11 Prevent and Interest (3)

Only the food utensils made noise in the dining room. The Duke didn't want to say anything else for fear of appearing softhearted in front of his son again. And Arren was overcome with grief over the loss of a certain Alpha's contact information.

While doing so, a brilliant thought emerged from his wandering mind. Why hadn't he thought of it earlier? The gloomy atmosphere that had surrounded Arren had dissipated once more. That was just his personality. Wallowing in grief for too long wasn't his personality at all.

"Dad," he called out cautiously.

"Hm?" replied the Duke. However, he did not raise his head. Arren thought he was still angry, but the Duke simply didn't want to see his son's face in case he made another request.

"What about the investigation, dad? What about your progress?" he inquired.

That's right. Arren decided to just ask his father about the investigation. It was more convenient this way. Why should he have to ask someone else when he could simply ask his father? His father wouldn't keep anything from him, right?

As he asked his question, the Duke, who was concentrating on his food, raised his head and looked Arren in the eyes. He was lost in thought for a second as if recalling something before answering his question.

"The Emperor said we are not to reveal the investigation to anyone and specifically mention you. I'm sorry, son. I can't tell you anything," the Duke apologized to his son, his face having a complex emotion within.

Arren didn't understand it at first, so he went to confirm that he hadn't heard something incorrectly. "What, dad? Who said? The Emperor?" He was perplexed as to why the emperor was suddenly brought up. How was his majesty involved in this matter? He couldn't understand.

"Yes, His Majesty, the Emperor," the Duke said, hesitantly, as if he also didn't quite believe what he had just said.

"What? Why did His Majesty say that? I am the fucking victim, and I can't even know the investigation of my case? What motherfucking joke was this?" he couldn't help but shout, forgetting about his father's reactions to him using curse words.

Arren was completely taken aback. He couldn't understand why the Emperor, who should be busy in the palace, had time to personally intervene in this matter; he shouldn't be that free, right?

He was aware of his sensitive status, but it wasn't enough for the empire's supreme commander to personally intervene. Was there something wrong with the case he didn't know about? Was this incident so fucking big to garner the attention of 'that' individual? Why was it so difficult for him to find out some information about that motherfucking asshole? How the fuck was it so difficult to see that fucking Ashton? He really wants to bash his head into the table. This was fucking crazy.

"Arren, be careful with your words," the Duke reprimanded, his face grim.

Indeed, the Duke was initially perplexed by this order. It was simply absurd to keep the victim in the dark about the investigation into his case, especially since the victim was his son. He was the one who was most familiar with his son's temper. What would he say if Arren asked?

Looking back, the night of the incident was too chaotic for him to remember who informed him of Arren's situation. His entire focus and attention were on his son. It wasn't until a member of the intelligence department paid him a secret visit and handed him a folder that he realized it was His Majesty who had discovered and brought his son to the hospital.

He couldn't believe it, and he immediately wanted to rush into the palace to express his gratitude while also apologizing for the inconvenience. The Emperor secretly going incognito simply means he has an important matter or appointment to attend to. He was deeply sorry for this but even more grateful. He didn't want to think about what might happen if His Majesty wasn't nearby.

The Duke was stopped, however, because the emperor had left a message stating that they would meet later. He expected His Majesty to invite him to the palace for a conversation, but he didn't expect the emperor to personally visit his residence. Spade had truly scared him.

The Emperor was accompanied by only two bodyguards, who rode in a simple car. It was clear that this was not an official visit, but rather a private and secret visit. He immediately dispersed his servants, leaving only his butler and one assistant.

They began their meeting in the library. Only the two of them were there. The two bodyguards accompanying His Majesty were left outside the mansion. The discussion began with a few topics before moving on to the investigation.

The Duke didn't give it much thought at first. Perhaps the Emperor was invested and interested in the case because he was involved in some way by assisting his son. However, the situation was not grave enough for the Emperor to intervene.

He should be delighted. His son was the victim, and the monarch he served worked hard to solve the case and catch the perpetrator. Something didn't feel quite right, but he didn't dwell on it too much. He was talking to the emperor and being absentminded was a disrespectful act.

Spade's natural air of dominance also contributed to this; in fact, every noble and official who spoke with him privately couldn't help but be very attentive and listen to everything he said. This was the power of the Ruler and a commanding dominant Alpha at that.

However, as time passed and the emperor mentioned that he would mobilize the 'black intel' to speed up the investigation, he realized that something was seriously wrong. The Black Intel was a group of people or an organization that is hidden from the public eye. Even as Duke, he didn't know much about them; he only knew a few details about them because he was a member of the royal faction, but that was about it.

The only thing he knew was that they were the shadows and hidden senses of every Emperor. They weren't even officially registered as a department; it was almost as if they didn't exist at all. If His Majesty hadn't mentioned them, the Duke might have forgotten about them.

He was quite complicated on the inside. When the Emperor personally deals with the incident, the Duke may come up with a reasonable explanation, such as that he was accidentally in the location and saved the victim, who turned out to be the son of his important subject, or he may sense something darker in the incident that needed to be addressed personally by him and that might threaten the empire's stability.

The former was a possible explanation, whereas the latter was nearly impossible. He reasoned a lot and came to his own conclusions about the Emperor's actions, but the black intel was the final straw.

He'd be a fool if he didn't notice the hidden implications of his actions. His Majesty had set his sights on Arren. The Duke had to admit it; his son had unknowingly caught the Emperor's attention.

He was at a loss for words. Truthfully, he should be happy right now. On one hand, he was satisfied if his son could really be together with the emperor. Who wouldn't want an emperor as a son-in-law?

It was not only because of the power it possessed but also because of the security he could provide for his son. On the other hand, he was worried about the impact this subtle interest would have on his son. He was well aware of the weight that the title "Emperor's Omega" carried, and he wasn't sure his son could handle it. He knew his son was very strong, and he wasn't some delicate omega, in fact, he knew all along that his son could make his own decisions, and whether they were wrong or not, he never regretted it.

Still, he wouldn't want his son to feel pain in this lifetime. If he could shield him from the harsh reality for the rest of his life, he would gladly do so. But he knows he couldn't, and even his own son wouldn't let him. That was how life is supposed to be. Pain, sadness, and happiness were just a few of the emotions one needed to feel and experience in order to mature and become the person one desired to be.

So, despite his internal conflict, he agreed when the Emperor ordered him not to reveal anything to the omega, especially about the one who drugged him for reasons only known to His Majesty.

The Duke reached for the water as he drank to clear his mind.

"The Emperor's orders are absolute; I still have something to do," he walked out, ignoring his son's dissatisfaction. He shook his head as he walked, knowing there was nothing he could do for his son.

The Emperor's decisive actions reveal his subtle hints and intentions toward the Duke. He sighed deeply and simply accepted it. He couldn't tell his son that the emperor had brought him to the hospital and that he had unknowingly drawn the attention of the monarch.

Forget it; in the end, the Duke said nothing. Ignorance is sometimes bliss; just leave him alone for the time being. He'd find out about it eventually, anyway.

Fortunately, the Duke didn't tell him, otherwise, Arren might've died of a heart attack due to shock.

Huh, life sure was unexpected. Arren had no idea that, despite his best efforts to avoid and evade reality, he would be unable to escape in the end. He had no idea that years of avoiding and not attending banquets to avoid meeting the characters would be rendered useless in that one encounter. Just that one night was enough for Arren's life to roll in a way he didn't imagine and expected to.