Arranged

Lloyd looked up at Raymond who was standing in front of him. As much as he was angry at him for trying to hide Frank's involvement in whatever happened last night, he wasn't sure either if Frank really was responsible for it. So, rather than directly confronting Raymond, he started to lead the conversation in a different sense.

"I've requested for Nova to come here and take a look at the governess. Well, no doctors and healers know what's wrong with her, maybe he would know," Lloyd said.

"Have you consulted Young Master Oven Garland? Won't he be a much better choice than Count Sebastian?" Raymond suggested while putting out the tea.

"He would have been, indeed," Lloyd sighed as he clenched his throat. Raymond still had no intentions of mentioning anything about Frank.

"Raymond, they said you were the first one to find the governess. Do you have any thoughts about what might have happened to her?" Lloyd asked, never once looking up at Raymond's face.

Raymond knew well that Lloyd held much deeper feelings for the governess than just as an employer. However, it always hurt him that he wasn't told how important the governess was to Lloyd. If he didn't know Lloyd well, there would have been no way for Raymond to know what he held in heart for Jennifer.

"I just saw her laying there, unconscious. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary other than the governess herself," Raymond said. The fact that Lloyd held affection for Jennifer was all the more reason why Raymond had to hide Frank's name appearing anywhere.

Lloyd wasn't exactly fond of Frank because of his relationship with Julia. But if Frank's name came up in this situation, it would have been like throwing a burning matchstick on oil.

"Raymond, how many years has been since we were together?" Lloyd asked standing up and looking outside the window behind him.

"About six years, my lord," Raymond answered.

"In these six years, I've trusted no one as much as you," Lloyd said with a heavy voice. "I am asking you again, Raymond, was there truly nothing suspicious about the governess' incident?"

Raymond felt in that moment. A cold chill, that told him that this wasn't going to end well.

"You know, don't you?" Raymond asked.

"...." Lloyd was silent.

"Ha!" Raymond scoffed. "If you know that, then you must also know that my statement is not going to change."

"I'm giving you a chance, Raymond," Lloyd said as he turned around. "Just tell the truth, I won't bring it up ever again."

Raymond felt his heart sink as he saw Lloyd's eyes filled with contempt and accusations.

"No, my lord," Raymond said. "You won't ever look me in the eyes again after this, would you? You'll draw that wall of yours again. I'll become the same as Count Sebastian, won't I?"

Raymond's hand shook as he saw Lloyd stand there, never denying a single word Raymond spoke.

A mocking giggle filled the room, as Raymond laughed at his own situation.

"I was never a friend to you, was I?" Raymond asked. "Just one mistake and it's all over. I thought Count Sebastian was a vile man for accusing you of abandoning him. I feel quite sympathetic towards him now."

"Raymond," Lloyd said, never changing the coldness of his voice. "Please, just this once, we can go back to how things were if you just tell the truth."

"I know you more than anyone, my lord," Raymond said. "Who are you trying to fool?"

Silence filled the room as the both of them stared down. Both were at a loss for words.

"Just what? Just what is so special about that woman that you are even willing to abandon me?!" Raymond yelled.

"Then let me ask you," Lloyd yelled back. "What is so special about that child that you go such lengths to keep him here?! You even opposed Julia's engagement to Ignis for that child's sake!!"

"Those two are in love!!! You can see it too!!! Don't pretend that you don't!!!" Raymond said. "Frank would never let any harm reach Miss Julia!!"

"He is the harm himself!!!" Lloyd said. "That monster of a child would eventually bring Julia into the dirty power struggle!!"

"And being the empress won't?!" Raymond yelled.

With this, Raymond turned around and left the study. He heard the Marquis slam his hands on his large table as the oak-carved door closed.

Frank who had been in the library beside the study the entire time, was listening to this entire conversation.

Ever since unlocking his seals, Frank had felt no other emotion than the possessive desire for Julia. But today he felt another one.

Anger. Sheer anger at the very thought that someone was trying to separate him from Julia.

He clenched his teeth and fist to suppress it.

Ignis was in Behmuth and would stay there for the next five years as the manikin informed Frank. That gave Frank roughly five years to make things as such so that Julia would be his.

Now that his opponent was confirmed. He had an idea of how much he needed to rise.

Ignis would be the future crown prince. The position of the emperor was the only place higher than that.

Frank looked up as the veins in his neck clenched. It was all clear in his head. The perfect way to make a safe abode for Julia.

He walked back to Julia's room as he thought and enhanced his strategies more and more.

He saw Julia playing with her pet dog and hugged her from behind. The thoughts of completely owning her were exploding a weird epiphany in his mind.

He snuggled into her lap, cleverly replacing the dog. Julia pulled his cheeks as if to show that she did notice him slowly pushing out her pet.

Frank kept his spot in her lap, anyways, so it mattered little to him.

With the governess out cold, they were free the entire day. Frank's training with knights had already ended in the morning.

Now they were just on their own for the entire day. Frank took this chance to persuade Julia into staying indoors. His original goal was to listen to Julia read books and sleep near her all day.

But he heard something quite unexpected while on his errand to get books from the library.

He looked up at Julia. It always fascinated him how much he loved her. Sylvia told him that the selection of a bi-core being's precious one happens the moment they lay eyes on it. It is entirely random. But you could feel it in your cores that if you could acquire this one person or object, you would die.

Frank leaped out his hands as if demanding to be hugged. Julia chuckled as she called him a baby. Hugging her, Frank nibbled on her. Only if he could eat her up, then he would never have to worry about losing her.

Julia's gentle fingers running through his mint hair were enough for him to change his mind. He could not lose the warmth he had now.

He once again started to revise his plans to become emperor. He fell asleep while nibbling on her neck. It had become something of a habit.

Little did he know, that all those careful plans would turn into dust just within two days.