?" Alessa's voice was laced with excitement. Tori wondered if she had a favorite of the love interests. Surely, there must've been a favorite that most of the focus would be on. Was it Gideon?

"Two weeks. The succession ceremony will be on the first of the sixth month," Gideon said, sounding pleased.

"I'll have time to see you at Chetterswickshire." Good, fucking stay there. Tori rolled her eyes.

"Fabian, will you be coming, too? I will have Father prepare your rooms," Alessa said, hopeful.

"I am unable to go this time." There was disappointment in Fabian's voice and Tori found herself smiling upon hearing it.

"His Majesty feels I need further training and discipline, so I will be joining General von Schwert for summer training."

"I've asked Father not to allow you to fight in any skirmishes," Gideon said. There was a surprising seriousness to his voice.

"Even if Sir Nassaun is there, don't follow him into battle."

"If I am ordered to go, I must."

"No, you must take care of yourself!" Tori peeked around the tree and saw Alessa holding one of Fabian's hands in hers and giving him a firm tug. Fabian's cheeks were red. Tori squinted and made a face. Oh my God... she's just holding your hand. What are you, some innocent little-oh... wait, you're like fifteen. Nevermind, that checks out.

"Okay." She vaguely heard Fabian agree. Tori shook her head and continued on her way. She entered the dorm through the side entrance and went to her room. She took her comcry off the nightstand by the window and flipped it open. She slid her finger across.

"Call Axton du Nassaun." She began to collect her things for her stay in the delta, including digging out a crystal from her stash to charge.

"Sorry, I can't come with you this weekend," Axton's voice filled her dorm room as she folded some clothes to pack.

"Will you be all right?"

"Nanny Rey is going with me, of course I'll be all right. I called because I had a question," she said.

"When are you leaving for summer training?"

"The end of the month. Why?"

"Just wondering," Tori said.

"Who is going to stay with Piers?" She briefly wondered if Piers was going to her cousin's succession ceremony, too, but if he was, Axton would've already told her.

"He'll be working alongside the emperor for the summer-what are you doing? Can't you call her later? Piers!" Tori could hear shuffling and then Piers' voice.

"I have invitations to several lunches and dinners before you leave for Anlar."

"When are they? I'll be staying at the delta until Kasey comes to pick me up," Tori said as she paused and frowned.

"Two lunches the weekend after next, with dinner one of those nights. One of the lunches is at Université. The week after, there is a charity garden party at the Imperial Rose Garden. When you return, there is a summer polo tournament at the Imperial Stadium, then my mother's birthday banquet." Tori's mind whirled.

"Hold on, that's a lot. And how do you know when I'm coming back?"

"Senior Kasen. Axton and I won't be able to accompany you to the delta and I assured him I'd send you with imperial knights," Piers said. Tori took a deep breath.

"I'll come with you, but you're going to have to provide a carriage to pick me up the day before those weekends and take me to Auntie Lucia's. I'll call her and let her know."

"I will arrange it," Piers said, as if promising her.

"I will come get you."

"No, Axton said you'll be working alongside the emperor. Just send a carriage to bring me to and from the delta, and then to pick me up from my aunt's," Tori told him.

"Don't waste time."

"I can pick you up from your aunt's. I have time." Tori let out a low breath.

"All right, just tell me what to wear ahead of time so I can prepare."

"Do you need new clothes?"

"No, I still have a lot I haven't worn that I brought from Presidio," Tori said.

"I have enough clothes."

"Shoes?"

"I have shoes, too."

"What about someone to do your hair-""The maids at Auntie's can help me. It's fine, Piers," she said in a firm voice. He was quiet for a moment.

"For my mother's birthday banquet, can we match?" His voice was softer, and he sounded almost hesitant to ask.

"Actually, yes. For an imperial banquet, if I'm going to escort you, we should match," Tori said, nodding at the reminder.

"It'll look strange if we don't. That's a good point. Are you free this weekend?"

"No, he's supposed to move back to the palace for the summer-don't glare at me; it's true!" she heard Axton shout.

"I can leave it to Axton," Piers said.

"I am free." Tori narrowed her eyes.

"Are you really?"

"Yes," he said, without a hint of remorse.

"Let's go to Madam Midstrom and get a set of clothes made for your mother's banquet dinner. It should be done by the time I get back," Tori said.

"Is that all right?"

"Yes. I will pay."

"I can pay for my own dress."

"No, all your money is going to the delta. I asked you to come with me, so I will pay," Piers told her.

"Axton will still be at training. I will depend on you." Tori let out a low sigh.

"All right," she said.

"I have to get ready to go to the delta. I will call you after final exams to confirm."

"Study hard and have a safe journey!" She heard Axton shout. Tori laughed.

"Thanks!"

