Reina smiled, pushing her hair back.
"I’m sorry, am I too late?"
"M-Miss Reina!" Kai bead.
Reina’s expression softened. "Kai."
Her tone carried an easy warmth as both Rune and Duke Aurelius rose from their seats.
"Reina," Duke Aurelius said, already stepping forward. He pulled her into an embrace.
Reina chuckled softly, patting his back before turning toward Rune. He didn’t wait, his arms wrapped around her the mont Duke Aurelius let go.
When they stepped back, Reina’s gaze swept the room briefly.
"Ah, Uncle is late as usual," she remarked.
Almost on cue, two presences ford out of thin air.
"We’re not."
Reina turned, smiling as Archmage Silas and Alys appeared.
Celestia’s breath caught slightly.
She had seen the brooch used before, Rune had demonstrated it, but this was different. Effortless. Precise. Like stepping through space was as simple as walking through a door.
Before she could think further, Alys gasped and rushed forward, pulling Reina into a tight hug.
"Oh, how I missed you!"
Reina laughed softly. "I missed you too."
"Lies," Alys snapped, pulling back just enough to glare at her. "If you missed , you would’ve co to the Mage’s Tower."
Reina gave a small, almost guilty smile. "I’m sorry."
Her gaze shifted past Alys.
Silas stood with his arms crossed, looking as though he had been dragged here against his will. His expression was flat, his posture rigid and he looked exhausted
Reina stepped toward him without hesitation and opened her arms.
Silas sighed, but leaned forward anyway, pulling her into a brief embrace.
The mont they did, his expression shifted, subtle, but noticeable. His shoulders loosened, the tension easing as if sothing unseen had been lifted.
When they pulled back, he let out a quiet chuckle.
Reina tilted her head slightly, studying him. "Now that’s my handso Uncle."
Silas huffed, but there was a faint smile as he patted her head.
Reina turned just as Kai hovered near the sofa, clearly hesitating.
She extended her arm toward him.
That was all it took.
Kai lit up and hurried over, wrapping his arms around her without restraint.
Reina blinked, then laughed softly. "You’ve grown."
"Have I?" Kai grinned.
Standing a short distance away, Celestia shifted slightly, her fingers curling together.
She had risen along with everyone else the mont Reina appeared, but now that she thought about it.
It didn’t feel like simple courtesy.
It felt instinctive.
As if standing was the only natural response.
Her gaze lingered on Reina.
There was nothing overtly overwhelming about her. No oppressive aura, no visible display of power.
And yet everyone adjusted around her without realizing it.
Celestia’s thoughts tangled.
She’s close to Kai... and Rune just called him a part of the family... Marquis Ocean is also quite close to the family that they speak of him often so...
Her brows drew together slightly.
Wait...
A sudden, absurd thought slipped in before she could stop it.
Is she... ant to marry Marquis Ocean?
The idea settled just long enough to confuse her further.
Before she could untangle it, Reina turned.
Their eyes t.
For a brief mont, Celestia felt as though she had been seen.
Then Reina smiled.
"Oh, my. How rude of ."
She walked over with unhurried steps.
"I welco my dear sister-in-law to Fairisles."
And before Celestia could react, Reina wrapped her arms around her.
Celestia blinked, caught off guard, before slowly returning the gesture.
Her hand rested lightly against Reina’s back.
...She slls faintly like sothing clean. Not perfu...
Celestia’s thoughts stalled again as Reina stepped back.
For a brief mont, there was a quiet pause, one that seed to settle naturally after the small flurry of greetings. And in that stillness, Reina’s gaze shifted.
To the only person who hadn’t moved.
Marquis Fairisles stood where he had been from the beginning, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. He had watched everything, the embraces, the laughter, the ease with which Reina had been welcod back, but he hadn’t stepped forward.
He hadn’t needed to.
Reina looked at him, the softness in her expression easing into sothing calr, more composed.
