Alden’s voice rose in fury, his aura flaring as the tension in the room thickened. “Julian, who do you think you are talking to?” he said in anger.
But Julian, unfazed matched his father’s intensity. His own aura flaring in response.
“If you had shown this much anger to the situation,” he retorted coldly, “it would have been resolved way before.” His eyes locked onto Alden’s with a defiance that left no room for hesitation.
Regina’s heart tightened as she listened to Julian’s words, her eyes flickering between her husband and son. She knew, deep down, that Julian was right.
If Alden, as the Duke of Easvil, had shown even a fraction of this intensity and anger toward their family’s troubles, things might have been different.
Alden’s voice was filled with frustration and a touch of desperation. “What can I do, Julian? I’m just the Duke of Easvil. The Queen is the ruler of the Ares Kingdom. You want me to march into her court, challenge her authority? Do you think that would end any differently? I’d be branded a traitor, and our whole family would be destroyed. You think I don’t know that?”
Julian’s eyes flashed with irritation. “That’s exactly the problem, Father. You never questioned your own actions before getting into this mess. You never thought about the consequences of marrying Mother. Look where we are now—trapped in the consequences of your decisions.”
His voice grew colder, and he turned to face Augustus and Gregoria. His words cut through the tense silence.
“And you, Grandfather? Grandmother? What is this guilt you both carry in your hearts? Are you blaming yourselves for falling in love? Is that the source of your regret? “
There was a sharpness in Julian’s tone that made the room grow even colder. The old Duke and Duchess shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, but their silence only spoke volumes.
Julian’s words hung in the air, leaving them all to grapple with the heavy truths they had avoided for so long.
Regina hadn’t expected Julian’s words to cut so deep, but they did. His brutal honesty was something she hadn’t fully realized he was capable of until now.
Julian’s voice grew colder, his words sharp and cutting as he turned back to his father. “And Father, I don’t need you to fight the Queen or the entire kingdom. I don’t expect you to challenge anyone’s authority. All I ask is that you be man enough to stand up and admit you are not at fault.”
He stepped closer, “And if you think you are at fault, then go and apologize—even if it means bowing your head.”
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. “If you are incapable of doing even that, then step aside and let someone who is capable take your place, someone who isn’t afraid to face the truth.”
The last words rang like a slap to Alden’s face. Regina’s face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, unable to defend her husband.
Gregoria and Augustus shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Their eyes darted between Julian and Alden, caught between a sense of pride for Julian’s boldness and a lingering hesitation about his disrespect to his father.
“Everyone is plotting against us,” Julian continued, his tone cold but filled with a quiet fury.
“Ethwer and Norish were working against us during the war, thinking the queen would shield them if they succeeded in harming us. Just the fact that the queen is against us makes us an open target, and yet you lack the confidence to tackle this problem. That goes for you too, Grandpa.” His gaze shifted to Augustus.
“If you have guilt and regret, go and confront it. If you’ve made mistakes, go and apologize. But do not drag the family down with you.”
Alden stood frozen, his face pale, eyes wide with a mix of shock and shame. Julian’s words hit him harder than anything else had in years.
His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, “Julian, what should I do?”
Julian turned, his eyes meeting his father’s with a cold resolve. “You know what to do, Father. There is only one way,” he said, his tone unwavering.
Without waiting for a reply, Julian turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving his words to hang heavily in the air.
The family was left in silence, their eyes following Julian’s retreating figure. He had spoken with an authority none of them had dared to confront, and though his methods were harsh, they all knew he was right.
Gregoria was the first to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’s right, isn’t he? We can’t go on like this.”
Augustus, the proud and powerful Grand Duke, nodded slowly. He had always been a man of action, but seeing his own weaknesses laid bare had been harder than any battle.
“Julian’s right. We have allowed guilt to control us for far too long.”
Alden stood silently, staring at the door where Julian had just exited. He felt the weight of his son’s words, and for the first time, he realized the truth in them.
His inability to act, his constant self-blame—it had paralyzed him. Julian was the one who had the courage to face the truth, no matter how painful.
Regina’s heart ached for Alden, but there was a spark of hope in her as well.
As Julian’s figure disappeared from sight, a renewed sense of purpose began to fill the room
**
Julian retreated to his room. His anger slowly dissipated as he let the tension ease from his body. He was deeply disappointed in his father and grandfather.
Though he had his own personal ambitions, particularly in seducing his mother and grandmother, he had always respected the two men.
Seeing them so pitiful and helpless, unable to take a stand for their family, had stirred a frustration in him unlike anything before. It was as if their failure to act had crushed any semblance of admiration he once held for them.