Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

RISHE ONLY LET HER UNEASE show on her face for a split second. She quickly erased it with a smile. “I’d be very interested in an experiment involving Prince Arnold.” She feigned genuine zeal, hoping Michel couldn’t tell how fast her heart was beating.

The “gunpowder” Michel had invented had the power to destroy anything and everything. The first time she’d witnessed its might, she’d barely believed her eyes. His experiment burst apart a small room from the inside, its stone walls crumbling in an instant. Ever since then, Michel had been searching for someone willing to use his gunpowder, and his student Rishe had hoped with all her being that no one would ever take him up on it. But he’d finally found someone—the worst candidate Rishe could imagine.

“I never expected to find such an incredible possibility here.” Michel’s voice dropped to a gentle whisper. He knew exactly how sound traveled at this volume, so Rishe was sure her knights would barely hear anything. “My gunpowder must go to someone with real power to use it in war. I’ve been investigating policies of many different nations’ leaders, but Galkhein’s emperor always seemed too emotional in the records—annoying, even. I never thought his son, the crown prince, would be suited to my experiments either. After all, his policies are those of a ‘good ruler.’”

He smiled softly and tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. Careful not to show her agitation, Rishe asked casually, “What sort of person were you looking for, Professor?”

In this life, maybe Michel would tell her. She looked at him, willing him to answer. His smile grew.

“Neither tyrannical kings nor virtuous ones suit my experiment. I prematurely judged Galkhein’s emperor and crown prince as the same. How rash of me.”

That’s why Michel never had any contact with Prince Arnold in any of my previous lives. As emperor, Arnold Hein never used Michel’s gunpowder in his war. If he’d known of its existence, Rishe was sure he would’ve used it to maximize his efficiency, just like he’d used the pocket watch he’d lent her to carry out his strategies.

Michel has no interest in rumors. He trusted the results of Arnold’s political policies over the gossip around his cruelty. And once Arnold became emperor, he ruled him out for the same reason as the current emperor—Arnold’s father.

But now, Michel had met the real Arnold.

“Prince Arnold is a very virtuous ruler!” Rishe said, forcing a smile. “I know how he seems, but he’s a kind person. He ensured his people didn’t become impoverished because of the war, and he’s even come up with his own training methods to prevent his knights from sustaining injuries.”

Rishe kept up her feigned cheer as she chose her words carefully. “He puts up with my selfishness too. Just the other day, I lost a bet and had to do whatever he asked me. Instead of giving me orders, he just bought me a ring! Ha ha, isn’t that wonderful?”

She tried to pass it off as a woman boasting about her fiancé—and not like she was trying to convince Michel of anything. “If he said something to Prince Kyle, I doubt he meant it. I don’t think he’s the one you’re looking for.”

“Say, Rishe.” Michel smiled bewitchingly at her. “Can you formally introduce me to your husband?”

After a beat of hesitation, Rishe nodded, her smile still neutral. “Of course. I’ll see if he can make the time soon.”

“Let’s just go see him now. If he’s as nice as you say he is, I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.”

“Professor Michel, I’m not sure that—”

“Ahh, I know. You don’t want me to meet him, do you?” Michel chuckled at Rishe, who’d jolted at his words. “You’ll do then, Rishe. I’m just about as interested in you as I am in Arnold Hein.”

“You must be joking. There’s no reason for you to be interested in me.”

“That’s not true. I mean…” He fixed her with a stare. “You’ve never once asked me what gunpowder is.”

At once, she realized her blunder. Her efforts to not come off as overly surprised had backfired.

“I’d like to study you. If you agree, I could see myself being satisfied enough to not bother with Arnold Hein… Oh, I’m sorry for being so cruel. But this is my duty.”

“Your duty?”

“Yes. Something poisonous is only valuable when it kills someone, thereby fulfilling its duty. My value is much the same.” Michel’s smile never faltered. “Someone who was brought into this world to make a mess of it must do as his duty commands. I was granted my alchemical abilities for that very reason.”

A sweet, floral scent hung in the air: the smell of Michel’s herbal cigarettes.

“I’ve been looking for something like that—something to flip the world on its head and shake everything loose. I’ve been searching for that capacity in a ruler for such a long time.”

 

---

 

Rishe strode through the halls of the palace with her guards. Her “lesson” with Michel had been cut short when Kyle sent for him. Michel had just grinned and said, “See you tomorrow, Rishe,” leaving the room like nothing had happened.

