---
The Imperial Palace had a particularly elegant way of punishing people.
It didn't need to shout.
It didn't need to lock anyone away.
Sometimes, all it had to do was make everyone stop looking at you.
Yeana Seraphiel had been gone for more than ten days.
And for someone who had spent most of her life serving within the palace, her absence had left a much larger void than anyone would have liked to admit.
Not because Yeana was indispensable.
That would have been too simple.
The problem was that her absence was beginning to make itself noticeable in places where no one expected to find it.
Documents left unchecked.
Unfinished tasks.
Reports that no one had delivered to certain offices.
An empty room.
And, above all, one question that kept being repeated among the members of the court:
What was to be done with a Seraphiel who had directly disobeyed an imperial order?
The official answer was simple.
The political answer was not.
---
"No."
Nella Ignivar froze.
"No what?"
The person in front of her didn't even raise their voice.
"No."
Nella clenched her jaw.
"Captain..."
"No."
"I haven't even finished speaking."
"Precisely."
Nella closed her eyes.
She took a deep breath.
She had spent years facing people far stronger than herself.
She had fought criminals.
She had stopped riots.
She had taken part in operations that had left experienced soldiers trembling for days.
And yet, there was one person capable of making her wish she could simply disappear from the room by uttering a single word.
Her captain.
That person was sitting behind a desk.
He didn't look particularly impressive.
That was the worst part.
He wasn't wearing heavy armor.
He didn't have some enormous sword resting against the wall.
He wasn't covered in visible scars.
He was simply there.
Calm.
Far too calm.
"Explain," he finally said.
Nella opened her eyes.
"The situation with Yeana."
"I already know it."
"Then..."
"I want to hear how you would explain it."
Nella fell silent.
It was a trap.
Of course it was a trap.
"Yeana left the palace without authorization," she began.
"Good."
"She took the person who was under the prince's supervision with her."
The person raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Person?"
Nella paused.
"The... creature."
"That sounds more prudent."
Nella sighed.
"And currently, no one knows where they are."
"Correct."
"Then..."
"Then you're trying to convince me that it was a reasonable decision."
Nella looked at him.
"No."
"Good."
"Because I don't know if it was."
The man remained silent.
Nella swallowed.
"But I also don't think Yeana did this without a reason."
The captain leaned back slightly.
"That is what worries you."
Nella didn't answer.
"Not that she disobeyed."
"No."
"But that you know she had a reason."
"Yes."
The captain watched her for several seconds.
"That is much worse."
Nella lowered her gaze.
"I know."
---
Meanwhile, somewhere else in the palace...
"The Seraphiel family must answer for this."
Isolde Arvane's voice cut through the hall.
Leonard remained seated at the front.
Selene was beside him.
Aldric Veyr had several documents spread across the table.
Seraphine Valcrest stood beside one of the windows.
Theron sat in silence.
Cassian looked like he was trying very hard not to break something.
Elara was reviewing a report.
And Lucien...
Lucien was eating.
No one knew exactly when he had started.
He probably didn't either.
"We cannot simply act as though nothing happened," Isolde continued. "Yeana Seraphiel disobeyed a direct order from the imperial authority."
Aldric nodded.
"Formally, that is true."
Seraphine turned toward them.
"And what do you propose?"
"To investigate her family."
"For a decision she made herself?"
"For belonging to a family whose history is already marked by betrayal."
Seraphine let out a small laugh.
"Ah."
Everyone looked at her.
"What?" Isolde asked.
"Nothing."
Seraphine smiled.
"I'm just surprised it took us this long to get there."
Aldric frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"To using the Seraphiel name as a weapon."
The room fell silent.
Selene looked at the minister.
"Continue."
Seraphine crossed her arms.
"Yeana belongs to a family that was condemned centuries ago. Their punishment was to serve the Imperial Family directly. For generations, they have fulfilled that obligation."
"Until now," Cassian said.
"Until now."
Seraphine looked at Emperor Leonard.
"And now that one of their descendants has broken an imperial order, some people want to use the opportunity to remind everyone that her family is still paying for the sins of their ancestors."
