Chapter 41
Turning a Leaf
T his is ridiculous.”
“That’s too bad.”
“I don’t need to stay in bed for—”
“Don’t tire yourself out trying to argue with me.” Tam rolled up the sleeves of his white tunic while gazing in the full-length wood rimmed mirror.
“My lord—”
“Tam.”
“Fine! Tam! There! Tam, I’m bored! There has to be something I can be doing!”
The future duke turned and stared at Eli in silence.
It was the morning after her brother’s visit, and she was sitting upright in their bed, wearing a long, cream-colored satin shirt with faint silvery flowers in its print. Were it not for the fan of hair that stuck straight up and waved about in the air with every movement, she would have looked terribly lovely.
Instead she looked hilariously lovely to Tam.
“Don’t you have any hobbies?” he asked with genuine curiosity.
“When would I have had time for hobbies?” Eli demanded.
Tam barely resisted smiling. She had become completely unguarded in showing her unbridled irritations with him, and it made him far happier than it should’ve.
“Well, it sounds like now’s a great opportunity to find some.” Tam couldn’t resist smiling at her exasperation. “And don’t go hovering around Luca during his lessons. He’ll figure out how to pay attention once they start giving him tests. The tutor will communicate with us if he thinks we need to intervene.”
Eli’s shoulders slumped forward. “My lo— Tam. Tam, we need to figure out how you can induce another bout of madness for Lord Guk by the blossom festival. If you are around him too obviously, someone could suspect you.”
Tam’s gaze drifted up to the ceiling. “For the blossom festival, Bong will charm the serving staff and lace Lord Guk’s personal stock of mead. I’ve already decided to switch to a different drug from the first one to make it harder to trace. This one will involve two doses. So even if others around Lord Guk drink the mead, they won’t have any side effects. Neither will he until he gets pricked with the other drug.”
“What drugs are these…?” Eli wondered while blinking intently, a frown on her face.
“The last time, we used a basic mushroom-infused oil; this time we are using a hearty nutmeg mead. Everyone else will feel like they are in great moods, but when Jeong or Bong shakes hands with Lord Guk, they will transfer marij to him both topically and with a prick to ensure he gets the full effects.”
“Marij? Isn’t that a common pipe tobacco known for its relaxation properties?”
Tam cleared his throat sheepishly. “Yes, but my mother has managed to see that its more potent oils are harvested. When mixed with nutmeg, it will heighten the hallucinogenic effects while also making Guk less prone to violence. I brought some with me for this trip.”
“Won’t people be suspicious about Bong and Jeong, given that they were around for the other poisonings? Also, why would your mother do such a thing to pipe tobacco?”
“Well, they… We own brothels, like I’ve mentioned before. She was just trying to figure out what was being sold to her patrons.” Tam coughed innocuously. “And you’re right. People might be suspicious of the brothers. Which is why there won’t be a big second incident. Only a large third. In the meantime I’ll have to break into Lord Guk’s home and tamper with his space a bit to help the gossip among the servants for smaller outbursts from him.”
Eli rose hastily. “You’re breaking into his house? That’s far too dangerous to do by yourself!”
Tam shrugged. “I’ve done it before in significantly better-guarded places.”
Eli scoffed. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Be socially adept?”
She snorted, looking reluctantly amused.
Seeing this, Tam decided to extend his list. “Command a room? Make moving speeches? Eat while keeping my back straight? Be ambitious?”
“You don’t think you’re ambitious?” This time Eli’s laugh wasn’t humored so much as it was skeptical.
Tam blinked at her seriously. “I’m doing all this because it’s expected of me. Not because I really want to.”
Eli’s expression turned enigmatic. “What ambitions of your own do you have?”
Tam lowered his gaze in thought. “I’m working that out for myself, but the first thing that comes to mind is a peaceful paperwork position, a house where every wall is a bookshelf… A life with more time for my own family in a space of my own.”
He hesitated at the words my own family , but Eli caught on quickly enough, and blushed.
Tam raised his eyes to hers. “Are there any personal ambitions of your own? Aside from becoming a Daxarian magistrate so that you can make the world a better, fairer place?” Tam folded his arms as he asked the question, his head tilted as he waited to hear her answer.
“I…” Eli trailed off. There was that same hardness in her features that, while not exactly illuminating as to her emotions, did show Tam that to her it was not an easy question.
Her silence and the distress in her eyes prompted Tam to interject carefully, “It’s alright. You don’t need to tell me.”
He turned to the door, already shifting his attention to his tasks for the day, but Eli stepped in front of him, the back hairs on her head fluttering like a peacock’s tail feathers, almost making Tam laugh… But given her determined gaze, he could tell that was a bad idea. “When are you planning on breaking into Lord Guk’s house?”
