“Gentlemen, I’ve done my part and had my tea already. I still have things to take care of, so I’ll leave now. Farewell!” Jovian said.
When no one responded, he didn’t say another word. He nodded respectfully, stood up, and exited the room.
When the door opened, Warrick’s face darkened, and his hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of his sword. But before he could act, Huxley gently touched his arm and shook his head.
Jovian noticed something was off and paused at the doorway before stepping out.
Boston, who was standing by the door, let out a quiet sigh of relief as he watched Jovian leave without a scratch. His relief was short-lived, though, when he saw the grim expressions on the faces of the three men inside.
It was clear that the meeting hadn’t gone well. Fortunately, nothing too serious had happened. Otherwise, Boston would have much explaining to do to both sides.
“Why did you stop me? That arrogant brat clearly doesn’t respect us. He’ll think we’re pushovers if we don’t teach him a lesson.” Warrick slammed his fist on the table.
The rosewood split apart under the impact, and food and wine flew everywhere. In the past, his temper would have led him to kill Jovian on the spot.
“If he were anyone else, you could do whatever you wanted,” Huxley said calmly.
“But Jovian isn’t just from the Ballard family. He’s also Lord Austin’s guest. If something happened to him here today, do you think His Highness would let us off the hook?”
“That’s right,” Percival added. “We can threaten and intimidate all we want, but harming him is out of the question. It’s not worth provoking Lord Austin over a petty dispute.”
Throwing out a few threats and trying to scare Jovian was one thing, but hurting him would cause a lot of trouble. Even though they weren’t afraid of the Ballard family, they still had to show Austin respect.
“We can’t insult or hit him. So we just let him leave?” Warrick still seemed unsatisfied.
If word got out about this, his reputation would take a hit.
“Mr. Prescott, calm down,” Huxley said calmly. “We invited him here. Lord Austin will hold us responsible if something goes wrong on our watch. But if it happens somewhere else, it’s a different story.”
Warrick paused for a moment, then seemed to get the idea. “You’re saying that we should handle this… discreetly?”
“Get a few skilled men, grab him, interrogate him, and make sure he vanishes without a trace.” Huxley made a slashing motion across his throat and lowered his voice. “As long as we keep it clean and leave no evidence, even if Lord Austin suspects something, he won’t have a reason to come after us.”
“I like the sound of that.” Warrick’s eyes lit up.
Killing and covering it up wasn’t anything new to him. If Jovian had been a local noble from West Lucozia, Warrick might have thought twice.
Jovian was from Oakvale and had some influence, but not enough to stir things up here. With their reach, Warrick didn’t need to worry about the Ballard family’s retaliation.
As for Austin, as long as they didn’t make a scene, Warrick figured that Austin wouldn’t make a fuss over a dead man.
“Gentlemen, this isn’t something we should take lightly. Maybe we should think this through a little more,” Percival said hesitantly.
Gathering information was one thing, but if it led to someone’s death, he felt it crossed a line.
“If you’re scared, don’t get involved. Let me handle it,” Warrick said coldly. “But let me make one thing clear-everyone knows what happened today. If this leaks, don’t blame me for turning on you.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Prescott.” Percival laughed awkwardly. “Consider me absent today. I know nothing.”
He was close to retirement and wanted to enjoy his remaining years without causing trouble. If he could avoid it, he would. After all these years in politics, he knew that sometimes, it was best to let things slide and tolerate a little trouble when necessary.
Warrick scoffed before remarking, “The older you get, the more timid you become. “He cast a sideways glance at him. He was clearly displeased but didn’t say anything more.
With Huxley’s help, dealing with Jovian was easy enough. He felt that Percival’s presence wasn’t necessary.
In a moving jeep, Jovian sat with his eyes closed in the back seat while Boston looked uneasy beside him.
“Jovian, I think something’s off. You should leave West Lucozia now. The sooner, the better.” Boston finally spoke up after a long pause.
“I’ve already made arrangements with Lord Austin. We’re supposed to head back to Oakvale tomorrow. If I leave now, I’d be going back on my word.” Jovian slowly opened his eyes.
“Forget that. Right now, your life is more important.” Boston frowned. “Sir Prescott has a quick temper, and he’s ruthless. You embarrassed him today, and he won’t let it slide. If you don’t leave now, you won’t be able to leave tomorrow.”
“You mean he’s planning to kill me?”
Jovian raised an eyebrow.
“Given my understanding of him, that’s a strong possibility,” Boston said seriously.
“I’m Lord Austin’s guest. If they kill me, how will they explain it to him?” Jovian said flatly.
“As long as they cover their tracks, Lord Austin won’t be able to do a thing. After all, they’re the pillars of West Lucozia, and His Highness won’t stir up trouble over the Ballard family,” Boston said solemnly.
At this, Jovian fell silent. He thought about it for a moment. It was true that this was his first time meeting Austin.
No matter how well they got along, Austin wouldn’t risk offending influential figures in West Lucozia for a dead man.
Moreover, Jovian had no reason to bet his life on it. There was nothing to gain by winning, but losing would mean losing everything.
