The council returned three days later.
Not in person.
That would have been too simple.
The attack came through rumors.
At first, I didn't notice.
Life continued as usual. The servants worked. The mansion remained quiet. Kairo handled his endless responsibilities with the same cold efficiency he handled everything else.
But gradually, something changed.
People started looking at me differently.
Not everyone.
Just enough.
Enough for me to notice.
Enough for me to understand.
"They're talking about me," I said one afternoon.
Kairo looked up from the document in his hand.
"Yes."
I stared at him.
"You knew?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't tell me?"
His expression remained calm.
"You would have found out eventually."
"That's not a reason."
"It is."
I groaned.
"One day, I'm going to throw something at you."
"No, you won't."
The annoying part was that he was right.
I wouldn't.
Unfortunately.
I crossed my arms.
"So what exactly are they saying?"
Silence.
That was never a good sign.
"Kairo."
"They're questioning your legitimacy."
I blinked.
"My what?"
"Your position."
I stared at him.
Then laughed.
Actually laughed.
Because it sounded ridiculous.
"My position?"
"Yes."
"I wasn't aware I had one."
"You do."
"News to me."
Kairo set the document down.
"The council is spreading the narrative that you are unsuitable."
There it was.
The real problem.
Not that I existed.
That I mattered.
Enough to be a threat.
Enough to become a target.
I exhaled slowly.
"And why exactly am I unsuitable?"
"No recognized family."
"Okay."
"No political value."
"Ouch."
"No established social influence."
"That one hurt."
Kairo's gaze remained steady.
"They're attacking everything they can."
I leaned back in my chair.
"So basically, they're saying I don't belong here."
"Yes."
The answer was simple.
Brutally simple.
For some reason, that made me smile.
Kairo noticed immediately.
"You're amused."
"A little."
"Why?"
I looked at him.
Because suddenly, I understood something.
"They're scared."
Silence.
Then—
"Yes."
I laughed softly.
There it was.
The truth.
If I truly didn't matter, they wouldn't bother.
If I truly wasn't important, they wouldn't waste energy trying to remove me.
People only attacked things they considered threats.
And somehow—
I had become one.
"That's almost flattering."
"It isn't intended to be."
"I know."
The room fell quiet.
Then a knock interrupted us.
One of the household attendants entered.
Nervous.
Very nervous.
"K-Kairo."
The attendant immediately bowed.
"What is it?" Kairo asked.
"The guests have arrived."
Guests.
I frowned.
"We have guests?"
"Unfortunately," Kairo said.
That answer alone told me everything.
The attendant looked even more nervous.
"The council representatives are waiting in the reception hall."
Ah.
There it was.
The next battle.
I stood.
"So they're done talking behind my back?"
"No."
"Then why are they here?"
Kairo's eyes darkened slightly.
"Because the rumors didn't work."
That answer sent a chill down my spine.
Not fear.
Understanding.
The council had tried public pressure first.
It failed.
Now they were moving directly.
I looked at Kairo.
"Should I be worried?"
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Without hesitation.
Without doubt.
Just certainty.
Somehow, that helped.
Not because it solved the problem.
But because I trusted it.
The realization startled me.
There had been a time when I questioned everything he said.
Now?
Not anymore.
We walked through the mansion together.
The halls felt quieter than usual.
The servants avoided looking toward the reception room.
Like everyone already knew something important was about to happen.
The large doors opened.
Three people sat inside.
The same older man from before stood when we entered.
His expression remained cold.
Controlled.
Judgmental.
Beside him sat two others.
One alpha.
One omega.
All council members.
All powerful.
All watching me.
Like I was something under examination.
I hated it instantly.
"Kairo," the older man said.
"You requested a meeting," Kairo replied.
Straight to the point.
No politeness.
No warmth.
The man looked annoyed.
Good.
"Sit."
"No."
The atmosphere immediately sharpened.
The council member's eyes narrowed.
"This discussion concerns both of you."
"Then discuss it."
I almost felt bad for them.
Almost.
Trying to control Kairo was like trying to order a storm to sit down.
The older man sighed.
Then turned toward me.
"There are concerns regarding your position."
There it was again.
Position.
I still hated that word.
"What concerns?" I asked.
The omega beside him finally spoke.
"Compatibility."
I blinked.
"Compatibility."
"Yes."
"That's your argument?"
The omega looked surprised by my response.
Probably because I wasn't intimidated.
At this point, I was mostly annoyed.
"You're questioning whether this bond is sustainable."
I looked at Kairo.
Then back at them.
Then laughed.
Again.
The council members looked offended.
Good.
"You think that's the problem?"
The room went silent.
I stood there, suddenly understanding exactly what was happening.
They weren't attacking me because I was weak.
They were attacking me because they couldn't understand why Kairo chose me.
And that—
That was their mistake.
"You keep looking at me like I'm the important part of this equation," I said.
The council members exchanged looks.
I continued.
"But the real issue isn't me."
Silence.
"The real issue is that he already made his choice."
The room froze.
Every eye shifted toward Kairo.
He didn't deny it.
Didn't correct it.
Didn't soften it.
Just stood there.
Certain.
The older council member's expression darkened.
"Personal preference cannot override established systems."
"It already did," Kairo said.
The words hit the room like a blade.
Clean.
Sharp.
Final.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
The council wasn't arguing with me.
They were arguing with him.
And they were losing.
For the first time, I saw it clearly.
The frustration.
The anger.
The realization that pressure wasn't working.
Rumors weren't working.
Authority wasn't working.
Nothing was working.
Because Kairo refused to move.
The older man stood.
"This is becoming dangerous."
"No," Kairo replied.
"It already is."
Silence.
Then Kairo said something that changed everything.
"If you continue this, I will withdraw completely."
The room froze.
Every council member went pale.
I stared.
Because even I understood what that meant.
Power.
Influence.
Resources.
Everything Kairo represented.
The council needed him far more than he needed them.
And they knew it.
The older man looked stunned.
Then furious.
Then—
worried.
For the first time.
Finally.
"You would do that?" he asked.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No bluff.
Just truth.
The room fell silent.
And in that silence, the balance shifted.
For the first time since this started—
the council realized they might lose.
Completely.
The meeting ended shortly after.
No agreement.
No resolution.
Just retreat.
A temporary one.
As the doors closed behind them, I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"...That was intense."
"Yes."
I looked at Kairo.
"You really meant that."
"Yes."
"You'd walk away from all of it."
"Yes."
The answer came so easily.
Like it wasn't even difficult.
I stared at him.
And for a moment—
I couldn't find words.
Because nobody had ever chosen me like that before.
Not completely.
Not without conditions.
Not without hesitation.
Kairo looked at me.
"You look surprised."
"...I am."
A pause.
Then he stepped closer.
Not dramatic.
Not overwhelming.
Just certain.
Like always.
"I already made my choice."
The words were simple.
But somehow—
they meant everything.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, I realized something.
The council wasn't the biggest obstacle anymore.
The biggest obstacle was accepting that someone had already chosen me.
Completely.
And wasn't going to change his mind.