Chapter 131: Brothers by Blood (2)
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Lucard took one step forward.
"Caelan."
The prince’s expression changed.
The two trusted men near the door shifted slightly. Peter almost moved by instinct, but Jenny’s eyes stopped him. Aldric did not move, yet his attention became heavier.
Lucard continued calmly. "If we are descendants of brothers, then tell me as one brother’s line to another. Why was House Vardros left to rot?"
Calling the prince by name without title was dangerous.
Calling him brother was worse.
In the eyes of ordinary nobles, blood was a ladder. People climbed or fell because of it. A prince’s name was not something a fallen baron’s son could touch with bare hands. Even a duke’s heir would speak with care before saying a prince’s name without title. If this happened in the throne room, half the court would already be waiting to see whether Lucard’s head stayed on his shoulders. But this was not the throne room. This was a closed room, and Lucard knew closed rooms were where real lines were tested.
Jenny’s heart almost stopped when she heard him say the name. Peter’s hand twitched near his sword, then froze because drawing steel here would only make things worse. Jake did not fully understand the danger, but he understood the change in the air. His small face became pale, and he looked between Lucard and the prince as if one wrong breath could start a war.
But Lucard did it on purpose.
If he acted only like a frightened fallen noble, the royal side would place him under their hand like a tool. If he acted like an equal too soon, they might cut him down. So he chose the middle blade. Not rebellion. Not submission. Blood claim.
Prince Caelan stared at him.
He should have been angry.
He was angry.
But under the anger, something else appeared.
Interest.
Caelan had likely grown up surrounded by people who bowed too low, spoke too carefully, and smiled too much. Lucard’s disrespect was dangerous, but it was also cleaner than court poison.
Aldric spoke before the prince answered. "Young Master Lucard, measure your words."
Lucard looked at him. "I am."
Caelan lifted one hand.
Aldric stopped.
The prince walked closer to Lucard. They stood only a few steps apart now. Caelan was royal-born, trained, polished, and proud. Lucard was a fallen mudblood heir with calm eyes and no fear. The difference between their clothes and status was obvious. The difference in their souls was worse, though only Lucard knew it.
Caelan said slowly, "You ask why the crown did nothing."
"Yes."
"Because some secrets became buried under time. Because every emperor inherited wars, debts, marriages, rebellions, and ten duke families watching every royal breath. Because House Vardros itself hid too well and became weak too quietly. Because by the time my father began searching old records seriously, your house was already half dead."
Jenny listened with her head lowered.
Jake looked at Caelan with wide eyes.
Caelan’s voice became less proud and more serious. "And because kings and emperors are not gods. They miss things. They pay for it later."
Lucard’s eyes moved slightly.
A prince who admitted that much was not completely useless.
Caelan then said, "My father does not intend to miss this again."
Aldric took a folded document from the table and placed it before the prince.
Caelan touched it but did not open it yet.
"The emperor wants House Vardros to become strong again."
Jenny raised her head. "Strong?"
"Yes," Caelan said. "Not as a baron house. Not as a small fallen name living under another family’s roof. House Vardros was not created for that. Its true foundation stands higher."
Aldric looked directly at them. "By old imperial record, House Vardros has the right to be recognized as an archduke family."
Peter sucked in a breath.
Jenny’s eyes widened.
Jake’s mouth opened slightly.
This time, even Lucard felt a real spark of interest.
Archduke.
That word alone carried more weight than land, soldiers, or money. A baron could be ignored. A count could be pressured. Even a normal duke could be trapped by older rules if enough families joined hands. But an archduke family stood near the royal bloodline itself. If House Vardros returned with that title, then every insult thrown at them would become dangerous. Every old debt would be counted again. Every family that had stepped on them would need to wonder whether the foot they used would be cut off later.
Peter understood this faster than Jake. His face changed from shock to fear, then from fear to painful pride. He had guarded a fallen family because of loyalty. Now he suddenly learned that the family he served might have been one of the highest bloodlines in Valoria all along. His eyes became slightly red, but he forced himself to stay silent.
That was not a small title. In many kingdoms, an archduke stood only below the royal family and above ordinary dukes. In Valoria, with ten founding duke families holding great power, reviving an archduke house would be like placing a new blade above their necks. No wonder the emperor did not announce it in the street.
Caelan said, "The emperor wants to introduce House Vardros as an archduke family when the time is right."
Jenny whispered, "Your Highness, we have no army, no land strong enough for such a title, and no power to hold it."
"Correct," Aldric said.
Caelan nodded. "That is why it will not happen today. A title that cannot be defended becomes bait. If my father declares you archduke tonight, Velkhur, Marovain, and every hidden enemy will smile in public and sharpen knives in private."
Lucard said, "They already do."
Caelan looked at him. "Then imagine them doing it with permission from fear."
Jenny lowered her eyes.
Caelan continued, "Before House Vardros can stand as archduke, it must gain strength. Soldiers. Wealth. Loyal retainers. Bloodline heirs who do not break under pressure. Allies who fear betrayal more than obedience. The emperor can give recognition, but he cannot give you the spine to hold it."