The Veyron estate woke long before Kael came down for breakfast. Footsteps already echoed through the corridors, servants opened the tall windows, and the knights of the Black Raven Order had begun their training in the inner courtyard. Kael, meanwhile, walked quietly through the hallway, wearing a dark shirt beneath a light long coat. His black hair fell naturally around his face, still slightly tousled from sleep. He stopped in front of a window. The sun had barely risen above the trees. The estate looked different at this hour. Quieter. Yet somehow more alive. Kael continued walking and eventually made his way toward the dining hall. When he entered, Noah was already seated. And apparently wide awake. “You're late.” Kael looked at him. “It's seven in the morning.” “Exactly.” Ethan, sitting at the other end of the table, looked up from his newspaper. “Don't listen to him. He's only been awake for twenty minutes, and he's been complaining ever since.” “I am not complaining.” “You asked three times whether breakfast was ready.” “That was a legitimate question.” Lysandra smiled behind her cup. Adrian, meanwhile, looked perfectly awake. “The knights have been training since dawn.” Noah turned toward him. “You don't need to remind me.” “You seemed surprised yesterday.” “Because I thought Darius was joking.” At that moment, the door opened. Darius entered. He was wearing his training uniform, a sword attached to his belt. Noah stared at him. “You're already back?” “No.” “What?” “I haven't come back. I just finished the first session.” Noah went silent. “There are several?” Darius gave him an amused smile. “Welcome to the Black Ravens.” Ethan laughed softly. Kael sat down at the table. “You trained with them?” Darius took a seat nearby. “Part of the session. Gareth led the first formation.” “And?” “They're progressing well.” Kael nodded. He knew Darius well enough to understand that this was a positive answer. During breakfast, the conversation quickly moved to other subjects. Ethan mentioned a reception planned for a few days later. Lysandra asked whether the estate had a library as large as Asteria's. Noah, meanwhile, was mostly interested in the possibility of riding a horse. Adrian quietly observed the room. There was something different today. It took him a few seconds to understand what it was. Flowers. They were everywhere. On the tables. Near the windows. In small vases placed along the corridors. Some were white, others violet, yellow, or pink. They gave the manor a much warmer atmosphere than the day before. Adrian eventually set down his cup. “These flowers…” Lysandra followed his gaze. “They're beautiful.” Adrian studied the bouquet in the center of the table. A dark blue flower stood among the others. It wasn't exactly the same as the one he had seen in the garden the previous day, but its color was strangely similar. “Where do they come from?” Ethan looked at the flowers. “Some of them come from the gardens.” A servant who had just placed some bread on the table paused for a moment. “And many of them come from the greenhouse, sir.” Adrian raised his eyes slightly. “The greenhouse?” The servant smiled. “Yes. The large greenhouse at the back of the gardens. Lady Veyron loved it very much.” A brief silence settled over the table. Kael, who had been drinking his tea, paused slightly. The servant didn't seem to notice the change in his expression. “The gardeners have continued taking care of it all these years. Sir Ethan regularly asks them to maintain the flowers as they were in the past.” Ethan nodded. “Mother cared about it very much.” Lysandra glanced at Kael. He hadn't said anything. His eyes had simply settled on the flowers. Adrian noticed the same thing, but didn't ask a question. The servant resumed her work and left the room. Noah leaned slightly toward the window. “I didn't even know there was a greenhouse here.” “Not many people go there,” Ethan replied. Then he looked at Kael. “Well… some people used to go there quite often.” Noah immediately understood. “Kael?” Kael sighed. “When I was little.” “You went there all the time?” “Quite often.” Darius smiled. “He could spend hours there.” “Have you all decided to tell my entire childhood story during this vacation?” “Only the best parts.” “I'm going back to Asteria.” Noah burst out laughing. Even Adrian gave a faint smile. Lysandra looked at the flowers again. “Did you really like that place?” Kael thought for a few seconds. “Yes.” He didn't explain any further. Lysandra didn't try to get more out of him. She simply smiled. After breakfast, everyone went their separate ways. Ethan had several documents to deal with. Lucian planned to meet a few former colleagues from the estate. Noah and Lysandra went to explore the gardens. Adrian remained in the main hall for a while. Kael, meanwhile, had planned to join Darius and watch part of the knights' training. But as he crossed the main corridor, he stopped in front of a small floral arrangement. A single midnight-blue flower stood in the middle. He looked at it for a few seconds. Then a voice came from behind him. “You've been looking at it for almost a minute.” Kael turned around. Adrian stood a few steps away. “I was thinking.” “About what?” “Nothing important.” Adrian looked at the flower. “It looks like the one I saw in the garden.” Kael raised an eyebrow. “You noticed it?” “Yes.” Silence. Then Adrian added: “It's different from the others.” Kael gave a faint smile. “That's exactly what my mother used to say.” Adrian understood that he had probably touched upon something personal. He didn't ask anything else. He simply looked at the flower one last time. “She had good taste.” Kael stared at him. Then a small laugh escaped him. “That's a strange way to talk about a flower.” “I didn't know what else to say.” “It shows.” Adrian gave him a small smile. They continued down the corridor. A few minutes later, they reached the training courtyard. The sound of swords already echoed through the air. Dozens of Black Raven knights were training with impressive precision. Their movements were fast, yet perfectly controlled. Darius stood at the center of the courtyard. When he spotted Kael, he raised a hand slightly. “You came.” “I wanted to watch.” Darius smiled. “Then watch carefully.” His tone changed immediately. The knights resumed their formation. Adrian remained silent beside Kael. He watched their movements carefully. “They're really strong.” Kael nodded. “That's one of the reasons they're the Black Ravens.” A knight passed near them before stopping. He bowed respectfully to Kael. “Patriarch.” Kael answered with a simple nod. The knight immediately continued on his way. Adrian watched the exchange. He had already seen this attitude at Asteria. But here, it was different. At the Academy, Kael was a student like the others. Here, he was truly the head of an entire house. Adrian turned his attention back toward the training. Then, without warning, Darius gave an order. The knights changed formation. A perfectly synchronized movement. Noah, who arrived a few moments later with Lysandra, stopped in his tracks. “All right.” He crossed his arms. “I take back what I said yesterday.” Lysandra smiled. “About what?” “The morning training sessions.” He looked at the knights. “I am never participating in that.” Kael turned his head toward him. “No one asked you to participate.” “I prefer to make that clear.” Darius burst out laughing. The atmosphere remained light. Yet as Kael watched the knights, his gaze briefly drifted toward the gardens. Beyond the trees, the top of the greenhouse was barely visible. He didn't know

The Flowers of the House