CHAPTER 112: PAPA’S LITTLE STAR

[Rynthall Estate—Continuation]

She whipped around toward the door, crimson eyes wide with determination. "MAMA! We can’t leave Papa! We need to stay! We have work to do!"

Across the room, Silas leaned back in his mini chair like a king claiming victory after years of exile. He looked far too smug for a man who had nearly been banished from his daughter’s good graces.

"HAH! A VICTORY!!!" he declared to no one in particular.

But his triumph was short-lived.

"MAMA..." Elysia’s voice trembled with the power of a war horn. "...I WANT A BROTHERRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!"

The words rang through the hall like a scandal waiting to explode.

Silas froze. Oh no. Oh no no no. His blood turned to ice. If Elysia said that to Lucien—he was doomed. Instinct kicked in. He practically launched himself across the room like a man running from an assassin.

"ELYSIA! SWEETHEART!" he called, voice cracking with desperation. "WAIT, WAIT, COME HERE TO PAPA!"

The little princess was already halfway down the stairs, skirts bouncing, but Silas scooped her up mid-run. "My little star! My wobblebean!" he whispered fiercely, clutching her like she was the last piece of cake at a royal banquet. "We... we should keep this a secret."

Elysia blinked, tilting her head like a tiny bird. "Secret? But why, Papa?"

Silas was sweating now, the kind of sweat only a man about to be executed feels.

"Because..." he said, drawing the word out, "because if we shout, no sibling will appear. You know how Mama is—he might say no. But if we keep it quiet..." He lowered his voice like a conspirator. "If we keep it just between us, maybe Mama will surprise you."

Her tiny mouth formed a perfect O. "Ohhhhh." Then she nodded with great solemnity, pressing a chubby finger to her lips. "Alright. This will be our secret, Papa."

Silas smiled, saying, "Yes, our secret."

Then he stared at her for a second, utterly undone. Then he hugged her tight—so tight he almost forgot how small she was. "I missed you alot my little chaos."

And for the first time in what felt like ages, Elysia didn’t wiggle away or pout. Her tiny arms looped around his neck, clinging to him like he was her whole world.

"Papa," she whispered softly, a wobble in her voice that broke him in half, "you won’t leave us again, right?"

Silas closed his eyes, his throat tight. He pressed his cheek to her black hair and patted her back gently. "Of course not, my darling," he said, voice low and steady. "Papa loves you so much. I would never leave you again."

Elysia gave a shy little smile, then buried her face in his shoulder. And for the first time, the grand duke of the empire didn’t feel like a ruler or a man with power—he just felt like a father who had finally been forgiven by his little girl.

Then, with a sudden glint in her bright eyes, she leaned back just enough to look at him and whispered dramatically, "Buuuuut... Papa, don’t forget... sib-liiiiing."

Silas froze for half a second, then let out a startled laugh, the sound booming across the hall. "Oh-ho-ho, my little star, already making demands, huh?!" He tapped her nose, grinning. "Papa is a man of his woooord. A promise is a promise!"

Elysia gasped as if she’d just been promised the crown jewels. "Really?!"

"Reeeeally," Silas drawled, ruffling her black hair until she squealed. Then he planted an exaggeratedly long kiss on her chubby cheek, making a loud "Mwahhh!" sound that made her giggle uncontrollably. "You, my wobblebean, are officially going to be... THE ELDER SISTER!"

Elysia’s jaw dropped. "E-ELDER SISTER?!"

"Yes! Elder sister! The most majestic, important, serious job in the world!" Silas declared, lifting her high like a conquering hero showing off his prize. "Get ready to command, protect, and boss around a tiny little bean! Are you ready, my little star?"

Elysia nodded so fast she looked like a tiny duck bobbing in water. "YES-PAPA-YES! I WILL BE THE BEST-ELDER-SISTER-IN-THE-WHOLE-WORLD!"

Silas threw his head back and laughed. "That’s my girl!" Then, lowering his voice to a dramatic whisper, he leaned closer to her ear. "But remember, my star... this is our little secret for now. If Mama finds out before Papa’s big plan... Papa will be dead meat."

Elysia gasped again, hands flying to her mouth. "Oh no! We can’t let Mama say no!"

"Exactly," Silas said, nodding gravely, as if discussing a military strategy. "So we keep it quiet, yes?"

"Yes!"

"Top-secret?"

"Top-top-secret!"

"Pinky promise?"

"DOUBLE pinky promise!"

