Stick with Renard...

Caelan is staring at you now, his eyes wide with fear, “Oh my god... who would want me dead?”

“That's a good question.” You reply as you get up, feeling your legs shake a bit as you pull on some clothes.

“You think my mother had something to do with it?”

“No I think she loves you...” You reply grimly, as you pull on a tunic and a pair of breeches. “But there are others that could be looking to take your place, or maybe just take you out of the way.”

Caelan is silent for a moment as you dress, “You think I'm in danger?”

“Maybe... maybe not.” You shrug as you pull your boots on, the reality of the situation finally hitting you. “But until we find out who is behind this... you'd best be careful.”

Caelan's face now looks as if he is close to hysterics and is about to cry.

As a consolation, you say: “However, you shouldn’t panic. A certain amount of risk is an integral feature of life. The more power and wealth a person has, the more people want to take it all away. I think you know this truth much better than me - after all, you are the aristocrat! They can kill anyone! And rich and powerful people have many enemies! You just have to try to strike first and take the necessary precautions in time.”

The pale, frightened face of your interlocutor shows no signs of calming down at all.

Judging by Caelan's reaction, your consolation skills are still very... "underdeveloped."

You notice that his hands are shaking slightly. This is quite understandable: they just tried to kill him again, and in recent days many extremely... “unpleasant” events have happened to him.

However, from a young age you experienced adversity and found yourself in dangerous situations. Your life has also been exposed to mortal danger more than once. And you always tried to show perseverance and courage even in the most dangerous situations. Therefore, the Duke’s reaction to adversity only provokes in your mind a feeling of slight contempt for his personal qualities.

You try not to show it, but you think: “Caelan is weak-willed and cowardly. He's just a weakling. The evil irony of fate is that such an insignificant person has enormous power and wealth by birthright in an aristocratic family!

Meanwhile, the Duke nervously walks around the room, thinking about what happened and muttering meaningless, pathetic phrases.

You calmly say: “Your Grace! You should calm down and make adequate decisions regarding the necessary safety measures!”

Caelan nods, looking pale as he sits down on the edge of the bed. “I will...” He murmurs, his hand rubbing his face tiredly. “But... what about you? You've been through a lot lately, and it seems that this world is more dangerous than you could possibly imagine. Are you alright? Do you need anything?”

“I'll survive.” You reply, forcing a smile as you look at the young man. “But as for what you can do for me... just remember to keep feeding me that good food, and I'll make sure you stay safe.” You say, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before making your way to the door.

The guards are slowly leaving, as Caelan gets up and follows you to the door, “You should rest... you've been through a lot tonight.”

“I'll rest when there's nothing left to fight for.” You reply grimly, stepping out into the dimly lit corridor.

“Well... I guess there will always be something left to fight for...” Caelan mutters, stepping out behind you as you head down the hall.

As you walk you hear Renard's voice, the fox seeming to appear out of thin air. “Well, my dear friend... it seems that you have just stepped into the most dangerous game there is. Just remember... there are always consequences.”

The fox's voice seems to drift in space, coming from somewhere inside your head.

You move further away from the duke's bedroom door and you walk down a long corridor.