We went back to the palace after exploring the city more with its very sophisticated structure and residents. I headed straight to my room leaving Makkun alone.

Why was he acting so differently? He's supposed to be an innocent boy!! Was he possessed? It can't be...

"Himesama, are you okay?"

"Eh?"

"Are you okay, Seraphine-hime? You seem like you just experienced something extraordinary..." She commented as I lament on my confusion about Makkun's sudden change of attitude.

I'm just imagining it right? I'm just imagining it...

***

Third Person POV

The maid, Imogen, was saddened seeing the princess worrying about something with a troubled look. To calm her master, she brought some tea in the room.

"Whatever it is you're thinking Your Highness, I hope you'll cheer up..." The hybrid princess just nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks, Imogen-san..." She looked up to the chandelier-decorated ceiling. "I just discovered that I don't really understand Makkun... I mean, he's the purest kid I know but lately, he's changed..." She laughed in uneasiness and continued. "But maybe it's just my imagination~"

'I'm sorry himesama, but I know that kid's true personality. Your Highness, you were caught by a scary person.'

'Makkun... what changed in you? I just hope you'll get back to normal tomorrow...'

While the two were pondering something in their own minds, a young boy with obsidian hair and amethyst eyes were standing still near the door, clearly eavesdropping on his beloved and her maid. He slightly flinched sensing some fear in his princess' voice but he soon warped his lips into a smile.

'If I knew she'd be this frightened, I wouldn't have shown my affection that explicitly. My Sese-chan, you're too precious to let go. But I really need to curb my obsession for a while or she'll avoid me, which would be disadvantageous for me considering that 'Caed' took an interest on her. He is one of the most annoying bugs I've ever seen hanging around what belongs to me.

I just need to trick Sese-chan into believing that I am an innocent boy devoid of any of the world's darkness. That way she won't realize that I'm slowly leading her into a gilded cage she can't escape from. My cute silver canary, just stay by my side...'

He intended to leave the place when a familiar man wearing dark clothes including a mask approached him so the little half-human prince gestured the man to take the upcoming conversation in his room.

"Now..." Makkun coldly spoke as he stared down on the man, figuratively holding an imaginary scepter and wearing a crown and cape. He crossed his arms to his chest and squinted his eyes to show his annoyance. "What brings you here, Quatre?"

'How dare he barge in here, which could easily cause war?! Now he must taste my wrath!!!'

'His Imperial Highness is so scary, maybe more than His Imperial Majesty himself!! Ah, why do I feel like I'm in the pits of hell already?! Even if I'm a member of the Purple Orchid's assassination squad, I'm more likely to die by His Imperial Highness' hands than being caught by the enemy.

I want to switch my job into a safer one!! Un, help me!!!'

"About that Your Imperial Highness, I actually wanted to apologize for failing my mission, which is to find information about the Amalgam..."

"It's okay, I found her already..." He sighed. "And what about Baron Gizler's assassination I asked you to do?"

"It's done, Your Imperial Highness." Quatre relaxed. "As you have said, he was involved in illegal gambling and the black market. He also sold his wife and son to a group of slave traders and raped his daughter. Truly a despicable man indeed, sire." Makkun slightly smiled that Quatre turned blue out of pure fear towards his master. "I forgot Your Imperial Highness, Countess Machiavel shows signs of rebellion together with Earl Adolf. They were seen by Trois and Deux entering a house in the slums and soon followed many suspicious people. What should we do, my liege?"

Quatre trembled in fear just seeing his master being quiet by propping his chin on his hand and his mouth straightening. Based on experience, it can only mean something bad would happen if the human Crown Prince acted like that.

'What's calm about that smile, Your Excellency the Grand Duke?! It's just the calm before the storm!! Not just a storm, but a catastrophe!!'

'Countess Machiavel and Earl Adolf, quite an unlikely pair...

While Countess Machiavel is well-known as the 'Saintly Mother' who adopts children from various orphanages and the slums without any prejudice but in the underworld, she is know as the 'Slave Master', the owner of four slave trading businesses in Coelacanth; Earl Adolf has quite the uninteresting background, governing a fief that is in the verge of collapse.

Even if he'd gone bankrupt, he still has most capable knights amongst many countdoms in the empire, giving me a hard time cleaning the trashes.

How do I get rid of them both without causing an uproar in the nobility? Also, to prevent His Imperial Majesty the Emperor from intervening... I have so many on my plate lately that my brain seems to slow down...'

"For now, pay some commoners and lower but gossip-loving nobles to spread rumors about children who got adopted by Countess Machiavel being sent to various noble households. Include a rumor about Earl Adolf as well, about secretly hiring some mercenaries and importing some weapons and armors from lower military countries." Quatre gulped.

'But Your Imperial Highness, we are only tasked to kill, not to do those things!!'

"Any more news, hm?"

"His Excellency the Grand Duke ordered me to tell you that your departure is this weekend. Would you request to lengthen your time here, Your Imperial Highness?"

"Ah yes, I still haven't caught my prey~" Makkun looked at his underling with a half-curious, half-blank expression. "Hey Quatre, how do you catch a bird?"

'Why are you suddenly curious about that, sire?!!'