The carriage rolled at a steady pace through the streets of the capital, but Helia's mind was elsewhere. The meeting had barely ended, yet the discussions she had just had kept replaying in her head.
She thought of Cédric, his tense expression, and the way the Prince had put him in a difficult position before the entire assembly. He no longer seemed like himself these days, and despite their differences, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
But her thoughts soon drifted to something far more concerning.
She would have to return to the military camp at the eastern borders. Granted, her last experience there had been incredibly enriching, but she couldn't erase the images seared into her memory.
The knight's death before her eyes, the improvised mass grave where bodies piled up, the panic that had seized her when the camp was overrun by boars, the wounded crammed beneath the medical tent... Even those insistent stares she had caught on her.
At the time, absorbed in her work, she had managed to shut it all out. But now that she knew she would have to return, she couldn't ignore the tight knot of anxiety forming in her stomach.
Yet, she had no choice. She could have refused, leaving Cédric, Doctor Caisus, and Elyes to handle the field tests in her stead. But that was simply unthinkable. This was her project, her hard work. She had to see it through to the end. It was simply in her nature.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the carriage slowed before coming to a halt. She immediately recognized the paved courtyard of her home. But one detail caught her attention at once: a foreign carriage was already stationed in front of the main entrance. Her heart skipped a beat.
She knew that carriage.
Without wasting a second, she hastily stepped down and entered the house. No sooner had she crossed the hall than an angry voice rang through the corridors.
"How dare you?!"
Helia froze on the spot. That voice... She would have recognized it anywhere.
A sharp, instinctive jolt shot through her chest.
"You think you can ruin my business without suffering the consequences?!"
It was Adrian.
She felt her breath hitch. Her former fiancé. The one who had publicly humiliated her by breaking off their engagement for Elysia. The one who, apparently, had now found a reason to cause a scene in her home.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Lucian replied with perfect mockery. "Do you have any proof of these accusations?"
A chill ran down Helia's spine.
"Do not play the fool with me!" Adrian roared, his anger reaching its peak. "Your underhanded schemes have destroyed my business and my reputation!"
"You may be the second son of a duke, but that does not give you the right to storm into my house and hurl accusations in this manner," the marquis declared coldly. "Your behavior is utterly unacceptable. Rest assured, your father will hear of this, and you will face the consequences of your insolence."
The marquis's calm yet implacable tone silenced Adrian for a moment.
Helia, still rooted in place, tried to piece together what was happening. She had not been aware that her father and brother had orchestrated a vendetta against her former fiancé.
The sound of a door slamming violently made her jump.
Adrian was storming down the main staircase, his steps furious. He was about to leave, but then his gaze fell on her. His eyes, already dark with rage, grew even darker.
The sight hit her like a physical blow. The way he descended toward her, each step heavy and deliberate, overlapped, for a terrifying heartbeat, with the image of him advancing in her nightmare, fury warping his features. She saw again the bottle shattering behind her, felt again phantom fingers tightening around her throat.
She instinctively took a step back, panic rising through her limbs.
Before he could take a step toward her, Sir Aldric immediately placed itself between them.
He fixed Adrian with cold hostility, ready to intervene at the slightest threat. After a tense moment, Adrian clenched his fists, then turned on his heel without a word, leaving the house in one last surge of contained fury.
She remained still for a moment before turning and heading straight for the main salon. She found Lucian seated, looking particularly pleased with himself, while the marquis, as impassive as ever, calmly sipped his tea.
"Would someone care to explain to me what just happened?" she asked, still in shock.
Her brother shrugged, looking entirely at ease.
"Nothing that concerns you."
His gaze swept over Helia from head to toe.
"What did you do to your hair? And where did you get that dress?" he asked, perplexed.
She ignored his remark and turned to her father.
"Father, what was he doing here?"
The marquis calmly set down his teacup.
"As your brother said, it does not concern you."
She clenched her teeth.
They knew perfectly well that she disapproved of this kind of vendetta. But the fact that they dared to claim it had nothing to do with her, when it involved her former fiancé, was absolutely infuriating.
Furious and still shaken by the emotions of the encounter, she turned on her heel and left the room without even having had the chance to tell them about the day's meeting.
As soon as she reached her chamber, she shut the door with a sharp snap, deliberately ignoring the muffled voices coming from the salon. Her heart was still racing from her indirect confrontation with Adrian.
Anger, confusion, fear and a hint of pain intertwined within her, and the only thing she wanted at that moment was to see and hear no one.