“Tonight.”
“What? That’s too soon!”
Tam reached around her for the door. “We lost too much time with my absence.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Tam’s eyes cut to her. “Do you have a lot of experience breaking into heavily guarded homes?”
“No, but I could be waiting with the carriage to take you away. Jeong and Bong will be keeping Lord Guk busy tonight, correct?”
Tam let out a breath of agitation. “You have worked enough to earn some time off. I’ll—”
“My lord ,” Eli enunciated through her teeth. “I will rest for today, but I will be doing this with you as your assistant tonight.”
There was no point in arguing anymore or he’d be late for his appointment to meet with her brother. And given that he had not disclosed he was doing such a thing, he couldn’t quite explain to her the importance of his timely departure.
“Fine. But if there is any trouble, you will leave immediately. That’s an order for my assistant , understood?”
Eli nodded and offered her hand to him as though to shake in agreement.
Chortling, Tam took her warm hand in his own, and noted that while her palms were small, her fingers were long…
He felt that damnable urge to hold her, kiss her… Gods. Everything. He wanted to do everything with her, and she must have seen it in his eyes because she swallowed and stepped aside so he could leave.
“I hope you have a successful day studying.”
“Thank you,” Tam returned, sounding a bit more gruff than he meant to.
Luckily, Eli didn’t seem to notice, as she was focused on averting her gaze and fidgeting.
Giving his head a shake, Tam managed to return his thoughts to the matter of Chul Nam’s assistant, Yun, who was more than a little obsessed with Eli. This shift of focus made picking up his feet that felt chained with weights a little easier—though Tam didn’t have the gall to lie to himself and say he wasn’t sorely tempted to linger a little longer in the room with Eli, and her hilarious hair.
◆◆◆
Lang Tea, as it turned out, was busy every moment of every day.
With its serving staff trained better than any other in Junya on the proper way to prepare the wide selection of teas they offered, and the bright, friendly atmosphere, it wasn’t hard to understand why. Fortunately, Tam had been wise enough to book a private room for his discussion with Eli’s brother.
For their meeting, Tam had made a point of dressing simply in Daxarian clothes.
While he wouldn’t have made the choice if he were meeting with Yun as well, when he considered the gentle nature of Chul Nam, he had a hunch he’d need to appear more approachable and harmless.
One’s wardrobe is like their armor. It will subtly set the tone for your daily battles, his mother had always counseled. And while his sister, Kat, had made a point of ignoring the advice, Tam had leaned into it.
“Name?” a pretty teahouse server asked, pulling Tam’s mind to the present as he stepped up to the glowing oak podium that had previously been blocked from view by a couple that were waiting to be seated.
“Voll. Joe Voll. I’m meeting a friend.”
The hostess peered at the scroll in front of her, then nodded. “Your guest is already here. Please follow me.”
Tam smiled politely and walked with her to the stairs.
One extravagant detail of the building that Tam had not noticed during his first visit with Lord Kim (as it had been nighttime when he had been there), was the slanted ceiling that climbed to a paneled point and was made of glass. It flooded the space with sunlight that cast the plants on the walls in a magical glow and illuminated the beautiful swirling steam from the various tea pots and cups, and the tasty snacks on the tables before the patrons.
Tam marveled at the sight, and found himself once again thinking that he needed to make a point of bringing Eli there. He also found himself feeling a twinge of envy over having a sturdy roof made of glass. It would make stargazing during winter far more comfortable…
“Here you are, Mr. Voll.” The hostess gestured Tam toward a sliding door. Standing just outside this door was Yun, looking wildly unhappy.
“You’re late to meet Lord Nam,” the assistant informed him curtly.
“I was delayed while tending to my wife,” Tam returned breezily.
Yun’s eyes narrowed fractionally. Apparently, the assistant was trying to stay in better control of his emotions this time.
Ah well. Tam simply took pleasure in being able to refer to Eli as his wife. Even if it was pretend.
Ignoring Yun, Tam proceeded into the room. Chul looked up from the table, already set with a teapot and matching cups.
“Mr. Voll! I hope you don’t mind, but I ordered us some citrus ginger tea.”
Tam noted that the Zinferan nobleman was wearing a bright-plum silk shirt with glittering gold designs. This color suited the young man better than the garish red outfits he had worn before, although it still seemed far too ostentatious for his nature.
“Not at all. My apologies for being late.” Tam smartly closed the sliding door with its white paper, catching one last look at the disgruntled expression Yun wore as he loitered outside.
