The room fell quiet.
Elias and Liora exchanged glances.
Neither of them responded at first.
Because from Adrian’s point of view, Frank wasn’t capable of something like this.
He wasn’t just an older brother. He was the brother.
The one who had raised him, trained with him, watched over him.
If there was any family Adrian trusted, it was Frank.
But Elias and Liora had seen something different.
They’d noticed the changes over time—the way Frank’s smile started to fade when Adrian’s talents became undeniable. How his demeanor shifted, how his support became distant, then conditional.
Frank was untalented, especially considering he was a Daelthorn.
It led him to be neglected by the house, and he felt inadequate.
During that time, he saw younger Adrian, and gravitated towards him, since no one paid attention to both.
But when Adrian grew up and his talent became apparent, things changed.
Adrian received the attention of the father. He received the praises of his siblings from branch families.
He was treated in a completely different way from Frank.
Jealousy arose in Frank’s heart.
Eventually, that envy twisted into something far worse.
Frank had always hidden it from Adrian, acting like a good sibling in front of him.
Only Liora and Elias were able to see it.
They were not like Adrian, who was blinded by sibling love.
"You can believe what you want," Elias said, gently, "but let me finish my report."
Adrian said nothing, just nodded once.
"The assassin came to your house. But here’s the strange part. She disappeared before poisoning your son with Hollow Crimson Vow. She injured him, but that’s it."
"What are you trying to say?" Adrian asked.
"We have found the other mercenary partners of hers," Elias said. "But only she is missing. What I think is, someone intervened with her assassination in your house.
"Someone protected your son, and killed the assassin.
"I thought you might know who it is, but since you didn’t know about Frank’s involvement, it’s clear you don’t know this [guard’s] identity."
Elias pulled out a separate folder and placed a photo on the table.
"This was taken near a hidden route used by Red Rain.
"Since the assassin did not contact them, Frank and the others started moving toward one of their emergency safehouses. They must’ve believed the assassin failed, and was caught.
"Their escape was useless. The supernatural that made Liana disappeared followed them, and finished them."
Adrian looked at Elias again. His eyes were shaking.
"Are you.... saying Frank is dead?"
"Yes. I’ve recovered the body. From the injuries, it wasn’t a fight. It was a one-sided execution."
Unlike Liora and Adrian, Elias was not in grief by Frank’s death.
But rather, he had been shocked by the betrayal.
No one said anything after that.
Silence lingered in the room.
It wasn’t just shock.
Adrian looked like a man trying to wake up from a nightmare, only to realize he was already awake.
A part of him wanted to believe they were tricking him. That this was a calculated lie to get him to act.
But he wasn’t stupid.
Elias had brought proof: records, files, images.
And now that the blindfold of brotherhood had fallen, the past became clear in his mind.
Moments he’d ignored. Actions he’d excused.
The way Frank had always given him advices that led to problems.
Adrian was being forced to realize Frank’s true face.
He clenched his fists. His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.
Liora opened her mouth to say something, but Adrian raised his hand.
"I need time," he said quietly.
She nodded.
Elias followed her out, closing the door behind them.
Once outside, Elias’s expression loosened.
The tension in his jaw disappeared.
Liora, meanwhile, was back to her cold self. No hint of sorrow remained on her face.
"You don’t look too sad," Elias muttered, glancing at her sideways.
"If he wasn’t my brother, I would’ve killed that bastard long ago myself. It’s good that he is finally dead."
Frank had become a stain on the Daelthorn name, and a piece of garbage.
He was involved with human trafficking, and had destroyed the lives of many normal humans.
He’d trafficked stolen relics to black-market warlocks, framed a cousin for murder to cover his gambling debts.
Two years ago, he’d even used a Daelthorn diplomatic seal to smuggle cursed items out of a restricted zone in Russia.
The scandal had been buried under political pressure.
And yet, because he was a Daelthorn, he’d always escaped punishment.
Liora turned and started walking toward her office.
Elias followed her.
She didn’t say anything at first, but after a minute, she glanced back.
"Why are you still here?"
"I’m bored." Elias shrugged.
She gave him a look. It would’ve forced anyone else to shut up and walk away.
But Elias, to his credit, just winced and kept walking behind her.
He had a feeling something interesting was about to happen.
He couldn’t miss it.
Inside her office, Liora didn’t waste time.
She moved to her desk, unlocked the drawer, and took out a small, palm-sized box.
It was black, etched with faded silver markings.
The moment she placed it on the table, Elias’s eyes widened.
"Are you insane? What the hell are you doing with that?" he asked.
She didn’t answer right away.
"I’m compensating Adrian. His son was nearly killed because of our family," she said finally.
"That thing isn’t something you compensate with! Even direct descendants can’t have it unless they prove themselves.
"And you’re giving it to him? He has been exiled already.
"Giving that to Adrian will threaten your position as the Provisional House head. You might even face punishment. Please tell me this is a joke."
She looked at him, and said nothing.
Elias didn’t like that look.
"...You’re serious about giving this to him."
She nodded slightly.
Something twisted in his gut.
"I’m getting out of here," he muttered, already turning toward the door.
"Wait," she said. "Leave your healing potion before you go."
He froze.
"What?"
"Your potion. Give it to me."
"Provisional House Head, potions can only be made by alchemists. Do you know how rare each of them is? I specially ordered this for my brats. I’m not—"
"Give it to me. I don’t want to repeat myself a third time."
He groaned loudly.
Then he clicked his tongue, pulled a small glass vial from his coat, and tossed it to her.
"You spoil him too much."
Liora caught the potion and put it beside the box.
Elias wasn’t dumb.
He could guess what she planned.
The box held a treasure only usable by a Daelthorn, while the potion would help anyone—from a normal human to Rank 2 Supernatural—recover.
Both were meant for Adrian’s son.