Tam sat across from the future successor of the Nam household, and eyed him with a schooled expression before regarding the man on Chul’s right, who had been introduced as Chul’s assistant, Yun Shik. Yun was a man perhaps a few years older than Chul, handsome, poised… His features cat-like, his hair long.

Yun had been perfectly polite, but there had been a reverence in his eyes when he’d seen Eli, and Tam had barely managed to resist glaring at him as a result. At least Eli hadn’t seemed to notice. Though she had kept her own eyes mostly on the ground during the greetings and even seated at the dining table she couldn’t seem to look up. Tam was relatively certain she had not once met her brother’s gaze.

Funny enough, Chul was exactly the same way even while Tam looked him over, the younger man sat staring awkwardly at the table while Haewon continued pouring tea.

This was odd behavior given the blaring, bright red coat that Chul was wearing that would’ve hinted toward a louder personality in Tam’s mind…

Once Haewon had finished pouring tea and quietly exited the room, Tam waited for Chul Nam to start talking.

But he didn’t.

And Eli didn’t.

Tam moved his sights over to Yun who was gazing with a glint of longing at Eli.

The future duke’s index finger started to slowly tap the table, which succeeded in drawing Yun’s attention to him. The assistant was handsome, with a long neck, a heart shaped face, and hair swept to the side and treated to shine, with a unique indigo colored shirt and white trousers.

“Forgive me, but the two of you have come on a day when my wife is supposed to be resting, and I can’t say I’ve ever met you before.” Tam decided that if he didn’t get the ball rolling, then they’d be there all day.

“Are you sick?” Chul’s face finally snapped up, and Tam could tell by the shape of his cheeks that there was even more family resemblance than he had originally noticed at the party the previous night.

“No, I…” Eli cast a sidelong glance at Tam as though wanting to chastise him, but he ignored her.

He had told her to stay in bed all day.

She had only finished bathing when she had sought him out while he was observing Luca.

“I was up late due to the party last night and my husband insisted I rest today. That’s all,” Eli finished explaining stiffly, her eyes briefly darting to her brother.

“You were introduced last night, sir, as Chul Nam. I’m sorry to say I think you have me mixed up with someone else-”

“El, it’s me.”

Both Tam and Eli’s attention snapped to Yun who was leaning forward earnestly.

“You used to tutor me when we were children. Don’t you remember? Elisara was already ahead of all the other children her age– myself included, and I was the smartest child in Bani until she caught up.”

Eli opened and closed her mouth, her eyebrows twitching together.

Tam could tell she was confused, and felt some modicum of relief that while this man had remembered her and still thought about her ardently… She hadn’t a clue who he was.

Despite her confusion, and Chul looking at Yun while appearing a mite mortified, the assistant plundered on while shaking his head with a chuckle.

“You have those two beauty marks behind your left ear, Elisara. I know it is you.”

“I sincerely do not know who you are, I'm afraid,” Eli informed him while shaking her head.

Yun at last seemed as though he believed her, and his cheeks deepened in color as a result.

“Do you know… me… though?” Chul ventured a careful guess.

Eli looked at Tam nervously, but…

The way he saw it, it was her brother, and he trusted her judgment.

He gave a subtle shrug of his right shoulder, and relished in the way she understood him perfectly before facing Chul.

“I do. Somewhat. Though you are five years younger than me, and I left when I was eight.”

Chul’s face brightened with relief and then he perked up excitedly.

“I’ve been looking for you for so long! Ever since I turned eighteen and father gave me properties to manage and a ship to start building my own fortune, I-”

“Why?” Eli interrupted stiffly. “Why have you been looking for me?”

Chul’s joyous energy dwindled when he saw the dread in Eli’s eyes.

“What do you mean why? You’re my sister.”

“Did they not tell you what they did?”

Tam noted that she hadn’t referred to their parents directly…

“They said that you were in the palace doing important work! But I went to Gondol looking for you with father when I was fifteen, and I couldn’t find–”

“Chul, they sold me.”

Both Chul and Yun balked.

Licking her lips, Eli leaned forward. “Chul… I understand why they tried to shield you from this, but father and mother gave me away to Chin Taejo. I was adopted by the emperor.”

“What? Why would they–” Despite being an assistant, Yun was the one to speak.

Evidently Yun and Chul had a very equal footing in their partnership, which was raising several questions for Tam…

“I’m a witch and our parents didn’t like that,” Eli explained tersely. “I was in the palace for eight years, and then I was sold. I was in Troivack for a time, and then I…” Eli paused, blinking herself back away from the truth as she finished with, “I met Joe Voll. My husband. We have our son together, and I want nothing to do with either families that handed me off. So forgive me, but I can’t say I’m interested in fostering much of a relationship. I just wanted to ask that you stop approaching me or sending people after me.”

