Chapter 204: His Reasons

Elara:

The gasp never made it past my lips.

My body recognized the man before my eyes could make sense of the darkness, before my nose caught the familiar scent that seemed to belong exclusively to him - a scent that reminded me of full moon nights, ancient forests, and something impossibly intoxicating that I had never managed to name without feeling a little too vulnerable.

My breath caught somewhere between my lungs and my throat, and when the darkness finally surrendered enough of his features for me to see the silver strands of his hair and the familiar blue of his eyes, his name slipped past my lips in a whisper.

"Lorien..."

His gaze locked onto mine, and for one absurd heartbeat, I forgot that he had practically dragged me into the shadows without warning.

I forgot the council meeting, Regent Valemont’s condescending lecture, the anger still simmering beneath my skin, and even the fact that I had every right to demand an explanation for being hauled into a room like a criminal. All I could see was him, standing so close that the warmth of his body seemed to seep through the thin space between us, looking at me with an intensity that made the darkness feel almost unbearably intimate.

From the corner of my eyes, I registered rows of tall shelves, cabinets, and countless files stacked in neat arrangements. Perhaps we were in some sort of an archive room, tucked away somewhere inside Council Headquarters.

There was barely enough sunlight filtering through the narrow windows to illuminate the dust drifting lazily through the air, and I had neither the time nor the inclination to investigate our surroundings further.

My attention remained fixed on the man before me, on the hand that had wrapped around my arm only moments ago, and on the question that had begun pounding inside my head.

Why had Lorien Moonveil pulled me into a dark room immediately after my conversation with Darren Valemont? Had he been waiting for me? Had he witnessed the exchange? And why did the sight of him make me feel as though I had stumbled into something far more dangerous than another political confrontation?

I straightened my shoulders, forcibly dragging my thoughts back into order, and demanded, "What exactly do you think you are doing?"

Instead of answering, Lorien raised one eyebrow, his expression so infuriatingly composed that I briefly considered kicking him in the shin. "That," he replied, his voice low and smooth, "is precisely what I should be asking you, Starlight."

I frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

"You decided to sell off a considerable portion of your properties, businesses, and your father’s entire car collection without consulting anyone who could have helped you understand the consequences. You proceeded with the entire plan, attended a council meeting where you knew the Regents would question your decisions, and somehow managed to leave me completely unaware of what you intended to do."

His tone wasn’t loud, but there was something beneath its measured calm that made me pause. It wasn’t the disapproval I had heard from Regent Ashbourne or the dismissal Regent Valemont had displayed when I defended myself. It was frustration, unmistakable and strangely personal, as though my decision had somehow affected him in a way he hadn’t anticipated.

I folded my arms across my chest and gave him a pointed look. "And why, exactly, was I supposed to inform you? Since when do I need your permission to make decisions concerning my own inheritance?"

His jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.

"More importantly, would you even have allowed me to go through with it if I had told you beforehand? Because something tells me your advice would have been to sit quietly, smile politely, and let the Regents decide what was best for me."

"To be perfectly honest," Lorien said, without the slightest attempt to soften his answer, "I would not have advised you to proceed with the plan in the way you did."

I stared at him, momentarily caught off guard by his immediate admission. He continued before I could respond.

"Because liquidating so many assets at once would have inevitably drawn the attention of the other Regents, invite questions about your judgment and intentions, and gave people who already considered you inexperienced another reason to scrutinize your decisions."

And that’s exactly what had happened.

"There were ways to achieve the same outcome without handing them such an obvious opportunity to challenge you."

I lifted my chin, ready to remind him that I had survived worse than a room full of self-important nobles, but then his expression shifted, and a faint, almost reluctant smile appeared at the corners of his lips.

"However, I also know you well enough to understand that you wouldn’t have listened to me anyway."

My mouth parted. "You-"

"You would have heard my arguments, disagreed with at least half of them, and proceeded with whatever decision you had already made." He tilted his head, studying me with an infuriating mixture of affection and amusement. "And if I had tried to stop you, you would probably have found an even more inconvenient way to accomplish exactly what you wanted."

I hated how accurately he had described me. I hated even more that the faint smile tugging at his lips made me want to smile back.

I tilted my head and studied him, searching for the purpose hidden beneath his unexpected honesty. "Then why are you so concerned about knowing my plans? You already understand that I’m not going to blindly follow your advice just because you happen to be my Headmaster and one of the Regents. I’ll listen if I think you have something worth listening to, but I’ll still make my own decisions."

"I know." His answer came without hesitation, and the simple certainty of it unsettled me more than any argument could have.

A faint smile curved his lips as he continued, "There are two reasons, Elara. The first is that I know you well enough to trust that you wouldn’t dismiss my opinion if I gave you a good enough reason to reconsider your decision. You might argue with me, challenge every point I make, and tell me precisely why you believe I’m wrong, but you would still evaluate my reasons before making your final choice."

He took a step closer, and the already narrow space between us dwindled until I could distinguish the subtle changes in his expression, the quiet seriousness in his eyes, and the way his attention seemed to settle entirely on me.

"You don’t need someone to make your decisions for you, Starlight. You need someone who respects that those decisions belong to you while making certain you can see every consequence before you choose."