So I learned Rajal was quite the cook and healer when I woke up in the morning. While I was in a lot of pain, I could walk without looking like I was in pain, and that was all I needed to make it back to Caemor. Breakfast was also really good, but that could've also been because my expectations were very low.

Garta was reading when I let myself into our room. He raised a purple eyebrow at me then turned his gaze back to his book. I hoped that meant he wasn't going to say anything, but he did. Just while not looking at me.

"You have a message." He pointed to a note on my desk. "Your brother's in town. He stopped by. What a piece of work. Explained a lot about you." He glanced up at me then, squinting. "A lot, yes." He returned to reading.

"Was it the tall stupid one or the annoying pretty one?" I asked before I glanced over the message.

"He wasn't tall so probably the second one. I didn't care enough to ask. My bad."

Lando, then. The note sure looked like his handwriting, though he'd only signed it Lord Viscoti. As if he were the only one? Lando Viscoti was Duke Viscoti's second son and my least favorite brother. Seemed like he'd managed to find me and now he wanted to meet me at the hotel I had been staying at. Likely so that he could bring me back to the estate and gain more favor with Father. New day, new demon.

"Is it bad news?" Garta asked.

I used a small fire spell to dispose of the note. "Another Viscoti in the kingdom is bad news. Great news is that it's Lando." He was easier of my brothers to deal with because he was more like me. Not that I would ever admit that aloud. "He wants to meet up, so I'll probably be staying out tonight as well."

"Have fun," he said. "Don't kill anyone."

"I'll try." I wasn't going to try at all.

"And try not to die."

"Easier said than done."

He gave me a look for that one but didn't ask any questions.

I changed into some new clothes better suited for Lord Gerard Viscoti then headed out. I took my time strolling through Brugge back to the hotel where I first stayed. I'd expected Boyet because he was the eldest and did everything Father said, but Lando was starting to gain favoritism with Father around this time in my previous lives. Boyet, after all, didn't want to be the next Duke Viscoti. But Lando certainly did.

My dear second oldest brother was waiting outside the lobby. He wore a suit and had his black hair combed back nicely into a ponytail. Tall, slender, and apparently looked like our mother except for his black hair. Apparently we'd gotten these piercing blue eyes from Mother, but she died when Gerard was young and I couldn't recall any of his significant memories of her. Apparently we got our good looks from her, while Boyet got his from Father.

"Hey," he said when he saw me, smiling. Lando was the type who kept a kind smile on his face all the time, made you feel like you were the only person in the world when he struck up a conversation with you, and always had a dagger waiting to stab you in the back. "You look good. Healthy."

"Thanks," I said, ignoring his obviously disingenuous compliment. "Just you?"

"Just me. There's a cafe not too far from here I always visit while I'm in Brugge. Come on." He slipped an overly familiar arm around my shoulders and directed me down the street. "We've missed you, you know. The estate just isn't the same without you."

"I'm sure it's not," I said. "How are things?"

"Well, you know. Father is very worried." When I said nothing, he continued on his own. He slid a hand over his hair to make sure it was all still perfectly in place. "He almost called Boyet back from the capital to look for you instead, but I convinced him that I'd be the better person to come and persuade you to come back. I know you better, after all."

Lando probably did know me best out of everyone. He was rather affectionate with Gerard up until he was thirteen or fourteen because Duke Viscoti had only ever cared about his first son. Then when Lando had his societal debut, there'd been a rumor he was being considered as a potential partner for the crown princess of Naedoven. That had changed a lot for Lando, but it wasn't until I hit puberty that Lando had decided I was competition instead of family.

In my first life, I'd tried to convince him I didn't care about high society or the princess. But he was so self-centered he couldn't see how anyone wouldn't want the same things as he did. In my second life, taking all that away from him had been part of my revenge. He had no idea that the ground he stood on with Father was shaky as fuck. That thought put a little pep in my step even with him hanging off me.