She spent the next day between her study and her personal laboratory, leafing through reports and making preparations for her journey in an effort to ignore the family tensions. She didn't even come down for lunch, instead asking Lucille to bring her a tray, which she ate absentmindedly while absorbed in her calculations and notes. Yet, when evening came, she could no longer avoid the inevitable confrontation.
She had no choice but to inform her father and brother of her impending departure for the borders.
At dinner, she took her seat in silence. The marquis remained his usual self, impassive and focused on his meal, while Lucian observed her with a smirk that betrayed barely concealed impatience.
"So, the Lady finally deigns to grace us with her presence?" he remarked, his tone falsely light in an attempt to diffuse the tension.
She merely cast him an unimpressed glance, refusing to rise to the bait.
She picked up her glass and took a sip before exhaling softly and announcing in a calm voice:
"The project was approved at yesterday's meeting. I must return to the borders next week to oversee its implementation."
At these words, Lucian's smirk vanished instantly, and the marquis, caught off guard, nearly choked on his bite. He hastily grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth.
Lucian, incredulous, turned to her, his expression hardening.
"Don't tell me you actually agreed to return to that dangerous place yourself? Have you forgotten everything that happened last time?"
She had hoped that Sir Aldric's detailed report on their previous expedition had downplayed certain aspects of their experience, sparing her family from the worst realities of the mission.
But judging by Lucian's reaction and the heavy tension that had settled over the table, it was clear that he had omitted no details. The mention of the dangers they had faced seemed to echo through the room, heightening the palpable concern in her father's expression.
The marquis was visibly displeased by the announcement.
"Is it truly necessary for you to go?" He asked in a cold tone
Helia, still unsettled by the confrontation with Adrian and furious over her family's machinations, tried not to let her anger show. But despite her irritation, she disliked being a source of worry for them.
"Yes, Father. No one could handle the work as well as I can, and you know how dire the situation is."
Her father studied her for a moment, as if trying to gauge her sincerity.
"Very well, but this time, three additional knights will accompany you, along with Aldric."
She was about to protest, but before she could utter a single word, he cut her off.
"I am not giving you a choice in this matter, Helia."
She fell silent immediately, her lips pressing together under the weight of her father's authority. Straightening in her seat, she felt the heavy silence settle over the table. The meal continued in oppressive quiet, each bite more bitter than usual.
Despite her outward composure, she could feel her brother's gaze on her.
Lucian was clearly not pleased by the news. His expression had hardened slightly, yet to her surprise, he seemed to accept the situation better than last time. A small improvement, she thought wryly, though it did little to ease her own concerns.
That evening, after Lucille had left, having wished her a good night and helped her prepare for bed, Helia collapsed onto her mattress, her thoughts too chaotic to sort through. But just as she was beginning to drift into sleep, a soft knock sounded at her chamber door.
She sat up, intrigued, and went to open it. Lucian stood there, leaning against the doorframe.
"What is it?" she asked, mildly surprised, with a slight edge of annoyance in her voice. She feared he had come to reprimand her again about her imminent departure.
He shrugged nonchalantly.
"You're not busy tomorrow, I hope?"
She scrutinized him for a moment, wondering what he was after. If he had come to pester her, he would have done so outright.
"Why?"
Her brother took on a dramatically exaggerated air of distress.
"I was certain you would forget... Tomorrow is the last day of spring."
At his words, understanding flashed through her mind. She suddenly remembered. Every last day of spring, she and Lucian had a tradition dating back to their childhood: they would visit their father's favorite jeweler together to choose his birthday gift, which was two weeks away.
The tradition continued with them attending the Festival of Dawn, a celebration marking the end of spring. It was a moment neither of them had ever missed, a ritual they had always shared.
But this year had been different. She had never been so busy, consumed by her recent troubles and the growing weight of responsibility. She hadn't even spared a thought for it. The realization that she had neglected their tradition because of her obligations filled her with guilt.
Lucian, observing the shift in her expression, seemed to understand instantly. He shook his head in disapproval.
She rubbed her forehead, trying to clear her cluttered thoughts.
"You're right, Lucian... I completely forgot. I'm sorry."
"I went to great lengths to free my schedule tomorrow. You're not going to let me go alone, are you?" he said, raising an eyebrow, a touch of irony in his voice.
"Of course not." She finally answered, straightening with a sense of resolve she hadn't felt earlier. "Tomorrow, we'll go together."
Lucian offered her a genuine smile.
"Perfect. I'll be waiting for you in the morning."