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As I moved through the manor, I caught my mother's door cracked just enough for voices to spill out.
"My name came up and I placed my ear on the door to listen".
Well… what else was I supposed to do?
It's not like I meant to eavesdrop. I was just… curious. Honestly.
When your parents are speaking in low voices, in a room you're rarely allowed in, you don't just walk by like some well-behaved noble child.
You stop.
You listen.
That's just survival instinct.
I leaned closer, palm pressed to the cool wood.
"…he's not like the other children," Mother was saying—her tone soft, but with that careful edge she only used when talking about serious things.
Lady Eirisse Kestel stood by the hearth, sapphire gown pooling around her feet like water catching light. She didn't just stand—she ruled the air around her. Even the flames in the hearth seemed to behave.
