The Valmere Estate stood at the center of Lunaris like a silent fortress.
Tall stone walls surrounded the noble residence, guarded by trained soldiers at every entrance.
Inside the estate, servants moved quietly through the grand halls.
None of them dared to make unnecessary noise tonight.
Everyone had already heard.
The young master had returned in a… disgraceful state.
Inside a large private chamber, Cassian Valmere stood beside a table.
He had already changed clothes.
But the humiliation from earlier still burned in his mind.
His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
Outside the room—
Heavy footsteps approached.
The door opened slowly.
Lord Edric Valmere stepped inside.
His presence alone made the room feel colder.
Cassian straightened immediately.
"Father."
Edric closed the door behind him.
His sharp eyes studied his son carefully.
Cassian avoided direct eye contact.
Edric spoke first.
"I heard there was an incident."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Cassian immediately seized the opportunity.
"Yes, father."
He took a deep breath and began speaking.
"I was inspecting one of our restaurants earlier today."
Edric said nothing.
Cassian continued.
"When I arrived, I found a suspicious woman occupying one of the private rooms."
He slowly began twisting the story.
"She refused to identify herself."
"I suspected she might be a spy or a criminal."
"So I asked her to reveal her identity."
Edric's expression remained unreadable.
Cassian continued confidently.
"But instead of cooperating…"
"That woman suddenly attacked us."
He gestured toward his chest.
"She used some strange power to threaten the guards and insult the Valmere family."
Cassian clenched his jaw.
"I ordered the guards to arrest her."
"But she escaped before we could capture her."
Silence filled the room.
Edric slowly walked toward his son.
His footsteps echoed across the marble floor.
Cassian felt a small bead of sweat form on his neck.
Edric stopped a few steps away.
"You were inspecting a restaurant," Edric repeated slowly.
"Yes, father."
"You suspected a spy."
"Yes."
"You asked her to identify herself."
Cassian nodded.
Edric looked at him quietly for a moment.
Then—
He turned slightly.
Standing near the wall was a man dressed in dark armor.
Edric's personal guard.
The man had remained silent the entire time.
Edric spoke calmly.
"Tell me what happened."
The room became still.
Cassian's head snapped toward the guard.
The guard hesitated briefly.
Cassian's eyes burned with anger.
A silent warning.
Do not speak.
But the guard lowered his head respectfully toward Edric.
"My lord…"
Cassian's jaw tightened.
The guard continued.
"The young master did not go there to inspect the restaurant."
Edric remained silent.
"He entered a private room occupied by a woman and her child."
Cassian's glare grew colder.
The guard continued carefully.
"The young master demanded she remove her veil."
Cassian clenched his fists.
The guard kept speaking.
"When she refused, the young master attempted to remove it himself."
Edric's eyes slowly narrowed.
"The woman warned him to leave."
"But the young master ordered the soldiers to arrest her."
Cassian finally snapped.
"You traitor!"
The guard didn't react.
He simply finished his report.
"The woman then released an overwhelming pressure."
"The soldiers were unable to move."
Cassian's face turned red with rage.
"YOU—"
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the entire room.
Cassian's head snapped sideways.
Edric's hand slowly lowered.
A red mark instantly appeared on Cassian's face.
The room fell silent.
Cassian stood frozen.
Shock filled his eyes.
Edric stared at him coldly.
"You tried to force a woman to reveal her face."
Cassian said nothing.
"You abused your authority."
Silence.
"You lied to me."
Cassian slowly clenched his fists.
Edric's voice became colder.
"Do you know what would have happened if that woman had decided to kill you?"
Cassian said nothing.
Edric continued.
"You and your guards would be corpses."
"And our family would have gained a powerful enemy."
Edric's voice grew heavier with disappointment.
"You were humiliated today because of your own stupidity."
Cassian's breathing became heavy.
Edric stepped closer.
"Strength without discipline is worthless."
Cassian kept his head lowered.
Edric's voice echoed across the room.
"You will not leave this estate for the next ten years."
Cassian's eyes widened slightly.
"You will cultivate."
"You will train."
"And you will learn how to behave like a member of the Valmere family."
Cassian's nails dug into his palms.
Ten years.
Edric turned away.
"Until then, you are forbidden from involving yourself in any family matters."
Cassian finally spoke.
"…Father—"
Edric stopped at the doorway.
But he did not turn around.
"Consider yourself fortunate."
His voice was quiet now.
"Because if that woman had been less merciful…"
"…you would already be dead."
Edric opened the door.
Then he left the room.
The door slowly closed behind him.
Silence returned.
Cassian stood alone.
The red mark on his face still burned.
Across the room, the personal guard remained standing quietly.
Cassian slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were filled with cold fury.
He stared at the guard.
The guard remained expressionless.
Cassian then slowly turned toward the door his father had just walked through.
His gaze darkened.
He stared at it for a long time.
Long enough for the anger inside him to settle into something colder.
Something quieter.
Something far more dangerous.
Cassian whispered softly to himself.
"…Ten years."
His fingers slowly curled into fists.
Then he glared at the door his father had left through.
The humiliation of today…
Would not be forgotten.
Cassian remained standing in the silent room long after his father had left.
The sting on his cheek had faded, but the humiliation burned deeper than the slap itself.
Ten years.
Ten years locked inside this estate.
His fists slowly tightened.
In the corner of the room, the guard stood motionless, as if nothing had happened.
Cassian glanced at him briefly, his eyes cold.
Then he looked back at the door.
The woman.
The pressure.
The shame.
Every moment replayed inside his mind.
He would remember it all.
One day, he would step out of this estate again.
And when that day came—
Things would be very different.