บท 31: Old Order

Who would have guessed that the empire would allow a growing tiger to develop in its backyard? Spade reflected on his intuition that the Empire had been relatively peaceful during his reign; he was always vigilant and didn't dare to take anything lightly, and he still made sure to strengthen his control over his throne and the Empire more than ever in these recent years.

Spade was very different from his father in that he was used to being rational and having complete control over everything. He was a steady ruler who was both compassionate and ruthless. He was not criticizing his royal father, but Spade knew that while the late emperor was a good man, a good husband, and a good father, he wasn't a good ruler.

His father was too kind and easygoing, and his hold on the throne wasn't as firm as Spade's grandfather's or Spade's. That's why, during the conversation with the Duke, he felt his father's regret. It wasn't just because he couldn't give the victims justice, but also out of resentment toward himself for failing to notice such a massive organization sprouting on the land he was ruling over.

Spade sighed and his fingers stopped tapping as he remembered his father. He could still remember his father's declining health and the deep look his father gave him before dying as he muttered an apology to him. Spade couldn't understand at the time. Now, he could. His father must have apologized at the time for entrusting him with the fight against that organization. When his father apologized to him, Spade could see the deep regret in his father's eyes.

A deep sigh was heard in the silent room, followed by a whisper. "Old Order,"

Spade's fingers began to tap again, his mind was active, and it began to wander through the information of the past.

Old Order... the Old Empire, was it possible that there were connections between the two besides their names? Did the organization's founder have anything to do with the Old Rule? Perhaps a member of the royal family? Spade was still baffled.

The Old Empire was long gone and had become history; furthermore, even the descendants of old had surely disintegrated with the passage of time by now; who else would hold on to the glory of the past... a full half a millennium since then? Was it truly possible?

It was necessary to investigate in this direction, and he would read something about it later on. However, the most important thing now was... The tapping sounds abruptly ceased.

"If our assumptions were correct that the organization was behind the plot against Arren... their plan was undoubtedly to use Arren against the Duke, that's the only motive I can think of. Or is there something else?" Spade muttered out loud his thoughts.

Thinking of Arren, Spade's expression softened a lot, but when he suddenly remembered the current condition of the omega he couldn't help and be distressed. Spade's closed eyelids moved, and he gradually opened slightly. There were traces of exhaustion in his deep solemn eyes, possibly due to exhaustion or the heavy information he received. His position was maintained while gazing at the ceiling as his mind began to revolve and calculate his next course of action.

While Spade was at the palace plotting his next move, Arren, who was staying at the hotel, awoke from his sleep. Arren's condition had obviously improved from before; he felt much better and the discomfort had vanished. His mood had also improved, and his headache had subsided.

Arren didn't see anyone when he woke up, just like before. He sat up slowly and went to the bathroom to relieve himself. He was also hungry for some reason. Arren hadn't eaten much in the morning and hadn't even had lunch, so it wasn't surprising that he was hungry. He decided to go outside after leaving the bathroom and walked toward the bedroom door.

When he stepped outside, he was met with silence. Arren seemed to be the only one in the room; he froze for a moment and looked around the silent living room before sighing. He knew Mister Investigator was busy. Even then, he wasn't lonely for long, and his hunger immediately distracted him. Arren went to the kitchen to find something to eat; while there was some leftover soup in the kitchen, he didn't have the appetite to eat such weak and light food. He was looking for something else.

Arren considered ordering room service. He thought it was the only way because he was starving. He immediately carried out his plan and searched the room for the telephone. He didn't have to look for the number for room service because it was right there.

The call only rang once before it was answered, the response was so fast that made Arren think the other side was prepared for his call and waiting for him. He also reasoned that the hotel's service was exceptional and that this was standard practice. After all, it was an imperial hotel.

Arren didn't mind for long, and when he heard the polite greeting on the other end of the line, which he thought was overly respectful, he told him exactly what he wanted. The person on the other end of the line patiently listened to him, and Arren hung up after they confirmed everything else. He had no idea, but he had the impression that the person speaking to him was very careful with his words. Arren just arched his eyebrows in doubt, then shook his head and stopped thinking about nonsense. He just wanted to eat. His personality was such.

He went to the living room to watch television while he waited for his food. To pass the time, he just watched some house-flipping shows. He didn't have to wait long before he heard a knock on the hotel room door. Arren walked over to the door, certain that his food had arrived.

What surprised Arren was that when he opened the door, he not only didn't see the staff delivering his food, but he also noticed some black-suited guys standing outside. In addition, his eyes met the smiling beta woman, who appeared to be in her forties, but it was her upbringing and aura that drew Arren's attention to her. Her outfit seemed to indicate that she was also part of the management staff, but her temperament shows Arren that she was probably one of the higher-ups at the hotel.

He was taken aback and then perplexed as to why she was there. Also, Arren didn't know what these bodyguards were doing outside the room... but thinking of Mister Investigator, perhaps because of him?

Despite his surprise on the inside, Arren's face remained calm on the outside. He only nodded and turned to face the smiling woman.

"Yeah... you are?" Arren didn't know what to say so he just blurted out the question, curious about the woman's identity. He was aware that he was a distinguished noble in the Empire, but was it necessary for the hotel's management to meet him?

The woman didn't seem offended, and she seemed to anticipate Arren's reaction, as she only slightly bowed to Arren and smiled kindly.

"Young Master Arren," her gentle voice echoed, and Arren was not surprised that she recognized him. If he was correct that the woman was one of the hotel's higher-ups, it was to be expected that they knew and recognized most of the empire's nobles, let alone himself, who was part of the higher nobility. "Sorry to interrupt, Young Master. As you are one of our distinguished guests, we needed to ensure that Young Master Arren's stay in the hotel is comfortable. My name is Debina, and I am at your service." Her respectful tone and demeanor caused Arren's lips to twitch.

He wanted to say that they didn't need to go through all of that trouble and that he just wanted to order room service. Was it really necessary to meet with him? Whatever, Arren didn't have time to think about their actions, and his hunger grew even stronger. He only gave a slight smile and said nothing else.

Arren didn't ask any more questions or make a big deal about anything after their exchange. He only allowed them in to serve the food. Whatever the reason for the management sending a higher ranking official to him or why there were bodyguards guarding outside, Arren didn't care much and was only concerned with the food.