Bound by the Mark of Lies (BL) Chapter 31 - 26: Homecoming (2)

Gabriel did not say anything; he had a lot to unpack. The chambers Theo led him into were vaguely familiar, but like everything he knew prior to the contract, he felt lost in them.

There were traces of a man he would never et, including clothes in the closet, books in a corner of the room, an armchair, and a desk with supplies still on it. It was as if the master had never left. Everything seed so... natural. So alien to him. He had no place in that part of the manor, or any other part for that matter.

Theo was silently watching the man in front of him, attempting to reconcile the Gabriel he knew with the one he saw now. Gabriel had once been unshakeable—witty, confident, and always one step ahead. He had seen him growing up, bound by blood and the unspoken duty of their family na. Gabriel had been Theo's mischievous but brilliant younger brother, always challenging him in strategy gas and finding flaws in the lessons their tutors taught them.

He, too, had been overly proud, constantly striving to prove himself, to be on equal footing with Theo and their other siblings. Even when Gabriel was younger, he never wanted to be coddled. He would been stubborn to a fault, determined to carve out a place for himself in a family of strong-willed people.

But now? Now, Theo could see the cracks. Gabriel's confidence, which he used to wear like a second skin, had faded, and his movents were cautious, almost hesitant, as if he no longer trusted the ground beneath him. The way his fingers ghosted over the book spines, the long pause before he looked at anything too familiar—it was all off.

Theo folded his arms and maintained a asured voice. "Do you rember this room?"

Gabriel let out a quiet breath, shaking his head. "No. Not really."

Theo felt a sharp pain in his chest, but he managed to mask it. This was Gabriel's room. It had been his safe haven, a place where he could escape the weight of expectations. The last ti Theo stood here, Gabriel had been poring over a book and complaining about so dull historical text their father insisted he study. That mory felt like a lifeti ago.

"You spent years here," Theo said, keeping his tone even. "Used to drive the house staff mad, rearranging everything every few months. Said you needed things to 'feel right.'"

Gabriel gave a dry chuckle, but there was no genuine amusent in it. "That does sound like sothing I would do." He did not want his family to know how he lived by now; he suspected Theo already knew. Gabriel worked tirelessly to ensure that he would not rember. He was afraid of the mories that awaited him.

Theo studied him, looking for any traces of the brother he once knew. "You don't have to pretend with , Gabriel. I know sothing happened. I just don't know how much."

Gabriel's fingers curled slightly, and his shoulders tensed. "I will let you know as soon as I can."

It was not enough, but Theo knew better than to press too hard. Not yet. But one thing was certain—this wasn't over. And Gabriel wasn't going to face it alone.

Gabriel hesitated before speaking again. "Theo... the woman downstairs. Is she... our mother?"

Theo blinked, caught off guard by the question. Then, his expression softened slightly. "Yeah. That's her. You really don't rember?"

Gabriel shook his head. "No. There were little to no pictures of her. I don't recall anything. I forgot everything that happened before and during the contracting process. I've learned about you and the rest from dia and what I could gather. "

Theo sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "She is a military officer. Lieutenant colonel Elowen von Jaunez. She was in charge of maintaining control over the empire's southern regions. A lot of people there still fear her na." He paused, glancing at Gabriel. "She ca back for you, you know. She clashed with the other officers, none of whom wanted her to leave her position. But she gave it all up. The empire is stable now, and she refused to stay away any longer."

Gabriel's lips pressed into a thin line. "She left everything... for ?"

Theo nodded. "Yeah. And she is aware of what Pete has done. She wanted to kill him herself. She is mad at for confronting him without her." He robbed his nape while awkwardly looking out the large window. He would kill Pete a hundred tis over if that were possible.

Gabriel exhaled slowly, the weight of the revelation settling on him. He was not sure how he felt about it or about her, but he did know one thing: he had a lot more to deal with than just his mories. Every eting with his family unleashed a new nest of emotions.

A knock at the wooden door broke the silence. A tall family servant entered the room and bowed slightly to the young masters.

"I apologize for interrupting your conversation, but the Lord requires both of the young masters in his study. He and his mistress are waiting for you." He, like the other new servants, was curious about the youngest master. He took few glances at him; he was a dominant oga, which was uncommon. Ogas made up less than 5% of the population, with dominant ogas accounting for only a fraction of that.

Theo dismissed the servant with a flick of his hand, the silver ring of House van Jaunez sparkling in the light of the large chandelier. All heirs typically wore a silver ring with their house sigil, which would turn gold if the current head died.

Theo exhaled, turning toward the door. "Co on. The family's waiting. We've got a war to prepare for."

Gabriel hesitated for just a second before following, leaving behind a room filled with ghosts of mories he could no longer touch.