CHAPTER 104: CHAPTER 104

Aleksandr laughed softly, the sound low and amused, carrying a note of cruelty. "If Meical is not here," he said, eyes glinting, "then perhaps we may manage you quietly, before he returns. One can only hope you are less troublesome than the boy himself."

Min-jae’s gaze did not falter. His body remained relaxed, but every line of him radiated authority. "This is my house," he said, voice firm, each word deliberate. "You are guests. You have no authority here. You will follow the rules of this estate, or you will leave immediately. Do I make myself clear?"

Andrey’s hand twitched, brushing the cane as if on instinct, his expression tightening. "Your house," he repeated, almost mockingly. "And you presume to give orders to the Vukasins? To me? To your elders?"

Tatiana’s lips pressed into a thin line. "This is... improper. It is unbecoming to speak to us in such a manner. Surely, the proper thing would be to defer—"

"Silence." Min-jae’s tone was soft, but it carried the weight of absolute finality. The room shifted perceptibly. Even Aleksandr straightened slightly, if only to see how far Min-jae intended to push his command.

Sanya shifted uncomfortably, glancing from her siblings to Min-jae, and then back again. "Perhaps we should—" she began, her voice timid.

"Do not speak," Min-jae interrupted, eyes meeting hers, calm but unyielding. "You are allowed to be present. Nothing more. Do not attempt to advise them, do not attempt to mediate. This is my household, and my rules alone apply here."

Aleksandr’s smirk returned, slow and deliberate. "So the young man speaks with authority," he said softly. "Interesting. Very... interesting. You really believe a single person can dictate the actions of those who have raised their children with purpose, with intention?"

"I do not need to believe it," Min-jae replied evenly. "I know it. And you will respect it, or you will leave. There will be no further discussion."

Tatiana leaned slightly forward, eyes narrowing, voice low but sharp. "You cannot claim to understand our concerns. Meical’s welfare, the lineage... you disregard them entirely. You allow him to remain in a state contrary to our beliefs. How can you, a guest, presume such authority?"

Min-jae did not flinch. He did not need to. "You are in my home. Your beliefs do not dictate what happens here. You are allowed opinions, nothing more. If those opinions are expressed in demeaning words toward Meical, toward me, or toward my staff, you will leave. Immediately. No discussion. No excuses."

Aleksandr’s eyes glimmered with amusement and cruelty. "Bold words. But what of your strength to enforce them? Surely a word is not enough to restrain what we can do. Are we to simply obey?"

Min-jae’s fingers tightened subtly around the edge of the table. He did not move closer, did not raise his voice. He did not need to. The weight of his presence, the certainty in every word, filled the space more completely than a dozen raised voices could. "You test me at your peril. Meical is not here, but this is still his home as much as mine. I am his husband, and he has entrusted this estate to my protection in his absence. Your actions will be met with immediate removal if you refuse to comply. You may leave now, or you may submit to the rules of this household. The choice is yours."

Tatiana exhaled sharply, a mixture of anger and disbelief, her hands tightening in her lap. Andrey’s jaw clenched, the cane resting on his knees, his knuckles whitening slightly. Aleksandr’s smirk faltered, just barely, replaced by a calculated consideration. Sanya’s eyes widened slightly, her lips parting in the faintest acknowledgment of Min-jae’s authority.

"Perhaps... perhaps we underestimated you," Aleksandr said finally, voice low, controlled, but carrying the unmistakable edge of mocking amusement. "Very well. We will observe your... methods. But know this," he added, leaning slightly forward, the corner of his mouth twitching, "we have influence. Outside these walls, the world does not bend as easily as it does to your little commands."

Min-jae’s eyes did not leave him. "Outside these walls, perhaps. Here, within this estate, I make the rules. Any attempt to undermine them will be met with removal. That is not a threat. It is fact."