She felt the urge to sigh as she made her way down the hall. I’m sure Michel will do whatever he can to meet with Prince Arnold now. And Prince Arnold will surely listen to what he has to say. I’ve spent enough time with him to know he’s very open to new technologies and ideas.

If Arnold found out about gunpowder, and she couldn’t prevent the outbreak of war, she knew exactly what would happen. I can’t let Prince Arnold get his hands on it. I’ve also got to improve our relations with Coyolles as soon as possible.

Lost in thought, Rishe hardly paid attention to her surroundings. As a result, she failed to notice the hand reaching out from a nearby hallway and yanking her around.

“Ack! Prince Theodore!”

He must have been on his way back from some official business. He was wearing a cloak for going out in, frowning at Rishe. Without him even saying anything, Rishe knew the source of this perturbed expression.

“He found out about your cross-dressing?”

“I-I’m so sorry!”

Theodore let Rishe go and folded his arms, looking down at her. Thankfully, he was speaking quietly enough that Rishe’s guards couldn’t overhear. All she could do was apologize earnestly.

“Really, I’m sorry. And you helped me out too…”

“Well, if he found out, there’s nothing you can really do about it. Besides, my brother’s difficult whether he is or isn’t fooled. It’s fine. More importantly, how did he react? You have to at least tell me that! And why was he at the training anyway?! He’s never done that before! I was out in the slums on business when I heard. I was on pins and needles all the way back.”

“Oh, about that…” Rishe told Theodore that Arnold had come to the training to see the candidate his brother had recommended. Afterward, Theodore was silent for a good several seconds. He then covered his face and hung his head.

“What is it, Prince Theodore?”

“Yeah, no, I can’t really digest that information right now, so I’m not going to think about it. You’ll have to tell me about it again some other time…”

Er, he seems overwhelmed. So much had passed between them over the years that he was having trouble processing this. Theodore was practically hunched over on the ground now.

Looking to change the subject, Rishe asked, “You were all the way out in the slums, yet you heard right away that Prince Arnold was observing the training?”

“My retainers are good at their jobs. I have a perfect information network set up—even if I’m out in town, I get news of my brother right away,” Theodore said, deadly serious. All the power of a prince, and he’d finely honed it to be his brother’s keeper.

The “retainers” he mentioned were likely not palace guards. He was probably referring to people from the slums who were in his debt and other such ruffians.

“And it’s not just my brother. I’ve looked into all the trainees. I’m watching them to see how they spend their time in town, making sure none of them pick up any odd habits to amuse themselves.”

“I see. So the prince is watching over the baby knights from the shadows.”

“Well, there’s that too.” When Rishe tilted her head, Theodore reluctantly admitted, “I’m sending my sister-in-law into their midst. If anyone strange was among them, and something happened to her, what could I say to my brother?”

Rishe was surprised to hear he was doing all this for her. “Thank you for your concern. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“I’m not really worried about you. Everything I do, I do for my brother, obviously.”

“Heh. I know. Well then, Prince Theodore…” Rishe found herself smiling, but she schooled her expression and looked up. “I don’t suppose I could borrow these skilled retainers of yours for a time, could I?”

Theodore’s eyes widened. “For something that will help my brother?”

“No. In fact, this would be more like betraying him.”

Theodore’s lips instantly curled into an impish smile. “Interesting… Sure, I’m in.”

“We have a deal, then.”

With that, the sister- and brother-in-law quietly came to an agreement.

 

---

 

After parting with Theodore, Rishe penned several quick letters and handed them off to a servant. She had dinner by herself, tended her field, and checked on her maids. Then she took a bath and returned to her room. When her hair was dry, she dismissed her attendant, leaving herself alone. Sitting in the one chair in her room, she took a moment to catch her breath.

Naturally, Michel was the first thing that came to mind. In her life as an alchemist, he had taken her all the way to the far north of Coyolles.

 

“Thank you so much, Professor! I never thought I’d see an aurora like that!”

It began with a single insignificant comment. Auroras were visible in Coyolles, but Rishe had never seen one before in either of her previous lives.

“Well, it was the perfect opportunity. It’s easiest to see them when the nighttime temperature rapidly drops after a few warm days. We should hurry—it’s probably going to rain in a few hours.”

