The golden glow of the late afternoon sun spilled across the polished marble steps of the Velebrandt mansion, catching the faint shimmer of the crest above the doors—the winged lion standing proudly at the center of a shield. In the courtyard, the prestigious Velebrandt family stood surrounded by the loyal retainers of their household, the crisp wind carrying the scent of pine and distant smoke from the training grounds.
Lucien stood beside his mother and father, his newly grown stature and refined features a stark contrast to the boy who had left a week ago. The transformation had been subtle, but undeniable—his posture was firmer, his presence more composed, and his eyes, once brimming with juvenile defiance, now held the sharp glint of silent calculation.
A soft, velvet silence lingered as Aldric Thorne Velebrandt, the Grand Duke himself, stood tall and contemplative, his white hair flowing like winter silk, eyes like tempered steel fixed on his eldest son.
