Leon let out a quiet breath before continuing.
"No one knows that the mistress of the tempest castle is...your half sister." he said softly.
Serilda's eyes widened.
"You knew her better than anyone," Leon continued.
"Because from the very beginning… she was always ahead of you."
Serilda's fingers tightened around the edge of her sleeve.
"…Ahead of me?" Her voice was no longer mocking. It was sharp and careful.
Leon stepped forward, his eyes steady.
"Yes. You were never able to compete with her. And that's also the reason why you ruined her life."
The hall fell into suffocating silence.
Serilda's expression did not change—but the air around her grew cold.
"Be careful with your words," she said quietly.
Leon did not hesitate.
"Matilda surpassed you in Alchemy by the age of twelve. The instructors praised her control and discipline. You trained twice as long and still stood in her shadow."
Serilda's jaw tightened.
Her stare turned sharp—angry.
The veins near her temple became faintly visible, her composure thinning thread by thread.
Leon did not look away.
"She was illegitimate," he said evenly. "Born to your father and a maid."
A ripple moved through the hall.
"While you were the legitimate heir. So your family hid her from society. Locked her away so no one would question House Alkun's dignity."
Nox whispered inside Leon's mind.
"It's a pity that i can't touch tea or food...If not i would've heard this story with some snacks."
But Leon din't react.
For five years, Nox's voice had been there mocking, questioning, criticizing, commenting on every move he made.
At this point,he had grown used to it.
So Leon simply continued speaking, his eyes fixed on Serilda.
"You couldn't defeat her in talent. So you searched for another way."
Serilda's breathing grew slightly uneven.
"And then," Leon said quietly, "you turned to black magic."
Serilda's eyes widened again, for a fraction of a second.
"You attempted forbidden alchemy," Leon went on. "Seeking knowledge beyond your limits."
Leon ignored him.
"But you failed," he said calmly.
"The ritual collapsed and the remnants of black magic spreaded."
Serilda's fingers trembled.
"Using black magic," Leon added, "is a crime without permission from the High Council of Alchemy,Punishable by exile… or worse."
Silence pressed down on everyone present.
Leon's gaze hardened.
"But you were clever, Aunt."
The word Aunt felt deliberate. Cold.
"You knew the law. You knew you could not hide the remnants of blck magic.And you knew something else."
He stepped forward.
"You knew your father already despised your sister."
Serilda's jaw tightened.
"So you framed her," Leon said. "Planted the evidence. Whispered that she was the one dabbling in forbidden arts."
A murmur of disbelief spread through the hall.
"You presented it as concern for the family's honor," Leon continued. "You made it look like you were protecting House Alkun."
He paused.
"And your despicable father, who had been looking for an excuse for years… finally had one."
Serilda's breathing grew heavier.
"He didn't investigate," Leon said. "He didn't question. He didn't defend her."
His voice turned colder.
"He simply kicked her out."
Leon's voice did not soften.
"You thought that would be the end of her."
"You could not win her... so you framed her away "
Nox blinked.
"Hah… humans are always like this."
Serilda's glare burned into him, but she remained silent.
"Thrown out,disgraced.With no name, no protection, no place to return to."
He paused.
"But luck… or fate… didn't let her disappear."
"She survived."
Leon's eyes did not leave Serilda's.
"She worked under a false name. Became a lowly worker in a small countryside inn.
Leon continued calmly.
"And then, one day… she caught the attention of someone she wasn't supposed to."
Serilda's breathing hitched—just slightly.
"The lord of Tempest Castle."
He tilted his head faintly.
"Your husband's second eldest brother."
"He was on a mission hiding his identity."
Serilda's nails dug into her palm.
"He stayed in the inn...and they fell in love."
"And despite the outrage of other nobles… despite the whispers of disgrace…"
Leon's tone sharpened slightly.
"He married her."
Nox let out a low whistle inside his mind.
"And just like that," Leon said quietly, "the girl you cast into the streets returned."
"As the Mistress of Tempest Castle."
The weight of those words hung heavy.
"She didn't need House Alkun anymore,"
Leon added. "She didn't need your acknowledgment."