Tatiana rose slightly from her seat, the practiced elegance in her movements failing to mask her simmering anger. "We will remember this, and Meical will hear of it. You cannot control everything."

Min-jae’s gaze softened only marginally. "I do not need to control everything. I need only control what is mine. This estate, my husband’s safety, and my household. That is sufficient."

Andrey leaned forward, voice steady, cold. "And what of our son? What of his duty to us, to the family? You cannot... you cannot replace that."

Min-jae’s expression remained calm, unyielding. "I do not replace anything. I preserve what is mine. Meical is loyal to no one but himself and those he chooses to trust. You were given a chance when he was younger. You failed. That is your history, not mine. You are guests. Guests must respect the host. That is all."

Aleksandr’s smirk returned, more controlled now, the amusement less malicious and more resigned. "Very well. You speak with the voice of command. We will see how long it holds."

Sanya let out a faint sigh of relief, a small, almost imperceptible smile forming on her lips. It was the first sign of acknowledgment from the family that Min-jae had won this battle, at least for now.

Min-jae swung himself into the carriage, dropping heavily onto the leather seat. Saar was already there, sitting across from him, posture rigid, eyes scanning the road ahead as if anticipating trouble at every turn. Vanadis didn’t need to come—Saar alone was enough.

Min-jae let out a long, exasperated sigh. The familiar scent of the carriage—leather, polish, faint traces of hay—hit him, and he buried his face in his hands for a moment. He hated this place. Absolutely hated it. Every corner of the Amagi estate reminded him of rules, of obligations, of people he didn’t like, and worst of all, the games they played with power and reputation.

"I don’t want to go," he muttered, his voice low and tight. "I really don’t want to go there."

Saar’s expression didn’t change, but he tilted his head slightly, acknowledging the statement. "Understood, Master. But it’s necessary. You requested the information. This is the only way to gather it."

Min-jae leaned back against the seat, staring at the ceiling, muscles tense. He didn’t even look at Saar. "I know. I just... can’t stand being there. The estate, the people... all of it. It’s suffocating. And I can’t even get through a few minutes without someone trying to tell me who I should be or what I should do."

Saar’s hands rested calmly on his knees. "Then we make it quick. We gather what you need, and we leave. I’ll handle the interactions that might slow you down. You focus on what matters most."

Min-jae let out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah, sure. ’Focus on what matters.’ And what matters is making sure Seraphine doesn’t screw me over again, right?"

"Exactly," Saar replied, tone neutral, but precise. "Everything else is irrelevant. Your safety, your strategy, your objectives. That’s what matters."

Min-jae frowned, his fingers curling into fists as he stared out the window at the passing countryside.

The carriage rattled softly over the cobblestones, each bump reminding him of the hundreds of rules, expectations, and unwelcome presences that awaited him at Amagi estate.

The thought of stepping back into those halls made him tense.

He could feel the walls closing in already, the air thick with judgment before he even arrived.

The carriage lurched forward, and the countryside blurred past the window. Min-jae’s mind ran through the possibilities, the potential witnesses he’d need, the contingencies he had to plan. Seraphine, Veynar, Dorian, each name sparked a cold burn in his chest. He clenched his fists, knuckles whitening.

"I don’t care how many people she’s involved with, how many connections she has," he muttered under his breath, "I’m going to take her down. And when I do, everyone who helped her is going to regret it."

Saar’s eyes flicked to him briefly. "Careful with the phrasing, Master."

"I don’t care," Min-jae shot back without looking. "I’ve had enough of people thinking they can mess with me or Meical. Enough. I’m not waiting anymore."

Saar didn’t respond, but his fingers tightened on the edge of the seat, the subtle gesture betraying his readiness to act at a moment’s notice.

Min-jae slouched slightly, closing his eyes again. The estate loomed in his mind like a dark shadow, and yet he felt a flicker of anticipation, cold and calculated. He would face it. He had to. But he didn’t have to like it.

Not one bit.