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He knew Vyan had found a lot of things related to Aster in the hideout where he and Iyana were stuck inside. Clyde couldn\'t help but wonder if this discovery had further fueled his hatred for the people of Ashstone.

While Clyde had never outright refused Vyan\'s orders, this one seemed particularly unjustified.

"Vyan," he began cautiously, "we can\'t just—"

"Can\'t just what?" Vyan interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "Show them the consequces of their actions? Remind them whose land this is?"

Clyde sighed, realizing he was about to embark on yet another losing battle. "There are other ways, Vyan. We don\'t have to resort to—"

"Sorry to interrupt, but Clyde, I think His Grace is right here," Iyana spoke up, her tone smooth yet assertive.

Clyde\'s eyes wt wide. "What?"

"I mean, they are the ones at fault here, and just now, you said that location is special and it\'s part of the tradition," she elaborated, crossing her arms. "So why should His Grace have to compromise for their stupidity? He has clearly be putting in the work to make sure this festival goes perfectly."

Wow, these two murderous psychos… they really deserve each other!

"That doesn\'t mean you both will suggest we kill them off!" Clyde shrieked, his mind reeling.

"Who said anything about killing them?" Iyana arched an eyebrow, her expression a mix of incredulity and amusemt. "His Grace clearly meant removing them from the property."

"Exactly," Vyan agreed.

Clyde\'s jaw almost touched the floor at that.

He felt like he had stepped into an alternate reality where displacing an tire community was a casual afternoon task. "And how, pray tell, do you suggest we \'remove\' them without, you know, causing a massacre?"

"We will start with a polite request," Vyan said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And if that doesn\'t work?" Clyde asked.

"We escalate," Vyan replied calmly. "But let\'s cross that bridge wh we come to it."

Iyana nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Besides, Clyde, where\'s your sse of advture? It\'s not every day you get to see your boss reclaim his land."

"My sse of advture prefers treasure hunts over eviction notices, thank you very much," Clyde responded with a sarcastic smile, and th, he sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.

He had once tertained the amusing notion of Iyana somehow ding up with Vyan and becoming the grand duchess. Now, however, he was pretty sure that would be like handing Ashstone a one-way ticket to Doomsville.

If Clyde wanted Ashstone to stay in capable hands, he realized he had better take the task of finding Vyan\'s bride as seriously as a dragon takes its hoard.

———

The next day, Vyan arrived at the camp location just as the sun began its lazy desct, casting long shadows over the landscape.

He hopped down from his horse with a practiced ease, his boots sinking slightly into the soft, churned-up g.

Straighting up, Vyan took a momt to survey the sce before him.

A sprawling slum colony lay nestled in the valley below. It was a haphazard collection of makeshift huts and tts. Tarps, wood planks, and corrugated metal sheets all jostled for space in a desperate bid for shelter.

Childr\'s laughter was a stark contrast to the somber expressions of the adults who lingered nearby. Their eyes were weary and their shoulders hunched under invisible burds.

"Ah, I see why Clyde st me here. Nothing screams \'heroic\' like telling poor people to pack up and leave. I guess I am just as stuck-up and selfish as the rest of the nobles," Vyan muttered to himself.

Clyde appeared from a nearby hut and sauntered over. He had clearly be at the location longer, though judging by his expression, not long ough to get used to the smell.

"The head of the colony and the other people are waiting for you. Come," Clyde said, gesturing towards a sad little gathering of folks.

Vyan nodded, following Clyde.

"Don\'t be too harsh, okay? Tell them nicely that they have to evacuate—" Clyde began, his voice hopeful.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Vyan interrupted, waving a dismissive hand.

Clyde\'s smile turned wry, disappointmt etched in every line of his face.

They finally reached the group, where a lone chair stood like a throne of bad decisions.

Vyan sighed, preparing himself for the inevitable drama that was sure to follow.

As soon as they spotted Vyan, everyone bowed deeply out of respect.

"Good eving, Your Grace. We hope your journey here was pleasant," said the colony head. "Please, take a seat."

Clyde glanced at Vyan nervously, fully expecting a sarcastic quip or a disdainful sneer. But to his surprise, Vyan flashed a smile at the people.

"It\'s alright. I do not have much to say. I will stand," Vyan responded, maintaining a pleasant expression. "And thank you for your warm welcome."

The slum residts exchanged bewildered glances, clearly expecting Vyan to be cold and arrogant, like a noble fresh out of a villain school.