He met Serilda's eyes.
"She built her own place."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Serilda stood there—no smile, no elegance, no mockery left.
Only anger.
Leon's gaze never left Serilda.
"And when you finally discovered the truth…"
His voice lowered.
"That the Mistress of Tempest Castle was none other than Matilda… the very girl you threw out…"
A flicker of something dark passed through Serilda's eyes.
"…your hatred didn't disappear," Leon continued. "It grew."
The hall felt colder with every word.
"It grew into something far worse than jealousy."
He took a slow step forward.
"You couldn't accept it. The girl you cast aside, the one you tried to erase, had returned—higher than you, more respected than you… and beyond your reach."
Serilda's breathing became shallow.
"So you did what you always do," Leon said.
"You turned to schemes."
Nox crossed his arms.
"What can you expect from this women other than that?"
Leon continued, his voice calm but merciless.
"You began to use Blade Fortress as a weapon."
"You started treating Tempest Castle not as family… but as a rival estate."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"Every decision, every alliance, every movement of troops… you shaped them with one thought in mind."
"To bring her down."
Serilda's fingers trembled slightly.
Serilda's lips parted, but no words came out at first.
Her voice, when it finally emerged, trembled.
"Wh–what are you saying…?"
Leon looked at her calmly.
"Of course it's the truth."
He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
"And even now… the Duel of Estates that is about to take place—"
He paused deliberately.
"—started because you challenged Tempest Castle."
Nox blinked.
"Oh… so the duel of estates is happening because of her jealousy toward her own sister…"
Serilda's head snapped toward Leon.
"No… that's not true!" she shouted, her voice shaking.
Leon tilted his head slightly.
"Is that so?"
He took a step closer.
"Then tell me… who are you going to fight in the Duel of Estates?"
Silence.
His eyes narrowed faintly.
"Isn't it Tempest Castle?"
Serilda's lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't answer.
Leon continued, his tone sharper now.
"Who sent the challenge first?"
Another pause.
"You… or them?"
Her fingers curled into her dress.
Leon's voice dropped to a quiet, cutting whisper.
"Wasn't it you?"
Serilda stood frozen.
For the first time in years, her mind felt completely blank.
She did not expect this.
Not from a child.
Her eyes slowly moved toward Leon.
A boy who should barely understand court etiquette… had just exposed secrets she had buried for over a decade.
Secret no one other than her knows.
He spoke of them as if he had watched everything unfold with his own eyes.
Her fingers trembled.
She—who always considered herself the most intelligent and cunning person,was surprised by a five year old boy,who should barely understand the world around him.
Serilda was still frozen in place when Leon stepped closer.
The distance between them closed quietly, almost politely.
Then he leaned slightly forward and whispered near her ear.
"This is why… I have a business proposal for you."
Before she could respond, Leon straightened and turned away.
He began walking toward the exit as if the conversation were already over.
"Come to me when you've made up your mind," he said calmly.
"But don't forget… it might help you crush Tempest Castle."
Serilda's eyes widened.
"Crush… Tempest Castle...?"
The words echoed again and again in her mind.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
The image of Matilda—calm, composed, untouchable—rose in her thoughts.
She hesitated.
Then, suddenly—
"Wait."
Her voice was sharper now.
"Tell me about it… your business."
Leon stopped.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he slowly turned back toward her.
His eyes were calm, confident… almost predatory.
"I can share his weakness...with you"
Leon let the silence stretch just long enough.
Then he spoke calmly.
"Aren von Arcblade."
Serilda's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The youngest heir of Tempest Castle."Leon continued,"And one of the Tempest Twins,"
"You must have heard that he won a swordsmanship tournament hosted by count Arcus by defeating swordsmen older than him"
"He is the one who will face Ruan in the Duel of Estates."
Serilda did not interrupt—but her attention sharpened instantly.
"You yourself know that Ruan cannot defeat him."
The words struck harder than any insult.
Serilda's jaw tightened.
Serilda's voice lowered.
"…Go on."
"I can share it with you."
"What...?"
"I can share Aren's weakness."