I Was Never Yours

United

I walked toward the hall room of House Vermont, which had now been transformed into a family meeting room. My expression remained neutral. Quietly, I took a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever was about to happen.

Because this time, I wasn't just facing Lucien, Father, Mother, or Elanor. I was facing the entire family. There would undoubtedly be people who supported me and people who didn't.

No matter what, I had to be prepared for both support and criticism. Especially since this was the first time I had stepped out of House Ashbourne. It seemed I would need to be much more careful in reading the situation.

"Seraphina! Ahhh, how have you been? It's been so long since we've seen each other."

Someone called out from behind me. A familiar voice. I turned and found Diandra hurrying toward me with her arms open. She wrapped me in a tight hug.

Diandra was Uncle Rafael's daughter, Father's younger brother. She was only a year older than me, and we had grown up more like friends than cousins.

"You're alright, aren't you? I looked for you at the funeral, but you were already gone. I thought you still needed some time. Are you doing better now?" She kept asking the same questions, making sure I was truly alright.

She had always been my first line of defense in almost everything. If Lucien expressed his care through sarcasm, teasing, and helping from the shadows, Diandra wore all her emotions openly.

I even thought of her as an older sister. Though technically, by family hierarchy, I was the elder one. After all, I was Paes Vermont's daughter, the eldest branch of the family.

"I'm doing better, Diandra. Thank you for welcoming me like this. I feel alive again."

Together, we walked toward the main hall. Everyone was already gathered.

Diandra and I entered without saying much. The piercing gazes from every family member present were enough to make me stiffen. Even though I had been raised to remain graceful and composed in any situation, this felt different.

First, I had been absent from family gatherings and business affairs for six years since my marriage. Second, I was the reason this meeting had been called.

I couldn't deny that I felt like a burden. Because of my personal problem, the entire family had been dragged into this.

And it wasn't easy for me either. If I moved forward, someone would bleed. If I stepped back, everything would turn to ashes. Neither path promised a complete victory.

"Seraphina is the victim here. I won't blame her for making a few dramatic moves. I fully support her decision. Whatever she needs, we're ready to help." Renata, Diandra's younger sister, openly voiced her support.

"An affair. Abandoning her while she was fighting to give birth. And even now, he still hasn't taken responsibility or apologized. It's outrageous. Does he think he can do whatever he wants to House Vermont just because he's close to the Crown?"

As usual, Diandra was already fired up. I remained silent, not daring to voice my own opinion.

"I agree that Vaeldric's treatment of Seraphina has gone too far. Not because of the affair, but because neglecting his wife and child is beneath any nobleman." Uncle Stefan, Father's youngest brother, finally spoke.

"However, I still believe this is an internal matter between them. There is no need to involve the entire family. The consequences could become far more serious than expected."

Personally, I couldn't argue with that. Everything Uncle Stefan said was true.

"I don't think we can pretend this is still a private matter anymore, Uncle." Elanor spoke calmly.

"First, House Ashbourne has already countered the asset freeze. Second, they've begun making moves through the nobility, the Church, and even the Crown itself. This situation is no longer as simple as it appears."

Again, she was right. Regardless of the differing opinions around me, I honestly didn't care that much.

What worried me was Father's opinion. Father wasn't the type to interfere in other people's affairs. Not even his children's.

The fact that he had gathered the entire family meant he considered this a serious matter.

"I did not summon this family merely to gossip and debate whether Seraphina's actions were right or wrong." Father's calm voice cut through the room.

"She was right." Silence followed. No one dared interrupt. House Vermont's position had just been decided.

"I summoned this family because House Ashbourne has chosen to answer." He emphasized every word.

Then, as if to ease the tension, he shifted into a more comfortable position, took a sip of tea, and looked directly at me.

"Before we move forward, I want everyone here to witness that House Vermont stands together." His voice remained calm. Yet it made me tense.

"Seraphina. What do you want from all of this?"

"I want Vaeldric to take responsibility."

"And then?"

I fell silent. I had thought I'd considered everything carefully. Apparently not. Too many things had escaped my notice after six years of abandoning the skills I once used every day.

All I had wanted was to hit Vaeldric hard enough to make him surrender and beg before I finally left him. But Magnus Ashbourne's arrival on the chessboard had changed everything.

The war had expanded far beyond my plans. Far faster than I had expected.

"Do you want a divorce?" Lucien asked directly.

"You should reconsider that." Uncle Rafael spoke before I could answer.

"Divorce will only damage your reputation and House Vermont's as well. You understand very well how Valerion treats noble widows. Especially when the woman is the one who files for divorce first."

I did. I knew the consequences of divorce in Valerion. The Church viewed marriage as a sacred bond that could only be broken by death.

If a husband failed to maintain his household, people questioned his capability. If a wife filed for divorce, they questioned her character.

Out of every hundred divorce petitions filed by women, only a handful succeeded. And even then, they never truly won. Their names remained the subject of whispers behind closed doors.

"Divorce is the final part of my plan." I finally spoke.

"For now, I only want to hit Vaeldric hard enough to make him recognize his mistakes."

"To do that, I need public opinion. That's why I involved the media."

"I don't need a spotless reputation. But I will do everything I can to make sure neither my name nor House Vermont's can be erased whenever someone pleases."

"That's why I made everything public."

"At the very least, if I eventually file for divorce, some people will see it from my perspective. They'll understand that I'm defending my dignity and my family's dignity."

Every eye in the room turned toward me. As fellow Vermonts, they understood my point. At least to some extent.

"Very well." Father nodded. "If that's what you want."

He looked around the room.

"If anyone here does not wish to participate in this war, you may leave now." No one moved.

"Then we have an agreement."

"House Ashbourne has already begun moving and will strike back soon."

"From this moment forward, there will be no personal actions. Everything will be conducted under command."

He turned toward Sebastian. "Report."

"Lord Vermont, House Ashbourne has secured additional financing."

"Amount?"

"Approximately 2.8 billion crowns."

I glanced up. That was not a small number.

"And?"

"Enough to stabilize operations for the next four months. Forty thousand salaries have been secured. Steel production has resumed at sixty-three percent capacity. Two cargo fleets have been released."

"And six previously neutral noble houses have begun negotiating financial cooperation with House Ashbourne."

Looking at the numbers, it was obvious. House Ashbourne had mobilized every connection and every ounce of influence they possessed to achieve results this quickly.

Especially if they had leveraged both the Church and the Crown. It made sense.

"More concerning, Lord Vermont..." Sebastian paused.

"Several neutral houses have begun transferring deposits from Vermont Royal Bank to institutions associated with House Ashbourne."

His expression remained unchanged. Yet I could see several faces around the room growing tense.

This was no longer about an affair. Or the loss of a child.

"There's one more thing."

"Speak."

"The Church rejected Lord Magnus Ashbourne's first request."

Lucien smiled. "Good."

"But..." Sebastian swallowed. "They approved the second one."

"What request?"

Sebastian looked directly at me.

"A formal investigation into the death of Aurion Ashbourne."