The Kingmaker System-Chapter 384 - 383. I Have Homes (1)

After a couple of days’ journey, we finally returned to Sestia. I sent Lyall back to Ryujin—his family lived there, and he deserved a moment to breathe. As for me, I went straight home—to Aurelius.

The carriage came to a gentle halt, and the door creaked open. The coachman stepped forward and offered his gloved hand, which I took as I descended. My pale blue dress rippled softly in the breeze, the fabric catching light like water under the sun. My long hair had been neatly braided and tucked beneath a white hat. I had sent Nox ahead to inform them of my return, so I wasn’t surprised to find the entire Aurelius household gathered at the entrance, waiting.

The mansion’s personnel had gathered in neat rows, and at the front stood my father, Duke Arthur Aurelius, alongside his ever-dutiful aide, Viscount Case Ainsworth. Even from a distance, I could see it—both of them had aged. Significantly.

"Reina!" My father rushed forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.

I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him, gently patting his back.

"Welcome back, my little Princess," he murmured.

He felt lighter in my arms. When he finally pulled away, I noticed the tears glistening in his eyes.

"I missed you," he said.

I smiled softly. "I was only gone a couple of months, Father. Barely even two."

"Even a single day away from you makes me miss you, my child."

He stepped back, giving me a quick once-over like he was checking for damage. "Are you well? Did you eat properly? You didn’t eat anything bad, right?"

I reached out and held his arms, my gaze tightening. "I should be asking you that. Have you been skipping meals again?"

"What? No, of course not!" he spluttered.

But Viscount Ainsworth cleared his throat meaningfully. "He’s been neglecting his meals more frequently ever since you left, My Lady."

"Y-You weren’t supposed to say that!" Father shot the Viscount a betrayed look.

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips. "That’s settled then. We’ll have lunch together. I’ll bathe and change first."

Father visibly relaxed, smiling again. "What about dinner? Are you going to Ryujin? Oh! Why don’t you invite Kai over? He’d be thrilled to have dinner with us!"

I shook my head gently, smiling. "No, it’s fine. I’ll go to Ryujin tomorrow."

He seemed slightly disappointed, but didn’t protest. I turned him around, linking my arm with his as we walked back toward the mansion.

The staff bowed as we passed.

"Welcome home, My Lady," they said in unison.

After a long, warm bath, I changed into something comfortable and made my way downstairs with Nox by my side. The quiet sound of our footsteps echoed faintly in the halls until we reached the dining hall, where Father was already waiting.

The table had been set neatly, and the scent of freshly prepared dishes lingered in the air. As I took my seat, the staff began serving the food. Just as the plates were placed, Father leaned forward with a smile.

"So," he began, tone light, "how is Rune? And how did everything go?"

The question came like a sharp arrow to my chest. My hand, instinctively tense, pushed the knife down a little too hard—it scraped against the porcelain with a harsh screech before the plate shattered beneath it.

"Oh, my!" Father exclaimed, startled, and a maid quickly rushed forward to replace the broken plate.

"I’m sorry," I whispered, eyes low.

"It’s fine, Reina. Are you hurt?" he asked gently.

I shook my head. "No. I’m fine."

But I wasn’t. I resumed eating for the sake of appearances, but the food tasted like ash in my mouth. My appetite had long vanished. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Father’s voice cut through the heavy silence again. "Reina, did something happen there?"

I lowered my gaze, my grip tightening on the fork before I slowly exhaled.

"The treaty went well. The three Princes were received warmly by the people of Denril, and everything... on the surface, went just as we hoped."

Father smiled, clearly relieved. "That’s good news."

"But..." I hesitated, the words thick on my tongue, "I... Well..."

I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I couldn’t admit that I had interfered with my brother’s budding relationship—that I had made choices in his place, thinking I knew what was best. My father must have sensed it, because he didn’t press.

Instead, he reached across the table and placed a warm hand over mine.

