Ren Xiyang didn’t care about Blewitt’s agenda. “The Rosewood estate and fief is but a fraction of the Sedaveria Kingdom. Under the laws you have told me, I have the right to inherit the Rosewood fief. Unless you’d decided to change the rules a minute ago?”

Rian was secretly impressed. He was related to Karl Blewitt on his mother’s side, and when he was twelve he had never dared talk back like that.

“The laws of inheritance have not changed,” Imperial Councillor Blewitt forced out, displeased at Ayden Rosewood’s disobedient behaviour.

“Then there’s no problem,” Ren Xiyang said, crossing his arms.

Solicitor Carmine stepped forward before Ayden Rosewood could provoke the Councillor further. “My Lord, we must first conduct an inheritance ceremony and social introduction to society as the new Earl Rosewood.”

“There’s no need for a social event,” Ren Xiyang said. “What does the acceptance ceremony require? Please conduct it right now, right here. We have many witnesses, including His Highness Prince Rian.”

“My Lord, that’s in violation of hundreds of years of protocol,” Manager Gregory said sourly.

Ren Xiyang glanced at him. “Is it law?”

“Your father would have wanted it done properly!”

“But unfortunately, he’s dead.”

Manager Gregory gritted his teeth. It was tradition! It wasn’t law, but it may well be! He had a bad feeling about Ayden Rosewood. There had been that letter about ‘bereavement entitlements’, and then there was this horrible hair-colour change, and now this!

Solicitor Carmine was calmer. Unlike Manager Gregory, he remembered that this young Ayden Rosewood was rumoured to be a highly adept fire mage and currently had the favour of Prince Rian. He had two eyes: he had seen how Ayden Rosewood and Prince Rian had entered the hall together.

Solicitor Carmine was part of the aristocracy. His eldest brother was Baron Carmine. But right now, he was in the employ of the Rosewood estate, and he had to bend to the head of the Rosewood family and navigate carefully around matters involving the Imperial Family.

“My Lord, the acceptance ceremony entails your acceptance of the position and the presentation of the new Earl Rosewood. At minimum, you will receive the Rosewood signet ring and master keys.”

The Rosewood signet ring had remained intact despite the unnatural green flames that had turned Roland Rosewood’s body to ash. It was now in a locked box in the study room after the Capital Investigators cleared it of any residue curse. The master keys remained in the late Earl Rosewood’s bedroom.

“Manager Ashdown, Investigator Bennett, I’ll trouble you to fetch these items for the new Earl,” Solicitor Carmine said.

The two men nodded and quickly left. The hall was quiet. Solicitor Carmine beckoned Ayden Rosewood and the others into place. It didn’t take long for Ashdown and Bennett to return. Once everything was in order, Solicitor Carmine started.

“Let all present gather and bear witness to the succession ceremony of the Rosewood fiefdom. In accordance with the customary laws, Master Ayden Rosewood will be the successor to the Earlship of the Rosewood fief…”

In a traditional ceremony, Solicitor Carmine should speak poetic words about Ayden Rosewood’s past achievements and future aspirations…but Ayden Rosewood looked faintly impatient, so Solicitor Carmine didn’t say much.

“…Ayden Rosewood, do you accept the Earlship of the Rosewood fief and swear fealty to the Kingdom of Sedaveria and to the Imperial Azure family?”

“I, Ayden Rosewood, accept.”

“I, Imperial Councillor Blewitt, bear witness to the succession of Earl Ayden Rosewood today,” Blewitt said shortly.

“I, Prince Rian Azure, bear witness to the succession of Earl Ayden Rosewood today,” Rian said, his eyes crinkled slightly.

Ayden Rosewood accepted the signet ring and master keys. And then, in what felt like a blink of an eye, Solicitor Carmine was announcing—

“Then I introduce to you all, Earl Ayden Roland Rosewood!”

There was a moment of silence, with a feeling of, isn’t something missing? More fanfare or more grandeur or more solemnity?

But for Ren Xiyang, the ceremony was just some necessary admin. This was barely the start of what he had planned.

Rian started clapping first, and Kel was second. The sound snapped people from their reveries, and soon clapping filled the hall.

Ren Xiyang nodded in acknowledgement. “Thank you.”

His first words were hard to hear, but it signalled for everyone to stop clapping. Once it was quiet, Ren Xiyang spoke again.

“Thank you to the Imperial Councillor Blewitt, His Highness Prince Rian, and Solicitor Carmine. Thank you to everyone for attending today. The ceremony is now over. An important meeting is scheduled in five minutes in the Rose Meeting Room. The necessary participants are Manager Gregory, Manager Ashdown, and Solicitor Carmine. Anyone else who wishes to be in attendance can join at will. All others are free to leave. Kel.” Ren Xiyang beckoned her over.

Kel almost jumped when she was suddenly addressed. “Yes, Young Master—my Lord?”

