Enter the arcane world of Alterra, and regale yourself with three tales in one epic story.
☆☆★ AFFAIR OF ROYALS ★☆☆
Tag along with LUCIUS as he investigates the brutal murder of the Arcerean monarch and sheds light on a conspiracy that may alter the...
A/N: Finally! A never-before-posted chapter! That's right! This is not a repost.
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LUCIUS
WHENEVER LUCIUS was in deep thought, he would forget about himself or the world around him. All he wanted to focus on what the case he was working on. He could care less if he had not eaten, bathed or even changed his clothes. Distraction was at the bottom of his list. He could accomplish all of that once he was done with the task at hand.
Unfortunately, his days of poring over documents and cross-referencing records had not yielded the result that he wanted. He plastered a giant canvas on the wall of his office, drew a layout of the Palace building, and pinned photos of the people where they were on the night of the attack. Almost everyone was outside.
His hair became more disheveled every time he pulled some strands whenever he hit a dead-end. They turned greasy and oily from the lack of proper bath. But this was the least of his concerns.
"Ugh!" He groaned. He leaned his back against the chair too much that he almost fell from it. The mini-heart attack woke him up. He then heard approaching footsteps from the wooden stairs. Judging by the lightness of the footfalls and short interval between each, he could deduce who had come to see him.
"What the hell is that smell?" His partner Isabella sniffed before covering her nose. "Did you let a homeless person in and allow him to sleep here without washing the dirt off?"
"That's just me!" Lucius raised his right hand unashamedly. He was guilty as charged. Sorry, I haven't taken a bath since . . . I forgot what day. Who needs a bath when there's something more interesting than that?"
"Definitely almost every rational human being." His partner's voice was muffled. "I know how important this case is for you, but you shouldn't forget your hygiene! What if the capitol constabulary pays you a visit? What if the king himself decides to come down from his palace to get direct report from you? They will be disgusted."
Lucius turned in her direction. "First, the captain will understand. Second, there's no way the king will visit this wretched place we call office just to get an update. He will send for a coach and ask me to be brought to the palace."
Isabella sighed. "All I'm saying is you need to be presentable at all times, no matter what's on your plate. Being clean will also benefit your health."
"What I need is answers, not bath," he insisted.
"Take a pause and take a bath," she ordered him. "I can't stay any longer here and help you if you smell this bad."
"Don't you have a vial of magical liquid that can instantly make a closed area smell like lavender?"
"Even if I have, I won't use it here. Address the root cause of the problem. Don't rely on temporary solution."
"But—"
"You heard me the first time, didn't you?"
"Fine!" Lucius threw his hands up in the air and got to his feet. He walked past his partner who still had her nose covered with a cloth. He went straight to the bathroom and left the door slightly opened. "I also need to take a breather after hitting a dead-end. Hey, what are you doing—"
