An Understated Dominance

After making up his mind, Jovian no longer hesitated. He instructed the driver to make a U-turn and head straight to the meeting place.

The meeting location was in a restaurant not far from the castle. It was only a ten-minute drive from where they had turned back.

When Jovian and Boston walked inside, they found the place nearly empty. There were no guests in sight, just a few receptionists. It looked like the restaurant had been cleared out just for them.

“Sir, please follow me. Sir Prescott is waiting for you upstairs,” the restaurant owner personally greeted them and led them to a private room on the second floor.

Warrick, Huxley, and Percival were leisurely drinking tea inside the room. The three chatted and laughed, but their conversation stopped the moment Jovian and Boston entered. All three turned their attention to Jovian.

They were quite curious about him. He had been privately invited by Austin and even stayed for dinner at the castle. It was a privilege none of them had ever received. However, upon seeing Jovian in person, the three were somewhat disappointed.

Jovian was of average height and had an unremarkable appearance-nothing about him stood out at first glance. But there was something about the way he carried himself. Back straight, shoulders squared -he looked like a man who didn’t bow to pressure.

“You’re here. Sit down,” Warrick said dryly as he gave Jovian a once-over.

He didn’t stand or offer a greeting. Instead, he remained seated with an air of complete indifference. It felt less like a dinner invitation and more like a superior addressing a subordinate. He gave off an air of cool detachment.

Huxley and Percival wore similar expressions, like Jovian wasn’t worth acknowledging. It seemed like they were purposely trying to show who was in charge.

Boston noticed the power play and frowned slightly, but he didn’t dare voice his frustration. Instead, he forced a smile and tried to ease the tension in the room.

“Sir Prescott, this is the third son of the Ballard family, Jovian Ballard. As soon as he heard you wanted to meet for a midnight snack, he rushed over without hesitation,” Boston said, trying to smooth things over.

He subtly hinted that Jovian had come to honor their invitation, so it would only be polite for them to return the favor with a little courtesy.

“Okay. This doesn’t concern you anymore. You can leave now.” Warrick waved him off like he was nothing more than an annoyance.

A low-ranking assistant general with no power or influence had no place in their conversation.

“Sir Prescott, this…” Boston glanced around and looked uneasy.

It was one thing to talk in public, but being shut out behind closed doors was another matter entirely. Without him accompanying Jovian, there was no telling if the latter could handle the three “old foxes”.

If anything went wrong, Boston would have to answer for it-not just to the Ballard family, but also to Austin.

“What’s wrong? My orders don’t count anymore? Do I need to repeat myself?” Warrick shot him a cold, impatient look.

“Since when did a mere assistant general get so arrogant that he think he can defy Mr. Prescott’s orders? Do you have a death wish?” Percival suddenly chimed in.

“Boston, you can wait outside. I’ll talk to these gentlemen. With their status, I’m sure they won’t make things difficult for me,” Jovian said with a smile.

Boston nodded reluctantly. “Okay. I’ll wait outside.”

Before leaving, he discreetly glanced at Jovian and signaled him to stay alert. The two had already agreed that they would immediately notify Austin for help if anything happened. Since the castle was nearby, the backup could come quickly.

As the door to the private room closed, the atmosphere became more tense. But Jovian seemed unfazed and sat across from Warrick, Huxley, and Percival.

His calm demeanor made the three men uneasy. Was his boldness a sign of reckless confidence or just plain arrogance?

“Sir Prescott, may I ask why you have invited me here?” Jovian broke the silence.

“I heard you went to the castle today,” Warrick said.

“Yes, I did.” Jovian nodded.noveldrama

“I also heard that you had dinner with Sir Austin.”

“That’s right.” Jovian confirmed with another nod.

“Good.” Warrick smiled approvingly. “You seem like a smart man. I do enjoy talking with those who are sharp.”

If Jovian had tried to play dumb, he would have had to resort to more drastic measures. Fortunately, the answers were clear and straightforward, which saved him some effort.

“I want to know if Sir Austin had said anything during dinner,” Percival interjected.

“His Highness said many things. Could you specify what you’re referring to?” Jovian smiled as he redirected the question back at him.