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After placing the plate on the table, Astro took a step back. The duke still had his eyes closed and he only heard the clinking of the plate being placed on the glass table then he heard the man's voice.

"The young master might take a little bit longer before he can come so he instructed me to give you these cookies from Vergessen as you wait for him. He was worried that you might not want the snacks offered in the tower." Astro said these things with a straight face even though Celes was there.

Ulysses opened his eyes and looked at the plate of cookies that was placed on the tables. He slowly relaxed as he picked up one of the cookies and started to nibble on it. He then looked at Celes and narrowed his eyes.

"Where's the tea?" He briefly asked before returning his focus on the cookies.

The grand archmage made tea and served it for the duke. He couldn't believe the change to the duke after he heard that the cookies were from his son. The difference was so big that his son's aide was treated better than him, who was a grand archmage.

Ulysses did not speak after that and was only focused on eating the cookies while they wait for Rigel. Just as he was about to finish the contents of the entire plate, there was a knock on the door. Celes went straight to open the door and saw that it was Rigel.

"Good afternoon Grand Archmage Celes," the man greeted with a smile. Celes gave him a nod and let him in.

"You're here," Ulysses spoke without even looking at his son.

He appeared cold and distant but Cygnus knew that he was only acting. "Yes, father and I'm sorry because I made you wait."

The duke did not speak so when Cygnus noticed this, he looked behind at Astro and at Celes. He gave them an apologetic grin. Both of them left the room to give the two of them privacy. Once the door closed, Cygnus placed an anti-spy barrier around the room.

"You are playing the role of a father quite well," Cygnus commented after he too, took a seat.

He looked at the plate of cookies and sighed because it was almost empty. Ulysses looked at the young man for a couple of minutes, as if memorizing his face. It was only natural for him to act like what he did because it was his true feelings.

"That's because it is what I truly felt," Ulysses did not hide what he was thinking. "You've become part of the Ginehart household even though you are not my flesh and blood. I also don't care even if you are older than me. I still look older than you."

Cygnus chuckled because of how willful the members of the Ginehart household were. "I didn't ask for it though."

"It doesn't mean that because you didn't ask for it, it won't happen. Besides, these are things you can't control and if you do play with another person's emotion, these true feelings will not change." Ulysses already knew the extent of the man's power because his son had detailed it on the last letter he sent to him.

"Such heartwarming and poetic words, nothing less from the head of the Ginehart Dukedom." Cygnus had no say or had no plan on refuting those words.

He had heard it a long time ago and unlike before, those words had no impact on him any longer. There's also no point in making him into his puppets when they were already helping him with their own will. Besides, a puppet was no fun to use because they don't change expression, they just follow whatever their master says without any complaints.

"So, what brought you here?" Cygnus finally asked.

"Is it wrong of me to come visit you once in a while?" Ulysses raised a brow.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with it but I don't believe that that is the only reason why you came," Cygnus grinned.

"As always you're business as usual." Ulysses drank the rest of his tea and faced the man. "I just came to congratulate you on successfully completing that mission. It was splendid."

Cygnus chuckled, "No need besides I only provided the information and didn't actively participate in the mission."

"Even so, I am still impressed at how you started your plan. I really like it. It's just a shame because I wasn't able to see the faces of those geezers when their beloved laboratories were destroyed." The man was genuinely happy while saying those words.

Even when he received the message that those laboratories were destroyed, he couldn't help himself from celebrating. Now that the tower was slowly going downhill, he would sit back and relax as he watched it being led to destruction.

"I always do things in a flashy way. By the way, I heard that Duke Blackwell is having some problems," he said, since that place seems to hold some intriguing facts that he was curious about.

He can't afford to lose that place even before finding out the information he needed. If Isaiah Blackwell has that kind of ability, there was a possibility that many of the Blackwells were like that too or he was just an exception. Nevertheless, he still wanted to know what were the secrets that the family holds.

Ulysses froze for a moment before he sighed, "Nothing really gets past you. Yes, currently the Blackwell Dukedom is going through a civil unrest. The power struggle is also getting worse."

"Then my hunch is correct. There is no reason for the duke to suddenly send his number one heir candidate here at the tower if he had the ability to teach him himself. Turns out that the duke is having problems. I'm just wondering how did this happen when the duke himself is still alive and healthy?" That question made Ulysses frown even further.

"Many of the heads from the different territories under his rule are expressing their dissatisfaction with him as the ruler. They have been encouraging him to claim the lands that were given to the outlanders just beyond their territory but Galahad did not agree." It was only a small land but the heads of those households were pressing him too much.

"So it's like that, I really don't understand these power struggles but I can lend a hand. I can kill off those heads and replace them with loyal people," Cygnus smirked. That thought was very tempting, that way he can get a hold of Blackwell.

"You don't have to. Galahad can manage those people. He is not as weak as you think," Ulysses raised a brow and shook his head. His way of thinking was really different from other people.

Cygnus narrowed his eyes before he finally relaxed, "If you say so." He finally gave up but Ulysses still felt that the man was planning something.

"Alright, I'll leave now. Take care and if you have any problems, don't hesitate to ask Linius for help." The duke stood up and looked at the young once more before he bid him goodbye and finally left.

He left the room and gave Astro a nod while a glare was given to Celes before he left. Cygnus followed behind and gave the two a smile. He escorted the duke out of the tower.

The duke inhaled deeply before he exhaled and looked behind at the tower, "What an ominous place." He harrumphed and continued to walk towards the carriage that was waiting for him.

Cygnus couldn't help the chuckle from coming out when he heard the duke's comment. "And you did a good job at destroying its gate."

"Who told them to talk so long? Do they think that I won't do anything? If that's the case, then they don't know what I can do." Ulysses remained arrogant while talking as befitting his status. He entered the carriage and bid the master goodbye.

When Cygnus returned to the Hall of Time, Grand Archmage Celes was waiting for him. "I would like to ask if you could at least fund the reconstruction of the tower's gate. I couldn't ask the duke because he will only give me a sneer and accuse the tower of being poor."

"No worries, you can fix the gate and I will pay for everything." Cygnus laughed and patted the man's shoulder. "Since it is my father's fault."