CHAPTER 215: RUMORS

The kiss lingered for several heartbeats, Ruxi’s lips warm against Grim’s as the dark mana pulsed through his body in response to her proximity.

Her supernatural energy seemed to intertwine with the corruption, creating a sensation that was both intoxicating and deeply unsettling to the part of his mind that remained uncorrupted.

"You see?" she whispered against his lips, her golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "This is who you’re meant to be. Strong, decisive, uncompromising."

Before Grim could respond, the study door opened without ceremony.

"Grim, we need to—" Liona’s voice cut off abruptly as she took in the scene before her.

Both she and Lianna stood frozen in the doorway, their expressions shifting from concern to shock to something approaching anger.

The Imperial Princess recovered first, her training in diplomatic situations allowing her to maintain composure even in unexpected circumstances.

"I apologize for the interruption," Liona said with icy politeness. "We were concerned about your wellbeing after the evening’s events."

Ruxi stepped back from Grim with unhurried grace, showing no embarrassment or shame at being discovered. If anything, she seemed pleased by the dramatic timing of the interruption.

"Your Highness, Lady Lianna," she said with a respectful bow that somehow managed to convey superiority. "How thoughtful of you to check on Lord Ambrose. As you can see, he’s quite well."

Lianna’s face flushed with anger that she barely contained. "We can see that he’s... occupied."

"Indeed," Liona replied, her imperial authority making the single word carry significant weight. "Perhaps we should return when Lord Ambrose is less... distracted."

"Wait," Grim said, the word coming out more sharply than he intended. The dark mana was still singing in his blood, making him feel aggressive and possessive. "You came here to lecture me about tonight, didn’t you?"

"We came here because we’re concerned about you," Lianna said, stepping forward despite Ruxi’s presence. "What happened in the arena wasn’t like you, Grim. Breaking Jin Wei’s arm after he yielded—"

"Was necessary," Grim interrupted. "He needed to understand the consequences of challenging House Ambrose."

"He was participating in a friendly demonstration!" Lianna protested. "You could have killed him!"

"Perhaps I should have," Grim replied, and even as the words left his mouth, he wasn’t entirely certain they were his own thoughts. "His family has been a thorn in the Empire’s side for generations."

The silence that followed was deafening. Both Liona and Lianna stared at him as if he’d become a stranger, while Ruxi watched the exchange with barely concealed satisfaction.

"Listen to yourself," Lianna said quietly, her voice carrying genuine hurt. "You’re talking about murdering someone who was trying to honor you with a respectful challenge."

"I’m talking about reality," Grim countered. "The reality that our enemies only understand strength. The reality that mercy is often mistaken for weakness."

"And what about friends?" Liona asked with imperial authority. "What about allies? Do they only understand strength as well?"

The question hung in the air like a blade, and for a moment, Grim felt a flicker of his old self—the part that would have been horrified by what he was becoming.

But the dark mana pulsed, and Ruxi’s presence seemed to reinforce the corruption’s influence.

"Friends and allies prove their loyalty through their actions," he said finally. "Not through their words."

"Then what does this prove?" Lianna gestured toward Ruxi. "What does choosing her over those who’ve stood by you for years prove about your loyalty?"

"It proves that I’m finally making choices based on strength rather than sentiment," Grim replied, the words feeling both true and alien as he spoke them.

Ruxi moved closer to him again, her hand coming to rest on his arm in a gesture that was both supportive and possessive. "Perhaps," she said with false gentleness, "this conversation would be more productive after everyone has had time to process tonight’s events."

"Perhaps it would," Liona agreed, though her tone suggested she found the prospect unlikely. "We will leave you to your... discussion."

"Grim," Lianna said, her voice sounded genuinely concerned. "When you remember who you really are, we’ll be here. But we won’t watch you destroy yourself."

After they left, closing the door with pointed firmness, Ruxi turned to face Grim with an expression of triumph.

"Well handled," she said approvingly. "They needed to understand where your priorities lie."

"Did they?" Grim asked, though part of him wondered why he felt so empty after driving away two of the people who cared most about him.

"Of course," Ruxi replied, moving to the window to gaze out at the garden. "Weakness disguised as friendship is still weakness. You are becoming something greater than what you were, and not everyone will be able to follow that transformation."

An hour later, the party had effectively ended. The various delegations departed with varying degrees of haste, each carrying their own interpretations of the evening’s events.

Some viewed Grim’s display as a demonstration of strength to be respected, while others saw it as evidence of instability to be avoided.

Ambassador Lín left with his injured knight, his composure barely concealing his anger at the treatment Jin Wei had received. The Colere delegation’s departure was noted by everyone present, as was the cool formality of their farewell.

Duke Ravencrest and the other imperial nobles departed with thoughtful expressions, clearly processing the political implications of what they had witnessed. Several smaller delegations hurried away as if eager to distance themselves from potential controversy.

The marriage candidates dispersed to their respective quarters, each carrying different concerns about what the evening meant for their strategies.

Mira, however, lingered longer than the others, engaging in quiet conversations with various departing guests.

"Such a shame about the young man’s injury," she was saying to Lady Blackwood, her voice carrying just enough sympathy to sound genuine. "I do hope it doesn’t reflect poorly on House Ambrose’s hospitality."

"Indeed," Lady Blackwood replied, though her tone suggested she was already forming her own opinions about the matter.

"Of course, we all know how stressful these social events can be," Mira continued with apparent understanding. "Sometimes people are not quite themselves under pressure."

Similar conversations took place as Mira moved through the departing guests, each exchange carefully crafted to plant seeds of doubt about Grim’s stability and character.

She never said anything directly critical—that would have been too obvious—but her subtle implications were perhaps more damaging than direct accusations would have been.

"He’s always been so controlled before," she mentioned to Lord Pemberton. "It’s concerning to see such a dramatic change in temperament."

"The poor boy must be under tremendous pressure," she said to Duchess Marlborough. "Managing such a large estate at his age, dealing with all these political expectations. Sometimes people break under that kind of stress."

By the time the last guests had departed, whispers about Grim’s behavior had spread throughout the departing crowd.

Nothing traceable lead back to Mira directly, but a general sense that Lord Ambrose might not be as stable or reliable as his reputation suggested.

In her private quarters later that night, Mira sat at her writing desk, composing a letter to her father for tomorrow.

"The evening provided interesting insights into our host’s character," she wrote. "Orginally i planned to spread rumors and plant evidence to undermine his reputation."

"But, after tonight’s events, Grim has made it so we can just use what he did as fuel. He snapped someone’s arm in half after he surrendered. So after some delicate words with other guests, it seems he may be unfit for his position."

"I will continue my mission until you are ready to strike the wounded dog and end his disgusting bloodline."

As she sealed the letter, Mira felt a mixture of satisfaction and regret. "Maybe you will make it more interesting Grim." Mira said to herself.