Author Note
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Chapter 11
I had already gone up to the upper floors to speak with my brother.
The moment I opened the door, every eye in the room turned to me.
The air shifted.
Conversation ceased.
I felt their stares digging into my skin, but I showed none of the discomfort clawing at my gut.
My steps were calm, composed.
A mage in deep green robes stood silently near the corner of the room and, with a flick of his wand, summoned a cushioned chair beside my brother.
Ryler grinned the moment I entered, his face breaking into that familiar expression—one that hadn't changed since we were children.
He raised his goblet, then set it down with a loud thud as I approached.
"Little brother," Ryler's deep voice rang out, rich with authority and warmth. "It has been far too long."
I nodded and sat down as he clapped me hard on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of me.
"You haven't replied to my calls, my letters, or even my message men. What kind of brother are you, my guy?" he chuckled, but there was a strange undertone beneath it—one I didn't like.
"I'm sorry, brother," I said, steadying myself.
"I've been... consumed in research.
Affairs.
The kind that demand all of me."
"What kind of affairs?" Ryler asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
"The enemy kind," I replied. "And others, but I'd rather speak to you about those in private." My gaze flicked downward to the nobles still lingering in the hall below, wine in hand, laughing and dining as if nothing important was happening above them.
Ryler raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Alright. But there is another affair we need to address first."
The warmth in his smile vanished.
It died so suddenly it felt like someone had blown out a candle in a dark room.
I straightened. "What affair, brother?"
A heavy silence followed.
Then came the pressure.
It wasn't magic.
It weighed on my shoulders, pushed into my chest.
The entire room seemed to shake, though no one moved.
No one but Ryler.
He leaned forward slowly, eyes cold, lips tight, and in that moment, I knew.
The room wasn't reacting to some invisible force—it was reacting to him.
My breath caught in my throat.
My limbs stiffened, and blood trickled from the corner of my mouth before I realized I had bitten my tongue trying to resist the crushing weight of his presence.
"Don't think I haven't heard about your little adventures outside your marriage," Ryler said, his voice low and full of iron.
"Sleeping around. Tarnishing our family's name. The mess that is your own household—still stuck at the Baron rank."
He practically spat the word.
"You are her husband, yet you behave like a lowborn mongrel. It's pathetic. You boast of nobility, of pride in your name, in the Silvery blood we carry—but where has that nobility been, Lucas?"
His eyes pierced me like a blade, sharp and unrelenting.
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
I couldn't speak immediately.
Because everything he said... was true.
Ryler had always been the ideal knight.
Honor.
Duty.
Discipline.
Truth.
He hated deception more than anything, hated cowards even more.
That's why the old me—the real Lucas—had always clashed with him.
Every time we met, it ended in a fight.
Harsh words.
Slamming doors.
Bitter silences.
And yet...
He never gave up on me.
Not once.
Even now, with all the fury in his voice, I knew one thing for certain:
Ryler would never kill me.
Nor would he let anyone else try.
He loved me too much.
That's why I had doubts about my sister's involvement in my attempted assassination back then. People change—but Ryler's love never had.
I forced my mouth open, fighting through the pressure.
My words came out cracked, but honest.
"I agree, brother. I have no excuse. No clever lies. Everything you said is true. I was foolish... I am foolish. I dishonored my marriage, disrespected my title. I've been a horrible man. A horrible husband. That's true too."
I paused, gathering strength from the silence.
"I can't change the past. And I won't pretend I want to. All I want now is to move forward. To become someone better. Someone that... maybe... can earn forgiveness one day—from those I've wronged, and from myself."
Ryler's frown deepened, though I saw something flicker in his eyes.
Not approval.
But maybe... consideration.
He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his voice quiet but stern.
"Actions speak louder than words, my brother."
"Just give me the chance," I said, my voice soft but steady.
The suffocating pressure vanished instantly, like a storm that had passed.
I took in a deep breath, the air cool against my skin, and watched as Ryler's smile returned—broad and genuine, as if it had never left.
"Then I want us to do something together. Some proper brother-to-brother bonding before we head home for the family dinner party, three months from now," he said, his tone lightening with excitement. "three weeks from now. Dark Forest. Just you and me."
I gave a short nod, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "That would be great, brother."
Blood still lingered on the edge of my mouth.
I reached into my coat and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping my lips and dabbing at the red stains on my collar.
"And bring big brother Neo too," I added with a grin.
Ryler's eyes lit up. "Now that's a damn good idea. All the brothers together again. It's been far too long."
My smile softened as I glanced toward his wife, Emilia, seated with quiet grace near the fireplace. Her hand rested gently on her stomach.
"Congratulations on the newborn," I said warmly. "I hope I can see him soon."
Emilia's eyes glowed with affection.
She nodded. "You're welcome any time, Lucas. He is your family too. But for now... I think you and Ryler need to speak alone."
I gave a grateful nod as she stood and turned to the two women standing behind her—my wife, Olivia, and her sister, Grace.
"Shall we?" Emilia asked them kindly. "I have something I want to show you both."
The three of them left the room in silence, gowns whispering against polished floors.
The moment the door clicked shut, only Ryler, the butler in the corner, and I remained.
Ryler leaned back in his seat, his expression sobering. "So then. What's going on?"
I met his eyes and took a breath.
"A few days ago… I almost died."
The words were simple. Quiet. But they struck like a thunderclap.
The killing intent in Ryler surged so fast, it made my pulse spike.
The air trembled with fury.
"Who dare—" he began, his voice sharp with wrath.
"Brother, please," I interrupted gently, raising a hand.
The storm in his eyes subsided, but only slightly.
His jaw tightened.
The frown didn't leave.
"I don't want you to get too involved," I said, choosing my words carefully.
"If you act, it might drag the entire family into something far worse. I've already found a solution… but I need time. Just time to leave here and reach the academy. That place is protected. It's neutral ground—even that group wouldn't dare move against someone inside without risking war with several Tier Fives."
Ryler leaned forward, stroking his beard—a habit that had always irritated me, but now it only made me feel oddly nostalgic.
"So you're saying... they'll try to hit you before you even make it back home."
"Yes."
"How strong are they?" he asked, all warmth gone from his voice.
"If you're asking about the one who's personally after me—he's likely a Tier Four. But the organization behind him…" I trailed off for a moment.
"There are ten core members. Most are Tier Four. At least two are Tier Five—mages and knights both. They're everywhere, Ryler. Hidden, influential. But they're careful. They don't act recklessly in public."
Ryler's frown deepened. "And their leader?"
I hesitated.
"He's a monster," I said. "Even a Tier Five wouldn't win against him. Not easily."
Ryler's hand clenched the edge of the table. "What the hell did you do to make enemies like that?"
Instead of answering, I reached into my shirt and pulled out the silver chain around my neck.
A rune-etched pendant dangled from it, pulsing faintly with soft blue light.
"This necklace," I said, holding it up.
"It saves the wearer's life when death comes for them. Three times only. Two of those charges are already gone."
Ryler stared at it, then looked at me.
"And you're the one who used the second?"
"Yes," I said. "But that's why I wanted to ask you for a favor, brother."
How could Ryler say no?
He knew I came here fully aware of the risk—knowing I might not leave alive.
But I came anyway, because I didn't want to keep adding distance between us.
Not anymore.
And that mattered to him.
I could see it.
Ryler's eyes didn't blink as he spoke, voice deep and certain, like thunder rolling across a mountain pass.
"What is it?"