"Grandfather."
Marquis t her gaze.
There was no imdiate response, no outward display of affection. Just a steady, asured look that held far more than words.
For a fleeting second, sothing unreadable passed through his eyes, sothing that did not belong to the Marquis everyone else saw.
Then, just as quickly, it was gone. Reina gave the slightest nod, that was all.
A knock broke the mont.
The door opened, and the Head Maid stepped in, bowing with practiced grace.
"The dinner has been served."
The atmosphere shifted almost imdiately, the stillness dissolving into motion.
"Let’s head to the dining hall," Marquis Fairisles said.
His tone was even, composed, as though nothing of significance had just passed.
One by one, they began to move.
Duke Aurelius and Rune exchanged a brief glance before stepping ahead, Alys falling into step beside Silas, who seed far more awake than he had monts ago. Kai lingered near Reina for a second before following along, clearly reluctant to drift too far.
Celestia hesitated just a fraction, her gaze flicking once more between Reina and the Marquis as they seed to exchange a few words before they followed along with the rest.
Soon, they were seated around the large dining table.
The arrangent had been made with care, Marquis Fairisles at the head of the table with, Duke Aurelius and Rune to his sides. Reina sat across from Marquis with Kai and Silas at her sides. Celestia found herself seated between Rune and Kai, her posture straight, her attention divided between the food before her and the quiet undercurrents of the room.
Servants moved in practiced silence, placing dishes one after another before retreating just as seamlessly. The al began without ceremony, conversation gradually filling the space as cutlery t porcelain.
"There’s only three days before the Trials end and the Princes return," Duke Aurelius spoke, setting his glass down. "His Majesty has announced that the Spring Ball this ti will be open to everyone, including the commoners."
"It’s good to celebrate like this once in a while," Rune said, nodding lightly.
Celestia, who had been eating quietly, glanced at him. "You don’t do that annually?"
Her question drew a brief pause.
Several gazes shifted toward her, not in judgnt, but in mild surprise.
She added quickly, "In Denril, the last ball of the year is celebrated across the entire kingdom. His Majesty opens the doors to everyone."
Alys let out a small sound of interest while Rune leaned back slightly, considering it.
"That’s... actually not a bad tradition," he admitted.
"That’s good," Reina said, her tone thoughtful. "Once the Trials are done, soone should suggest it to His Majesty."
As she spoke, she reached for one of the serving dishes without looking down.
"Have this too, Kai."
She placed a portion of finely cut turkey onto his plate with easy familiarity.
"Thank you," Kai said with a smile that ca just a little too quickly, as though he had been waiting for it.
"Stop treating him like a baby, Reina," Silas remarked from across the table, not even looking up from his plate.
Reina glanced at him, unimpressed.
"Why not? He’s my-"
She stopped, just for a fraction of a second catching herself before claiming Kai as her child as easily as she always did and then smoothly corrected herself.
"He’s the youngest here. So it’s obvious I’ll pamper him."
Silas huffed faintly but didn’t argue further. Celestia, however, had paused.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her fork as her thoughts began to move again.
She almost said sothing else.
Her gaze drifted, almost unconsciously, toward Kai and then to Reina.
And sowhere in that quiet comparison, sothing clicked.
The resemblance wasn’t obvious at first glance. But the more she looked the more it stood out. The sa unnatural clarity in their blue eyes and their unearthly beauty.
Even Marquis Ocean was this beaut-
Her thoughts halted briefly.
...No.
And yet, the idea lingered.
What exactly... was the connection between the Ryujin family and the Aurelius family? She had learned that Ryujin family had only settled in Sestia a few years ago and had been steadily growing stronger because of the family’s head. According to Brielle, Ocean Ryujin and Arthur Aurelius were business partners and close friends.
But that didn’t explain the physical resemblence!
Before she could chase the thought further, Rune spoke again.
"Who’s going to be your partner, Reina?"
