Chapter 114 : Whispers Beneath Royal Shadows
✦ Chapter 𝟏𝟏𝟒 ✦
⟡ Whispers Beneath Royal Shadows ⟡
Theodore curled his lips ever so slightly, a subtle twist that softened the ageless mask he wore. That strange, unknowable aura surrounding him—an illusion of timeless mystery—now began to waver.
“You can read a man’s age from the corners of his mouth,” he said lightly. “No matter how well we maintain our mystique, there comes a time we must tend to it, wouldn’t you agree?”
“…Sure. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I do hope you won’t lose sleep over identity matters,” Theodore added with a faint grin. “I wouldn’t want to be remembered as someone who speaks recklessly. And as for this little visit—consider it unseen. The King may already be aware, of course…”
“……”
“I’m sure you expected me to accept your offer,” he murmured, voice low with sincerity, “but I hope you understand—I have no desire to cause… any trouble.”
Christian smiled softly.
“I suppose you don’t know the full story about Edward.”
At this point, Theodore had burned the bridge behind him. The moment he betrayed his brothers, he knew there was no return. Though he wouldn’t expose them outright—not yet—the truth would eventually rise to the surface.
From here, Edward Windsor would take center stage. Whether he triumphed or fell in the shadows of the Schultz family—it was no longer Christian’s concern.
Locking eyes with Theodore, she finally spoke.
“I’ll ask just one last question.”
“Please. Ask anything.”
“How did you infiltrate the royal staff? Since when?”
Theodore gestured to his own face.
“One of the attendants stepped out yesterday. So, I simply…”
“You replaced him. That’s what you mean.”
He nodded with a carefree smile.
That brief exchange revealed something far more ominous: the Giltheons had detailed intel on the palace staff, and perhaps even a spy embedded within.
Still, Theodore laid it all bare—hoping, somewhere deep inside, that Christian might reconsider.
But once she had her answer, she waved her hand in dismissal.
“You may leave now. Oh, and—Edward always wanted to be like me when we were younger. Strange, isn’t it? That memory came to me all of a sudden.”
“…I’ll take your words to heart.”
“I don’t even remember what I said. Perhaps I was only speaking to myself. Anyway, the museum in Mussen… it’s quite old. Wouldn’t be too surprising if something unfortunate happened there.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, too.”
Christian muttered something under her breath and gave a quiet, half-amused laugh.
✦
Office of the Director, Mussen Police Department
Edward felt his breath catch—words from a stranger had knocked the wind from his lungs. He tugged at his tie, as though it alone could ease the pressure.
“So… why exactly are you telling me all this?”
“I told you—I want to change sides.”
Slouched deeply in his chair, Edward exhaled a mocking laugh. His posture became more slovenly, his arrogance more pronounced. A cold, cutting tone dripped from his voice.
“And why, pray tell, should I believe you? This is our first meeting. I have zero reason to trust you. In fact, trusting you would be idiotic. For all I know, you’re Schultz’s little puppet.”
“I revealed a secret—Giltheon is a name shared by quadruplets.”
“Oh, so you’re a twin. Big deal. Did I ask for that? You came here, dumped your sob story on my desk, and now what? I’m supposed to hand you loyalty in return? That’s the dumbest bargain I’ve ever heard.”
Edward had expected something exceptional. He was, after all, meeting the infamous Giltheon. But instead… he was left unimpressed.
Running a hand through his hair in frustration, he sighed.
“Giltheon, Schultz… whatever. What use is a ‘problem solver’ if he aligns himself with a dying house like theirs?”
He didn’t mask his irritation. Theodore, remaining calm, replied:
“I haven’t even gotten to the point yet. What I’m about to say will surprise Your Highness.”
“No. I’m not interested. I only listened this long out of morbid curiosity. Wanted to see just how far the nonsense would go.”
Edward’s pale grey-blue eyes flickered with fleeting focus… then dulled again. Just another meaningless secret. Nothing new.
He lowered his gaze to the desk, where a folded newspaper lay—Mussen Museum: The Disappearance of Duchess Schultz.
A twisted smile began to bloom across his face.
Finally, something worth his attention. A new toy.
Now, the only thing that mattered… was how he would play.
He was seconds away from expelling Theodore for wasting his time—
“Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess rejected my offer. She didn’t seem interested,” Theodore said, choosing his words carefully. “I promised to keep my birth secret, so I have nothing to fear. But… the final thing I came to say may interest you. A pity.”
At the mention of Christian, Edward’s gaze snapped upward.
“You… spoke to my sister?”
The cold steel in his eyes gave way to something razor-sharp.
Edward always had a way of overreacting to anything involving Christian. And this time was no different.
‘Edward always wanted to be like me when we were young…
I don’t know why I suddenly remembered that perfume.’
A trivial comment. A fleeting memory.
But Edward’s response was anything but casual.
Theodore took mental note of his reaction.
There were two types of people like this: those who clung to blood with desperate affection—and those who wore their entitlement like armor. Judging by the faint spark of joy in Edward’s eyes, he belonged to the latter.
This is dangerous, Theodore thought.
Christian had made it clear—she wouldn’t intervene. But by mentioning Edward, she had given a silent blessing: he would accept the offer. So Theodore had to convince him—no matter what.
“What’s this final story that might interest me? You’ve already said too much. I want to hear it now.”
His stare was deadly.
A wrong answer would end in blood.
“A grand exhibition will be held at Mussen Museum soon. The Duchess of Schultz will be in attendance.”
Theodore recited what Max Russell had passed on. This much had to be shared.
“So?”
Edward raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
“I’ll reveal the rest—if you choose to take my hand. I may walk in Prince Edward’s shadow now, but never forget—I’m still a fixer.”
“A hand? I’ll take it. Gladly. If what you know is enough to make Christian regret.”
Only after Edward signed a contract—one guaranteeing both Theodore’s life and power—did he speak.
“The Duchess of Schultz… is the biological granddaughter of Old Lady Russell.”
There. A secret never meant to reach Edward’s ears. But sincerity demands sacrifice.
Christian would surely regret turning him away now.
Still, Theodore withheld one truth—Max Russell’s survival. He needed an insurance card. It would be foolish to reveal every piece this early.
He looked to Edward, whose face was now frozen in astonishment.
“I’ve said everything I came to say. The next move, Your Highness… is yours.”
