The Duchy of Vandemir Palace
The Duchy of Vandemir's palace was bustling with its usual activity. Servants walked the marble hallways with discipline—shouts and running were nothing strange to them; they had grown completely accustomed to it.
That was Kyle's voice, the second son, angrily searching for his younger brother Leo, who had fled from him as usual after pulling one of his typical pranks. Leo ran through the wide hallways with their red carpets embroidered with golden threads, while the palace floor reflected the glow of the magical lamps hanging on the walls.
Leo headed straight for his older sister's room—the place he always took shelter in when his options ran out. He entered without knocking.
Celine sat at her elegant desk made of dark carved wood, with scattered papers before her. She was a young woman with long silver hair, golden eyes that carried a warm gleam but hid much hesitation. She wasn't very tall, nor was she short—her body was harmoniously slender with a feminine grace that showed her usual calm.
She was trying to write a letter, but her hands hesitated over the words, as if every thought she wanted to convey to the recipient stumbled between the letters.
Today was Niklaus's birthday.
She had heard he had been in a coma. She tried to go to the imperial palace to see him, but her family hadn't allowed it.
And when she heard he had disappeared from the palace—that there was no news of him—worry began to eat at her more and more.
She wanted to send a letter, even though he always ignored her letters. But this time, she didn't even know where to send it.
"He'll come back someday... and he'll read it."
She reassured herself with these words, but every time she tried to write them, she felt embarrassed. She would start with many letters, then cross them out, then start writing again.
Suddenly, Leo burst into the room.
"Celine! Protect me!"
Behind him, Kyle entered angrily. Their governess followed, grumbling her usual line: "How many times have I told you? Don't enter the lady's room without knocking!"
But Celine's unusual stillness caught their attention. She, who always intervened to protect Leo, was now lost in her thoughts, not even noticing their presence.
The usual thing was for her to say to Kyle in her familiar seriousness: "He's just a child. You shouldn't fight with him."
But she didn't say that. She was still lost in her thoughts, not even aware of them.
Kyle looked at Leo, then they exchanged glances that meant only one thing: she's writing another letter to that idiot.
Niklaus was the one who had changed their relationship with him. He had been a childhood friend of Celine and Kyle in the past, but now he was no longer. He had started completely ignoring them, fighting with them for no reason, as if he no longer wanted to be part of their lives.
For Kyle, nothing bothered him more than seeing Celine keep writing to someone who constantly ignored her—and even defended him.
"Why are you writing to that idiot again, Celine?" they said together in unison, both carrying the same grudge toward Niklaus.
Celine suddenly realized they were there and tried to hide the papers.
"That's none of your business! And don't call him that name!"
But Kyle and Leo exchanged a look, then reached out, snatched a bunch of papers from the desk, and ran.
"Hey! Give them back immediately!" Celine shouted and rushed after them, defying the governess who was now also running behind her: "A noble lady should not shout and chase people in the hallways!"
"And you, my dear governess, are running after me now!" Celine replied as she ran.
Inside the dining room of the Vandemir Palace, the atmosphere was calm despite the noise echoing through the palace corridors. The long table made of luxurious wood was covered with a white tablecloth decorated with golden edges. Silverware was meticulously placed beside polished plates, and servants stood waiting for the rest of the noisy family to arrive.
Duke Damian sat at the head of the table. His scrutinizing eyes followed everything with a focus not without sternness. Beside him sat his eldest son, Dion, who was no less composed but carried a quieter tone.
As they spoke, they could hear the usual palace noise—shouting, laughter, and younger siblings running through the hallways.
The duke smiled faintly, as if this was nothing new, then looked at Dion and said with light sarcasm:
"What did Leo do today?"
Dion laughed a little, then took a sip of his tea, relaxing slightly before answering:
"Another prank, of course. This time, he replaced Kyle's formal clothes with a servant's uniform, and now Kyle is chasing him as if it's a matter of life and death."
The duke sighed, but wasn't upset. He knew these squabbles between his children were just part of their daily routine.
But the conversation didn't stop there. It shifted to more serious matters.
