CHAPTER 70: THE POWER THAT WASN’T HERS

[Thorenvald Estate—Dining Hall—Leif’s POV]

The dining hall felt like a crime scene.

No one was dead (yet), but the silence could’ve buried a hundred bodies. The chandelier above glimmered too brightly, the silverware gleamed like interrogation tools, and the only thing louder than my heartbeat was the clink of Alina’s spoon against her plate.

Across the long mahogany table, my parents sat like two marble statues—graceful, elegant, and absolutely terrifying.

Father’s posture was perfect, his expression carved from stone. Mother... she hadn’t looked at me once. Not even a glance. Just methodically cutting her roast lamb like it had personally offended her.

So yeah.

Totally not awkward.

Totally not the aftermath of "Hi, I’m gay and in love with a Duke."

Zephyy sat curled on the empty chair beside me, nibbling on a piece of bread like he was watching the most thrilling drama in town.

Alina, bless her innocent soul, kicked her little legs under the table, whispering, "Brother, Mama and Papa are really quiet today..."

"Yes, Alina," I whispered back, forcing a smile. "That’s because they’re... uh... savoring the silence."

Father’s fork paused midair.

Abort mission.

I reached for my glass of water, pretending the world wasn’t crumbling, and took a long, slow sip.

Mother finally spoke, her tone perfectly calm—too calm. "Leif."

I swallowed. "Yes, Mother?"

Her eyes lifted, sharp and unreadable. "Is what you told us earlier... truly what you want?"

I froze, every excuse dying on my tongue. Her voice wasn’t angry—it was worse. It was soft. Controlled. The kind of tone that made you wish she’d just yelled instead.

"Yes," I said quietly. "It is."

Father leaned back, his gaze steady and heavy. "You understand what this means, don’t you, Leif?"

"I do," I said, gripping the edge of the table to keep my voice steady. "And I don’t regret it."

Silence again.

Even the air felt heavy. Like it had to pick sides.

Then Alina, my tiny guardian angel of chaos, piped up, "Papa, are you mad at brother because he loves someone?"

Both my parents froze.

The silence that followed was deafening—so sharp I could hear the faint crackle of the fireplace.

Then Mother finally sighed, setting her fork down with deliberate care. "Leif..."

Her voice was soft but carried the weight of a thousand unspoken thoughts. I looked up, fingers fidgeting beneath the table. My throat felt dry, my stomach twisting itself into knots.

"We’ve thought a lot about what you said to us," she began. "And I’ll be honest, I still don’t... fully understand it. Loving someone of the same sex—it sounds different. Strange. Something I wasn’t prepared to hear."

My heart thudded painfully.

There it was—the prelude to rejection.

I lowered my gaze, bracing myself for disgust, for disappointment... for that cold silence I’d known too well in another life.

But then her tone softened, and what came next broke me. "...But, my child—if this is what makes you happy, then so be it."

I blinked, my breath hitching. "W-what?"

Father dabbed his lips with his napkin and nodded firmly. "Your mother is right. Leif, all your mother and I want is for you to be happy. If a man brings you joy, if he gives you peace and a life without regret... then that’s enough for us."

Something inside me cracked wide open. The walls I’d built, the years of bracing for rejection—all of it shattered. And before I knew it... tears were falling. Hot, silent, unrestrained.

Mother’s eyes widened in horror. "Wait—what? Why are you crying?!"

She shot up so fast her chair toppled backward with a loud clang! and rushed to my side. "Oh, for heaven’s sake—Leif!" She cupped my face in her trembling hands, wiping my tears like she could physically erase every ache I’d ever felt. "Who made you cry? Was it me?!"

I tried to laugh through the lump in my throat. "N-no... I just... I didn’t think you’d—"

She turned, glaring daggers at Father. "This is your fault!"

Father blinked. "Mine?! What did I do?!"

"You discussed this with me for hours, letting the poor boy overthink! Now look—he’s crying!" she snapped.

"I was being considerate!" Father protested weakly, holding up his hands like a man facing execution.

"Considerate, my foot!" she barked. "You should’ve said ’we love you’ the moment he opened his mouth about him liking a man!"

Father blinked, taken aback. "I—well—" He sighed, lowering his shoulders like a defeated knight. "Alright... I shall take the blame."

"Good," she huffed, folding her arms.

I couldn’t help it—I let out a shaky laugh and threw my arms around her. "Thank you, Mom. Thank you for accepting who I am. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Her hands instantly came up to cradle the back of my head, her voice warm and trembling. "You’re our son, Leif. No matter what the world says, you’ll always be that same boy who ran to me crying after scraping his knee. Love who you wish to love—just don’t forget you’ll always have a home here."

