Chapter 95
“Are you sure about this?”
“It’s still fifty-fifty, but if we approach carefully and draw out his desires, we should have a good chance,” Gabriel replied confidently.
“‘Good’ isn’t enough. He needs to be completely on our side. We’ve been misled by half-hearted allies before, and it nearly cost us dearly,” Lasie said firmly, her pursuit of perfection unwavering.
Gabriel smirked.
“Mother, there’s no need to be so impatient. A few small fish slipping through our fingers won’t cause a disaster. In the end, someone has to trust them for their words to have any weight.”
Lasie narrowed her eyes at him, and Gabriel continued with a slight shrug.
“Come now, you’ve seen how much Sylvester values us. And you remember what happened to those who tried to drive a wedge between us.”
The Duke of Florence family had become Sylvester’s family after he lost his parents at a young age. He saw Acid and Lasie as his parents and Gabriel and Chloe as siblings.
Sylvester would never tolerate anyone questioning his family’s loyalty.
Knowing this, Gabriel and Lasie took full advantage of Sylvester’s trust. However, in truth, they never considered him family.
“Gabriel.”
“Oops, my apologies. It’s just us here, so I let it slip…” Gabriel said with feigned humility as Lasie glared.
“I’ll let it slide this time, but if you dare say that word in the palace again, there will be no forgiveness,” Lasie warned.
“Understood, Mother,” Gabriel replied, smiling slyly.
“But it’s good news that Lord Luciad might join us, isn’t it?” Lasie’s younger brother, Ramiel, tried to ease the tension.
“Who would’ve thought Count Humphrey would lose to such a young woman?” he added nervously.
“After all the effort we put into him, he couldn’t even handle his assigned task. Useless,” Karin scoffed in disapproval.
“To be fair, he likely didn’t see it coming. They said everything was going smoothly up until the middle,” Ramiel countered.
Ramiel had arrived at the Winston estate days after Hestia had captured Count Humphrey. Originally, he had planned to celebrate with Humphrey over their success in overtaking Winston.
“You said you realized the plan had failed midway?” Ramiel asked Lasie.
“Yes, but by then, you had already left the capital, so I couldn’t contact you,” Lasie replied.
Lasie had known Humphrey’s capture was imminent when one of her spies in the Winston household spotted suspicious activity.
“Nearly twelve years of work wasted,” she said bitterly.
“And five years ago, he even rose to head Butler, making information-gathering easier. Perhaps we acted too hastily,” Gabriel mused.
“With Count Humphrey also imprisoned, there’s no way he’ll walk free. All the spies we planted remain locked up, I hear,” Lasie said, her tone cold.
Among those spies was Albert, whom Lasie had planted in the Winston household years ago. Even Humphrey’s assistance to Lasie had been at her command.
“Winston…” Lasie muttered, her delicate lips trembling as she gripped her wine glass tightly.
“If only they’d accepted my offer, all of this could have been mine by now!”
Her voice seethed with rage, causing Ramiel and Karin to shrink back, while Gabriel calmly opened a bottle of whiskey.
“Mother, let’s be clear,” Gabriel said, his voice teasing.
Lasie’s sharp gaze shot to him.
“Are you referring to my father?” she asked icily.
“Your husband, yes,” Gabriel replied, smiling.
Acid Florence, Duke of Florence and Gabriel’s father, was as much of a challenge as Winston.
“Father is far too kind. It’s admirable but also frustrating. That’s why he gave up his power without a fight,” Gabriel remarked, recalling Acid’s kind and gentle nature.
Acid’s lack of ambition made him ill-suited for the throne. But Lasie, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—ruthless, ambitious, and willing to do whatever it took to get what she wanted.
“Thankfully, you take after me,” Lasie said.
“Of course. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Gabriel quipped, his grin mischievous.
“Though I wonder if your nature to charm the people comes from your father,” Lasie retorted.
Gabriel laughed. “Mother, you’re just as good an actress as I am.”
Lasie rolled her eyes. “Enough with the flattery.” Gabriel grinned, dodging her playful scolding.
“Does Father still refuse to take a side?”
“As expected,” Lasie replied curtly. Acid’s hesitation stemmed from his love for both his family and Sylvester. He knew of Lasie’s ambitions but chose not to confront her.
“Sometimes I think Father loves Sylvester more than he loves us,” Gabriel muttered, recalling childhood memories. When he was seven, he visited the palace and found his father playing joyfully with Sylvester, who was just two at the time.
“It’s fortunate Father raised Sylvester well; it made him loyal to the Florences. But still…” Gabriel trailed off, uncertain.
“Do you think your father would betray us for Sylvester?” Lasie asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
“I mean, it’s not impossible. He cares about him so much…”
“That’s only because he’s too soft-hearted,” Lasie replied dismissively.
“Even so, we can’t fully trust him. If Father opposes us, it could become a major obstacle,” Gabriel warned.
“Leave your father to me. I’ve lived with him for 21 years, Gabriel. I know how to handle him,” Lasie said confidently.
“And soon, everything will be as it should be,” she added, her grip on the wine glass tightening as if she were holding a holy grail.
Gabriel smirked. “Mother, about Miss Frost—how was she?”
Karin, who had met the young woman earlier, hesitated before replying.
“Hmm… hard to read. I couldn’t figure her out,” she admitted.
“Interesting. If even you say so, she must be quite the enigma,” Lasie remarked, intrigued.
Ramiel looked visibly surprised, while Karin, feeling her pride wounded, bit her lips in frustration.
“She seems innocent but is unexpectedly bold and sharp. In situations where other ladies would’ve already made mistakes, she instead managed to put me on the spot. However…”
Karin hesitated, admitting she sometimes felt a presence from Hestia that reminded her of Lasier. It was the aura of a ruler standing above everyone else.
“If we can bring her to our side, she’d be an incredibly strong ally.”
“That’s quite a high opinion,” Lasier remarked.
“It’s rare to find someone like her among her peers. She’s skilled at navigating social situations, quick-witted, and very perceptive.”
“But the most important thing is her intentions,” Lasier countered. “She’s the one who shattered our 12-year plan in an instant.”
“True, but there’s still some hope,” Karin added. “Her loyalty lies with Winston, not necessarily against us. The reason we wanted to control Winston was to prevent them from becoming an obstacle to our plans, wasn’t it?”
Lasier mulled over Karin’s words, acknowledging they had a point.
“…You’re not wrong.”
“The festival isn’t over yet. I’ll observe them a bit more closely,” Karin offered.
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you, Gabriel,” Lasier agreed.
Tomorrow was the final day of the Milky Way Festival, and Lasier planned to stay until the very end.
