Selyne Astaford had returned to her mansion that same day she met Cassian.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Valeria. She scanned the room, feeling slightly uncomfortable — something unusual for her typically relaxed nature. Her daughter, of course, noticed it immediately.

"Mom?" Valeria asked, her tone questioning.

Selyne tried to keep calm.

"What is it?" she replied, standing firm and trying to downplay whatever Valeria was about to ask.

"You’re acting weird... You usually come back more relaxed from the dessert shop."

Selyne let out a forced laugh.

"Don’t talk nonsense. I’m relaxed."

"If you say so..."

The Duchess frowned and quickly changed the subject.

"I met one of your classmates..."

Valeria looked at her mother in confusion. "Classmate?"

"Yes, you know, the one you talk about... the fiancé of that Windsteel girl."

"Cassian?"

"Yes. I hope you don’t get too close to him; he’s an unpleasant person," she declared, trying to hide how deeply Cassian’s words had shaken her.

The sword enthusiast looked at her mother with confusion.

"I don’t know why you’d think that, but Cassian isn’t as bad as you believe," she defended him.

"Isn’t he?" Selyne asked, her tone sharper than she intended. Realizing it, she lowered her voice. "Either way, you have to listen to me. Besides, I heard he already has another fiancée."

"Morgana..." Valeria whispered. "Many nobles have more than one fiancée, Mom. You can’t blame him for that just because you never let Dad take another woman."

"Hmph. That man died too soon..." Selyne’s expression grew heavy and melancholic. "He would never have done something like that. He wasn’t like Frederick Valois. Cordelia has it hard."

Valeria fell silent after her mother’s words, as if pondering something that unsettled her.

"Mother..." she began hesitantly. "How did you realize that Dad was the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?"

Selyne looked at her daughter in surprise. Valeria had never been the type to care about such matters. However, the fact that the first time she asked something like this was precisely because of that man... made her sigh.

"I met your father when we were young, Valeria. Back then the empire wasn’t exactly at peace. Between neighboring territories seeking to expand and the lack of a strong pillar in the empire, everything was much more difficult. We fought together on the front lines and, somehow, one thing led to another until we ended up together."

Valeria didn’t look entirely convinced, but Selyne didn’t wait for another question. She reminded her, "Remember what I told you — stay away from that man," and walked away with hurried steps, leaving a stunned Valeria behind.

...

Back to Cassian, who was thoroughly enjoying the scene he had orchestrated.

It was a clash of contrasts: his own soft, harmless smile against her sharp, ancient gaze.

Cassandra’s clothing accentuated her figure, exceptionally well-preserved despite the passing years. The fabric clung elegantly to her hips in an almost provocative way, making it clear that beneath that authoritative robe hid the body of a woman in her prime of mature splendor.

The slight movement of her crossed leg revealed a firmness that didn’t match someone who should merely be an "old woman."

Cassian analyzed her shamelessly.

Cassandra noticed this with growing anger. For someone like her, who boasted of a "natural talent" (though in reality she had resorted to unorthodox techniques to reach her current state), this was the first time anyone had dared look at her with such insolence.

Between the empire’s constant problems and her complete disinterest in romantic affairs, Cassian’s gaze was as irritating as it was obvious.

The message one of her informants whispered in her ear at that moment didn’t help calm her.

The man in front of her heard the message clearly and waited with curiosity for the Ancestor’s reaction, while Elara remained rigid, seated beside Cassian.

Despite her furrowed brow and piercing glare, Cassandra displayed a serenity that even confused the director of the show.

"Hmm, I see," she said, dismissing the informant with a gesture. She turned her attention to the "devoted lover." "So... you love Elara?"

"That’s right," he replied with suspicious confidence.

"Very well. You may visit her from time to time, but that’s enough for today. Elara, say goodbye to your little visitor. You need to return to training."

The princess received the words with uncertainty, but seeing no opposition from Cassian, she obeyed.

Once they were alone, the atmosphere changed drastically.

Cassandra began releasing an oppressive aura, manifesting a power capable of leaving anyone below the first threshold breathless.

"I don’t know what a gigolo is doing playing at love with my disciple," she declared, unintentionally revealing that her affection for Elara was greater than she admitted, "but whatever dirty deal you have with Caelia ends here."

"Caelia...?" he whispered, feigning confusion and a calculated difficulty speaking. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"It seems you think I’m stupid," she replied coldly. "I must say I’m surprised she sent you. It appears her obsession with you wasn’t as strong as the rumors claimed."

But after those words, the oppressive air was abruptly cut off.

Cassian straightened up, adopting a much more relaxed posture.

A difficult-to-read smile appeared on his face, followed by a laugh that filled the hall, completely disconcerting Cassandra.

"You’re wrong," he said, his tone dry and sharp. "Caelia couldn’t have fallen any harder. But anyway, putting the game aside, I must say it’s been quite an experience meeting you, Cassandra Demor. Quite the pleasure, indeed."

...

That same day, Eleanor Varkas received news from her place of origin.

It was a novelty that had her pacing around the main hall with an expression that made it hard to guess what she was thinking.

"Mom?" Rosalind Varkas had come to see her. On one hand, she wanted to avoid her. Ever since Cassian told her what he had done with Eleanor, she had struggled to process it. She felt she needed to talk about it, but at the same time she knew it would be too shocking for her.

"Is something still bothering you?" Rosalind asked, wanting to know if Cassian had finally solved her mother’s problem.

Eleanor looked at her daughter with distrust — the same daughter who had sent that "devil" to help her.

"I’m fine, fine, Rosalind!" she shouted. "If you’re asking whether that stepbrother of yours managed to solve the problem, he did. Happy?"

Rosalind looked at her mother in surprise at the aggression in her response. Still uncertain, she asked anyway:

"Then why do you seem worse than before?"

Eleanor, who had been pacing back and forth nonstop the entire time, finally stopped.

Realizing her state, she looked at her daughter with guilt.

Rosalind watched her with understanding.

"I’ll go prepare some tea to help you calm down. We have a lot to talk about, Mom."