Isolde replied coldly,
"It is not punishment."
"No?"
"It is responsibility."
Seraphine smiled.
"What a beautiful word."
Lucien stopped eating.
"Personally, I prefer 'punishment.' It's easier to understand."
Elara looked at him.
"Could you stop eating during a discussion about a potential political crisis?"
Lucien slowly lowered his fork.
"Yes."
He waited two seconds.
"But I don't want to."
Elara closed her eyes.
"Oh, for the love of—"
"Don't summon anyone," Lucien muttered. "We already have enough problems as it is."
Cassian glared at him.
"Everhart."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
"Understood."
Lucien went back to eating.
Selene had to hide a small smile.
Only for a moment.
Then her expression became serious again.
"We cannot condemn an entire family for what Yeana did."
Isolde looked at her.
"I am not proposing that we condemn them."
"Yet."
Isolde fell silent.
Selene didn't look away.
"I want something to be clear."
Her voice was calm.
But no one in the room mistook calmness for weakness.
"The Seraphiel family has a historical debt to the crown."
Aldric nodded.
"Yes."
"But Yeana cannot become an excuse to settle scores with people who had no part in that betrayal."
Theron spoke from his seat.
"Unless someone within the family was involved in this disappearance."
Selene looked at him.
"Do you have proof?"
"No."
"Then don't accuse them."
Theron inclined his head slightly.
"I didn't."
"You implied it."
"It's my job."
"And mine is to remind you when you stop investigating and start suspecting."
A faint smile appeared on Theron's face.
"That's precisely why I enjoy working with you."
Selene didn't respond.
Leonard watched the exchange.
Finally, he spoke.
"The Seraphiel family will not be investigated solely because of their surname."
Isolde frowned.
"Your Majesty..."
"I have made my decision."
Everyone fell silent.
"We will investigate Yeana's case."
Leonard paused.
"But there will be no reprisals against her family unless we have evidence of complicity."
Aldric nodded slowly.
"A reasonable position."
Cassian didn't look convinced.
"And what do we do with her if we find her?"
Leonard raised his gaze.
"We bring her back."
"Alive?"
Leonard looked at him.
"Of course."
Cassian held his gaze.
"And afterward?"
Silence.
Selene was the one who answered.
"Afterward, we find out why she ran."
---
Nella left the captain's office several minutes later.
And breathed.
Deeply.
"I'm alive."
"For now."
Nella froze.
She slowly turned around.
The captain was standing behind her.
"How...?"
"I walked."
"I didn't hear you."
"That is the point."
Nella looked at him with absolute exhaustion.
"What do you want?"
"I want you to do your job."
"I'm a lieutenant in the Internal Militia."
"I know."
"My job is to protect the population."
"I know."
"And not chase missing people across the entire continent."
"Correct."
Nella blinked.
"Then we're in agreement."
"No."
Nella closed her eyes.
"Of course."
The captain walked past her.
"The Internal Militia doesn't exist solely to put out fires."
"I know."
"It exists to prevent small problems from becoming big ones."
Nella followed him with her eyes.
"And is this one big?"
The man stopped.
He didn't answer immediately.
Then he looked toward one of the windows.
"Not yet."
Nella felt a chill.
"But it will be?"
The captain looked at her.
For the first time, his expression changed.
Just slightly.
"That depends on what they find before we do."
Nella frowned.
"Who?"
The man kept walking.
"Exactly."
Nella remained standing there.
"..."
She looked up at the ceiling.
"I hate it when he talks like that."
From the hallway, the captain's voice answered,
"I heard you."
Nella went pale.
"That's exactly what I hate!"
There was no response.
Nella sighed.
"I'm definitely asking for a vacation."
From somewhere in the distance came one final sentence:
"Request denied."
Nella's mouth fell open.
"I haven't even submitted it!"
Silence.
Nella stared down the empty hallway.
"...Damn that man."
And for the first time since Yeana had disappeared, Nella smiled.
Just a little.
Because, although she would never admit it out loud...
having that man nearby meant someone was paying attention.
And that might be exactly what they needed.
Or exactly what would make everything much more complicated.