The journey back to the Veyron estate was accompanied by a very different kind of silence from the one that had followed their departure. No one really spoke. Even Ethan, who usually found something to say whenever the atmosphere became too serious, remained quiet for most of the journey. Kael rode at the front of the group, slightly ahead of the others. The wind moved through his black hair while his gaze remained fixed on the road. In his pocket, he could feel the weight of the small piece of metal they had found in the ruins of V-17. He had not shown it to everyone yet. Not because he wanted to hide something. He simply did not know what he was holding. The symbol engraved on it kept returning to his mind. A vertical line. Two small marks. And a simple “V.” And yet… He had seen it before. In the greenhouse. That certainty would not leave him. “You're still thinking about it, aren't you?” Ethan asked from behind him. Kael turned his head slightly. “About what?” “You know exactly what.” Darius let out a quiet laugh. “He means the piece of metal.” “I mostly mean the fact that Kael has been staring at the road for ten minutes as if it's going to give him an answer.” Kael raised an eyebrow. “Maybe it will.” “In that case, let me know when the trees start talking.” Lucian smiled. Even Aldren, a few meters behind them, seemed amused. That little exchange was enough to slightly ease the tension. Only slightly. Because everyone knew that what they had discovered at V-17 was not insignificant. When the first walls of the Veyron estate finally appeared between the trees, Kael slowed his horse. He looked at the familiar buildings. The main residence. The gardens. The stables. And farther away, almost hidden behind the trees… The greenhouse. His gaze stopped there. The symbol immediately returned to his mind. “We should head inside,” Lucian said. “It's getting late.” Kael nodded. “Yes.” He dismounted. The others did the same. The two knights who had accompanied them began taking care of the horses while the rest of the group headed toward the residence. But Kael did not move. Ethan noticed. “Where are you going?” Kael looked toward the greenhouse. “There.” Ethan followed his gaze. Then he sighed. “Of course.” Darius placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let him.” “I know.” Ethan looked at his brother for a few seconds. “I’m coming with you.” Kael nodded. Darius naturally followed them. Lucian hesitated before looking at Aldren. The old commander immediately understood. “Go ahead,” he said. “I'll inform the others and put away what we found.” Kael then walked toward the gardens with Ethan and Darius. The sun had almost disappeared behind the trees. The greenhouse was bathed in an orange glow. Kael gently pushed the door open. The scent of the flowers immediately reminded him of his childhood. He remained still for a few seconds. Then he stepped inside. “What exactly are you looking for?” Ethan asked. “The symbol.” “The one you saw on the piece of metal?” “Yes.” Darius crossed his arms. “Are you certain you saw it here?” Kael didn't answer immediately. He walked between the rows of plants. White flowers. Roses. Climbing plants. Then he reached the dark blue flowers. The ones his mother had loved so much. Kael crouched down. He examined the stems and the soil around them. Nothing. He gently ran his hand along the edge of the planter. Still nothing. “Maybe you're mistaken,” Ethan said. Kael shook his head. “No.” He stood up. His eyes scanned the greenhouse. Then he stopped. On the wood of an old structure behind the flowers, a small mark could be seen. It was almost invisible. A vertical line. Two small marks. And a V. Kael stood perfectly still. Darius approached. “Is that it?” “Yes.” Ethan looked at the mark. “I've never noticed it.” “Neither have I,” Darius replied. Kael gently ran his fingers over the wood. The mark seemed old. It had not been carved recently. It had probably been there for years. “My mother knew this symbol?” Kael murmured. Ethan looked at him. “You don't know that.” “Exactly.” Darius approached the structure. He examined the mark carefully. “It's not decoration.” “How do you know?” “Because decorations aren't usually placed behind a row of flowers, at shoulder height, in such an old part of the greenhouse.” Ethan sighed. “Very reassuring.” Kael moved behind the structure. He noticed something strange. The wood was slightly darker in one place. As if someone had often placed their hand there. He pressed it. Nothing. He pressed again. Still nothing. Darius placed a hand on his wrist. “Careful.” Kael pulled his hand away. “I wasn't going to break anything.” “I know.” Darius smiled slightly. “I'd just rather avoid having you trigger an ancient mechanism without knowing what it does.” Ethan immediately agreed. “For once, I completely agree with him.” Kael looked at both of them. “You two are annoying.” “And yet you keep us around,” Ethan replied. A small smile appeared on Kael's face. Barely visible. But real. Darius noticed it without saying anything. For a few seconds, they simply stood there. Without searching. Without speaking. Then Ethan looked at the flowers. “You know…” Kael turned his head. “What?” “Maybe none of this has anything to do with V-17.” Kael thought about it. “It's possible.” “And maybe that symbol simply belonged to someone in the family.” “That's possible too.” Darius studied the mark. “But someone also used it at V-17.” Kael slowly nodded. “That is what bothers me.” He took the small piece of metal from his pocket. He placed it in his palm. The symbol on the piece and the one on the greenhouse were identical. Not almost identical. Identical. Darius stared at it. “We need to show Aldren.” “Yes.” Kael put the piece away. “But not now.” Ethan looked at him in surprise. “Why?” “Because I want to know how long that mark has been there first.” Darius nodded. “We can find that out.” “How?” “By asking the people who have taken care of the greenhouse for a long time.” Ethan snapped his fingers. “Good idea.” Kael looked at the mark one last time. “Tomorrow.” They left the greenhouse. Night had now fallen over the estate. Once inside, they found Lucian and Aldren in a small sitting room. A table had been cleared to make room for the objects brought back from V-17. The metal piece found near the tower rested there. Aldren was examining it. “Well?” he asked. Kael entered. “We found the symbol somewhere else.” Aldren raised his eyes. “Where?” “In the greenhouse.” The old commander remained silent. One second. Two. Then his expression changed slightly. Kael noticed immediately. “You know this symbol.” Aldren looked at the metal piece. Then at Kael. “I've seen it before.” “Where?” Aldren leaned back in his chair. “In the old archives of House Veyron.” Lucian frowned. “You never told us about that.” “Because I thought it was nothing more than an administrative mark.” Darius stepped in. “But it was at V-17.” Aldren nodded. “Yes.” He turned the metal piece between his fingers. “And if it is also in the greenhouse…” He stopped. Kael waited. “Then someone, at some point, probably considered this place part of the same system.” Silence filled the room. Ethan looked at Kael. “The greenhouse and V-17.” “Maybe,” Kael replied. Lucian stood up. “We're not going to draw conclusions tonight.” Aldren nodded. “We'll need to consult the old archives of the house.” Kael looked at his uncle. “Where are they?” Lucian gave him a small smile. “You really thought we didn't have private archives?” “I knew they existed.” “Then you also know they're much less organized than Asteria's.” Ethan sighed. “Great.” Darius smiled. “More archives.” Kael looked at the metal piece one last time. Then he walked toward the window. Outside, the greenhouse was almost invisible in the darkness. He thought about the symbol. V-17. His father. His mother. And that old sentence he had heard years ago. “Look closely, Kael.” He remained silent. For the first time, he wondered whether his mother had been trying to show him something he had simply been too young to understand. And perhaps his father had done the same. Just in his own way. Kael closed his eyes for a moment. Then he murmured: “Tomorrow, we'll open the archives.” No one answered. But Aldren already understood. The past of House Veyron might finally be starting to speak. And this time, it was not Asteria that seemed to hold the answers. It was their own home.

The Sign Among the Flowers