"Don't you think you've made your point?" Lando asked. "It's been a few weeks, Gerry."

I suppressed my cringe since that reaction was why he used that nickname. "What point do you think I'm making?"

He squeezed me into a side hug. "That we don't pay you enough attention. That's really my bad though. Been thinking about it. We were a lot closer weren't we? Ever since I debuted, I haven't been spending the same time with you. You've probably been all lonely in the estate by yourself with just Father. I wanted to come and apologize and invite you to the capital with me for the next social season."

"Wouldn't that be my debut season anyway?" I asked.

"And I'm saying I'll help prepare you. You know Boyet will be terrible. He was useless for mine. So I wanted to let you know I'm stepping up. I'll introduce you to everyone who matters."

Yeah, funny, he'd promised all this in my other lives as well. Didn't go so well for me the first time. Didn't go so well for him the second time. Didn't give him a chance to invite me again after that, so I'd forgotten that was part of the Viscoti's tactic to keep me close. Neglect me for years then pretend to come around and be a real family.

"You don't have to answer now," Lando said in my silence.

"Thanks," I said.

He opened his mouth to say something more but decided against it, thankfully. He let his arm drop and finally there was that normal, awkward quiet that I counted on between us.

We went past the main square of the market district and into a quiet artisan neighborhood. Upper middle class. This was probably where the rich commoners liked to pretend they were in a crime-free city. Lando had said not too far but guess that was an exaggeration. We passed several shops, then a park, and finally made it to a small cafe on the corner of a quiet square.

"This is it," he said. He put his arm around me again and gestured to the white-washed brick building with ivy growing up the sides, large windows to let in a lot of natural light, and flowers in front. "Let's go in. I'll pay."

As if we both weren't using Daddy's money. That reminded me, I needed more money, didn't I?

"Thanks," I said again, this time with a smile I knew would even melt him a little. He was just as weak as those he deceived with his own looks.

He returned it, ruffling my hair. "Look at you. Happy to see me after all!"

Inside, the high ceilings with crown molding supported gold chandeliers. All the walls had huge mirrors framed in gold. Unlike the packed restaurants and bars I was used to, this spacious place had only a few round tables and chairs, and there weren't many customers.

There was a host who sat us at the front per Lando's request. He ordered for us immediately without looking at the menu. He didn't care about taste, just the appearance of it all on the table. Once the server got our order in, Lando leaned forward on the table.

"So," Lando started. His expression softened. "Let's start over. How are things going? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Things are fine," I said, purposefully keeping it short so I could watch him squirm. He was trying so hard.

"That's great!" Lando said, clapping his hands together. "You registered at Caemor, right? Are you having to share a room? What classes are you taking? How are they?"

They hadn't really started, but he didn't know that. "Roommate's a prince. Just the mandatory ones for now. Very fascinating."

He blinked. "Good! Good. A prince. That's good. Great even. So you got here, checked out a hotel room, all to attend Caemor?"

What information was he trying to get out of me? I asked, "I thought you didn't like fishing?"

"I'm just showing interest in you," he countered.

The server came back and set down water for both of us. After saying thanks, which caught Lando off guard because he never thanked the so-called help, I took a sip and asked, "Didn't you say I came all this way for attention?"

"Well, yes." He sat back now, his expression no longer so soft. His face was actually quite angular when he wasn't wearing fake geniality. "Gerry, you know that Father thinks it's pointless for us to be learning magic. Caemor is a magic academy. Why else would you attend if not to cry for attention?"

"Why does anyone attend Caemor?"

"...Well, I don't know," he said. He seemed very confused by my question even though the answer was quite simple. Was it that hard for him to accept that I wanted to study magic? "Why would I know that? I'm sure they have their reasons, but we're talking about you here. Your reason. And your reason must be because you want our attention."

"Must be?" I chuckled because I couldn't help it.

"And you got it, Gerry." Now he reached across the table and took my hand. Maybe I should consider killing him.