Chapter 243: Introduction after dawn

"Paranoid?" Kaden repeated, letting out a short, incredulous laugh. "The Gamma’s son is paranoid about a second-year medical student with horrible combat skills? That’s fucking ridiculous." He shook his head, running a hand over his damp hair. "What is so damn special about her anyway?"

Yet despite his dismissive words, a sudden, sharp prickle of irritation flared in Kaden’s chest. The sheer eagerness of this supposed fiancé—demanding a dawn meeting like some eager hound—rubbed him entirely the wrong way.

"They’re turning this into a circus," Kaden hissed, leaning heavily against the edge of the mahogany desk. "It’s a simple arrangement."

Killian didn’t lift his eyes from his monitor, though his fingers paused over the keys. "Technically, Yuki carries the Ravencourt name now," he replied, his voice flat and smooth. "Whether you like it or not, any public union involving this house is treated like a royal event by the Court. Now go back to your quarters, take a shower, and practice your calmest, most agreeable expression."

Kaden arched a dark eyebrow, his jaw tightening. "My calmest expression? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he snapped

Killian slowly leaned back in his leather chair, resting his chin on his steepled fingers. "It means right now, you look like you’re about to put your fist through a wall. Go fix it."

Kaden let out a harsh, dry bark of a laugh. "Everyone in this damn house is getting on my nerves today." He spun on his heel and headed for the double doors.

"And Kaden," Killian called out, his voice sharp with authority. "Do not slam my door."

Kaden’s hand hovered over the polished brass handle, his muscles tensing with the sudden, violent urge to rattle the frame off its hinges just to spite him. But when he glanced back over his shoulder, Killian’s heavy, unyielding stare pinned him in place. With an irritated growl, Kaden shut the door quietly and stepped out into the quiet hall.

Outside, the first light of dawn was just beginning to bleed across the horizon. Cold, crisp air swept through the open terrace, carrying the sharp, clean scent of morning dew and pine. Through the tall glass windows, a breathtaking twilight stretched from the dark wood tree line to the vast expanse of the sky, painting the clouds in bruised hues of violet, soft indigo, and pale rose. It was a stunning, serene morning—completely wasted on a terrible day. Kaden scoffed, pulling his shirt collar away from his neck, before walking briskly down the corridor toward his quarters.

By seven in the morning, the atmosphere throughout the main estate was buzzing with restrained activity. The hushed whispers of servants echoed through the grand stone hallways, all of them gossiping endlessly about the unexpected dawn introduction.

Yuki made her way down the grand staircase, her soft slippers making almost no sound against the polished steps. She was dressed in a simple, elegant sage-green dress—carefully chosen by the head maid—with her blonde hair gathered neatly at the nape of her neck.

She knew this entire arrangement felt less like a genuine meeting and more like a high-stakes blind date where the outcome had already been determined by power politics. Still, a faint thread of curiosity pulled at her. From what the house chatter suggested, the Gamma’s son was considered remarkably handsome, and his family governed one of the wealthiest, most influential territories under the Ravencourt crest.

As she reached the final landing, low, hurried voices floated up from the grand foyer below. Two maids were standing near the base of the stairs, adjusting oversized crystal vases filled with fresh white lilies, their heads leaned together in conspiratorial gossip.

"I still don’t get it," one maid whispered, trimming a leaf with small silver shears. "The Gamma’s son has never shown a shred of interest in any woman near his age at court. Why agree to an engagement so suddenly?"

"Isn’t it obvious?" the second maid hummed, smoothing the silk ribbon around the vase. "Have you looked at her? Who wouldn’t fall for a face like that? She looks so much like Lady Aevia—and look where that face got Aevia. Straight into the Alpha’s arms."

Yuki’s fingers tightened on the marble handrail until her knuckles turned ghostly white. The subtle implication cut deep—they were painting her as nothing more than a calculating, pretty face riding on her sister’s coattails.

The first maid let out a quiet, amused chuckle. "It’s still strange, though. Why would a man like him bind himself to a chosen mate before he’s even met his fated? He’s still young. He could wait."

The second maid snickered, sliding a fresh lily into place. "He probably assumed he’d never find anyone half as gorgeous as Lady Miyuki anyway. Why wait for a fated bond when you can lock down a Ravencourt beauty right now?"

Yuki stood frozen on the landing, her chest tight, watching the two servants whose backs were completely turned to her.

"How comfortable you’ve all become," a cold, razor-sharp voice echoed down the lower corridor, cutting through the foyer like a blade. "So comfortable that you’ve forgotten whose floor you’re standing on."

The two maids went dead pale. The silver shears slipped from the first maid’s fingers, clattering loudly against the marble floor. They whipped around, their eyes wide with sheer terror as they found Kieran standing at the end of the hall, his blue eyes entirely devoid of warmth.

He was wearing a perfectly tailored, dark charcoal three-piece suit—a rare sight for a man who almost exclusively dressed in relaxed, functional research attire rather than corporate executive wear.

"M-Master Kieran!" the maid stammered, dropping her head. "We—we were just—"

"You have no place speaking the Ravencourt name under a Ravencourt roof," Kieran cut her off, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying register.

Yuki blinked in mild shock from the top of the stairs. He looked genuinely, menacingly furious. The two maids instantly dropped to their knees, bowing their heads until their foreheads nearly touched the cold floor.

"We beg for forgiveness! We were foolish, Master Kieran! Please—"

"Enough of the theatricals," another deep voice drawled from directly behind Yuki.

Yuki’s back stiffened as a familiar, crackling heat settled over her shoulders. She turned her head slightly as Kaden stepped onto the landing beside her. Kaden leaned against the banister, looking down at the trembling maids with utter disdain.

"Report to the head steward for your final payments. We don’t need a pathetic scene dirtying the foyer today."