Clyde\'s eyebrows shot up in surprise as Vyan began explaining the situation nicely, outlining the need for them to move out of the area. He ev promised to fund their relocation and donate a large sum of gold coins to sure they had better living conditions.

Once Vyan finished speaking, a ripple of hushed chatter spread through the crowd.

"The new grand duke is such a kind-hearted person," one person whispered.

"Yeah, who knew?" another murmured, still in shock.

Wh Vyan stepped away from the crowd after shaking hands with the head of the colony, Clyde slid up beside him, eyebrows raised.

"What was that? I was certain you were going to turn them into your personal crash test dummies for destructive magic. Did you suddly sprout empathy?"

Vyan snorted. "Empathy? Hardly. Maybe a sprinkle of sympathy. I just realized they didn\'t really do anything to warrant such cruelty from me. I mean, it\'s not like they had a choice in what they were fed to believe.

It\'s not their fault they are gullible."

He gazed up at the sky and murmured, "The emperor slaughtered innocts that day, and if I start valuing lives like he does, what separates me from that tyrant?"

Clyde grinned and threw an arm a Vyan\'s shoulders, pulling him into a side hug. "See? I knew there was a tiny, dusty heart in there somewhere!"

Vyan rolled his eyes. "All I am saying is, I won\'t kill anyone unnecessarily if there\'s an easier way to handle things."

"That\'s good ough for me," Clyde grinned wider. "I am not asking you to abandon your vdetta. Ev I want to see those who wronged you crash and burn—in the most agonizing way possible."

A faint, mischievous smile tugged at Vyan\'s lips.

Just th, Iyana sauntered into view.

She was waiting near Vyan\'s horse, having finished watching the spectacle with the colony people. Her excuse for tagging along was to sure his safety, as she had promised the emperor.

"Wow, you really blew me away there," Iyana remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I was almost expecting you to start a full-blown massacre."

Vyan smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Such a shame, wasn\'t it? Especially since you were couraging me the whole time."

Clyde\'s confusion was evidt as he furrowed his brows. "Wait a minute, Lady Iyana, you wer\'t actually in favor of Vyan \'eliminating\' them?"

"Not ev close. I was ready to fight him if it came to that. I am not about to stand by and watch him slaughter innoct people," Iyana said, giving Vyan a pointed look. "I am glad to see you still have some humanity left in you—however questionable it might be."

So… that means Ashstone will be in good hands if Lady Iyana is Vyan\'s partner? Clyde thought, a grin spreading across his face.

Iyana crossed her arms and glanced a. "Where\'s the horse I brought?"

"Was it a silver one?" Clyde inquired.

"Yes, it was."

"Oh, I saw it dash into the forest a while ago," Clyde replied.

Iyana\'s eyes wided. "How am I supposed to get back now?" She was ev dressed appropriately for horse-riding, adorning a frilly blouse and cream-colored pants along with knee-high boots.

"I still have some business here. You can ride back with Vyan," Clyde suggested.

"No way in hell," the duo responded in perfect sync.

Vyan strode over to his horse and mounted it. "She can walk home for all I care. I am out of here."

Just as he was about to ride off, Iyana leaped up and settled herself behind him. "You are not leaving without me, Your Grace."

"Geez, you just can\'t stop being a nuisance, can you?" Vyan grumbled.

Iyana chuckled. "Don\'t worry, I am not going to touch you."

"Don\'t blame me if you fall off, th." Vyan rolled his eyes and urged his horse forward.

Soon, they started moving with Vyan\'s expression being \'I would rather be anywhere but here,\' and Iyana sticking to her word and keeping her hands to herself—well, for the first t minutes, at least.

As they passed a bustling market area, Iyana couldn\'t contain herself. She tapped Vyan\'s shoulder. "Can we stop here for a minute?"

"Why?" he asked, sounding as excited as a sloth in a hammock.

"I saw this really pretty necklace that my sister would just adore!" she gushed.

"Is that so important?"

"Yes, please, please," she pleaded, eyes wide with the desperation of a toddler for a candy.

"Fine, fine," he sighed, rolling his eyes like a disgruntled teager.

He parked his horse nearby, and she hopped off, making a beeline for the jewelry stall. In no time, she was back, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Your Grace, I am done—" Iyana\'s words trailed off as she realized Vyan was nowhere to be se, and his horse looked restless.

"Adam, where is your master?" she asked, soothing the horse with a gtle touch.

Clearly being the most reliable creature in the vicinity, Adam pointed to a nearby alley with his nose. She turned to look and let out a gasp.

There was Vyan, in the middle of a brawl with a group of four grown m.