Brooke's Priority
Chapter 36's

Levin was pensive in the dark in his private room. He kept repeating a word in his mind.

North.

Levin had long since abandoned his desire to return to the north. He could not remember anything even his own name. Levin Stern was the full name Carlo gave him. Carlo even gave his mother's last name to Levin. If only Carlo and his adoptive parents had not told him about a Kingdom in the north, he would never have known it existed.

Now, the woman took him north.

Levin became agitated. Half of him wanted to go there and the other half didn't. He could not leave Carlo who had already lost so much just to save him. He also had not found the reason he was in the palace prison without remembering anything.

“She said something reasonable,” complained Levin as he pressed his shoulders. Upon returning from the market, he felt increasingly tired. Levin thought meeting Brooke would make him happy but he was wrong this time. That woman is stressing him.

Brooke must have forgotten the promise we made. Go to the lantern festival together.

Levin didn't want to be honest with himself. He also thought the same thing Brooke said. There had to be a change in the Kingdom and Levin believed that Charles deserved to be appointed to that change. He and Carlo also agree about the possibility of war erupting again. That's why they are desperate to get rid of Shaeviro. Getting rid of the old man was difficult.

Carlo needs an ally with full support.

In order to achieve that goal, Levin devises a plan involving Grace and Brooke. Although Levin often thought whether he would regret it later, he still wanted to return the favor to Carlo. Rela to lose someone valuable was a reasonable payment to make up for Carlo's good behavior towards her.

If Lucas hadn't fallen for Josephine, things would have been easier for Levin. However, Levin did not want to continue imagining the impossible. He must face the reality that Brooke has gone a long way and has the potential to disrupt his and Carlo's plans. Right now, Brooke is making the path Levin is going through much more difficult just like Lucas.

“I should have killed him sooner,” Levin murmured. Levin recalled the moment he had undo Brooke's killing intent when the woman first appeared after losing her memory. Then thinking about when his enemy ambushed them, he should have let Brooke get hurt instead of protecting him. And he remembered the day of the hunting event. The day Carlo ordered to get rid of Brooke. He again abandoned his intentions.

Levin felt his heart become weak.

“The picture is huge,” Levin took a piece of paper and wrote on a table that was only lit by a candle. “Go north and find Gordon. It's worth trying but I don't like that plan.”

There are two things that make Levin doubt on Brooke's plan.

First. How did Brooke leave the capital for such a long time? The daughter of a Duke definitely had to attend many social events among the nobility and such were insignificant according to Levin. Second one. Passing through Sebenius Forest was not only dangerous but after reaching the end of the forest, how did they get out and blend in the north? If they were discovered, the war would instantly flare up like a flash of fire.

This is what makes Levin disagree. War could happen even when they made it through the Forest of Sebenius. Levin is unwilling to risk the lives of many people only to find Gordon who is not yet certain to be alive or no longer alive. Levin preferred his own plan and felt it was safer to do.

Levin recalled Brooke's reply when he asked why he had chosen Levin to come with him to the north.

“Changes cannot be taken for granted by everyone. There was always opposition at the beginning,” repeated Levin slowly while writing the sentence in his paper.

Levin understood what Brooke said. Levin knew he would be used by Brooke to protect him and others who were instrumental in the expedition. What puzzled Levin was when Brooke swore that he would risk his own life for Levin.

He told me to depend on him.

Levin took a deep breath later. He stopped writing and covered the paper and stood up and picked up a book. He took out the paper Brooke had given him and did not return it, tucking it in with the paper he had written in the book he had picked up.

Levin changed his clothes and rushed to meet Carlo. Levin did not forget to bring the dagger Brooke gave him. He chose to bring the old dagger instead of the new dagger Brooke gave him. Levin felt he preferred the dagger even though the person who gave it was the same.

It was still dark so Levin could sneak freely in the Palace. Everything written from Brooke's notes should he tell Carlo.

Levin used to walk without making a sound of footsteps. That way he could sneak as he pleased in the Palace. The Royal Palace itself consists of four main palaces, each inhabited by the King, Queen, Carlo and his half-sister. Levin set foot in the Laine Palace, where Carlo lived.

Laine's palace was not as big as Carlo's half-brother, Prince Harville. Levin clucked in annoyance each time remembering Carlo's unprivileged treatment. Levin knocked three times on Carlo's window. He had already managed to easily climb up that two-story building.

Levin then heard the sound of the window knocking four times. Levin understood the meaning of the knock and climbed up to the roof of the Palace. He ran and jumped down, looking for a window connected to the room of a young maid. A male servant named Mavis. Mavis was among those Carlo trusted just like Levin.

Mavis opens her bedroom window as Levin knocks four times. When Levin entered the room, Mavis bowed respectfully. Levin patted Mavis on the shoulder once and opened the door and slipped towards the second floor. Mavis had understood that Levin had entered the Palace through his room, meaning that Carlo had ordered Mavis to prevent anyone from interrupting their conversation. No one should be around Carlo's room let alone asking permission to enter Carlo's room even to just prepare clothes and breakfast.

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