“I overheard you say you were tending to my sister. Is she alright?”
“Oh yes. If you recall, I said yesterday that she has a tendency to overwork herself. I was making sure she didn’t start straining herself today. She’s stubborn, you see.”
“Both our parents are stubborn,” Chul informed Tam with a kind smile. “She comes by it honestly. Though her work ethic must come from our grandfather, the previous Lord Nam.” Chul lowered his eyes, and Tam didn’t need to ask to know that the man must have recently passed.
“Did Yun serve your father before serving you?” Tam asked while pouring his own tea. He didn’t want to intrude into Eli’s history more than he already had.
“No, his father serves my father. But he’s been studying to become my assistant since before I was born.”
Tam nodded without revealing his thoughts. “I see.”
“Yesterday, you more or less said I should be careful of Yun. I-I know I’m not as dignified as he is, or, or as well spoken, but I am doing the best I can to become a worthy successor of my family!” Chul’s hands had curled into fists on his lap, as though he were fighting off the urge to fidget.
“Eli fidgets nonstop,” Tam blurted without thinking.
Chul blinked and sat up straighter. “R-really? I was punished all the time for doing it.” He smiled, his eyes fixed on the teacup in front of him. “I guess we are a little alike even without us growing up together.”
“I’m sorry that your visit with her did not go as planned,” Tam said kindly.
Chul swallowed with difficulty. “It’s strange. She’s absolutely right about how we don’t know each, but I’ve always felt like I’ve missed her. I suppose I’m odd like that, but… I’d do anything for her. I just hope she is happy.”
Tam gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’ll do my best to make it so.”
Chul nodded then sniffed. He was obviously about to start crying again, as he had the day before. He reached for his teacup, but Tam noticed the tremor in his hands.
“Is there any other reason you would want Eli to return with you to your parents’ home?”
Chul blushed tellingly.
Despite having asked on a whim, Tam straightened in alarm. Perhaps the young man was craftier than he let on.
“There is… a small reason, but of course, whatever she wants, I have no problems abiding by. I—I won’t have children of my own. So I just wanted her to know her eldest son—Luca?—can inherit the title if he’d like.”
Whatever Tam had been expecting, it wasn’t that.
And then it all came together.
Yun wanted Eli and the title that would come with her. No wonder he had been after her so aggressively.
But now, Tam and their supposed offspring stood in the way.
A sense of foreboding crept into Tam, and so perhaps he didn’t exercise quite as much tact as he should have when he asked, “Why can’t you have children?”
Chul ducked his head. “My… My preferences don’t align with the gender that would be conducive to—”
He was gay.
Tam blinked.
“O-of course I have two other sisters, so it really is not in any way meant to pressure Elisara, but she deserves to have the first say. I haven’t told my parents about this, and I didn’t want to say anything yet, but I’ve always wanted to talk to Elisara, and just felt as though she might understand.”
Letting out a breath, Tam realized that he couldn’t keep Eli from having this information. He resolved to tell her everything that night.
Though there was still one thing he needed to do.
“Chul, I will communicate with my wife about what you have told me, and I wish you nothing but the best. I bear absolutely no ill will to you… but that said, there is one thing I will recommend you do.”
“What’s that?” Chul looked at Tam hopefully, his eyes still shining.
If only he knew the weight of Tam’s next words.
“You need to fire your assistant.”
Chul’s jaw dropped, and Tam reached for his own cup. “I think he might be an even bigger antagonist than you realize.”
“His family has served ours for three generations! I can’t just turn my back on that kind of loyalty.”
“If he were truly interested in maintaining loyalty, he wouldn’t push you around. He’s using you. And I think he wanted to use Eli, too, if he knows your secret about passing along the title to her son.”
“No, that can’t… It can’t be!”
“Are you really going to say you haven’t noticed how obsessed he is with her?”
“I… I… He just wants what’s best—”
“Chul, I’m not trying to make things difficult, and by all means, think about this for yourself, but… I will say this, because I have a hunch: Ask Yun’s father directly if he knew anything about Eli getting sent to the royal family. Hell, Yun might know the details already.”
The young man’s lips trembled, but he didn’t look angry… at first.
“If they did? Then I won’t only fire Yun,” Chul started quietly. “I will drive their family into the ground, then salt the earth.”
Tam spilled some of his tea. The whispery threat from Chul startled him soundly. But when the words fully registered, Tam couldn’t help but smile in respect.
Perhaps Eli’s brother had secret sides to himself he didn’t like showing people… just as she did.
“If my guess turns out to be true, Chul? You let me know, and you best believe I will be helping you however I can.”