Walking across a snowy field, Michel took out a corked glass bottle containing a special mixture he’d made himself. Normally, the liquid was clear, but it crystallized into something like snow when the weather worsened. The device wasn’t precise enough to present to the royal family, but it came in handy in Michel and Rishe’s daily life. She was of the same mind; they needed to make their way home soon.

“Rishe, did you get any ideas for the project you were stuck on?”

“Yes, I did!”

Michel smiled, a lantern swaying in his hand. “Good.”

Rishe was wearing a fur coat, but Michel—sensitive to the cold—was bundled up far more than she was. He was in so many layers, it looked hard to move.

“I’m sorry, Professor. You had to come all this way for me.”

“Why are you apologizing? You’re my student, aren’t you?” Michel cocked his head, his breath coming out white. “I’ll show you whatever you want to see. If there’s something you don’t know, I’ll do my utmost to teach you. Although if you want to figure it out for yourself, I won’t get in your way.”

Whenever other people witnessed this, they always reacted with shock. “Michel Hévin doesn’t think about anything but his research. He doesn’t care about other people at all.” That was the popular public consensus, but the reality was different.

“Why do you take such good care of me, Professor? If you didn’t have a student, you could focus more on your own research.”

Walking down the snow-cleared path, Michel stroked his chin. “Perhaps…because it’s the only ‘good’ thing I’ll ever do in my life.” His quiet words were sucked away into the snowy landscape. “But you don’t need to worry about that. Just learn a lot, absorb a lot, and grow big and tall!”

“Professor, I’m not going to grow any taller than this.”

“Huh? Are you already at that age? Nothing to be done about that, I suppose.” He turned back to Rishe and gave her a truly kind smile. “I’m looking forward to witnessing the scholar you become.”

Those words were probably heartfelt on Michel’s part. He cared for Kyle and many of the people of Coyolles as well. He wasn’t hostile, and his desire to experiment with his gunpowder wasn’t out of any sort of ill will or cruelty. That was why it was so difficult to do anything about him.

 

He told me that if I left this country and went with him, he wouldn’t meet with Prince Arnold. Michel had said it with an apology and a smile.

Rishe’s thoughts spiraled. She took a deep breath, slowly opening her eyes, and when she did…she saw something strange on the balcony, beyond her open curtains.

Light?

She raised her head, watching a small bead of light float through the space. Realizing what it was, Rishe leapt from her chair and rushed out onto the balcony in her nightdress.

“Wow…!”

All around her were little bugs in flight, like fragments of stars dancing in the air. Rishe watched them, her eyes sparkling. In one of her past lives, she’d become very familiar with creatures like this, and she could tell exactly what species they were from the characteristics of their light.

These are leto fireflies. They’re so beautiful. These terrestrial fireflies could fly to high altitudes. It was a relatively common sight on this continent, but when she saw so many of them up close, she had to appreciate the experience.

It’s such a waste to watch them by myself, but the maids are bathing right now. My only other option would be…

Rishe snuck a glance at the neighboring room. Just then, she heard a door open, and the very man she’d been thinking of stepped out onto his own balcony. Their eyes met.

“G-good evening.”

“Indeed.”

Rishe felt a little awkward, remembering what had happened earlier that day. Arnold, on the other hand, seemed wholly unbothered. With the same cool look on his face as always, he glanced from Rishe to the little lights flitting around outside. His sword was in his hand.

“What are these?”

“They’re fireflies.”

“Fireflies.” Arnold tested the—perhaps unfamiliar—word. He thought for a moment and then said, “I can order them exterminated, if you’d like.”

“What?! Why?!”

“Flies are insects, right?”

Rishe was astonished by his emotionless suggestion. She couldn’t comprehend the leap from “insects” to “extermination,” disregarding the beautiful lights the creatures gave off.

“Sure, we’ll need some insect repellent, but you can’t just indiscriminately cull them! All animals, humans included, are part of a larger system. If you eliminate too many of any one species, it affects all the other living things around them.”

Rishe ran over to the railing in her haste to persuade him. The balconies of the two rooms weren’t connected; even when she pressed up against the rail, there was still some distance between them.

“Besides, it may be selfish human sentiment, but…please, take a look.” She pointed at the fireflies drawing trails of light in the air, smiling at Arnold. “See? Aren’t they beautiful?”

