School?
The word felt almost foreign to Serena Vale.
She'd already learned most things on her own—
enough to get by, more than enough to excel.
There was no real need for her to sit in a classroom.
But girls her age were usually in university,
living bright, youthful lives.
It would seem strange for her to act differently.
And a campus…
was actually a perfect place to hide in plain sight—
low-profile,
quiet,
ideal for keeping her identity buried.
And enrolling would keep her family from thinking she was rebellious
or difficult to manage.
So she widened her eyes with a hint of staged surprise.
"I… I can really attend the same university as Lucien?"
"As long as it's something you want, we will make it happen—without exception."
Galen Vale looked relieved, even proud, seeing she didn't reject the idea of school.
"Sera can make some friends too,"
Lila Harrington-Vale added with a warm smile, her eyes full of affection.
"Try to blend in with their circle—
but if you can't, don't force yourself."
At this moment, Cyril Vale quietly interjected,
"Our sister doesn't need to fit into anyone's circle.
With her status, she is a circle."
"You're right, Cyril.
I was the one being foolish,"
Lila Harrington-Vale said softly.
"Our Sera never needs to bend herself to please anyone."
She reached out and gently stroked Serena's hair.
This child had suffered for so many years—
now that she was home,
she should be wrapped in all the comfort and tenderness she had missed.
Galen Vale stayed quiet,
but the sharp glimmer in his eyes gave him away.
It was time—
time to formally bring their daughter back into the Vale lineage.
Years of molding and tempering their sons had already been enough.
They could endure hardship—
but their daughter?
Never again.
As if reading her husband's thoughts perfectly,
Lila slipped her hand over his beneath the table in a silent reminder.
Not yet.
Let Sera enjoy a few peaceful days in Velencia City
before they moved forward.
At that moment, Lucien Vale eagerly jumped back into the conversation,
leaning close to Serena with a hand thumping proudly against his chest.
"Don't worry, little sister.
Once you're on campus, your third brother's got you covered.
No one will dare touch you!"
"Okay," Serena replied softly—
though a single detail from his file resurfaced in her mind.
Lucien wasn't just a top student.
He was also… the campus tyrant.
Meanwhile, Elias Vale, ever composed, didn't say much.
He simply handed Serena his number.
"Save it. Call me anytime you need something.
No matter how busy I am, I'll come."
In short,
every member of the Vale family treated her as their highest priority—
cherished, protected,
held as something precious.
They finally finished explaining everything,
and Serena was left alone at last.
The moment the door clicked shut behind her,
her entire aura shifted—
cleanly, violently, unmistakably.
The innocence and softness she had shown before
vanished without a trace.
Her eyes darkened into something bottomless and intoxicating—
a depth like an endless abyss,
cold and sensual and dangerous.
The restlessness she had held down all evening surged upward,
followed by the killing intent she had kept carefully leashed
for the sake of her family.
Before coming here,
she had already warned her subordinates:
No one was to disturb her over trivial matters.
But during dinner,
her encrypted phone alerts had been going off nonstop.
She already knew what it meant—
another troublesome situation
requiring her personal intervention.
Not a moment of peace.
Not even here.
It wasn't unexpected.
Although she held power across parts of Aurethia,
the territory she controlled directly was limited.
The nation's strict laws,
its heavy restrictions,
and the long-established forces entrenched within the country
were not to be underestimated.
Her people couldn't move openly here—
not without consequences.
And above all…
Serena had never been the sentimental type.
She didn't return home
just to play the role of a daughter
and do nothing else.
Her nature was cold,
sharp,
relentless.
She had come back—
and she had business.
She had never placed much expectation on family to begin with.
Her true purpose in returning to Aurethia
was to consolidate and expand her influence—
because in her world,
nothing outweighed power.
Reuniting with her family
was merely a convenient detour.
But she had to admit…
the Vale family's tenderness had stirred something in her—
something quiet,
something warm,
something she didn't quite know how to face.
Which was precisely why she was furious
when the mission notifications kept coming in
the moment she arrived home.
She hadn't even had the chance
to rest—
to enjoy anything.
So Serena simply left the messages on read
and didn't bother replying.
Just this once…
she would allow herself to slack off a little.
In a way, it was a test—
a perfect chance to see whether the Nightfall Syndicate's Aurethia branch,
which had been lying dormant for so long,
was finally ready to be useful.
She only needed to watch from the shadows,
give a gentle push at the right moment,
and they could complete the mission beautifully on their own.
It also kept her from being exposed too early.
Exactly as she had planned from the beginning—
to play the role of a gentle, fragile young heiress,
sweet and harmless,
while her true world moved beneath the surface.
So Serena Vale slept peacefully through the night.
…
The next morning,
she was awakened personally by Lila Harrington-Vale.
Lila, along with several of the estate's maids,
helped her choose an elegant princess-style dress
and applied delicate makeup—
transforming her into something like a noble, living doll,
a stunning, modern-day Barbie with aristocratic grace.
Meanwhile, Elias, Cyril, and Galen Vale
had originally planned to push aside their work for the next two days
just to stay home and accompany her.
But Lila Harrington-Vale shooed the three men out early in the morning—
claiming it was irresponsible to neglect their official duties.
They all knew the truth, of course:
she simply wanted to monopolize her daughter for the day.
What could the three men do?
They could only shake their heads helplessly,
soft amusement in their eyes.
They would accompany Serena later—
she wasn't going anywhere.
Only Lucien Vale, who had nothing pressing to do,
was allowed to stay.
And when he saw Serena being surrounded by maids,
descending the staircase in high heels,
looking like an angel carved from alabaster—
he nearly blacked out from how beautiful she was.
His little sister's looks were truly devastating.
Just from her aura alone,
no one would ever guess she had grown up in an orphanage.
In that moment, even Lucien Vale had to admit—
he was absolutely shallow for beauty.
And worse…
he was definitely turning into a full-blown sister addict.