( Lin Mu's POV )
Lin Mu had been serving in the Royal Palace as a member of the Virex Corps for over six months now. During this time, she had gradually formed close relationships with both the previous Corps Commander, Cedric, and the Emperor, Julien D. Evanus. However, Cedric's sudden death was a significant blow to her career ambitions, as it left her feeling adrift.
The new Commander, Jake, lacked any particular inclination toward her and seemed indifferent to her impressive background as a semi-finalist in the Grand Tournament and a former member of the Assassin Alliance as instead of recognizing her potential, he relegated her to basic patrol duties typically assigned to novices, effectively wasting her talents.
Ironically, it was during one of these seemingly insignificant patrols that she chanced upon an unexpected encounter.
She happened to witness Commander Thalion, Strategist Alaric, and Prince Nathan emerging from an inconspicuous servant's room, one after another.
Unfortunately, she was too late to overhear their conversation, as all she happened to see was them leaving the room.
Strangely enough, this particular room, where the three had met just the day before, belonged to the very butler who delivered the poisoned drinks to Ben Faulkner and the Emperor earlier today making the coincidence too glaring to ignore.
'There's no doubt in my mind… the three of them are in this together,' Lin Mu thought, as the drama unfolded in the Gala Room. Yet, despite her strong suspicions, she knew it wasn't her place to speak without concrete proof, so she held back and chose not to act—at least not yet.
Instead she decided to follow her beloved Jin Mu's master for his safety, however, to her surprise, so did Commander Thalion, a man she suspected to have a role in killing the Emperor.
'What's he thinking about now? Will he try to kill Ben Faulkner and finish what he started?' Lin Mu thought, as she stayed sharp and close to Ben, ensuring that Thalion got no opportunity to perform any funny business.
In her assessment, the Commander appeared unusually restless, his fingers constantly fidgeting while his eyes darted around the corridor, as if he were anxiously searching for a chance to create a diversion, and her suspicions regarding his intentions were confirmed as soon as they stepped into the medical recovery wing, where Commander Thalion's demeanor shifted abruptly, revealing his frantic search for a way to create the distraction he desperately needed, which he found through interfering a shelf lined with vials and medical tools.
With calculated precision, he moved towards it, making it seem as though he was merely adjusting his stance as with a swift, deliberate movement, Thalion brushed against the shelf, sending a tray of glass vials crashing to the floor.
*Crash!*
The sound echoed through the chamber, sharp and loud enough to draw the attention of the healers, as instinctively, the chief healer who was a part of Ben's entourage turned away just for a moment, rushing over to the source of the noise to assess the damage, while the other healers in the medical wing paused in their work, their concentration momentarily broken.
In that fleeting moment, Thalion's hand slipped into his armor, fingers closing around the vial of poison hidden there as he noticed an opening to attack Ben.
His heart raced as he looked at the opening in Ben's mouth— The legendary assassin was unconscious and vulnerable, and all it would take was a quick, subtle motion for Thalion to end his life.
Slowly, he began to move towards Ben, his fingers ready to uncork the vial and administer the lethal dose. But just as he was about to make his move, he felt a threatening presence watching him, as goosebumps rose all over his skin.
His eyes flicked up, and there she was—Lin Mu, her gaze locked onto him with an intensity that rooted him in place.
Her eyes bore into him, unblinking and filled with a daring challenge that left no room for misinterpretation, that she knew, or at least she strongly suspected what Thalion intended to do next.
'Don't even think about it' was what her stare said, as although Thalion could not see her expression behind the Virex Corps Mask, he could assume that it was stone cold.
'Tch… what a bitch' Thalion thought, his hand freezing mid-motion as he could feel the tension in the air and the threat that Lin Mu represented as her sharp instincts and her unwavering focus were enough to stop him cold.
She wasn't looking at Ben Faulkner, or at the shattered glasses, but instead, she was looking at him and his hand, as if she had already singled him out as the biggest threat.
Thalion's mind raced as he considered his options, but each one unfortunately led back to the same conclusion, which was that if he made a move now, she would see it, and everything would unravel.
It was too risky, and Thalion could not afford to make such a risk, especially after so much time had already passed since he had caused the distraction.
'FUCK, FUCK, FUCK,' Thalion thought, as frustration boiled within him, but he forced himself to remain calm, and his expression to remain neutral.
Slowly, reluctantly, he let go of the vial and instead reached for his sword, pretending to adjust it as if that had been his intention all along.
"Don't worry about it, commander–" the royal healer said, as although he did not seem too thrilled about the loss of medicines that Thalion had just caused, he did not feel it appropriate to admonish the Commander of the Royal Army over it either.
"Apologies," Thalion said, giving the healer a small, controlled nod as he returned to Ben's side.
Throughout, Lin Mu's gaze never wavered as she continued to watch Thalion, her eyes tracking his every move, ensuring that he had no chance to try anything.
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/// A/N - My sincerest apologies, but I can only manage writing two chapters today. ///