<h4>Chapter 468: Against his pride</h4>


    Ashna was cleaning the surface of the coffee table in the grand drawing-room when a voice froze her in ce.


    "Where’s the ring that Amelie keeps wearing?"


    She straightened immediately with the cloth clutched in her hand and bowed.


    "Pardon me, Your Highness," Ashna said that betrayed none of her sudden anxiety. "But what kind of ring are you talking about?"


    Gabriel did not reply immediately as he studied her for a moment. His eyes were now narrowed with suspicion.


    "Who is allowed to freely move in this chamber’s rooms, except for you?" Gabriel questioned with a sudden fury. "How can you know nothing about thedy you serve?"


    "Gabriel!"


    Amelie’s voice cut through the tension. "I found the ring," she announced and then turned her gaze to Ashna. "I apologize to you, Ashna, on my husband’s behalf."


    Ashna didn’t raise her head or utter a word. She simply held her silent gaze, maintaining the perfect posture of a servant waiting for dismissal.


    "Where did you find it?" Gabriel asked, his anger instantly dissolving as he crossed the room in three strides to reach Amelie.


    She lifted her hand, pulling a tinum band, the very one he’d ced on her middle finger. "It was in the tiny space between the floor and the dressing table. I think it just fell down and rolled there," Amelie exined, her eyes meeting his pointedly. "You should say sorry to Ashna."


    Gabriel’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t ustomed to offering apologies, particrly not to a member of the domestic staff, and the unfamiliar sensation of yielding chafed against his pride. His dark brows drew together in a hard furrow over his eyes.


    "Say it," Amelie insisted, her voice dropping to a low, non-negotiable murmur. "You got angry at her for no reason."


    Ashna, still maintaining her respectful gaze. "It’s alright, mydy. I should have been careful—"


    Gabriel cut her off, the words forced past his lips, yet carrying a weight of sincerity that surprised even him. "I apologize for my sudden outburst. Please forgive me." The relief of finding the ring was reced by a sting of shame; he had allowed fear to dictate his temper. He had been so consumed with the worry that someone in the pce was involved with Ophelia that he had grossly misjudged the loyal maid.


    Amelie offered Gabriel a faint, knowing smile before turning her gentle attention back to Ashna. "Ashna, I hope you forgive him," she said, her tone softening before giving amand, "Please, could you check on Noah? She’s currently sleeping in the room. Gabriel and I have something important we need to check on immediately."


    Ashna finally raised her eyes, meeting Amelie’s gaze briefly with a look of understanding. "As you wish, My Lady." With a final, swift curtsy, she turned and went to the bedroom, leaving them alone.


    "Scold me," Amelie said. "I lost it," she whispered, inserting the ring in his middle finger.


    "I can’t scold you," Gabriel whispered. "But never remove your ring. It’s not meant to be removed. Keep that in mind."


    "Yes, I won’t," Amelie said.


    ~~~~~


    Zilia lowered the hairbrush to the polished surface of the dressing table. She tilted her head, her gaze fixed on Casaio, who was pacing the length of the carpet, his phone pressed to his ear as he spoke to his beta, Estelle.


    "Not today. Do it tomorrow. I’ll hang up now," Casaio replied and turned sharply toward Zilia. The tension radiating off him was almost palpable.


    "You believe that Juniper helped this beta hunter’s group to grow!?" Zilia asked. "What about their leader? Did you confirm it with him directly?"


    "He has refused speaking," Casaio replied. He ran a hand through his hair. "And June’s ounts are clear. It was definitely her. She won’t admit her faults, of course. Because today is an important event, there’s no council. Else, I would have made sure Juniper is punished to death."


    Zilia rose slowly from the chair. "Cas, don’t make a decision so swiftly. Do you think Juniper would have done such a big thing directly from her own ount? Don’t you think something is terribly wrong here?" She moved closer to him, her hand instinctively reaching for his forearm.


    "I wanted to say the same thing to Nick, but I couldn’t see him. You should talk to him once, with a calm mind. He’s your brother after all. Don’t forget when we both rejected each other, we both were suffering from the pain of that bond-break. Nick was also there for you. He knew your pain." Her eyes implored him. "You should understand his, too. And I think that in his current pain and anger, he’s not fully capable of seeing the truth. Think about it, please, just once."


    This segment introduces a new character and shifts the focus. To make this part feel more immediate and impactful, I’ll intensify Casaio’s bitterness toward his brother, create a more dramatic interruption, and highlight the warmth and relief in the sibling reunion.


    Casaio didn’t move his hand from Zilia’s touch. He knitted his dark brows together, rejecting her appeal.


    "Juniper has always spoken lies since the beginning," he stated. "There was not a single moment when she didn’t lie to us." He sighed. "Dominick is definitely undergoing that pain, I don’t deny it, but I simply can’t rte to him anymore." His eyes, which had once held a shared, easy warmth with his brother, were now entirely devoid of it.


    Their strained conversation was abruptly shattered by a rap on the chamber door, followed by the announcement of a servant from outside about Idris’s arrival.


    Casaio’s posture immediately changed. The rigid tension around his shoulders eased, and a flicker of genuine anticipation crossed his face. He moved quickly to the door and pulled it open.


    Standing on the threshold was Idris with a small, weing smile already curved on his lips.


    "Come in," Casaio said, stepping back to allow him entry.


    Idris walked past him and went straight to Zilia, wrapping his arms around his sister in a fierce, protective hug. "I again returned to the pce," he murmured.


    Zilia held him just as tightly. Her hand naturally rose to rest over his golden hair. "Is everything good at the academy?" she asked, her voice soft with sisterly concern. After what happened only a few days ago, Idris was affected the most. She wondered if the kids at the academy bullied him.