Vale Estate | The Morning After
The Vale Estate was the kind of place where even wealth felt outclassed. The air smelled expensive—like aged mahogany, imported jasmine, and the unspoken expectation that you knew at least five different etiquette rules before stepping inside. It was a fortress of refined opulence, where silence itself carried a price tag.
Freya had been here before. Many times. But today was different.
Today, she wasn't here for Nevaris.
She was here for his mother.
And Celestine Vale was a battlefield all her own.
The maid who escorted her through the estate was painfully formal, her movements precise, her voice a whisper. "Madam Vale is waiting for you in the garden."
Freya nodded, stepping out onto the stone pathway. The estate's garden was breathtaking—lush greenery sculpted with the kind of perfection that suggested even the trees had personal stylists.
Under the shade of an immaculately pruned willow tree, Celestine Vale sat at an elegantly arranged marble table, a delicate tea set before her. She looked like she belonged there—serene, untouchable, and completely in control.
She barely glanced up as Freya approached.
"Freya, dear," Celestine greeted smoothly, gesturing toward the chair across from her. "Come, sit."
Freya obeyed, lowering herself carefully into the seat. Celestine poured the tea herself—an act Freya found oddly deliberate. Women of her status rarely lifted a finger if they didn't have to.
"I hope you don't mind Earl Grey," Celestine said lightly. "It's a personal favorite."
Freya accepted the cup, noting how perfectly brewed it was. Not a single stray tea leaf. Not a drop spilled. Absolute precision.
"I don't mind," she answered.
Celestine studied her over the rim of her teacup, her gaze carrying the weight of someone who had built empires without lifting a sword.
"How long have you worked for my son?" she asked.
"Five years."
Celestine hummed. "And before that?"
Freya hesitated. Celestine wasn't the type to ask questions she didn't already know the answers to.
"I was a mercenary," Freya answered honestly.
Celestine nodded approvingly, as if she had just confirmed a theory. "And now, you guard him."
Freya gave a slight smirk. "That wasn't part of the job description."
Celestine chuckled. "No, I imagine it wasn't."
She set down her teacup, her expression shifting slightly. "He was always reckless, you know. Even as a child."
Freya tilted her head slightly. "Oh?"
Celestine's lips curled, almost amused. "He used to play the fool. Act like he didn't understand things, just to watch how people reacted. But he was always watching. Calculating."
Freya wasn't surprised. That sounded exactly like Nevaris.
Celestine's eyes glinted. "When he was seven, he convinced the household staff to do his assigned reading for him in exchange for smuggling them imported chocolates. He never got caught."
Freya chuckled, shaking her head. "That sounds about right."
Celestine exhaled, her expression growing more thoughtful. "He reminds me of his grandfather."
Freya stilled.
She had never heard Nevaris mention his grandfather. Not once.
Celestine stirred her tea absently. "My father-in-law was a force of nature. He built the foundation of our empire with his own hands. Ruthless. Brilliant. Unshakable." A pause. "He was the only one Nevaris ever listened to."
Freya remained silent, absorbing that.
Celestine continued, voice quieter. "He saw things differently. The world wasn't just business to him—it was a game. A war. And he played to win."
Freya knew that Nevaris had built his empire on his own. But now she understood where the foundation had come from.
Celestine finally met her gaze. "You remind me of him."
Freya blinked. "Excuse me?"
Celestine leaned forward slightly. "He never bowed to anyone. Never let anyone dictate his pace. Just like you."
Freya wasn't sure what to say to that.
Celestine sighed, sitting back. "I suppose what I'm saying is… thank you."
Freya blinked again, thrown off. "For what?"
"For keeping him grounded," Celestine answered simply. "For making sure he doesn't lose himself."
Freya looked down at her tea.
She had never thought of herself that way.
Nevaris was reckless, unpredictable, and impossible to control. But she had never considered herself his anchor.
She had just… been there.
Celestine smiled slightly, reading her silence. "You should visit more often."
Freya raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to recruit me?"
Celestine smirked. "Perhaps."
Freya smirked back. "Nevaris would throw a fit."
Celestine sighed dramatically. "Yes, well. He'll survive."
They sat in comfortable silence before Celestine spoke again, her voice softer.
"I have a feeling you'll be in his life for a long time, Freya."
Freya glanced at her, unsure how to respond.
Celestine's knowing smile returned. "And for that, I'm grateful."
Freya exhaled, setting down her teacup.
This woman was terrifying in an entirely different way than Nevaris.
And for some reason…
Freya didn't mind it.
Maybe—just maybe—
She even liked it.