Lord Mayhem was still away on some business, so Alexis decided to rest in his old room. Anthony, trailing behind, couldn't help but break the silence; he was really against Alexis' plan. He knew the danger that Alexis would be in.
"Brother, I'm really against it. Placing yourself at risk—what if Dr. Layham doesn't make it in time to prepare the medicine?" Worry etched deeply in his voice. Alexis stopped in his tracks, deeply understanding how Anthony was feeling right now.
"I've worked hard to get where I am now, An. Of course, it is also thanks to your help. So, if I were to decline again this time, we'd also put at risk all that we've built and worked hard for all these years," Alexis replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt, as they both knew that this time everything was inevitable due to the direct invitation from Royalty. All they could do was prepare for possible scenarios.
Alexis held Anthony's hand and gave it a soft pat, comforting his brother that everything would be fine. Anthony still worried but couldn't do anything except helplessly nod in acknowledgment. Silently, he made up his mind that he would always stay by his brother's side, no matter what happened on that day.
They both parted ways after they arrived at their rooms, which were just adjacent to each other.
Alexis slumped in his bed, deep in thought. He thought about all sorts of things, wondering if everything would be alright.
"Overthinking too much will not help with anything," he said to himself. As all the tension relieved from his body, the warmth of the sunlight gently entering through the windows made him close his eyes and feel the warmth that filled the room. Then, suddenly, a knock came from outside. Alexis asked who it was, and the voice that replied in a gentle tone made him instantly know who it was. He immediately opened the door to his room.
"Brother," Alexis greeted with a smile. It had been so long since he had seen his brother, Alexander.
They both sat down on the sofa as the maid poured tea into their cups. They excused the servant, as they had an important matter to discuss.
"I heard what happened," Alexander started. "I know we have no other choice. Don't worry too much; we'll make sure everything will be fine." Alexander knew that his brother had already made up his mind, so the only thing they could do was look after him and prepare for possible outcomes.
"Young masters, Lord Mayhem has arrived," the voice of the servant echoed outside the door after a light knock. So, the two of them headed to where their father was.
Entering their father's office, they saw him still in his official attire, sitting behind his desk. He had just arrived from his official duties and still hadn't had time to change his clothes. Looking at him, one could notice the traces of time marked on his face. His eyes were cold at first glance, exuding sharpness that held clarity and precision. Yet, when he saw his sons enter the room, a small smile crept onto his otherwise cold and unreadable face, softening his features in that moment. Subsequently, Lady Mayhem and Anthony entered the room, their footsteps light against the polished floor.
Lord Mayhem gave his sons a firm pat on the shoulder before embracing his wife. His appearance softened, leaving behind the cold and serious demeanor from before.
They all sat down as Lady Mayhem gave her husband a brief recap, ending with a frustrated sigh. "I see," he leaned back in his chair. "Then we'll do this properly. I'll speak to Dr. Layham myself. If the medicine isn't ready... we'll just make sure that he's never alone during the celebration. We'll just have to rely on each other." All of them agreed with that notion.
As the darkness slowly crept over the horizon, the talk shifted to lighter things—memories of childhood, teasing stories of Lord Mayhem's expedition, and the strange gifts he had brought back. Laughter filled the room, and they enjoyed every moment spent together, knowing that it would be some time again before they could spend time like this with their busy sons.
As the evening deepened, Alexis lay in bed, his mind calm and clear after spending time with his family. The heavy weight on his mind lightened, and he finally enjoyed the well-deserved rest.
The day quickly ended, and the next day arrived. Both Alexis and Anthony returned to Xeiren Galaxy. While preparations for the King's Celebration were underway, Alexis found himself, once again, buried in work. He sat in his office, a projection map of the Intergalactic Economic Alliance hovering above his desk. The light from the holomap cast sharp shadows across his face as he analyzed reports from other associates. The new prototype for the teleportation portal—MXW-475—was progressing quite languidly due to a shortage in materials, because Lerien Planet had postponed all trades following the sudden death of the High Magistrate of Lerien, the cause of which was still unknown. And the biggest concern—rumors that one of their competitors, Meian Corp, was making illegal moves to undercut his stake at the neutral commerce zone of Kallior Planet, which was his main source of materials for the MXW-475.
Alexis leaned back, rubbing his temples. A business maintaining power over others was, of course, prone to enemies, sabotage, blackmail, and political manipulation. Of course, he had seen it all.
Anthony entered, holding two cups of tea. "You're thinking again," he said, placing one down on the desk.
"I'm always thinking," Alexis muttered, scanning the reports in front of him. Yet again, he heaved another exhausted sigh. "They're trying to choke out our access routes. If I don't get a meeting with the regulator council before the celebration, we might lose our entire presence there."
Anthony took a sip of tea. "You know, normal people stress over parties and what to wear. You stress over multi-planet market disruption."
A wry smile tugged at Alexis' lips. "Someone has to, and this isn't just business. It's a warning shot."
Anthony leaned forward, serious now. "Then send one back." Alexis paused, considering it. He opened another console and began dictating a message to his head of operations, instructing them to reassign a diplomatic staff to Kallior Planet immediately and prepare a statement—one that they could read between the lines.
"You're going to threaten them," Anthony said, smirking.
"I'm going to remind them who they're dealing with."