Inside an opulently large bathroom, Lucien lay down on the edge of a huge private pool, his body soaking in the warm water, while a steamy towel covered his face.
An older maid was gently washing his head while he was inside the pool.
Two maids stood behind him, holding the clothes he was supposed to wear, and another one was busy making incense.
None of them were allowed to speak until the prince initiated it, and Lucien never did.
The sheer comfort he was in nearly made him fall asleep multiple times during this shower session.
He had been in the pool for the last 30 minutes, pondering his life and future plans, wondering what would happen from now on.
And now, it was time to leave.
He raised his hand, gesturing for the maid to stop, as he stepped out of the pool, naked.
Even though he was among so many maids, he didn't mind it.
Being a prince, he was used to many things that seemed bizarre to common people, and this was one of those things.
One of the two maids from behind came rushing towards him, as she dried his body with a plush towel, after which the other one dressed him up in nothing but a sleeping gown.
He nodded, expressing his gratitude silently, as he walked towards a mirror to take a look at himself.
His silky blond hairs were just trimmed before the bath, and now they were prim and proper.
His grey eyes had a weird life to them, and his new, handsome face also had a certain level of innocence, something completely different from his previous life.
He looked like a proper, innocent, and chivalrous prince, even though he was nothing like that inside.
He stepped outside of the bathroom and entered his assigned bedroom, and it felt… lavish.
The luxurious medieval decoration with modern amenities and a huge bed made out of a material so comfortable that one might think they were on a cloud.
He wasted no time, as he crept up the bed, covered himself with the silky duvet, and fell asleep.
…
"Your Highness, can you explain what happened to you last night?" A beautiful, brunette woman sitting in a leather chair asked with a cheery expression.
She was one of the officials of the palace, someone who helped maintain order in the palace.
Even though she appeared cheery and jolly, that was only on the outside.
Lucien could tell that she was deadpan and didn't like the fact that she had to personally come into someone's bedroom and ask them questions, while the other party just lazily slept on their bed.
Normally, it was the other way around.
But currently, she was talking to the Prince of a kingdom.
Lucien recounted the events he and Arthur fabricated, with most of it just being that he was unconscious.
The woman asked a few questions, but since the prince's story was uniform and it matched with what Arthur said, she couldn't push him any further.
"Now, about the artifact. Arthur mentioned something… unusual. That you possess a sentient spirit artifact. What's the deal with that?" She asked, noting everything he said down in her notebook.
"Ah, that!" Lucien shifted in his bed. "When I woke up in the building, it was already with me. I don't know much either. And also, I would like to keep it, since it doesn't belong to the Solstice government."
The woman's jolly facade faltered for a split second, but she recovered almost instantly.
"As you wish, your highness." She gave him a slight bow and added, "But first, please let us check if it has any danger."
"No, thanks, Ms. sneaky deadpan." Lucien acted just as they practiced. "Cythos would handle that as well."
He knew that Solstice wanted to know about that artifact in his possession.
After all, artifacts were already rare enough, and the sentients were almost close to zero.
So, gaining more intel wouldn't hurt, even though Cythos and Solstice were already on friendly terms.
And with this diplomatic visit of the second prince, they would enter a new level of cooperation.
The woman sighed, seeing how stubborn the prince was, and she knew she couldn't force him either.
After a few more rounds of questioning, the woman finally left, and he came out of his bed.
The maids in the room helped him change into more casual attire.
An ivory Oxford shirt, corduroys, and a pair of classic beige boots.
While a maid was styling his hair, he called out to someone. "Oliver"
Even though his voice was low, someone appeared right beside him.
A masked man, showing nothing but his deep hazel eyes, stood right next to him.
The sudden appearance gave the maids around quite a scare, but Lucien immediately explained, "Fret not, Oliver is our family's knight."
And it was true.
Oliver was assigned to protect the second prince while he was on his diplomatic trip to Solstice.
He was the reason why the Solstice couldn't just secretly take away Arenox, test on it, and return before Lucien could even realize.
"Oliver, can we not just go back and back away from this?" Lucien asked calmly, as the gravity of the situation settled down on him.
He was very busy yesterday, so he underestimated the reason why Lucien came to the Solstice Republic.
But now, after he woke up and had plenty of time to relax, he was a bit uneasy.
"I'm afraid not, your highness. This is a very important deal for both nations." Oliver spoke in a polite, soothing voice.
'But why am I getting sacrificed here, for heaven's sake?' Lucien brooded, but didn't show it on his face.
"Kidnap me away, and leave me in the middle of nowhere." He offered, his voice laced with threat, "Or his majesty would know about the fact that I was kidnapped right under your nose."
Oliver was a bit taken aback by this threat, not expecting something like this from the second Prince, who wasn't really known for his intelligence.
'His highness has changed. I would need to report this.' Oliver noted it down and formed a reply quickly.
"That would only end up with me getting punished, but if I kidnap you, your highness, death would be the least of my concerns."
Swish!
He gestured to the maid to halt the hairstyling process as he turned his head and stared dead in Oliver's eyes, and spoke, "I would not forget this insolence, Oliver."
"Remember this, Oliver. You are the one who's offering me as a tribute to a lady."