Arnold was silent for a moment, just looking at Rishe, before he let out a small breath. “I guess you’re right.”

She was sincerely glad that he understood, even if that gladness was somewhat undercut. This is so strange. All my current worries stem from Prince Arnold.

Nevertheless, the two of them stood on their balconies, watching the fireflies together. Her eyes followed one light as it danced its way from her to Arnold.

“They seem to like you, don’t they?” She was a little jealous.

Arnold smiled teasingly. “Why don’t you just come to my room, then?”

Oh, that makes sense.

“I suppose I shall. It’s only about a half-meter jump.”

Before Arnold could question her, Rishe lifted her skirt, grabbed the railing, and climbed up.

“Hey, you’re not really going to—”

Arnold was saying something, but she’d just ask him to repeat it when she was over there. Her mind made, she sprang into the air. Leaping from one railing to the other was nothing for Rishe. All she had to do was land well and then jump down to Arnold. However…

“Eep!”

The moment she landed, Arnold caught her protectively. There was a loud clatter, most likely the sound of Arnold’s sword falling to the floor. He’d thrown it aside to catch her. She thought her heart would stop.

“Prince…Arnold…” Rishe barely managed to squeeze her voice from her throat. Her heart was clanging like an alarm bell. And how couldn’t it be? She was trapped in the circle of Arnold’s arms. “Erm, I…”

For some reason, he wasn’t letting her go.

Flustered, she stammered, “I-I’m sorry if I surprised you, but, um…” She clutched at the prince’s jacket. As much as she wanted to look him in the eyes when she spoke, she didn’t think she could raise her head right now. “You had to know I could make a jump like that.”

“I guess you’re right. I have seen you jump from a balcony to the ground before.”

“Then why did you…?”

Arnold was silent for a time. Then, sounding embarrassed, he said, “My body acted on its own. I couldn’t help it.”

Rishe balked at the unexpected answer. He usually wore a bold smile when catching her off guard with his words, but now he seemed reluctant—almost sulky. Whenever he treated her differently than usual, it threw her for a loop.

As soon as he loosened his hold on her, Rishe pulled awkwardly away. Then she gasped, hurrying to pick up Arnold’s sword. He’d thrown it away for her sake, but that didn’t make a swordsman’s blade any less precious.

“Thank you.” Arnold accepted the proffered sword with a slightly complex expression, then looked away from Rishe. She wondered if he was feeling awkward as well. “Why did you even jump in the first place? You could have just come through the door, no?” He seemed to be trying to deflect attention from his discomfort.

Rishe blinked. “Through the door?”

“Through the door.”

“Instead of jumping from the balcony?”

“That’s right.”

She considered the logic of his words and came to one conclusion: “You’re right!”

A snorting laugh crept out of Arnold. When he raised his head, it was to give Rishe a very soft, teasing look. “You’re always taking the shortest route, aren’t you?”

“I have no idea what you mean!” She did, of course, but she played dumb all the same.

Arnold was astoundingly open-minded when it came to Rishe. He never got fed up or scolded her, never tried to persuade her to act the part of the crown princess. Instead, he watched her as if it brought him joy to do so.

Before, I always figured he was just messing with me for his own entertainment.

What a strange person he was. She didn’t say it aloud—he wouldn’t want to hear that from her.

“By the way, why did you have your sword out, Your Highness?”

He looked up at the glowing insects around them. “The lights looked like torches to me.”

It made sense. Fireflies flickered at regular intervals, with the streaks of light moving, cutting out, and then lighting up again. Now that he mentions it, they do resemble torchlights on a battlefield. Specifically, they looked like the torches of a scouting party moving through the shadows, drawing closer. The resemblance wasn’t perfect, though, especially here inside the palace walls. He should have realized right away that his worries were unfounded, but he’d picked up his sword on instinct.

His memories of the war must have a firm hold on him. Had she herself not lived as a knight, Rishe likely wouldn’t have understood his actions. In fact, she might’ve even feared his intentions and kept her distance. But the Rishe who was standing here right now was different—she did understand.

“If it were me,” she began, pointing toward the palace walls somewhere in the darkness, “I’d station archers in intervals along that side. I’d place a bell at every interval so they could warn of intruders or other dangers.” She looked up at the man who had once been her enemy and challenged him with a smile.

