"He needs to understand that he can't just put me in a box whenever he gets scared."
Seraphina slowly pulled her hand back from beneath Lysandra's.
She reached out, carefully picking up a clean linen napkin, and dabbed the corners of her mouth with aristocratic precision.
She wasn't just throwing a tantrum.
She was executing a necessary strike to correct a fatal flaw in Kaelus's parenting methodology.
She was establishing a boundary.
But establishing boundaries was exhausting, and the smell of the breakfast food was now actively making her nauseous.
Seraphina hopped off the tall chair, her white, sun-embroidered dress swishing around her knees. The pink ember-puppy, Ignis, immediately jumped down after her, letting out a confused little yip.
"I am no longer hungry," Seraphina announced formally, offering a polite, miniature curtsy to the Archduke and Duchess. "Thank you for the meal, Auntie Lysa, Uncle Leo. If you will excuse me, I am going to the library."
