Chapter 17: The Duke’s Shadow

The tension in the Valenford estate shifted after the arrival of the letter. Selene continued her training with Leon as if nothing had changed, but he wasn't fooled.

There was something different about her today.

Her strikes were sharper, more precise—but also harsher. She was pushing harder than usual, as if trying to silence something in her mind.

Leon blocked one of her blows, feeling the force behind it. "You're tense, Princess."

Selene's blue eyes flashed coldly. "Focus."

He smirked. "I am. But I also know when someone's distracted."

She didn't respond. Instead, she attacked faster, forcing him on the defensive.

Leon grinned. So that's how she wants to play it.

Later that day, as Leon was resting in the estate's gardens, he felt it—a presence watching him.

He leaned back against a tree, pretending not to notice, but his instincts screamed.

Someone was observing him.

Casually, he stood up and stretched, his eyes scanning the area. Then he saw him.

A man in a dark military uniform, standing on the second-floor balcony, hands folded behind his back. His posture was rigid, his gaze sharp as a predator's.

Leon didn't need an introduction.

That was Duke Valenford's right-hand man—Sir Regan Hale.

The man who acted as the Duke's shadow, carrying out orders that never needed to be spoken aloud.

Regan's lips curled into a faint smirk as he locked eyes with Leon.

A warning.

Leon smirked back. Game on, old man.

A Silent Threat

That night, as Leon returned to his chambers, he found a letter on his bedside table.

No one had seen anyone enter. No one had heard anything.

He unfolded the paper and read the single line written in perfect, sharp handwriting.

"Know your place, or be put in it."

Leon chuckled. So, they were already trying to scare him?

He tossed the letter into the nearby candle, watching the flames consume the message.

If Duke Valenford's men thought they could intimidate him, they were in for a very rude awakening.