The silence that had followed their arrival didn't last long. They had barely crossed the main hall when several servants stepped forward to welcome them. They all wore the colors of House Veyron, dressed in simple yet elegant uniforms. Some were young, while others had probably known Kael long before he became patriarch. The first one approached and bowed deeply. — Welcome home, Patriarch. Kael stopped. — Thank you. His voice was calm, but his expression was different from the one he usually wore at Asteria. Here, he didn't need to play a role. The other servants greeted him in turn. — Welcome, Patriarch. — It is good to see you again. — We are happy to have you back. Kael answered each of them with a small nod. Behind him, Noah watched the scene with wide eyes. He whispered to Lysandra: — They all know him? — Apparently. — And they're all this serious? Lysandra held back a smile. — Do you really want to ask that here? — No. Adrian, meanwhile, was paying closer attention to the hall itself. He quickly noticed that the servants were organized with almost military efficiency, but without the rigidity he had seen in some noble households. Darius stood a few meters away beside the Black Raven knights. The moment Kael moved forward, several soldiers lightly struck their fists against their breastplates. — Patriarch Veyron. Kael turned toward them. — At ease. The knights immediately lowered their weapons. Noah looked at Darius. — Is it always like this? — When Kael is here, yes. — Even when he was a kid? Darius smiled slightly. — No. Back then, we mostly had to stop him from disappearing into the gardens. Kael stopped. — Darius. — What? — You didn't need to tell them that. Ethan burst out laughing. — He's right. Noah immediately turned toward Ethan. — Wait. What did he do in the gardens? — A lot of things. — Ethan. — I didn't say anything. Kael sighed. — I'm already regretting these vacations. This time, even some of the servants allowed themselves a smile. The atmosphere had become much lighter. Ethan finally spoke. — Come on. I'll show you around. Noah immediately raised his hand. — I want to see the training hall. — Of course you do, Kael replied. — What? It's important. — You just arrived. — Exactly! Lysandra shook her head gently. — He really has no limits. — I'm starting to understand that, Adrian replied. Ethan led them through the corridors. The main residence was even larger than Noah had imagined. Tall windows overlooked the gardens, while several corridors led toward different wings of the building. Every room seemed to have a precise purpose. A library occupied a large part of the western wing. Farther away were family meeting rooms, several reception rooms, a huge dining hall, and multiple offices. Noah stopped in front of a door. — What's this? Ethan answered without even looking. — The family archives. Noah placed his hand on the handle. Kael immediately caught his wrist. — No. — I was just looking. — You were looking with your hand. Adrian turned his face away to hide a smile. Lysandra didn't bother. — He got you there. Noah slowly removed his hand. — Fine… They continued. As they walked, Kael seemed to rediscover memories he hadn't thought about in years. A window overlooking the old garden. A staircase he used to run down. A small room where Ethan had taught him how to play chess. Darius followed a few steps behind, quietly watching Kael's reactions. Lucian, meanwhile, knew almost every corner of the residence. — This part hasn't changed, he remarked. Ethan smiled. — A lot of things have stayed exactly the same. Kael placed a hand on the staircase railing. — Even this one? Darius answered immediately. — Yes. — It was already cracked? — Yes. Kael looked at him. — And nobody fixed it? Darius shrugged. — It's historic. — It's dangerous. — You were already saying that when you were eight. Kael sighed. Noah looked at Lysandra. — I'm really starting to believe he was already like this as a kid. — I have no doubt. They then arrived in a vast training hall. Noah stopped in his tracks. The floor was covered with marks left by years of combat. Several training dummies stood against the walls, while weapons were carefully arranged on racks. But what caught Adrian's attention most was the layout of the room. — This is more than a training hall. Darius nodded. — The Black Raven also uses it for tactical exercises. Adrian studied the different sections. — You can simulate group battles here? — Yes. His eyes lit up slightly. Noah noticed. — Don't give him ideas. Adrian answered calmly: — I didn't say anything. — Your face did. Kael approached one of the training dummies. — We could train tomorrow. Noah turned toward him. — You just suggested training during vacation? Kael raised an eyebrow. — Would you rather stay in bed? — No. — Then? Noah thought about it. — You're right. Lysandra burst out laughing. They continued their tour. The farther they went, the stranger Kael felt. Not in a bad way. Simply… different. Asteria had become his everyday life. But here, every corridor seemed to remind him of a part of his life he had almost forgotten. Then they reached an older gallery. The ceiling was higher there, and the walls were decorated with portraits representing several generations of House Veyron. Some dated back centuries. Noah slowed down. — Wow… Adrian studied the paintings carefully. — They kept their entire family line. — Almost, Ethan replied. They walked a little farther. Kael was a few steps behind the others. Then his gaze stopped. He didn't move. In front of him stood a portrait larger than the others. Two people were depicted. His father. His mother. Kael felt his breath catch for a moment. Ethan took a few more steps before realizing that Kael was no longer behind them. — Kael? There was no answer. Ethan turned around. Darius did the same. Then Lucian. Noah and Lysandra eventually stopped as well. Adrian followed their gaze. Kael stood in front of the portrait. His face had changed. The usual coldness in his red eyes had disappeared. His gaze had become much softer. Almost warm. He slowly approached the painting. First, he looked at his father. Then at his mother. Of course, he knew their faces. Yet seeing them like this, in the house where they had lived, gave him a strange feeling. For a few seconds, he was no longer the patriarch of House Veyron. He wasn't an Asteria student. He was simply their son. Kael looked up at the portrait. A small smile appeared on his face. — I missed you… No one spoke. Darius knew that expression. So did Ethan. Lucian lowered his eyes slightly. Noah, for once, couldn't think of a joke. Lysandra watched Kael in silence. She was seeing a side of him she had never seen before. Adrian was too. He had always known Kael as someone calm, difficult to unsettle, and sometimes cold. But in front of that portrait, all of that distance had disappeared. He simply seemed… happy to see them again. Kael remained there for a few moments. Then Ethan approached quietly. — Do you want to stay for a while? Kael nodded. — Yes. Ethan smiled. — Then we'll wait farther ahead. He gestured for the others to continue. Noah hesitated. He looked at Kael, then at Lysandra. — Should we go? Lysandra nodded. Adrian followed without asking any questions. Darius, however, remained for a few more seconds. He approached Kael and simply placed a hand on his shoulder. Kael didn't move. Darius looked at the portrait. — They would be proud of you. Kael lowered his eyes slightly. — You think so? — I know so. A peaceful silence settled between them. Then Darius removed his hand. — I'll go join the others. Kael nodded. Once he was alone in front of the portrait, he remained there for a little while longer. He didn't feel anger. Not this time. Only an old sense of longing, accompanied by a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. Finally, he whispered: — I'm home. Then he turned away. The others were waiting for him in the corridor. Noah gave him a small smile. — You okay? Kael nodded. — Yes. And this time, his smile was still there. They resumed their tour. No one asked any more questions. Yet behind them, the portrait remained silent. Two painted gazes seemed to continue watching over their son. And for the first time in a long while, Kael felt as though he had found a part of himself he had left behind. He didn't know it yet, but these vacations were going to change far more than he imagined.

The Veyron Estate