"It’s all right, Reina," he said, voice steady. "If you’re not ready to talk, I’ll wait."

I closed my eyes briefly, overwhelmed by the quiet, unshakable love in his voice. I didn’t deserve this—this patience, this unwavering trust. They always gave me too much. Enough love to last more than just one lifetime.

I nodded wordlessly.

He let the moment rest before changing the subject, asking me about Denril, the journey, and the things I had seen. I answered him as best I could, deliberately avoiding Rune and Celestia. And then, before I knew it, the meal was over and the afternoon faded into a quiet blur.

Later, I sent Nox to Ryujin with a message—Roan’s command to gather my vassals for a meeting a week from now. The sun was already low in the sky by the time I found myself in the library, where silence reigned, wrapping around me like a cloak.

I sat alone in front of the chessboard. The ivory pieces were untouched, perfectly aligned in their starting positions, each one waiting patiently. Waiting for movement. For action. For someone to decide the first sacrifice.

But I didn’t move them.

I had touched these pieces so many times before. Set them into motion, plotted outcomes, crafted victories—sometimes at the cost of people’s hearts. Now, I couldn’t even bring myself to lift a finger. I stared at them, haunted.

The door creaked open behind me.

Footsteps approached softly.

"Oh?" Father’s familiar voice filled the room. "Were you playing?"

"No," I replied, eyes still on the board.

He walked over and took the seat across from me.

"Shall we play?"

"No," I said again, a little quieter this time.

He studied me carefully, then leaned forward with a gentle furrow in his brow. "Reina, sweetheart... what’s wrong? You’ve been carrying something heavy since you returned. Did something happen in Denril?"

I looked away.

The silence stretched between us like a fragile thread.

Then I spoke, "I... I did something bad."

He waited.

"Can you tell me about it?" he asked softly.

I licked my lips, suddenly aware of how dry they felt. "I... crossed a line. I interfered. I messed up Big Brother’s engagement."

There it was—raw and unfiltered.

His brows rose slightly in surprise, but he said nothing.

So I told him everything. Every moment. Every choice I had made. I watched his face carefully as I spoke, bracing myself for anger or disappointment. But all he did was listen. When I finished, he sighed.

"And he didn’t say a word after that? You just returned?"

I nodded, unable to lift my gaze.

"My girl..." he murmured, standing from his chair. He walked over and knelt beside me, gently taking my hands in his.

"You did what you believed was right."

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "I crossed a line. It’s like... it’s like everyone around me has turned into a chess piece. I can’t stop seeing them that way. Always moving them, always planning. I didn’t even realize when I stopped feeling."

I rubbed my hands across my face. "This habit of mine... it’s going to destroy me."

Father smiled softly, brushing a hand over mine.

"Do you see me as a chess piece?" he asked.

My head snapped up, eyes wide. "Of course not!"

He chuckled. "And Rune?"

"No!"

"Then you haven’t lost your heart, Reina. What you did may have been misguided, but not malicious. You tried to protect him the only way you knew how. That matters. And Rune will come to understand that, too. We trust you. We always have. Don’t let one mistake become a burden too heavy to carry."

His words wrapped around the guilt and quietly unraveled it.

"You think he’ll forgive me?" I asked, voice low.

Father nodded. "I know he will. That boy loves you more than anything in this world."

I stared at him for a long moment, thinking I might cry. But the tears didn’t come. I felt only a strange kind of stillness. As if my body was too tired to mourn anymore.

"Come now," he said gently, rising to his feet. "Let’s go have dinner."

And I followed him.

We had a quiet dinner with only the small talk before I retired to my room feeling considerably better after talking to Dad. I lay in my bed dressed in my pajamas and Nox hooted.

"Hopefully, he’ll forgive me." I mumbled and then turned over my chest facing Nox.

"What do you think, Nox? Will my brother forgive me?" I asked brushing my fingers over his soft, obsidian black feathers making him hoot.

I sighed and lay quietly in my bed staring off in the space until I dozed off.

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