Leo immediately stood up, his eyes blazing with fury as he looked at Brent with a feral expression in his eyes. His pristine white suit was currently stained with splotches of red wine. The glass shards stuck to his hand in tiny particles, but he didn't seem to notice as he took an intimidating step towards Brent.

"Did I hear you wrong? Say that again." He growled in a threatening voice.

"Kill Rona after you're done with the mission. That was the instruction from the dragon clan. It will be easier to destroy Kaiser when his spirit is entirely broken. Leo hurled a bottle of wine at Brent who quickly avoided it, narrowly saving his head.

"You must have gone crazy for daring to say such a thing to me. You all are taking a mile after receiving an inch of my grace. You want me to not just betray her but also hurt and kill her. Have you gone mad?"

Brent smirked at him and patted his face, pulling closer to him.

"What's the big deal? It won't be your first time anyway. You have done it numerous times, what's wrong with doing it again? Complete what you started, my dear brother."

"Brent…" Leo whispered in a warning tone, grabbing his brother's collar. But Brent gently removed his hand from his collar, still maintaining a light smile.

"You started it when you first betrayed her six years ago. Even if you give up now, what will it benefit you? Will she forgive you? Will she let you back into her life and welcome you with open arms? Come on, Leo. You already did it lots of times, what's wrong with doing it again? Since we started this, we have to go to the very end."

Leo huffed in exasperation.

"And I said I'm not doing it. I won't fucking stain my hands with her blood. The ones I have done are enough. If you do more behind my back, that's your business, as long as I don't catch you guys. But you actually want me to do it myself. Brent, how about I knock off all your teeth for coming here to irritate me with your nonsense?"

"Irritate you with my nonsense? How come you never said it all these years? But suddenly, when she's gone and won't give you the time of the day, you suddenly realize you can't bear to hurt her because she discovered the monster you were beneath your soft smiles and warm hugs. What? It was okay when you were sneaking behind her, praying she won't realize you're the enemy. But now after she discovered who you truly are, you don't want to do it anymore. There's no going back. From the moment we were born, our own paths have been carved for us. You're walking your path. If you don't kill her, she will kill you. Have you forgotten the very reason dad encouraged you to approach her?"

****

"My good boy, did you play with Rona today? What were they teaching Kaiser in the training ring?"

"I didn't see it clearly, it seems to be a fire technique. But he had no teacher. He was practicing by himself using old tattered scrolls." The six years old Leo replied.

"When you go to play with the baby today, check the scroll carefully and take a picture if possible. Playing with baby Rona is important, but the most important thing is finding out everything they do and coming home to tell daddy, alright?" Howard whispered, caressing young Leo's hair.

He nodded with a smile feeling happy. The only time Howard gave him a genuine smile and sweet treats were the times he gave him information about what he spied out from the patriarch's family. For the emotionally neglected little boy, those little moments of playfulness with his father were worth all the effort of spying, just to get a little smile in return. The best time for him became the times he was taken to play with the three years old Rona, he could play with toys and take a break from the gruelling training they were subjected to, eat delicious food made by the maids, and allowed to eat whatever he wanted, he could even watch his favorite cartoons and play games. And whenever the opportunity presented itself, he would dash out to spy and gather as much information as possible, no matter how little or big. It was left for Howard to sieve through and find the useful ones. To little Leo, no matter how he looked at it, it was a win-win situation. He could relax and enjoy himself at the patriarch's house, play with the cute baby girl, and also earn a smile from his otherwise distant father each time he gathered enough information. For the love starved boy, getting the attention he wanted was amazing. As for what he needed to do, he didn't mind it or give much thought to it.

"That's right, daddy's little soldier. Find out everything. And don't get caught, it's our little secret."

Little Leo immediately nodded with a big smile.

"Our little secret." He echoed, making a pinky promise with his father. And so his ordeal started from the age of six, becoming a ruthless, selfish spy; a traitor, up till the moment he grew up, the mission never ended, keeping him trapped in a vicious cycle of duty.

And for more than a decade, he was the perfect son, taught to stand behind Brent obediently despite being the brighter and more talented one. At all times, he must keep his strength carefully regulated, never out shining his brother. Even if he learnt a technique from watching Kaiser train Rona, he kept it to himself, never trying to be bright for Brent's sake, always staying a calculated step behind him.

He became the genius hand in the dark, helping Brent on his way to the top, clearing out obstacles, and never hesitating to get his hands dirty. After all, Brent was his blood, and his duty always came first. It had been drummed into his ears since childhood, never to be forgotten, and he always remembered. Being Brent's support was his duty to his family, and it didn't matter how many people he needed to hurt to make it happen.

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