The room fell into an icy silence, the air thick with tension as Kael Renforth stood unmoved, his sharp gaze locked onto Valen Malavant. Valen, clutching his bleeding hand, stumbled back, his bravado crumbling into fury and pain.
"You... you dare?!" Valen snarled, his face pale as his bodyguards scrambled to steady him. "Who the hell do you think you are? You're dead! Your whole family is dead!"
Kael didn't respond with words. He merely shifted his weight slightly, a predator observing its prey. The quiet intensity of his presence sent a chill down the spines of everyone present, including Lady Seraphine and Celine.
From the manor's rear entrance, Lady Catherine Denvair entered, her cane tapping rhythmically against the cold stone floor. Despite her age, the matriarch's presence demanded attention, her stern expression cutting through the chaos.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, her voice firm and steady. Her eyes darted between Valen's trembling form and the blood pooling on the floor.
"Lady Catherine!" Valen cried out, seizing the opportunity to weaponize his injury. "He attacked me unprovoked! This insult won't go unanswered!"
Lady Catherine's gaze shifted to Kael, who stood calmly amidst the chaos, unshaken by the accusations.
"Is this true, Kael?" she asked, her tone cold but calculated.
Kael inclined his head respectfully. "Yes, Lady Catherine. Valen Malavant insulted your granddaughter and disrespected this house. I dealt with it accordingly."
Gasps rippled through the room. Lady Seraphine's face turned pale, and Celine's eyes widened.
"You... you insolent fool!" Lady Catherine's voice wavered, not with anger, but with the burden of consequences. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
Valen, emboldened by her words, sneered through his pain. "You hear that? Even this old lady knows you've overstepped!" He gestured wildly at his guards. "Prepare a message for my father. Tell him the Denvair family has declared war!"
Kael stepped forward, cutting Valen off with a single, glacial glance.
"War?" Kael's voice was quiet but carried a weight that silenced the room. "You think your father's name will shield you from the consequences of your arrogance?"
"Enough!" Lady Seraphine's tone sharp and deliberate, "Valen Malavant, you have insulted my family under my roof and now dare to threaten us? Be grateful I do not throw you and your dogs out myself."
Valen's face twisted in disbelief. "You... you would defend this worthless upstart?"
"Leave, Valen," she snapped, her voice icy. "Tell your father we will settle our debts soon enough. But remember this: the Denvair name is not one you can tarnish without consequence."