The bridal procession went on their way to the Great Jade Kingdom in peace. For so long, nothing unusual happened in their journey. But all of that changed when they were faced with a group of assassins that came out of nowhere.
Immediately, it became clear that the assassins attacking them weren't ordinary. All of them were very skilled in martial arts and they had one obvious target. Despite everyone in the group, they went directly towards Lucas. The entire kingdom knew that the prince was not that good in combat. He rarely practiced his martial art skills because he indulged himself in alcohol and sex. It was already something to be grateful for that his body did not grow weak, as he did not have much free time to concentrate on his physical health or the practice of martial arts.
So it was no surprise that Lucas was caught off guard. Even with his secret guards' protection, he was slightly injured when one of the assassins grabbed the opportunity to stab him. Seeing this situation, Matthew wore a frown on his face. He firmly ordered his men to wipe out all the assassins at all costs. The first batch of the killers was defeated soon enough. But in turn, a lot of the procession's members had been killed. Matthew then counted the remaining people. He ordered for the injured to be treated and the dead to be buried. Now, the whole procession was overtaken by a gloomy mood. With a heavy heart, the members of the procession continued their way.
"Uncle Matthew, it has only been two days since we left, yet he is so desperate to attack us. It must be because he is not seriously injured. He must have had some spare time to think and plan our murder!" Lucas said in gritted teeth. He deeply regretted keeping Francis alive, the person who plotted this attack. He only wished that his brother was dead by now. But then, he remembered that Francis had been hurt in order to save Harper so she wouldn't just sit idly without attempting to cure him.
Hearing what he said, Matthew grew drearier. Soon enough, the people around him started to notice this grim mood around him. As a result, no one dared to even get closer to him. Lucas was no exception. But there came a time when Lucas needed to have a word with him because of the dangerous situation that they were in. Out of options, he walked towards Matthew. He tried to convince himself that he really needed to discuss how they were going to face the possible attacks that were certainly coming to them in the days ahead.
But Matthew beat Lucas to the punch. In a rather cold tone, Matthew spoke to Lucas. "There will be assassins coming for us each step of the way ahead. They wouldn't stop unless one of us gets killed and he finally achieves one of his goals. But I have come up with a solution to fix this. Lucas, we need to find a good time to pretend that you have been killed."
"Are we going to do this when the next assassins come?" Lucas asked hesitantly. Although it was a good plan, he did not think that telling the world he was killed so soon would be a wise idea. There was no denying that he was a bad fighter, but dying so soon? It would only show that Matthew who was responsible for the safety of the team was a lousy fighter since he could not protect him.
When Matthew heard this, he immediately glared at Lucas. If Lucas died in the second assassination, then his reputation as a horrible and dreadful fighter would be set in stone. But Matthew would certainly claim Lucas' death after he made Francis pay a heavy price.
"How about I decide myself when is the right opportunity to be fake dead? Would that be okay with you?" Lucas suggested, once he noticed Matthew's disdainful glare at him. What a lot of people did not know about Lucas was that he was actually aware of the current affairs. He knew how to hold himself together as well. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have survived at that age. Although he was a frequent visitor of brothels throughout the years, all his time had not been spent on mere leisure and worldly pleasures. All those affairs and rumors which claimed that he was a good-for-nothing and reckless brat were not true. It was only what Lucas would like them to think. This way, he was able to protect himself.
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