"I heard the second prince, Niklaus, has left after making a deal with the emperor," Dion said quietly.
The duke looked at his son for a moment, then leaned back in his seat. His expression showed no surprise, but he knew this news was not ordinary.
Prince Adrian—a close friend of Dion—had told him about this deal.
The news about Niklaus had been strange from the start, but when they first heard about his disappearance, it was shocking—completely unexpected.
He was Celine's fiancé, despite barely showing any interest in the relationship. On the contrary, he completely ignored her.
But now, after his mysterious coma and disappearance months after waking up, it had become truly concerning.
Duke Damian was a friend of the emperor and had known Empress Elisia. But he had always felt a strange feeling toward Niklaus—an uncomfortable sense he never spoke about.
He didn't say anything. He kept his suspicions to himself. But he was never truly comfortable with that boy.
Yet what made him dislike Niklaus even more wasn't just his disappearance—it was knowing that his dear, good daughter loved that "scoundrel."
When he learned that Niklaus had started ignoring her, he felt angry. He didn't see anything in him worth Celine loving.
But despite that, when the emperor proposed the engagement between Niklaus and Celine, he agreed only because his daughter wanted it—not because he believed in the choice.
Duke Damian was someone who could read hostility and friendship from a single glance. He could tell who to trust and who to be wary of without needing many words.
But Niklaus... wasn't something he could understand so simply.
He didn't know if he was friend or foe. He wasn't on any definable side. And that alone made him more cautious around him.
And so, between the sounds of laughter from outside and the heavy conversation inside the dining room, worry about his daughter's future—and the family's future—seeped into Duke Damian's mind without him fully showing it.
But that calm didn't last long.
Suddenly, Kyle and Leo burst into the dining room, running at full speed, while Celine chased them with clear anger—the sound of their rapid footsteps echoing in the large room.
Duke Damian, who had expected such chaos, sighed with mild frustration, but wasn't entirely angry. He had grown used to this scene over and over.
"Are you bullying your sister again?"
He said it in a stern voice. Kyle and Leo paused for a moment, but had no intention of backing down immediately.
Celine, trying to retrieve her letters, looked at her father and said quickly, with clear defiance:
"Tell them to give back my letters, Father!"
The duke looked at his sons, then said quietly but in a tone that brooked no argument:
"Stop fooling around and give the letters back to her."
Kyle, still annoyed, sighed, then looked at his father with mild anger and challenged:
"But she was going to send them to that idiot Niklaus!"
When the duke heard that, he paused for a moment, then felt some internal displeasure—his dear daughter was still sending letters to that boy, despite everything.
For him, he was beginning to suspect that Niklaus had cast a spell on his kind daughter. How could she keep doing this?
But instead of voicing his thoughts, he sighed deeply and then said to Kyle and Leo in a firm voice:
"Apologize to her, and give the letters back immediately."
Hearing that, Celine smiled a clear victorious smile. She looked at her brothers proudly, then said with quiet arrogance:
"Thank you, dear Father."
But Kyle wasn't satisfied. He looked at her with clear annoyance, then said in a grumbling tone:
"Why do you always take her side?!"
Celine smiled at him mischievously, then raised her hand to cover her mouth slightly and stuck out her tongue in hidden playfulness so their father wouldn't see.
Then she said in a calm but clearly challenging tone:
"Apologize to me, and take back calling Niklaus an idiot, and I'll forgive you."
Kyle, clearly shocked, paused for a moment, then looked at her as if he had been personally insulted.
"How can you abandon your twin brother for your fiancé?!"
Leo, standing beside him, laughed quietly, thoroughly enjoying the situation—as did Dion.
But before any of them could respond, a woman entered the room. Her presence was quiet but strong. Her shiny brown hair flowed smoothly over her shoulders, and her honey-colored eyes carried a firm but not harsh gaze.
She greatly resembled Celine in features—but more mature, more balanced.
"How many times have I told you not to call the prince by such rude titles?"
She sighed clearly, as everyone immediately looked at her.
Then they all said in unison:
"Mother!"
As for Duke Damian, he simply looked at her with relief, then said simply, his voice carrying some warmth:
"Dear."