Calix leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs in a relaxed, slow motion.

His carefree posture radiated the arrogance of someone who had been a man of power since birth.

It was downright impudent, an action that no one would take in the presence of the Emperor’s messenger, but for some reason, it didn’t seem at all out of place.

“Your Excellency, the Grand Duke.”

Calix stared at the messenger silently. The strange chill in his somber gaze caused the messenger to flinch.

What the Emperor wanted was obvious without asking. After all, he would be demanding an antidote to the poison he had consumed a few days earlier.

“Hey, just quickly say it! My lord is busy. He’s a newlywed, so he and his wife have a lot of things to do. Don’t just stand there and waste time-”

“Zeke.”

Zeke was quickly cut off by Ryzen’s piercing gaze. Of course, after all, he didn’t forget to raise his sword threateningly toward the people the Emperor had sent.

The messenger, afraid at the chance that the sword might reach him, took two steps backward and opened his mouth in a low tone.

“I bring you a gift that His Majesty has bestowed upon His Excellency.”

For a moment, Calix’s eyes narrowed and he chuckled cynically. However, the messenger, completely oblivious, gestured to the Imperial knight and said, “I’ll open it.”

The knight quickly opened the lid of a large box and dozens of familiar silver cases were neatly arranged in the box.

Ryzen took one of the cases, checked the powder inside, and nodded toward Calix. Then the messenger opened his mouth confidently.

“His Majesty has always said that he is concerned about His Excellency’s health,” the messenger said.

“This is news to me.”

A hint of displeasure flashed across the faces of the Emperor’s messenger and the Imperial knight for a moment. He quickly adjusted his expression, but Calix was not one to miss it.

A mischievous smile appeared on his beautiful face. To a person who didn’t know better, it looked like an artwork coming to life.

“I was a little surprised that the Emperor would do something so out of character all of a sudden.”

But with an expression that did not seem surprised at all, Calix leaned his body against the armrests of the sofa. Like a drowsy black leopard, the figure was seemingly bored, but there was a certain sense of primal intimidation that overpowered the atmosphere.

In the dangerous atmosphere of an approaching threat to be bitten in the throat at any moment, the messenger shuddered involuntarily.

“So, what is the price of this ‘gift’?”

It was an incredibly rude attitude to show upon receiving an item that the Emperor himself had given, but no one dared to criticize Calix.

Unfortunately, it was the Emperor who was at a disadvantage in the current situation.

“His Majesty said that you would understand if I asked for the Benvito keepsake.”

“That’s funny.”

Calix did not hide the leaking chuckle, while Zeke had burst into brazen laughter. Hell, even Ryzen, who had been standing by his side expressionlessly, tried to suppress his laughter at what was happening before him.

The messenger grew sullen at the reaction of the three men, but there was nothing he could do about it except stand in his place in a daze.

“So that’s what the Emperor told you? He wants me to send him a family heirloom?”

“Well, yes. He said that this much will suffice, as a sincere expression of gratitude for the blessings he has bestowed upon you.”

“Blessings, huh?”

He was as cunning as a serpent. Ryzen, who was listening up until now quietly, furrowed his brow and commented on the sly emperor.

The Emperor was a man who could not even trust his own family, so it was not difficult to assume that the Emperor had kept the fact that he had been poisoned a secret.

Also, the fact that the antidote was only available to Calix, the head of Benvito’s family…

Perhaps the only other person who would know the secret was the Emperor’s dog, Duncan Lysak.

So even in the situation where they came with regrets to get the antidote, the messenger was capable of ranting shit about a gift and blessings.

“I’m afraid you’re misunderstanding something.”

Calix’s thin, red lips twisted coldly. The message shrugged at the chilly atmosphere.

“I wouldn’t call this a blessing.”

“What do you mean by that, Your Excellency…”

“It’s called a ‘deal’.”

To be more precise, this was not even remotely close to being a fair deal.

From Calix’s standpoint, there was absolutely no reason why he should have to comply. He was just curious about the price tag the Emperor had provided, so he just played along for a while.

However, it was a waste of time.

Calix ruffled his hair in frustration. He decided to end this tedious and frustrating conversation.

“Tell him that I shall make use of his gift.”

He spat out a nonchalant response to the troublesome flies.

“So what about Benvito’s heirloom?”

The flustered messenger hurriedly asked in a panic. Calix lazily tugged at his mouth like a predator who has cornered his prey.

“Why should I give you that?”

Realizing that he had been made fun of, the messenger’s face twisted in shame and anger. His face reddened with agitation, making him forget that he was in the presence of the Grand Duke, and he exclaimed.

“How can you say that? That’s absurd! You can’t just act like that instead of repaying His Majesty’s kindness.”

“When did I ask for this?”

The man’s eyes glowed like a ferocious beast as he spat out the words dryly with an expressionless face, making the messenger unable to utter a word. He was choked with a sense of intimidation that he dared not approach.

‘I can read his actions like an open book.’

Calix’s blood-colored eyes looked over at the silver cases without showing any emotions.

A supply enough for a year; it was slightly tempting, but it was a medicine that the Emperor had sent regularly once a month so far anyway, and would have to continue to send in the future.

That was if he wanted to live, too.

Of course, when the Emperor decided to go with the “kill me and you die too” mindset, the story changed. But Calix was very well aware of the fact that the Emperor was not a man who would make such a reckless choice.

‘That greedy man would never do such a thing.’

Standing before the gates of hell, he was a tyrannical man who was willing to survive even if he had to toss the lives of a hundred innocent people into a pit of fire.

Zeke, who was watching with great fascination, suddenly interrupted.

“By the way, Mister messenger.”

“Wh-What is it?”

“Can I take that back to the Imperial Palace myself? I don’t think your master will let it slide. Well, you know his personality more than I do.”

The blood quickly drained from the messenger’s face as he recalled the Emperor’s wrathful fury.

“Aren’t you going to die?”

Zeke pulled up his hand to his neck in a decapitating motion knife. The messenger tried to look nonchalant, but he could not suppress the cold sweat that broke out on his temples. He couldn’t respond and kept his mouth agape for a while.

Calix, enjoying the situation, finally made his last remark.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

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