The dinner bell's resonant chime echoed through the corridors like a funeral dirge. I straightened my shoulders, checked my reflection one last time in the hallway mirror, and forced my expression into something appropriately subdued. The walk to the dining hall felt like a condemned man's march to the gallows.
Time for the evening's entertainment. Let's see what fresh torments the Leone family has prepared for tonight's performance.
The dining hall stretched before me like a cathedral of cold marble and bitter memories. Portraits of deceased Leone ancestors glared down from their gilded frames, their painted eyes following my movement with what seemed like disappointment. The massive table could seat twenty, but tonight only four chairs were occupied—a deliberate arrangement that maximized the distance between family members and the awkwardness of conversation.
Lord Aldric Leone sat at the head of the table like a king presiding over his court of failures. Even in his fifties, my father commanded attention through sheer presence alone. His silver hair was swept back in a style that emphasized the sharp angles of his face, and his dark eyes held the kind of cold intelligence that could strip a man's worth down to copper coins. He wore his disappointment in me like a well-tailored coat—visible to everyone, perfectly fitted, and utterly unforgiving.
To his right sat Lady Vivienne, my stepmother, a woman who had perfected the art of looking beautiful while radiating pure venom. Her auburn hair was arranged in an elaborate style that probably took her maid two hours to complete, and her emerald dress complemented eyes that sparkled with malicious amusement whenever she looked at me. She'd been Father's second wife for eight years now, and in that time had transformed from a charming widow seeking security into the estate's unofficial executioner of reputations.
And there, sitting across from my designated seat like a golden god among mortals, was Lucius.
The crown jewel of the Leone family's collection. Everything I was supposed to be and everything I could never become.
At eighteen, Lucius possessed the kind of effortless perfection that made other people feel inadequate just by existing in the same room. His blonde hair caught the candlelight like spun gold, and his blue eyes held the confident warmth of someone who had never faced a challenge he couldn't overcome. He was taller than me, broader in the shoulders, and carried himself with the easy grace of a natural athlete. More importantly, his magical aptitude had manifested early and powerfully—a fact that Father never tired of mentioning.
"Kaelen." Father's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "You're late."
By thirty seconds, maybe. But who's counting besides the man who's been disappointed in me since birth?
"My apologies, Father. I was... collecting myself after this morning's events."
Lady Vivienne's fork paused halfway to her mouth, her lips curving into what might have been a smile on someone with actual warmth. "Oh yes, we heard about your encounter with young Lord Valerius. Quite the spectacle, from what the servants are saying."
The way she said 'spectacle' made it clear she wasn't referring to anything heroic. I took my seat, noting how the chair seemed to have been positioned to catch the worst of the drafts from the tall windows. Even the furniture in this house was designed to make me uncomfortable.
"Leo von Valerius is a remarkable young man," I said, keeping my voice carefully neutral. "I was honored by his... attention."
Lucius snorted, a sound that somehow managed to be both elegant and dismissive. "Honored? Is that what we're calling public humiliation now?"
Here we go. Right on schedule. In the original novel, this was where Kaelen would snap and say something stupid, giving Lucius ammunition for the rest of the meal.
But I wasn't the original Kaelen.
"I deserved his rebuke," I said quietly, focusing on cutting my meat into precise, small pieces. "My behavior toward the kitchen maid was inexcusable. Lord Valerius showed admirable restraint in not striking me down where I stood."
The silence that followed was so complete I could hear the candle flames crackling. This wasn't the response they'd expected. The original Kaelen would have bristled, made excuses, blamed others. He would have played right into their hands.
Father's eyebrows rose slightly—the closest thing to surprise I'd seen from him in years. "How... mature of you to acknowledge your failings."
Lady Vivienne looked almost disappointed, as if I'd just ruined her favorite game. "Yes, quite the change from your usual... defiance."
"Perhaps nearly being beaten to death by the kingdom's most promising young knight has a clarifying effect on one's perspective," I said, taking a small bite of the roasted vegetables. They tasted like ash, but I chewed methodically. "I've had time to reflect on the path my life has taken."
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