I Was Never Yours

Mandate

"The first time, an entire noble house disappeared."

I stared at Lucien. Several questions immediately came to mind. But instead of asking them, I brushed the thoughts aside and said,

"You're joking."

"Father never jokes about business."

The smile was still there, but this time it didn't reach his eyes. Lucien looked serious. There was no sign that he was teasing me like he usually did.

And somehow, that was far more worrying than all his mockery.

I tried to remember which part I had missed that made me forget how ruthless Father could be. Was I simply too young to be involved back then? Or had I just forgotten?

"Twenty years ago, there was a house that thought they were smarter than Father." He explained without being asked.

"And?"

I was genuinely curious about the rest. Even though part of me still wondered whether this was a real story or just another one of Lucien's inventions.

"And they lost." His gaze drifted toward the sky, which had begun to darken.

"Ah, it looks like I should head home. Kimoki is probably missing me." He tried to change the subject. Or maybe he was deliberately leaving me curious by bringing up Kimoki, House Vermont's guardian dog.

"Oh, come on. Stop playing the role of the annoying older brother. You spent the entire day repairing that image, and now you're ruining it again."

I was genuinely annoyed that he kept avoiding the explanation. Lucien laughed. Then his expression turned serious again.

"They lost almost everything, Sera. The impressive part was that Father never appeared to dirt his hands. He simply played his role as the kingdom's financial overseer wisely. What noble house doesn't need money?"

"And then?" I kept pressing him like a stubborn child demanding the end of a story.

"Father squeezed them with contracts, loans, agreements, and alliances until there was no one left willing to stand beside that family." He glanced at me.

"You can ask Sebastian if you want more details. He understands it much better. He was involved."

I didn't ask any further questions. Because I was trying to understand. And honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted to know the rest.

Sebastian looked up when Lucien mentioned his name. I had no idea whether he'd been listening to our conversation while juggling calls and reports on his tablet.

Suddenly, he walked over and handed me the device filled with endless reports.

"My Lady. Another report."

I took it immediately. Carefully, I reviewed the contents. Lucien leaned over to look as well.

1. Ashbourne has secured temporary funding from three noble families.

2. Two cargo ships have been released from the port.

3. Several steel contracts have resumed operations.

"Ashbourne finally secured temporary funding from three noble families."

"How much?"

"Enough to cover payroll for approximately forty thousand workers."

"Two cargo fleets have been released."

"Contents?"

"Military steel, industrial machinery, and grain shipments."

Impressive, they were stabilizing. Magnus Ashbourne truly still held enormous influence in Valerion.

"They're recovering." I looked at Lucien as though he might have some reassuring answer. Instead, he smiled.

"Good."

I frowned. What was that supposed to mean?

"Good?"

"Of course." He leaned back casually.

"A war where one side collapses immediately is boring." He grinned before ruffling my hair.

"You should get some rest, Sera. I'll be leaving now. Kimoki is waiting for me." Then he walked away. Sebastian looked as though he wanted to argue. But he chose to remain silent.

Meanwhile, I continued staring at the reports on the tablet. This was supposed to be a war between me and Vaeldric.

I had prepared countless plans for it. Even if Magnus became involved, I had expected him to enter during the final stage of the conflict.

Apparently, my calculations had been wrong. The Ashbournes responded to my warning much faster than expected. Magnus joined the battlefield the moment I warned them.

Ironically, Vaeldric, the one I expected to fight back, seemed almost indifferent. Now it no longer felt like I was fighting Vaeldric. It felt like I was fighting Magnus directly.

And on top of that, Lucien, Elanor, and Father had begun moving as well. This was no longer a marital dispute. It had become a war between two families.

And honestly, I didn't even want to imagine how chaotic it might become.

Shortly afterward, Sebastian excused himself as well. Before leaving, he handed me an envelope. There was no royal seal. No Church seal as well. Only the crest of House Vermont.

I recognized it immediately. Father's handwriting. Inside were only a few words.

Tomorrow.

Vermont Manor.

08:00 AM.

Mandatory attendance.

— Paes Vermont

I read it twice to make sure. It still felt strange. Father rarely gave orders. Especially not to his own family.

***

"Lucien already left?" Vaeldric approached me with hurried steps at nine o'clock that evening. Yes. He had just returned from work. Or perhaps from his affair.

"Of course."

"Did he leave any message for me?"

He truly acted as though everything was perfectly fine. As though nothing had happened. Like I was the one being dramatic and childish.

Or perhaps that was exactly what he wanted, to make me feel like I was creating this chaos alone.

"No."

"Sera, please. Can you come back?" XFor once, he genuinely sounded desperate. Almost pleading.

"I never left, Vaeldric."

"Can you stop pushing this any further, Sera? The farther you go, the harder it becomes for me to protect you." His jaw tightened. "This time, you're not fighting me. You're fighting my father."

"What's the difference?"

"I know how to yield." A brief silence followed. "My father doesn't."

Neither do I, Vaeldric. I lost that ability the day you chose to leave.

"Go back to your room, Vaeldric. You don't need to concern yourself with my affairs." I walked away without another glance. Behind me, Vaeldric raised his voice.

"I've warned you, Sera."

Whether it was concern or a threat, I could no longer tell the difference. I continued toward the balcony, wanting nothing more than a little fresh air.

The night breeze was cold, but calming. In the distance, the lights of the capital flickered beneath the dark sky.

Bzzzt.

My phone vibrated. What now? Honestly, all I wanted was a single quiet night to myself.

Yet the vibration immediately stole my attention. I looked at the screen. Oh. Not Sebastian this time.

The name displayed was Cyran Ardent. The message was brief.

The Crown Prince has heard about tomorrow's meeting.

Be careful, Lady Ashbourne.

I froze. Slowly, the fear I'd been trying to ignore became real.

At first, I thought everything was merely a coincidence. Now it was obvious. The royal family was paying attention.

And somehow...

I had a feeling tomorrow's family meeting would be far less simple than I imagined.