"I'll see you when you return," Piers said before ending the call. Tori packed her overnight bag, and her satchel filled with notes and things she needed to review. As she headed downstairs, she realized that, aside from Ilyana, she'd hardly seen her friends the last week; not since JP and Sonia's birthday meal the weekend before. Since she was going to be at the delta and the following week would be final exams, she wouldn't see them until Henrik's birthday next weekend.

The week after that, they'd pack up and get ready to leave the dorms for the summer. Ilyana would be traveling back immediately in order to spend as much time with her family as possible before she returned in the fall. The same six bodyguards Tori hired in the winter would be escorting her home, remaining with her all summer, and then returning with her in the fall. While they wouldn't be paid when Ilyana was home, their lodging and food would be taken care of by Baron Agafonov.

Nanny Rey would stay with Tori in the delta until Kasen picked Tori up for the succession ceremony. Nanny Rey planned to go to Nordur and stay there until the fall, when she'd return to Horizon to continue teaching Ilyana, Ewan, and Albert the dagger, as well as accompany Tori to the delta. During the time Nanny Rey was away, Tori would stay in the delta under the watchful eyes of imperial knights. For a few weeks, Auntie Lucia and her twin cousins would also join her while Uncle Maurizo was in Alpine Valley.

With travel, work on the delta, family matters, and escorting Piers to various gatherings, her summer schedule was looking to be busy. Tori stopped by Ilyana's review class and gave her a wave through the window before heading to the front of the school. The carriage that awaited her was a familiar one and Tori sighed once more. Since Axton couldn't come with her that weekend, Piers arranged for her carriage and two dozen imperial knights to escort her. Usually, there were only a dozen when Axton came.

The footman, who was now familiar, greeted her and opened the door to the carriage. Nanny Rey sat inside, still looking a bit confused as to why she was in an imperial carriage.

"My angel," she said in her usual affectionate tone.

"Why are we using this carriage? And there are more knights than usual." Tori climbed inside and sat across from her.

"Axton is unable to come, so Piers sent the carriage to make up for it. Don't worry, Nanny. We're not in any trouble for using it." The door closed and the footman climbed back onto the driver's seat. Nanny Rey still looked somewhat uncertain, but slowly nodded as the carriage began to move.

"His Highness holds you in high regard."

"Kasey told him to watch over me while I'm here," she said.

"Axton will also be in summer training, so when I get back from Anlar, there will be more imperial guards to watch over me."

"Good, good." Nanny Rey nodded, satisfied.

"I was worried about leaving you alone." Tori pursed her lips and pouted.

"You said my dagger work is good." Nanny Rey smiled warmly.

"My angel's dagger work is very good," she said as her face softened and there was a slight glint of pain in her eyes.

"But I always worry. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll be fine, Nanny." Nanny Rey studied her face a bit longer before letting out a low sigh. She bent down to open one of the compartments under the seat bench and took out a bag. She removed a small folio and gave it to Tori.

"This is for you." Tori tilted her head to the side and accepted it.

"What is it?"

"I know you said it was not necessary to check for a leak, but I was uncomfortable, so I checked." Tori raised a brow and flipped through the papers.

"You didn't find anyone who leaked it on our end, did you?" Nanny Rey looked mildly surprised.

"No... it was information from the brickmakers themselves. How do you know no one leaked it from our side?"

"No one knew who the brickmakers were until the bricks were delivered, but me. The professors knew how many were ordered, when they'd be delivered, and what I was looking for in terms of supplier, but I was the one who put in the order and was busy. I only told them who to expect the orders from the day of delivery," Tori said.

"By then, the cow-man had already put in his orders. I'm sure he knew about my Lycée project and required materials. It's an easy matter to go to brick suppliers in the region and ask what's available. Brickmakers are also still merchants and if a merchant has a prominent customer and made a sizable sale recently, he can use it as a selling point." Telling Adrien Rosiek that she was a customer was advertising. It was a common practice in her original world.

Why Adrien decided to buy out a bunch of other brick suppliers, however, was to add insult to injury, but in the end, it was a frustrating inconvenience at most. Tori's new contracts had confidentiality disclosures with steep penalties if broken. At the very least, if she was revealed to be a customer, then she got free bricks. That still didn't mean she wanted to buy from a single supplier. What if something happened and the supplier went up in flames?

In addition, there was one particular brickmaker whose bricks Architect Ebbadottir found the quality exceedingly good for construction on the delta, so Tori sent her out to find suppliers with similar or better bricks outside of the region. Quality of materials was important. All Tori had to do was collect the various suppliers and select the ones she wanted to work with.

Even if Adrien and his cow company tried to buy out her supplies, they could only do so for so long; and if he wanted to waste his money, then that was his business. But Tori was a benevolent person. Since Adrien wanted to shop at the same stores as her, she asked Kasen to spread rumors about other places she was 'sourcing materials' from. She wanted to see what else Adrien would do if given an opportunity.

Smiling, Tori unraveled the blanket that was piled on the large carriage bench and began to make herself a small nest.

"Nanny, I'm going to take a nap. Wake me when we arrive."