Chapter 266: Leaving

She didn’t answer.

It took every ounce of his willpower not to pull her into his arms and cancel the entire operation.

"I know you are... displeased," Kaelus continued, swallowing hard, the lie burning like acid on his tongue. "But your education cannot be neglected. The tutors I have provided are insufficient. The Academy will offer you the rigorous academic structure you require to cultivate your intellect."

’Liar,’ Seraphina’s inner child wept, her lower lip trembling violently. ’You’re lying. You’re sending me away because of the bad men. You promised you wouldn’t leave me in the dark.’

But her adult mind forced the facade to hold. She had to be angry. If she showed him she understood, he would break.

"I don’t want to go to the school with the snobby kids," Seraphina mumbled, her voice thick and stubborn, keeping her eyes glued to the baseboards. "I want to stay here with you. You said I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to."

Kaelus closed his eyes, his chest heaving with a suppressed breath.

He hated himself. He hated the Empire. He hated the man who had forced him into this corner.

"It is only for a short time, Mushroom," Kaelus lied, his voice barely a whisper. He held out the massive, silver-wrapped package. "I... I had Alistair procure these. From La Petite Rêverie. And the bakery in the Eastern Ward. And the elven confectioners. It is a highly comprehensive supply of refined sugars, candied fruits, and chocolate truffles. A peace offering. For the journey."

Seraphina looked at the package. It was huge.

It must have cost a small fortune.

It was his way of saying I love you, please don’t hate me, wrapped in a bribe.

She slowly reached out and took the heavy package.

She didn’t say thank you or didn’t open it. She just clutched it to her chest, her knuckles turning white, and continued to stare at the floor.

"I am angry at you," Seraphina stated, her voice shaking with genuine, raw emotion.

Kaelus lowered his head, staring at the marble floor between them. "I know. And you have every right to be. But you must go."

He slowly reached out his hand. He didn’t pull her into a hug; he knew he didn’t deserve one, and he knew that if he hugged her, he would never let her go.

He gently, incredibly softly, placed his hand on top of her dark head.

The touch was heavy, lingering, and packed with so much desperate, and fiercely protective love that it practically radiated heat. He stroked her hair once, a silent goodbye.

"Be safe, Sovereign," Kaelus whispered, his voice cracking. "Do not let the Capital dull your edges."

He stood up, pulling his hand away.

The loss of his warmth was physically painful. He turned on his heel and marched toward the door, his dark cape swirling behind him, leaving her standing alone in the room with her candy.

***

The courtyard of the Nacht Estate was dead silent.

The carriage was waiting as Sir Lucas sat atop the driver’s bench, his scarred face a grim mask of duty.

Sir Boris stood near the gates, openly sobbing into a white handkerchief, completely abandoning his terrifying persona. Sebastian stood near the carriage door, standing at rigid attention, though his single blue eye was suspiciously bright.

Seraphina marched out of the estate, carrying her package of sweets.

She didn’t look at Kaelus, who stood like a frozen, miserable statue near the fountain. She didn’t wave to Boris. She walked straight to the carriage.

Sebastian opened the heavy carriage door.

"May the shadows hide your steps, My Lady," Sebastian rasped quietly as she climbed the stairs.

"Bye, Mr. Sebastian," Seraphina mumbled, stepping into the cabin.

Sitting comfortably on the plush velvet bench opposite her, looking devastatingly handsome in his charcoal suit and silver-wire glasses, was Professor Roan Charte.

The Archmage had already stowed his luggage.

He watched Seraphina climb in and take her seat. She immediately slid to the far edge of the bench, pressing herself against the carriage wall, and pulled her knees up, hugging the package of sweets to her chest, and turned her entire body so she was facing the small, enchanted glass window, presenting her back to the rest of the cabin.

Outside, Kaelus approached the open carriage door.

The Archduke didn’t look at his daughter’s turned back. He looked directly at Roan.

The violet glow of the Reaper returned, burning with absolute warning.

"Keep her safe, Roan," Kaelus ordered, his voice echoing across the silent courtyard, vibrating with dark mana. "If a single shadow in that Academy threatens her, burn it down. If she sheds a single tear because of those snobbish brats, I will hold you responsible."

Roan didn’t smirk.

The chaotic trickster vanished, recognizing the terrifying gravity of a father entrusting him with his entire world.

Roan met Kaelus’s glare, his pitch-black eyes were serious. He offered a crisp, deeply respectful nod.

"With my life, Your Grace," Roan vowed softly. "I will shield her."

Kaelus nodded once. He reached forward and grabbed the heavy brass handle.

CLACK.

The heavy mythril door slammed shut, sealing the cabin. The magical insulation engaged, plunging the interior into quiet, rocking isolation.

"Move out," Kaelus’s muffled voice commanded from the courtyard.

With a lurch, the carriage wheels began to turn.

The warhorses thundered into motion, pulling the heavy vehicle out of the iron gates and onto the cobblestone streets of the Capital, heading toward the Imperial Academy.

Inside the cabin, the silence was thick, heavy, and uncomfortable.

Roan leaned back against his velvet cushions, crossing his long legs.

The Supreme Archmage of the East, a man who possessed centuries of unparalleled wisdom and magical mastery, was currently looking at the six-year-old girl huddled against the window and feeling utterly helpless.

He didn’t understand the dynamic.

’The Archduke clearly adores her,’ Roan analyzed, adjusting his glasses, observing her small, rigid posture. ’He was vibrating with agony when he closed that door. He sent her away to protect her, but he framed it as an educational requirement. A classic, if somewhat heavy-handed, parental deception.’

He looked at Seraphina’s turned back.

’And she is genuinely furious,’ Roan concluded, letting out a soft, internal sigh. ’She thinks he is abandoning her and is prioritizing her ’education’ over her feelings. It is a tragic, unavoidable consequence of protecting a child’s innocence. She is a genius, yes, but she is still a six-year-old. She cannot comprehend the bloody, ruthless political warfare occurring just beyond these carriage walls. She just knows her father sent her away.’

Roan felt a genuine pang of sympathy. He wanted to comfort her.

He wanted to tell her that Kaelus was a fool, but a fool who loved her more than the stars.

"You know, Boss," Roan broke the silence, his voice gentle, attempting a light, playful tone to ease the tension. "The Archduke may have the emotional range of a frozen brick, but he means well. And on the bright side, the Obsidian Network is fully operational. We can use the Academy’s restricted archives to dig up dirt on the Headmaster. It’ll be a highly lucrative vacation."

Seraphina didn’t answer.

She didn’t move or turn around. She kept her face pressed toward the enchanted glass, staring blankly as the towering white walls of the Nacht Estate slowly disappeared into the distance, swallowed by the winding streets of the Capital.

Roan frowned. The silence was too thick.

Her posture wasn’t just angry. It was rigidly, terrifyingly tense.

He leaned forward slightly, peering around the edge of her seat, trying to catch a glimpse of her face in the reflection of the glass.

When he saw her, the untouchable heart of the Supreme Archmage completely shattered.

Seraphina von Nacht was not pouting. She was not throwing a silent, angry tantrum.

She was crying.

It wasn’t the loud, dramatic sobbing she used to manipulate Kaelus. It was a silent, completely unrestrained flood of devastation.

Massive, heavy tears were streaming down her soft, chubby cheeks in endless rivers.

They dripped off her chin, falling silently to land on the lapels of her pristine, midnight-black Academy uniform, leaving dark, wet splotches on the fabric. Her tiny shoulders were shaking with the effort required to keep herself from making a sound.

She clutched the massive package of sweets to her chest so tightly that her small knuckles were white.