Chapter 373: Chapter 373: The Heir’s Burden
The carriage rattled down the mountain path until it slowed, pulling into a roadside clearing where guards waited with fresh horses and supplies. The air was warmer here than in the high peaks, scented faintly with pine and earth.
Noel stepped out first, stretching his arms as the stiffness of travel eased from his shoulders. Revenant Fang tapped lightly against his hip, a familiar weight. Sylvette followed, accepting a flask of water from one of the attendants before settling on a nearby stone.
For a moment, neither spoke. Then Sylvette broke the silence, her voice low but curious. "The academy... what’s it like?"
Noel glanced at her, surprised by the question. "Busy. Harsh at times. You’re always being tested, always training. But... it’s also alive. People chasing goals, fighting for something more than themselves."
Sylvette tilted her head, studying him. "Sounds better than being locked inside the estate, drilled in etiquette and politics."
Her tone wasn’t bitter, not exactly—but it carried a weight. She lifted the flask again, pausing before she added, "I envied you, you know. Father never allowed me to go. Said the academy wasn’t necessary for me."
Noel leaned against the carriage, arms folding loosely. ’Of course he wouldn’t. To him, family is a tool. He only lets people go where he thinks they’ll be useful.’
"It’s not perfect," Noel said finally. "But... it’s mine. For now, at least."
Sylvette gave a faint, humorless laugh. "That alone makes me envious."
Before Noel could reply, heavy footsteps approached. The guards stepped aside, and Albrecht Thorne appeared, his presence filling the clearing like a shadow cast across the ground.
Without a word, he opened the carriage door and climbed inside.
Noel’s jaw tightened. Sylvette exhaled softly, then followed her father in.
The moment the door shut behind them, the air in the carriage thickened, heavy with unspoken weight.
The carriage jolted back into motion, wheels clattering against stone as the horses picked up speed. Inside, silence stretched. Noel sat with his arms crossed, gaze fixed on the blurred treeline beyond the window. Sylvette sat straighter, shoulders tense, as if bracing for something inevitable.
It didn’t take long.
Albrecht’s voice cut through the stillness, deep and steady. "Now that we are all here, it is time."
Sylvette’s head turned sharply. "Time for what?"
His crimson eyes shifted from her to Noel, weighing them both. "To decide the heir. The house cannot remain in limbo any longer."
Noel’s jaw clenched. He had expected this, but hearing the words aloud was a different kind of weight.
"You proved yourself in the hunt," Albrecht continued, his tone implacable. "First place. Unyielding. That alone places you above the rest, Noel. The others failed. One way or another, they are finished. The family needs strength, and you have shown it."
The words were spoken without warmth, without pride—simply fact, cold and sharp as steel.
Sylvette shifted, her fingers tightening around her skirt. "And what about me?"
Albrecht’s gaze slid to her. "You are strong as well. But strength is measured by result. You placed behind him. He placed first."
Sylvette bit back a reply, her teeth pressing into her lip.
Noel finally spoke, his voice even, quiet. "So that’s it, then? A contest, and whoever comes out on top wears the chain?"
Albrecht’s eyes narrowed. "It is no chain. It is responsibility."
Noel’s lips curled into something closer to a smirk than a smile, bitter and sharp. "Responsibility? After the way you treated me for years? Now I’m useful, so suddenly I’m worthy to be heir?"
The weight in the carriage shifted instantly. Sylvette’s eyes widened, darting between father and brother, but Albrecht’s expression didn’t change.
"You endured," Albrecht said flatly. "That alone proves more than words. I need an heir who survives. One who fights. One who wins."
Noel leaned forward slightly, his gaze cold. "You don’t need me. You need a weapon. A tool. That’s what you’ve always wanted."
For the first time, Sylvette spoke up, her voice tight. "So you really refuse? Just like that? After everything—"
Noel cut her off with a glance, then looked back at Albrecht. "I won’t do it. There has to be another option. One where I don’t play your game."
Albrecht’s eyes burned with quiet authority. "You think refusal is that simple? You carry the name Thorne. You carry my blood. It is not a choice."
Noel’s hand tightened over Revenant Fang’s hilt, though he didn’t draw it. His voice stayed calm, but every word struck like a blade. "Maybe not for you. But for me... there’s always a choice. And I will not chain myself to a throne I never asked for."
Silence fell again, the rumble of the wheels filling the void. Sylvette’s chest rose and fell quickly, her mind racing, while Albrecht’s stare remained unmoved, unreadable.
’He won’t bend,’ Noel thought. ’And neither will I.’
The wheels rattled on, the steady clatter filling the silence after Noel’s defiance. For a long moment, Albrecht simply stared at him, crimson eyes sharp, unreadable.
Then, to Sylvette’s shock, he leaned back slightly, arms crossing over his chest. "Very well. I will respect your decision."
Sylvette’s head snapped toward him. "Father—"
Albrecht raised a hand, silencing her. His gaze stayed locked on Noel. "You refuse the position now. I will not force it on you. But," his voice deepened, every syllable deliberate, "I will demand one thing in return."
Noel’s jaw tightened. "Of course there’s a condition."
Albrecht inclined his head once. "When we return to Thorne territory, you will aid me in something that concerns the house directly. A matter only you can help me with."
Noel frowned, suspicion flickering in his chest. "And what happens if I say no to that as well?"
For the first time, a ghost of a smile tugged at Albrecht’s lips, sharp and humorless. "Then you prove you are not only unwilling, but useless. And that, Noel, I will not tolerate."
The words pressed heavier than steel, yet Albrecht’s tone was calm—as if he were simply stating the rules of the world.
Sylvette shifted, uneasy. "And after that?" she asked carefully.
Albrecht’s gaze slid to her. "After that, we will speak as a family. All of us. The position of heir will not remain undecided. One way or another, it will be settled."
Noel leaned back against the seat, exhaling slowly. ’So he accepts my refusal... for now. Whatever waits in Thorne territory, it won’t be simple either since there is the mission, and probably it is something that involves what Albrecht just said to me.’
The carriage rocked as it descended the last mountain slope. Beyond the horizon, the lands of House Thorne stretched.