The Hidden Heir [Completed]

The sight of Marcus and Sharon casually enjoying their time together stirred a bitter emotion inside Magnus. The scenario deeply bothered him, and his mind was filled with frustration. The image of the two of them so close, sharing an intimate moment, ignited a fire within him. With clenched fists, he stormed through the hallways and headed to his room, screaming angrily and even punching the wall to let out his rage. The scene replayed over and over in his mind. Before he knew it, his jealousy and sense of inferiority towards Marcus had consumed him.

'That little commoner thinks he's better than me, doesn't he? Who gave him the right to enjoy his pathetic peasant life?'

Magnus couldn't help but throw another punch on the wall, gritting his teeth in anger. From their first day at school when Marcus stood up against him to his first defeat during their sparring in front of the whole class—he never felt so much rage and embarrassment in his entire life. Moreover, Sharon, the woman he had his eyes on, kept on rejecting his advances while she willingly spent her time with the latter. Magnus was from a noble lineage, and people were quick to kiss the pavement he walked on, but Marcus, a commoner, made him feel inferior so easily.

'If Imperium couldn't get rid of this bumpkin due to the rules, then I shall make a way to turn those rules as the reason for his demise.'

Magnus had a resolve. He knew that Maestro wouldn't listen to him regardless of using his father, the duke's power, to intimidate him. So instead, he will find fault in Marcus to drive him off of the academy permanently.

With a sinister plan in mind, he called his friends—Darius and Chancey—into his room to share his idea. He needed to learn Marcus' weaknesses so he could defeat him and remind him of his place.

"What do you need us for? It's late at night, your grace," Darius asked, rubbing his eyes while stifling a yawn. Meanwhile, Chancey, who just woke up from his nap, was still groggy, too dazed to even speak.

"Stop being incompetent and pay attention! Don't wait for my punch to wake you up!" Magnus snapped, clapping his hands sharply to jolt them alert. It worked. Darius cleared his throat, and Chancey slapped his own face to shake off drowsiness, both finally giving their attention to Magnus.

"Tomorrow, as soon as the first class starts, I need the two of you to watch that peasant closely," Magnus instructed.

"Which peasant?" Chancey mumbled, making Darius nudge his side before whispering, "You know, the one who defeated our lord in a battle."

Magnus' brows furrowed in anger, shooting a piercing gaze at them upon hearing their conversation. The two were quick to drop the topic and straightened their backs immediately like a soldier, "Apology, your grace," they said in unison, their voices laced with both respect and fear for Magnus. It was clear that they were not his friends, rather, just pawns he could use to assert his superiority.

"I expect good news from both of you before the day ends. I need to know every single detail about him. Eavesdrop on his conversation with anyone if you must, and gather information I can use to help me get rid of him—his weaknesses, his strengths, and most importantly, his reason for being here."

Magnus made a brief pause, a wicked grin creeping on his face, "Tomorrow night, we will sneak into Maestro's office and dig about his background. Remember the application letter and documents we submitted to get in here? He surely has one, too. If that piece of shit won't leave Imperium voluntarily, I will threaten his family to make him rethink his decision."

After scheming, Magnus' friends left his room. The next day, they carefully followed Marcus as planned, making sure to take note of his every action. While Darius and Chancey were busy tailing Marcus and his friends, Magnus kept a watchful eye on Maestro's office, analyzing its patterns closely to find a perfect moment when it would be vacant for their plan later that evening.