My throat tightened again. And for the first time in both of my lives—Renji Takeda’s and Leif Thorenvald’s—I felt truly, utterly loved.

But then...

Mother’s gentle tone shifted. Her voice darkened like storm clouds rolling in. Her eyes narrowed, sharp enough to pierce armor.

"...However."

I froze. "...However?"

Her lips curled into a smile that was anything but gentle. "I don’t accept you calling anyone else ’mother.’" She leaned closer, voice low and dangerous. "I. AM. YOUR. ONLY. MOTHER."

I gulped audibly. Zephyy, sitting in the corner, made the sign of the cross for me. Alina whispered, "Mama’s scary again..."

And just when I thought the storm had passed—Father joined in.

He dabbed his mouth neatly with his napkin, but his voice dropped an octave. "And another thing..." His smile was too calm. "I would very much like to meet that man—Grand Duke Alvar, was it? The one who dared to seduce my son."

My blood ran cold. "I-I wouldn’t say seduce, Father. It’s more like... uh... he just—stood there and I tripped emotionally."

Father ignored me entirely, continuing in a deceptively calm tone. "I’d like to test him."

Mother’s eyes glinted. "Yes. Test him. Let’s see if this duke of yours can survive a proper Thorenvald dinner."

I stared at them both, laughter escaping me nervously. "Hahaha... sure... test him? yes, that sounds perfectly safe and not terrifying at all."

And just like that, my moment of peace was over. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling and muttering under my breath.

"Guess... Alvar’s doomed now."

***

[Alvar’s POV — Perfume Store, Underground Chamber]

The faint scent of rosewood and iron mingled in the air. Behind the veil of a perfumery’s gentle fragrances, blood and secrecy thrived.

"...You five," I said, my voice echoing through the dimly lit chamber, "will guard Lord Leif Thorenvald. Every breath he takes, every shadow that crosses his path—you will see it. Report every movement, every whisper. I want nothing slipping past you."

The five shadows knelt, heads bowed low.

I continued, tone turning or-sharp. "If I discover even a hint of negligence... the next thing you see will be my sword." My eyes narrowed. "And then, your death."

A silence heavier than steel followed.

Then, from behind me—a low, amused chuckle."And what," came Lenz’s lazy drawl, "if that danger is you, Grand Duke?"

I turned, meeting the guildmaster’s smirk where he lounged on a velvet couch, legs crossed as if we were discussing the weather, not murder.

I looked back at the shadows."Even if that danger is me,"

I said, "you will protect him from me. No matter what happens—Leif must remain safe."

They nodded once, vanishing into the darkness like ghosts. When they were gone, I finally exhaled, sinking into the chair across from Lenz. He was still smiling that infuriating, knowing smile.

"I must admit," he said, leaning forward, "you’re going to extreme lengths for a man. Makes one wonder why."

I met his eyes—cold, unwavering. "I have no intention of explaining what he means to me, Lenz. You’ll understand it soon enough."

For a moment, the guildmaster studied me silently. Then he chuckled. "Looks like the great Grand Duke Alvar is bringing a big change. The empire might tremble at that."

"Change," I murmured, resting my elbow on the armrest, "is inevitable. Necessary." My gaze sharpened. "Now—about the matter of the stolen royal seal. Did you find anything... suspicious?"

Lenz’s grin widened. "Just as you suspected. It wasn’t Elowen who stole the Crown Prince’s seal. It was the Second Prince."

I knew it.

He tilted his head, eyes glinting. "Still... that girl, Elowen, is an interesting piece on this board. I found something strange about her."

I frowned. "Strange?"

"She gained her divine power three years ago," Lenz said casually.

My eyes narrowed. "And what’s suspicious about that?"

Lenz’s smirk turned dark. "Grand Duke, no one gains divine power. You’re born with it. The divine is tied to your soul—it doesn’t just appear. The most it can do is awaken late. But Elowen’s power... it wasn’t awakened. It was acquired. Which means she either borrowed it..."

"Or stole it," I finished.

The words lingered like poison in the air.

I leaned back in my chair, fingers drumming the armrest slowly. The realization struck with icy precision.

Leif.

If Elowen gained her power only three years ago...

Then—no. It couldn’t be.

Could it?

My grip on the armrest tightened. Don’t tell me... Elowen borrowed or stole Leif’s power.

But how? How could she have taken what is bound to the soul? And why... why doesn’t Leif know?

Lenz watched me silently, his smirk fading as my aura darkened, filling the chamber with an icy, oppressive chill.

"Careful, Grand Duke," he said quietly. "You look like a man ready to start a war."

I stood, buttoning my coat with deliberate calm. "If that’s what it takes to protect what’s mine..." I looked down at him, eyes cold as frost. "...then so be it."