Before long, we arrived at the estate. Stefan was already there, waiting with his usual quiet grace. He opened the carriage door and offered his hand to help me down.

  “Welcome back, young dy,” he greeted warmly.

  “Thank you, Stefan! I brought something back from Sweet Anomaly,” I said with a bright smile.

  “Gracious! Thank you, young dy. We’ll enjoy it to our hearts’ content,” he replied, just as delighted.

  His words made me grin. Without missing a beat, I headed straight for the dining hall, leaving my two attendants to take care of the things I’d left behind in the carriage.

  I expected to find my two older brothers already there, but to my surprise, the room was empty. Neither of them had arrived yet, which was odd. Trevon, especially, liked to get here early just so he could tease me about being te. His teasing face fshed in my mind and my face soured a little.

  I turned to look at Stefan, who seemed to anticipate my question before I could speak.

  “The young masters had an unexpected visitor earlier,” he expined. “Their lessons were rescheduled to accommodate them. The tutors agreed to continue today, just at a ter time rather than cancel.”

  “Ah, I see,” I said with a shrug, not pressing for details. My motto? If it doesn’t involve me, it’s none of my business.

  Deciding not to wait for my brothers, I chose to eat dinner early. I still had assignments to finish and a mountain of notes to review before tomorrow’s lessons. There was no point in deying.

  “I’ll go ahead and take dinner now,” I said, already half-walking toward the dining table.

  Stefan nodded politely, as always, then disappeared to arrange my meal.

  Dinner at home was usually a siblings-only affair—our parents were practically mythical figures by this hour, always consumed by their endless responsibilities. A few minutes ter, Stefan returned, bancing a tray with my dinner: a fresh sad, a warm bowl of butter chickpea soup, and perfectly grilled fish. Neat. Elegant. Predictable.

  I tucked in right away, savoring the fvors with quiet satisfaction. Stefan stood nearby, pretending not to watch me, though I knew better. He was observing how much I ate, per my Mother’s instruction. I used to skip half my food just to get to dessert faster, and apparently, that was now considered a crime in this household.

  Once I finished, an attendant came in with the dessert tray. My heart leapt—finally, something sweet! I had brought back several boxes from Sweet Anomaly. This was the moment I had been waiting for.

  But then I saw it. One single Mont Bnc.

  Just… one.

  “Wait—hold up,” I said, reaching out and stopping the attendant mid-step. She jumped slightly, startled.

  “Why is there only one? Where are the rest?”

  She looked helplessly at Stefan, who let out a small cough—the kind that screamed Brace yourself.

  “The Madam has issued new instructions,” he said delicately. “Starting today, the young dy is permitted only one dessert.”

  I blinked. Excuse me?

  “One,” he repeated, gently. “Only one.”

  I stared at the lonely Mont Bnc like it had personally betrayed me. “Why would my mother do this?” I whispered, half to myself.

  Stefan wasn’t done. “She also said that if you throw a tantrum, she will—quote—‘completely ban all sweets.’”

  Ah. Cssic mother move. Say it sweetly, smile softly, but make sure the punishment nds like a thunderbolt. I could already see her saying it, sipping her tea like this was some kind of peace treaty.

  With the dramatic fir of a prisoner being handed their st meal, I picked up my fork.

  Lifelessly, I began to eat. Better one dessert than none… but betrayal, thy name is Mother.

  After finishing dinner—still brooding over the injustice of the dessert situation—I made my way back to my room. The walk from the dining hall and the climb up the stairs were enough to help with digestion... or so I told myself.

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