Arnold’s surprise lasted only for a moment before he grinned and shot back, “The sound would be a deterrent, but archers aren’t much of a threat. Every single one of them are obsessed with knightly virtues. They’re only good for support. They’re not well trained, and there’s a limit to how accurately they can shoot.”

“Ugh… I guess you’re right.”

“I investigate my targets beforehand, but I’ve never pulled my troops back from mere archers.”

As far as Rishe knew, only the eastern continent valued archers’ skills. Without at least a foundational level of respect, few if any would master the art in Galkhein. In her life as a knight, Arnold hadn’t been intimidated in the least by their archers. As the side being invaded, she wished he’d learned to practice caution.

“If your palace is a battlefield, then you’re on the defensive,” Arnold said. “An inferior position. How would you handle that?”

“Well, if you were the enemy general, I’d purposely create a break in our defensive line, drawing you in.”

“Oh? You’d invite the enemy inside?”

“But you’d be too cautious,” Rishe went on. “You wouldn’t charge straight in, would you? I could win if I could maintain my resistance of the siege; my main directive would be to never give the enemy the impression that my position is inferior. I’d make you think I was lying in wait instead of fleeing; I would show myself to you openly.”

“Interesting.” In the dancing lights of the fireflies, Arnold put his elbow on the balcony railing. “Your most crucial detail would be the number of troops. The south side of the palace is the least defensible. What would you do there?”

“I’d be forced to utilize the environment. Set traps, for instance…”

Arnold had no end of battle tactics with which to oppose her. Rishe thought and made suggestions, and Arnold quickly tore through them. Watching the beautiful lights, Rishe felt her frustration building.

“Is there some endless spring of battle tactics inside of you, Prince Arnold?” she asked him at last.

“I wish. Tactics naturally sprout from people’s weaknesses.”

“Weaknesses…”

“Even when attacking a fortress—a campaign that can lead to massive casualties—you can easily exploit an enemy’s weakness. Capture the country’s women and children and slaughter them in front of the castle walls, for instance, and the enemy soldiers will run out on their own to save them. Ideas like that aren’t hard to conjure up.”

Wide-eyed, Rishe blinked. She couldn’t read any emotion from the prince’s profile as he gazed at the fireflies. “You hate war, don’t you?”

Arnold furrowed his brow and looked down at her. “A normal person would have the opposite impression, I believe.”

“Really? I don’t think someone who likes war would look the way you do now.”

She smiled at him, and his frown deepened. Rishe’s eyes trailed after a firefly as it drifted closer. The bead of light blinked, faintly illuminating Arnold’s hair and features. Rishe could almost see stardust in the prince’s blue eyes. His azure irises, so like the sea, fixed her in place and stole her heart even more than the wondrous glint of the fireflies. She found herself muttering, “You really do have beautiful eyes…”

She’d said it without thinking, but it seemed to annoy him. Arnold’s gaze fell, calling attention to his long lashes. “These eyes match my father’s,” he said, voice unsteady. “They’re proof that I am the emperor’s son. When I was a child, there were times when I wanted to gouge them out of my skull.”

“Oh, Your Highness…”

Arnold looked at Rishe and spoke to her quietly, sincerely, as if these were simple facts. “They aren’t ‘beautiful.’ Don’t look at them like they hold any value.”

His words lanced Rishe’s heart. Arnold looked away from her, gazing out into the firefly-lit darkness toward the capital city. In the daytime, they could see the city streets from their balconies, but now all was silent and dark.

“On the day you arrived, you told me you’d always wanted to come to this country.”

“Yes. And when I went down to the town, I realized what an amazing place it was.”

“I can’t value the same things you do. I see the lights of insects as the fires of war, and the town you fondly gaze down upon sometimes disgusts me.” Arnold sucked in a breath. “Maybe it’s because I have my father’s eyes. Or maybe he and I are one in the same at our cores. Either way, it’s unsightly.”

Arnold wore nearly the same neutral expression he always did, but Rishe could sense the emotions simmering beneath his words.

“Do you remember when I treated the knights with an antidote on our journey here?” she asked him, and Arnold looked back at her. “You extolled their virtues then, Your Highness. And you only knew those virtues because you observed them up close, right? Everything else you see is the same way.”

Slowly, she went on, “Are the lights you see in the distance the fires of war, or are they the beautiful glimmer of fireflies? Your perspective isn’t an immutable thing passed down to you from your parents but something you build up by experience. All you need to do is learn. You have plenty of time to see the beauty of this country, to learn about wonderful creatures like fireflies.”