Reina looked up at him, then shook her head lightly.
"I’m not going."
Celestia’s brows twitched almost imdiately.
Marquis Ocean had said the sa thing.
"Why?" Duke Aurelius asked. "The Trials will be done by then, and the rest will also be taken care of."
Reina humd softly in response, as though the question required thought but not urgency.
She reached for the bowl of salad and placed it between herself and Kai, serving him first before taking so for herself.
Her movents remained unhurried, her attention resting more on the act of serving than the question itself.
"I still have sothing to take care of," she said.
"What?" Rune asked, leaning forward slightly, his tone light but his gaze intent.
"Doomsday planning?" Silas added under his breath.
That earned him a faint look from Reina, one that wavered just enough for a quiet laugh to almost escape.
"Uncle," she said, a hint of amusent slipping through, "don’t make it sound like this is the last supper. And no... not doomsday planning."
But as the words settled, so did her expression.
The trace of humor faded, her smile softening into sothing quieter, more distant. Her snowy lashes lowered, shielding her eyes as a brief silence followed. It wasn’t long, but it was enough to be noticed.
Kai noticed.
He had been watching her closely, and sothing in that shift made his brows lift slightly before his eyes widened in realization.
He leaned in quickly, closing the distance between them as he raised a hand to cover his mouth, whispering sothing too low for anyone else to hear.
Celestia caught the movent, but not the words.
Reina stilled for a fraction of a second as she listened.
Then she smiled and nodded.
Whatever he had said, it was correct.
Kai’s face lit up imdiately.
"I-I’ll go too!" He said, almost too quickly, unable to hold it in.
"Wait, what?" Duke Aurelius frowned, setting his cutlery down. "What’s going on? Where are you going?"
Reina only shook her head, her expression returning to its usual calm.
"You can’t," she said, turning to Kai. "You have your own work here."
Kai let out a quiet groan, clearly dissatisfied, but didn’t argue further.
Rune leaned forward slightly, resting an arm against the table. "Then when do you think you’ll return?"
Reina didn’t hesitate.
"I don’t know."
That answer drew a visible reaction this ti.
Rune’s brows knit together, and Duke Aurelius frowned more deeply, concern beginning to show.
"Reina-" he started, his tone shifting, but before he could continue, Silas’ voice cut through cleanly.
"Reina."
She turned to him without resistance. "Yes, Uncle?"
For a brief mont, Silas didn’t speak. His gaze shifted, subtle, but deliberate, toward Celestia before returning to Reina.
The pause was small but intentional and Reina noticed.
"Is it done?" She asked.
Silas gave a single nod. "It’s just as you said."
Reina tilted her head slightly, considering that, before giving a small nod of her own. "That was fairly quick."
Silas cleared his throat, his expression turning just a touch more restrained. "I couldn’t do it myself. I had Master Vonstein assist."
Reina’s head tilted a little further, her tone thoughtful. "Do I owe him?"
"I do," Silas replied.
That earned him a soft sigh from her and a small smile.
For a brief mont, Reina’s gaze moved across the table, not hurried, not obvious, but deliberate enough to be felt. It passed over Rune, over Aurelius, over Silas... before settling, briefly, on Marquis Fairisles.
Nothing was said.
And yet Marquis gave the slightest nod.
It was subtle.
But it was enough.
One by one, the others mirrored it in their own way, small acknowledgnts, quiet agreents that passed without words.
Celestia’s fingers stilled against her plate.
Her eyes moved between them, catching the silent exchange, the way the conversation had shifted without including her.
A thought ford, uninvited.
They all understood, it was sothing that they wanted to hide from her.
Her gaze flickered back to Reina.
Was this sothing from the Mage’s Tower? Another invention? Another plan?
Or sothing else entirely?
Sothing that wasn’t ant to be spoken of so openly?
The realization settled quietly, but Celestia couldn’t help but be curious. What exactly was this family hiding?
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