They sealed the deal with a messy little pinky lock and another hug, tighter this time. And for Silas, nothing else mattered in that moment—no titles, no duties, no empire. Just the tiny arms of his daughter and the sound of her small but sure voice calling him "Papa."

Just then Lucein and Seraphina walked in, mid-conversation—only to stop dead in their tracks at the sight before them.

"Ohhh-ho! Would you look at that!" Lucein’s lips curled into a smug grin, his voice practically dripping with teasing delight. "The mighty, brooding Grand Duke actually convinced his little sunbeam to forgive him? Someone alert the bards; this is history in the making!"

Silas sniffed with mock arrogance, puffing his chest as if he were about to give a victory speech.

"Hmph. Of course. How could my daughter ever stay mad at her father? Impossible. I am irresistible."

"Papa is the best! The bestest!" Elysia huffed her tiny chest out too, copying his pose like a proud little duck, cheeks glowing.

Seraphina, however, wasn’t convinced. Her jaw dropped, and she pointed at Silas as if he had just committed a crime against the empire. "You... YOU... WHAT DID YOU FEED MY SWEET, INNOCENT, ANGELIC NIECE?!"

Elysia giggled behind her hands, mischief sparking in her ruby eyes. "Papa gave me a GIFT, Aunty! A biiiiig one!"

Two pairs of brows shot up instantly. Lucein leaned forward with the curiosity of a cat sniffing out trouble. "Gift? What gift? Spill it, little star."

Seraphina crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Yes, what gift, Silas? I know that face. That’s the same face you had when you set Callen’s horse loose in the courtyard."

Silas’ confident smirk twitched. "Well... uhm... it’s nothing extravagant. Just a small promise, you know... father-daughter bonding... Right, little star? A promise of vacation to a beach."

"Papa promised BEACH VACATION!!!" Elysia practically sang the words, flapping her arms like a seagull about to take flight. "Sunny, sandy, splashy BEACH!!!"

Lucein chuckled and, without missing a beat, scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing. "Beach, huh? Well then, I suppose we’re kidnapping this little duckling for a wardrobe change first. Look at you—you’re covered in grass and cookie crumbs. An angel can’t go to the beach looking like she wrestled a bakery."

Elysia giggled wildly, nodding like an enthusiastic duckling.

And just like that, Lucein marched out with the little girl tucked against his shoulder, her giggles echoing down the corridor.

Silas was about to sigh in relief when he felt a very pointed stare drilling into his skull. He turned slowly to find Seraphina standing far too close, eyes narrowed like a hawk.

"You..." she hissed, voice low and dangerous. "Did you really promise a beach trip to my dearest angel?"

Silas coughed and tugged at his collar. "Of course. Why would I lie to my little star?"

Seraphina squinted harder, leaning in so close and sniffing him like a dog. "Hmmmm... suspicious. Very suspicious. You smell like a liar, Silas. And I have a nose for these things."

He let out a nervous laugh, his hand darting to his hair. "Liar? Me? Never. Ah—speaking of suspicious, did you hear about Callen yesterday? Nearly fainted!"

Seraphina froze. "WHAT?!" Her voice leapt an octave. "My sweet Callen fainted?!"

"Yes, yes," Silas said quickly, waving his hand as if this were the most tragic news of the year. "Overwork, stress, too much on his plate. Poor fellow almost collapsed right in the corridor."

Seraphina clutched her chest dramatically, eyes wide. "Oh, my poor, darling angel! My hardworking, precious Callen!"

Silas opened his mouth to speak, but Seraphina was already storming forward, grabbing his collar with surprising strength. "You! You monster! Why do you bury him in so much work? I’ve told you a hundred times, he’s too good for you! Too good!"

Silas carefully pried her fingers off, holding his hands up in surrender. "Whoa, whoa. Blame the empire, not me. You want to save him? Go! Run to him before he faints again."

That was all she needed to hear. Seraphina spun on her heel, skirts flaring dramatically as she bolted down the corridor like a warhorse unleashed, shouting at the top of her lungs:

"CALLEN, MY LOVE! YOUR GODDESS IS COMING!"

Her voice echoed through the halls like a trumpet announcing a royal charge.

Silas exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down his face, muttering under his breath, "These two cousins... I swear they share the same wild, chaotic bloodline. One day, they’ll give me gray hair."

But then, a slow, dangerous smirk curved across his lips, his eyes glinting with a plan that was decidedly not fatherly.

"But... I can’t wait for tonight."

Turning on his heel, he strode away, mumbling to himself, "I should talk to Father... to handle Elysia for two days—no, four days at least."