Rishe held Arnold’s blue-eyed gaze as she spoke, hiding the pain in her heart with a bright smile. She fervently held back from patting his head like he was a child. “I’m sure you’ll find plenty of beauty and things you value in the future.”

“Hah.” With a self-deprecating laugh, Arnold retorted, “I don’t need anything like that. All I need is what is necessary to achieve my goals. Everything else can be eliminated, tossed aside on my way up.”

“But, Your High—”

“I killed someone important to me with my own hands. If you get in my way, I’ll toss you aside as well.”

Theodore had told her that Arnold killed his own mother. Maybe that was what he was referring to.

“I don’t know what you’re planning with this Coyolles business, but…” Arnold laced his tone with cruelty. “Don’t make me get rid of you.”

Rishe pressed her lips together, but not because she was afraid. It’s like he’s pleading with me. Why? If he truly only desired that which allowed him to reach his goals, why would he sound so plaintive?

Then, she made up her mind. “I can’t promise you that. Even if I become your wife, I’ll still act for myself—for my own goals. I won’t give that up even if it means you getting rid of me. However…” Rishe thrust her chest out and declared, “Toss me aside all you want. I’ll just come back.”

“What?”

“If you drive me out and break our engagement, I’ll just apply as a maid and come right back to this palace.”

Arnold’s eyes went wide. Rishe smiled, feeling like she’d pulled off a successful prank. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll cross-dress and join the knights. If that doesn’t work, I’ll come here as an apothecary. I’ll acquire any and all skills to allow me access and grant me the power to see you.”

When she’d first come to this country, it was with the knowledge that she might one day be divorced and driven out. She had several strategies planned out to still have a life afterward. But right now, what Rishe wanted more than anything was to remain at Arnold’s side here in the palace.

“So please don’t worry. I won’t let you get rid of me so easily.”

As she made her declaration, Rishe came to a decision. I know what I need to do for Prince Arnold. She had to change his perspective, make him see new sides of the world. In order to do that, there were things she needed to show him. And maybe not just Arnold…

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.” Rishe reached out to him, took his face in her hands, and peered deeply into his eyes. She knew it was rude to touch him like this, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I don’t know the emperor. To me, these are not your father’s eyes; they’re your eyes. They may be hateful to you, but I’ll say it as many times as I must.” She looked into that frozen sea and smiled. “I think you have the most beautiful eyes in the world.”

Arnold scowled. She didn’t want to force her own perspective onto him; if he truly despised his eyes, she wouldn’t invalidate those feelings. But she wanted him to understand how she felt too.

The prince hung his head, putting his hands over Rishe’s, wearing his usual inscrutable expression. It soon melted into something much kinder, and he said, “It’s late. You should get to bed.”

He gently removed Rishe’s hands from his face. Rishe let go, although she didn’t want to. She disguised her feelings by quietly telling him, “Good night, Prince Arnold.”

“Yeah.”

It was then that she realized she couldn’t see the fireflies any longer.

Rishe went back to her own balcony and turned around, but Arnold had already gone inside his room. Her nightdress fluttered in the evening air. The night view seemed lonelier when she was gazing out at it without him.

He wanted to gouge his eyes out. Arnold’s words were replete with his animosity and disgust for his father. But simple discord between father and son couldn’t explain the depths of Arnold’s hatred for the color of his eyes.

Back in her room, Rishe went to her bed and took out the paper she’d hidden under her pillow. On it was the design of the ring Arnold planned to purchase for her. Rishe had spent several nights looking at it before she went to sleep. Eventually, she tucked the paper away again and moved to her desk. Checking the pocket watch she’d borrowed from Arnold, she picked up a quill.

 

---

 

“I apologize for disturbing you so late at night, my lord.” Arnold’s attendant Oliver bowed to his prince in his office. In his hands, Arnold held the document Oliver had just given him.

“It’s fine. I was just about to call you to discuss this.”

Oliver’s brows scrunched; he hadn’t expected that. “Are you planning to act? I’m aware of what needs to be done, but it’s a bit premature, don’t you think?”

“That’s exactly why we do it now. He thinks the same way,” Arnold said, his eyes cold. “I’ve factored in the potential losses to my plan.”