The night was deep and dark. Edgar paced back and forth in his office, his brows tightly furrowed, frustration and contemplation flickering in his gaze.
Days had passed. At first, he had thought Adrian was merely acting out of impulse, throwing a childish tantrum by running away from home. But now, there was still no sign of him. Meanwhile, Elise had already been officially accepted into the Marcellus family.
To Edgar, this was nothing short of absurd.
Finally unable to suppress his irritation, he picked up the phone and dialed Livia's number.
The call connected, and Livia's voice came through, carrying a hint of lazy indifference. "Father, what is it?"
Edgar's tone was harsh as he got straight to the point. "This is ridiculous! What does Marcellus think he's doing? What possible benefit does this bring to his family? Does he not even consider the consequences?"
A soft scoff came from the other end of the line, followed by Livia's amused yet cold voice. "Marcellus is not you. You don't need to worry about him."
Edgar was momentarily stunned into silence. His face darkened instantly. When had this daughter of his become so difficult to deal with?
Taking a deep breath, he forced down his anger. After a long pause, he finally spoke again, his voice slower but firm. "Fine. You win."
Livia said nothing, merely waiting for him to continue.
"We'll each take a step back," Edgar finally relented. "I'll allow them to be together. But now is not the time for a public announcement. I won't openly support them, but I won't oppose them anymore either."
Livia raised an eyebrow, her tone unchanging. "And Adrian?"
Edgar's voice grew heavy. "He has to prove himself. If he wants to protect Elise, he needs to show me that he's capable—capable enough to take over the family, capable enough to earn the respect of our people."
Silence fell over the call. Livia didn't object.
Edgar continued, "Tell him to come back. He doesn't need to see me. Just tell him to get back to work and stop wasting time."
With that, he hung up the phone. Though his tone was still laced with impatience, the suffocating weight in his chest had loosened slightly.
Inside the office, silence lingered for a moment. Edgar stood with his hands behind his back, pacing once again. His footsteps were urgent, his brows furrowed, as if weighing some great decision.
But soon, his steps slowed, and to the bewilderment of the guards outside, a faint smile crept onto his lips.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances.
"Did… did the master just laugh?"
A chill ran down their spines.
Inside the office, Edgar remained lost in thought.
He had spent his entire life controlling everything in the family, dictating the futures of his children. Yet now, for the first time, he saw a change—his children were no longer mere pawns in his grand scheme. They were standing on their own, supporting one another, growing into something more than he had ever anticipated.
Perhaps… this wasn't a bad thing.
Edgar let out a quiet sigh, his gaze drifting toward the deep, silent night outside the window.
—
The night was heavy and still as Livia picked up her phone and dialed Adrian's number.
The call barely had time to ring before it was answered. She could hear his rapid breathing from the other end. Before she could speak, Adrian's voice, low and filled with disbelief, came through.
"Livia? Is that you?"
Livia chuckled softly. "Who else would it be? You sound like you've been waiting."
On the other end, Adrian seemed to hold his breath. After a brief pause, he spoke again, his voice restrained yet carrying a hint of hope. "Do you… have news?"
Livia gave a small nod before realizing he couldn't see her. She then spoke, her tone calm. "Father wants you to come back."
Silence.
It was as if Adrian hadn't heard her clearly. "What… did you just say?"
Livia repeated herself, her tone unwavering. "I said, Father wants you to come back."
A hush fell over the line, thick enough to suffocate. Then, suddenly, Adrian let out a soft laugh—a breathless, almost disbelieving chuckle, carrying a joy that seemed to come from the depths of his heart.
"…You're serious?"
Livia sighed in amusement. "If it were a joke, do you think I'd be calling?"
Adrian laughed again, this time with pure relief. The weight that had been pressing on him for so long seemed to lift in an instant.
"He really agreed?" he asked, as if afraid this was all a dream.
Livia exhaled lightly. "Not entirely." She paused before continuing, "He won't publicly acknowledge your relationship yet. But he won't stand in your way anymore. However—"
Adrian immediately caught the change in her tone. "However, what?"
Livia's voice remained steady. "He has one condition."
Adrian didn't hesitate. "Tell me."
"He wants you to prove yourself." Livia explained, "You need to show that you have the ability to lead the family, that you can handle it on your own. Only then will he truly recognize you—and Elise."
Adrian was silent for a moment, processing her words. Then, his voice came through, stronger than ever.
"I understand."
Nearby, Elise, who had been listening, gently tugged on Adrian's sleeve and asked hesitantly, "What is it?"
Adrian turned to her, his gaze soft yet firm. Taking her hand in his, he murmured, "Livia wants us to go back."
Elise's eyes widened in surprise, her expression tinged with apprehension. "Your father… agreed?"
Adrian smiled, ruffling her hair as he reassured her in a low voice, "Not completely. But at least… the path is open for us now."
Elise took a deep breath, her eyes glistening slightly. A rush of emotions swelled in her chest—nervousness, excitement, uncertainty. But in the end, she nodded, leaning into Adrian's embrace.
"Okay," she whispered.