He could not move his heart was beating erratically and he could feel his face heat up. He looked at the man and despite his instincts screaming that he was a danger all he could see was the beauty of the man. From his dark hair to his beautiful eyes, and through the gap in the drawing room doors, he could see the smile a thin, pleasant curve though it did not reach his eyes it made the heart that he had managed to calm start beating again.
Kaelen attention snapped back and he moved away from the door and stood in the shadows, his back against the cold stone wall, his breathing loud despite him trying to even it out.
The system's windows flickered, overlapping, demanding attention. He dismissed them with a thought, forcing his mind to focus on what mattered: He was looking at me, he knows I'm here.
But Lysander had already turned away, his attention shifting back to Lord Marius, who was speaking in that measured, careful voice he used for negotiations, clearly the man in the office was of higher rank. Aldric laughed at something and Seraphine sat next to him while staring out the window.
None of them acknowledged the figure in the corridor.
None of them seemed to notice that the heir to House Valtor had just marked their useless second son with a predator's smile.
Kaelen eased back from the door, his movements silent, his body responding to instincts honed over decades, his mind was clear now, clearer than it had been in a while.
His mind was racing.
Lysander Valtor, Villain, head of one of the most powerful houses in the kingdom and most importantly enemy of the protagonist.
The novel's fragments were coming back now, sharpening with the system's data. He remembered: House Valtor was the shadow behind half the conflicts in the story. They funded the wars, bought the politicians, collected houses like a merchant collected debts.
Kaelen turned down a side corridor, heading toward the passages that would take him back to his chambers. He had come to the drawing room on a whim, but he had found more than he had bargained for.
The hum slowed down returning to the distant almost negligible sound. He almost asked through the hum.
Was that you?
But finally decided against it.
But as he walked, the system flickered again.
[Connection Network Update: Protagonist]
- Brother: Ren (Location: Outer District – Confirmed)
- Ally: Sera (Awakening Pending – Identity: ???)
- Enemy: House Ashworth (Primary)
- Enemy: House Valtor (Secondary)
[Connection Network Update: Villain (Lysander Valtor)]
- Ally: House Ashworth (Confirmed Alliance)
- Ally: House Duvall (Pending)
- Target: House Verant (Acquisition in Progress)
Kaelen stopped walking.
Target: House Verant. Acquisition in Progress.
The words burned in his vision. He stared at them, letting the implications settle.
Was he the acquisition product or was his father selling the estate?
The rage came again hot, sharp, blinding. He grabbed the wall, his nails scraping stone, his breath coming in harsh gasps.
The corridor swam before him.
For a moment, he was not Kaelen. He was Caelus the boy who had waited his whole life for someone to see him as more than a burden, who had died believing he was worthless, who had never known that his worth was being calculated all along.
Worthless, Disposable.
He forced the rage down. His hands were shaking and his mouth bleeding from the sheer force he used to bite on them and prevent screaming, his heart was pounding hard but he was in control again.
Barely.
The system flickered:
[Emotional Instability: Elevated]
[Source: Vessel Trauma / Bond Instability]
[Recommendation: Proximity to Stabilizing Factor]
Stabilizing factor. The thought alone made his heart start again but this time it was a pleasant feeling being near him had smoothed the chaos in his mind like a hand on troubled water.
His chambers were dark when he returned. Rin had left a tray of food on the desk bread, cheese, a cup of wine that he ignored and a note in her careful script.
The master requests your presence at dinner.
Formal attire.
Guests from House Ashworth and House Valtor.
Kaelen read the note twice, then set it aside.
He should have been angry but he realized the hum had more control on his emotions than he had thought. This was not good.
He moved to the training space he had cleared in the center of the room and began the kata. The movements were slow, precise, each one a meditation. His body responded better now the muscles held, the breath came steady, the mana pathways pulsed with a thin but consistent flow.
[Mana Pathway Restoration: 1.7% complete]
Progress. Slow, painful, inadequate. But progress.
He completed the kata three times, then moved to the window. The sun was setting, painting the estate in shades of orange and red.
It was truly a beautiful place. Better than his dungeon torn world so why was he so averse to it?
The dining hall of House Verant was smaller than the main hall, but no less intimidating.
Kaelen entered at the designated time, his formal coat buttoned to the throat, his hair combed, his posture exactly what his father expected: hesitant, apologetic, already shrinking from the attention he was about to receive.
The table was set for twelve. Lord Marius sat at the head, Aldric at his right hand. Seraphine was already in her seat, her face blank, her hands folded in her lap. The Ashworth envoy sat opposite her, her sharp eyes tracking Kaelen's approach. The Duvall representative was there too, smiling his pleasant smile.
And at the foot of the table, in the seat that should have been the host's counterpart, Lysander Valtor lounged like he owned the room.
He was younger than Kaelen had expected, perhaps twenty-two, twenty-three, but there was nothing young in his eyes. They were dark, depthless, the eyes of a man who had been raised to see other people as pieces on a board. When Kaelen entered, those eyes found him immediately and did not let go. Like a predator who had locked on its prey.
The system flickered, but Kaelen had already dismissed it. He did not need a window to tell him what he was dealing with he could already feel the mana in his body churning into blades.
"Caelus." Lord Marius's voice was cold, expectant. "You're late."
"I apologize, Father. I was unwell."
He would not say he had come at the exact time he had been told.
Aldric snorted. Seraphine's hands tightened in her lap. And Lysander…
Lysander smiled.
"Unwell? How unfortunate." His voice was smooth, cultured, the voice of a man who had never wanted for anything. His voice had a caring edge and if one did not look at his eyes one would believe him. "I hope it's nothing serious. We have so much to discuss tonight."
"Thank you for your kindness sir, I will manage."
Kaelen took his seat the lowest place at the table, as far from his father as possible but close to Lysander.
But beneath the table, his fingers were tracing the mana pathways in his palm trying to calm his overly agitated mana. Then suddenly a finger traced above his and he felt mana circling him. His body suddenly felt so relaxed that he almost fell of the chair he looked at the culprit who also seemed abit surprised then a genuine smile formed on his lips it was as he had found something interesting.
He then held his hand fingers passing through and released his mana again and this time Kaelen could not even think, he could feel his eyes watering he looked to the side and noticed the others were eating as if nothing was happening it was not their usual ignorance but it was like the genuinely could not see what was happening.
He turned to the man clearly enjoying his control and mouthed stop the man looked at him smiled and spoke his voice deep.
"Do you really want them to see you like this?"
The others did not react it was as if they were in a different space.
He looked at his face on the washing bowl in front of him he was flushed red his mouth slightly open his eyes dilated and tears on the rim. He had never seen himself like this suddenly his face flushed with embarrassment and Lysander kept watching as if enjoying his state.
He heard a distant ting like the dinner bell then Lysander injected mana into his body one last time then let go and touched his face he blacked out for a second when he opened his eye a servant was washing his hand and his face was back to normal. If it was not for the almost deafening hum and the excess foreign mana in his body he would have thought he was imagining things.
The dinner began.