“Go and fetch the papers I left on my desk and bring them to the Rose Meeting Room,” Ren Xiyang said, handing her the key to his room.

“Yes, my Lord.” Kel swiftly left.

Ren Xiyang turned to the others. “Take your time, the Rose Meeting Room is adjacent to the hall.”

Count Aegean turned to Prince Rian with a bad feeling. He was met with Prince Rian’s slight smile. Before he could say anything, Rian was walking quickly towards Ayden Rosewood. The Royal Guards followed closely.

Ren Xiyang had been about to leave, but upon noticing the prince, he waited. “Your Highness.” The moment Rian was close enough, Ren Xiyang started walking out of the hall.

“Congratulations, Earl Rosewood,” Rian said. “I look forward to seeing your governance of the Rosewood fief.”

“That will begin in five minutes,” Ren Xiyang said. He gave Rian a deep look. “If you’re interested, we can have a private meeting afterwards on certain matters.”

Rian’s interest perked up. “If I can escape my aide, perhaps.”

“Is he your aide or your supervisor?” Ren Xiyang replied with an arch of his eyebrow.

Rian laughed shortly. “Both. I’m sure he reports back to my Imperial Father along with my guards.”

Royal Guards: “….”

Count Aegean sighed heavily when he saw the prince and the earl leave together. With a grumpy expression, he rallied energy from somewhere and he hurried after them.

Manager Gregory’s face was dark upon seeing the young earl’s back exiting the hall. Throwing away the solemnity of the ceremony, barely giving them time to process what had happened, and suddenly announcing a snap meeting! It was as though the new earl was raised by dirt-poor commoners!

Solicitor Carmine felt like keeping his distance from Manager Gregory. He nodded at the two managers and started heading to the Rose Meeting Room himself.

Manager Ashdown lowered his tone. “The new earl…do you think he’ll ask about the letter?”

Manager Gregory’s face turned even worse. “He wasn’t the earl yet when he sent that.” Annoyed, he took big fast steps out, not caring whether Ashdown could keep up with him or not.

After seeing Prince Rian leave, Imperial Councillor Blewitt narrowed his eyes. There couldn’t be a clearer statement about the eldest prince’s approval of the new Earl Rosewood. The prince was clearly doing it on purpose. Did his mother tell him to do this? The Rosewoods had never been directly allied with the Imperial family beyond standard aristocratic loyalty. But now…Imperial Councillor Blewitt had an uncomfortable feeling that things were going to change. He lifted his feet and followed the others to the Rose Meeting Room.

Behind in the hall, the servants whispered to themselves, “Do you think the Earl would really let us attend, then?”

“Maybe? He’s not like his father…”

“Forget it, we’ll just ask Kel afterwards?”

“I know! I’ll bring some refreshments for everyone.”

“Hey, let me do that too!”

This didn’t sound like a highly secret meeting. It would be natural for the servants to be in the room in case the young Earl needed anything! And if they could listen along the way, that was simply an unexpected bonus.

 

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The Rose Meeting Room was a long room with wide windows overlooking the back rose garden. There was a long table down the centre and a dozen cushioned chairs. Warm afternoon sunlight slanted through the open windows. It would’ve normally been hot, but Ren Xiyang siphoned the heat away.

Ren Xiyang and Rian didn’t talk about deep matters on their walk to the room, especially once Count Aegean caught up to them.

Turning his head away from the Count, Rian gave Ayden a certain look. Ayden gave him a blink back.

So, meeting later?

Yes.

“Feel free to sit anywhere, your Highness, Count Aegean,” Ren Xiyang said. He himself walked down the long room and sat at the head of the table.

Rian took a seat at the other end of the table with Count Aegean, his Royal Guards standing behind him.

Kel hurried in next. She walked up to the front and handed the Earl the papers and the key.

“Thank you, Kel, this is everything.”

Kel internally relaxed. “My Lord, now that you are the Earl, you can take over the master bedroom. I think the Capital Investigators have also finished their analysis of the room.”

“I like my current suite,” Ren Xiyang replied.

“Understood, my Lord.” Kel moved to stand against the wall.

Others soon came in. Solicitor Carmine, Manager Gregory, Manager Ashdown sat on one side of the table, while Imperial Councillor Blewitt and Junior Investigator Bennett sat down on the other side. No one took the seats closest to the new Earl Rosewood.

A few servants walked in carrying trays of refreshments. After putting them down in front of each person, they casually stood near the back against the wall.

Ren Xiyang glanced through his papers. He could sense some servants lingering outside, but no one else was coming in. He raised his head and looked at the people gathered. He laced his fingers together, resting hands on the table.

“Thank you for arriving in a timely manner. Let’s begin.”

 

 

 

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Little theatre in an alternate universe where a System exists:

Ren Xiyang: *does anything*

System: Hey—hey!! What are you doing???? That's not how the story goes! Stop that!

(Repeat for every previous chapter and every future chapter)