Chapter 3

Three days ago, Raven told me there was a territorial dispute in the south that required his presence. Vera was more familiar with the clan relations there. It was a reasonable explanation. I had no grounds to object.

Before they left that morning, I slipped the Dissolution of Betrothal and Resignation from Clan into the middle of his approval stack. I had prepared it carefully, every clause in order. He did not read it. His seal went on without a second glance.

Three days remained. Once I finished handing over my remaining responsibilities, I would be done.

I hesitated, then called Elder Vane. He had been my mentor during my training, now holding a senior position at the Twilight Institute, one of the most prestigious research centers among the blood clans abroad.

It was ironic. In my final year, I had ranked among the top in my cohort, and the Institute had extended an offer for an advanced position. All I had to do was sign. But Raven's clan was still finding its footing, and he said he needed people he could rely on. I declined the offer with a single letter. Elder Vane called personally to convince me otherwise. I did not listen.

I explained my situation briefly, bracing for him to remind me of what I had thrown away. But he did not scold me. He only said he had heard about recent events in Ashford and had considered whether to ask if I wanted to return. Then he asked, "Have you made up your mind this time?"

I told him yes. The dissolution had already been submitted.

Behind me, a voice said, "Dissolution? What dissolution?"

I turned. Raven stood in the doorway. He had just returned from the south a day early.

I locked my phone and said nothing, still working out how to respond.

His phone buzzed first. Vera's name lit up on the screen. He glanced at it, opened the message. Photos appeared, two or three, showing what looked like formal attire samples. A message followed: "Meeting the vassal envoy tomorrow. Do you think this one works, or should I go with the darker one?"

Raven studied the images for several seconds, then replied with a voice message, his tone as serious as if reviewing official business. "Either one. You'll command the room regardless." After a pause, he added, "Your ability speaks for itself. It's more than any outfit can match."

His voice was relaxed, easy, familiar. When he finished speaking and looked up, he seemed to notice me again. "You're still up?"

Whatever he had just heard about dissolution was already gone from his mind.

I gave a faint smile. "Just putting things away."

"You look tired," he said, brow creasing slightly. "Don't push yourself."

I did not bother explaining that I was tired because of the work he kept piling onto my desk. "I'll head to bed soon."

A minute later, I heard him laugh in the bedroom. I sat at my desk and opened one of the recent publications from the Twilight Institute. Five years. Their research priorities had rotated multiple times.

Even with Elder Vane's support, I would need to catch up before I could contribute. My foundations were still solid, at least. It would not take long to get back up to speed.

"Reading old texts?"

I had not heard him return.

"Go ahead," he said, sliding the book slightly closer to me. "Just don't stay up too late. There's always tomorrow."