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ONCE they’d gotten a safe distance away, Claudio and Samael stepped out from their hiding spot behind a thick decorative pillar.
“There’s something suspicious about those two,” Samael said.
“What in the world were they doing?”
After the sister had suddenly fallen over in the courtyard, the siblings, huddled together as if in fear, headed straight for the open-air corridor without ever faltering from their course. Samael had found that highly suspicious and ordered a nearby guard to report it to Claudio immediately. Claudio had hurried over, and the two concealed themselves behind the pillar where they could watch the siblings unseen.
“I thought they might try to set up some kind of dangerous trap, but I certainly didn’t expect they would step through some rotten floorboards almost as if on purpose… And then call attention to it, of all things?” Samael mused.
“What kind of objective could they possibly have for doing something like that?” Claudio asked.
“A normal person like me would have no hope of understanding. But perhaps a weirdo like you might have an idea?”
“I’ve got no idea what their game is! And who are you calling a weirdo?!” Claudio unintentionally shouted that last bit, and the moment they realized it, both men ducked back behind the pillar.
“Shh, they haven’t completely left yet! You can’t speak so loudly, or they might hear you.”
“Whose fault was that?!”
Claudio folded his arms and glared at the siblings’ retreating figures. Those two were entirely too suspicious. They were hiding something; there was no doubt about that.
“Look into both of them. And for the time being, assign surveillance to keep an eye on their movements.”
“Yes, sir.”
Samael turned to hurry off and do as he’d been ordered, but suddenly he stopped. When he turned to look back at Claudio, his expression was not that of the subordinate who’d just formally acknowledged his superior’s orders, but that of a milk-sibling who’d been by the other man’s side since they were both young children.
“You’d better hurry back now.”
“Huh?”
Following Samael’s lead, Claudio unconsciously slipped into a casual manner of speaking.
“You left Lady Stella by herself and rushed over here, didn’t you?” he pointed out.
“I’m sure she’s found people to talk to. She always seems to have an entire entourage following her around.”
“But you’re her fiancé, so get your act together and act like it. Today, you’re not the director; you’re the duke. Chop, chop, back to work, Your Grace!”
With this, Samael ran off, not waiting to hear Claudio’s reply. He was a troublesome fellow… But he also wasn’t wrong. And he’d gone as far as to change his manner of speech to let Claudio know that he was offering this advice not as an employee but as a friend.
Claudio looked back once to confirm that the strange siblings had disappeared into the distance before making his way back to the ballroom, feeling as if he had lead weights attached to his feet with each step he took.