"I suppose he does," Cerci murmured, turning her head to watch Kyle's retreating figure. A genuine smile crept onto her face.
She had been scowling earlier due to the oppressive proximity of her father, but after what Kyle had pulled off, her mood had completely flipped. She was even humming quietly to herself as she ate, entirely detached from the suffocating tension gripping everyone else at the table.
Ronald sat frozen, an ugly mix of public humiliation and blind rage twisting his features. He couldn't find a single word to dispute what Kyle had said. Both he and the senior elders seated around them knew with a chilling certainty that the boy's accusations were true. They stood there completely helpless as every eye in the hall locked onto them, demanding answers they didn't have. Zayne finally broke the silence, dismissing the younger generation to clear the room so they could deal with the mess. Low murmurs rippled through the kids as they hurriedly cleared out.
Meanwhile, Olivia tracked the direction Kyle had stormed off to and found him standing out on the second-floor stone balcony, staring blindly into the sprawling gardens.
"The view from here is great," she said, stepping up beside him. "This has always been my favorite spot."
"I really stepped in it this time, didn't me?" he muttered, a dry, self-deprecating smile touching his lips. "The elders must be losing their minds right now."
"Well, my dad kicked us out of there, but honestly, aside from Sir Elijah and Sir Ronald, nobody is taking it that seriously. Cerci even looked like she was having fun." She cast a brief, somber look over the greenery. "For what it's worth, I don't blame you for acting out. If I were in your shoes, I would've done the exact same thing."
Kyle gave her a sharp side-long look. "Thanks."
"Anyway, if you're done staring at the bushes, come on so I can show you your room."
"Room?" he echoed, his brow furrowing. Sleeping here hadn't even crossed his mind. *No wonder Cerci told me to pack extra clothes.*
Leaving the balcony, Olivia led him down to a secluded guest suite tucked away at the very end of the corridor he had eyed earlier.
The room was spacious, echoing the layout of Cerci's old quarters but kept meticulously clean. A wide white bed dominated the center, covered by a stark red blanket. Heavy red drapes blocked out the light from the side windows, casting a dark, bruised hue over the room that looked almost like dried blood. A black wardrobe stood flat against the opposite wall, and a curved brown table sat in the middle with three low sit-pads tucked underneath. Under the windows, a massive furry ash cushion stretched across half the floor, separated from the bed by a small white cupboard. The walls were painted white, contrasting sharply against the light-brown marble floor.
Olivia stopped at the threshold, letting Kyle step inside while she flopped down unceremoniously onto the edge of the bed and stretched out her legs. "Well? Do you like it or what?"
"I'll manage," he shrugged, walking past her to check the view from the window.
"What is your obsession with looking outside? Haven't you stared at enough gardens for one day?"
Pushing herself up, she ambled toward the door and grabbed the handle. "If you need anything, I'm right next door—the room to your right," she said, pointing a finger over her shoulder before slipping out.
Once he was alone, Kyle dropped onto the floor, crossing his legs in a lotus position to submerge himself in meditation. He spent hours meticulously scrubbing and refining his internal mana channels before sheer exhaustion finally dragged him under, pulling him into a heavy sleep in the grey hours of dawn.
Back in the main hall, the elders were locked in a frantic debate over how to handle the fallout, though Cerci had already gotten bored and left minutes ago.
"Why are we wasting time on something so petty?" Curtis, Olivia's grandfather, suddenly snapped, his voice cutting through the room like a blade. "None of us here are innocent, and we all know it. We had the chance to stop Ronald years ago and we didn't, and now it's biting us in the ass. And here we are, trying to figure out how to punish a kid for defending his mother? Has House Lucas really dropped this low? Because I haven't. If you people are still crazy enough to push an injustice against an innocent boy, count me out."
With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out, bringing the emergency meeting to an abrupt, humiliating halt.
"Wake up, sleepyhead," Olivia announced loudly, violently yanking the red curtains apart to flood the room with harsh daylight.
Kyle groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes to block the glare. "What is your problem? Barging into someone's room at this hour—don't you know how to knock?" he grumbled, snatching the curtain edge from her hand and pulling it shut again.
"What are you talking about? It's way past dawn! I was worried sick when you didn't show up for breakfast, so I brought it to you," she said, pointing dramatically at a tray on the table. "And here I was expecting a thank you." She crossed her arms, throwing on an exaggerated pout.
Kyle blindly reached out a hand to grab a biscuit off the tray, only to yelp as a sharp crack landed across his knuckles.
"Ow! What was that for?" he whimpered, pulling his hand back to his chest.
"Go take a shower first, you reek," she snapped, pointing firmly toward the washroom door.
Groaning under his breath, Kyle stood up and dragged himself out of the room.
A while later, Olivia walked back in after giving him some privacy. Kyle had ditched his black blazer for a more casual white tunic and black leather trousers. He stood in front of the mirror built into the wardrobe door, aggressively rubbing a towel through his damp hair.
"You're not going to tie it back?" she asked, already parked on a sit-pad and munching on a biscuit.
"I usually don't. And who said you could eat my food?"
"It's your fault for making a lady wait," she mumbled around a mouthful of crumbs. "Here, let me help you tie it."
A few minutes later.
"All done."
Kyle tilted his head, looking at his reflection. His silver hair had been pulled back neatly, exposing his forehead and the tips of his ears that usually stayed hidden.
His eyes shifted down to the table, specifically to the completely empty plate sitting there. He stared flatly at Olivia as she licked the last stray crumbs off her fingers.
"Where did all the biscuits go?"
"I thought you weren't hungry," she said, carefully avoiding his gaze.
"Who said I wasn't?"
"If you're that starved, we can go grab some on the way," she offered, trying to smooth things over.
"On the way where?"
"Mom wants me to pick up some supplies for the upcoming party, and I need someone to carry the bags, so you're tagging along to see the capital. Go grab your cloak," she said, tossing a heavy silver cloak straight at him from across the room.