Yun paled and Chul appeared too stunned to speak.

“I had… I had no idea. That… That can’t be right! It can’t-”

“That is something you can discuss with your parents.” Eli cut Chul off firmly. “And if they answer differently, you can choose what you want to believe, but I’d like to finally be happy in my life.”

“I… No, I just… You’re my sister! And I couldn’t believe you never sent a letter, or visited, and Yun, he… He said you’re so incredibly smart, and I’m starting to take over more of father’s ventures—-he and mother are wanting to go on another trip to Daxaria, and–”

Tam held up his hand. “So you only wanted to find her because you thought it was strange she wasn’t in contact with your family?”

Chul stopped his rant and nodded.

Yun on the other hand was staring rather coldly at Tam, and the future duke didn’t have to guess why.

“I’m alright, Chul,” Eli started softly. “And… Thank you. For… For wanting to find me. I’m well. But to me? You are a stranger. I have my own life now.”

“You in particular, are a stranger,” Tam added helpfully with a nod toward Yun.

Eli evidently had no idea why he had felt the need to add that one as she shot him a brief look of questioning.

The corners of Yun’s eyes twitched while Tam held the gaze firmly.

“If you were sold, does that mean your husband bought you?” Yun questioned loudly.

Whatever reaction Tam had been expecting at the accusation, it was not the one Eli gave.

“How dare you,” her voice rasped quietly, but her eyes flashed with rage. “You have men follow me down an alleyway, frighten me, worry my husband, and make me concerned that our son is going to be approached, and you have the gall to ask if he is the one of a questionable character?! Of course he didn’t purchase me! He’s the only one who has ever given me any measure of freedom!”

“Freedom is not something that should be measured,” Yun responded somberly.

Eli’s hand banged on the table as she rose and pointed to the door.

“Get out of my house.”

“Elisara, I’m sorry! Yun, apologize!” Chul ordered though it was obvious he wasn’t used to issuing any kind of command to his assistant. He turned desperately back to Eli. “Of course I don’t want to scare you, or make matters difficult! I’m happy that you’ve found a life for yourself, I-I was so worried, and wondered what happened, and… and I just wanted to tell you that if you ever wanted to come home you could! Even if I ask mother and father about this and they say they don’t want to see you, please tell me! Family is supposed to take care of each other, and-”

“I don’t know what family raised you, but that isn’t what I learned in the Nam household,” Eli bit out coldly. “You are to be beautiful and useful. That is what it is to be a Nam child. You must be impressive and add prestige to the house because that house did not accept anything less than perfect, and if you deviated from perfect? You were sent away.”

“Elisara, I’m sorry,” Chul choked out, tears gathering in his eyes. “Please–”

“Mom?”

Chul was once again stopped from talking as Luca entered the room nervously.

Turning abruptly at the interruption, Tam gave his son a reassuring smile and gestured forward to come sit with him.

Chul fell silent, and Yun’s eyes bulged.

“Luca,” Eli greeted breathily, while blinking herself back into a calmer state and straightening. “Are your lessons finished for lunch?”

The boy nodded while eyeing Chul and Yun uncertainly. “I… I brought this for you,” he proceeded to produce a small branch with white plum blooms on them.

Eli stared at them dumbfounded, but eventually reached out and accepted them.

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“Thank you, Luca. These are beautiful.” Her words were awkward, and her movements halting, but the way her eyes gentled… Tam could tell she liked the gift.

Flowers. She likes flowers. Tam smiled at Luca proudly.

The boy, not knowing what precisely he had done to earn such a look, smiled back.

“You wouldn’t happen to be giving your mother flowers because your tutor has something to say to us would you?” Tam asked while ruffling his son’s hair.

Luca straightened and his eyes widened with shock. “What? No!”

Amazingly, a soft laugh sounded behind Tam and he looked back to see Eli unable to help herself from finding the scene a little bit funny.

“I think we should leave now… My… My apologies again, Mrs. Voll.” Chul stood, tears suddenly falling from his eyes as he did so, which reminded Tam, Luca, and Eli that he was still there and evidently struggling with what he saw.

Yun stood as well, though there was a sharper edge in his expression. “It is good to present flowers to your mother, though if the plum tree does not keep its flowers, no fruit will come.”

Tam was about to tell the man he could leave with his jaw intact if he begged for forgiveness over the implied chastisement, but Eli’s response was significantly better than any vengeance he could’ve doled out on his own.

“Those flowers were a gift from my son, and therefore have more value to me than the seven plums that would’ve come.”

Tam noticed the way Luca’s eyes shone at Eli’s words, and felt his heart swell. Though he did worry just a bit that Luca was maybe starting to like the idea of having Eli as mother and they be a family…

But he chose to instead focus on the fact that the annoying assistant was still loitering by the doors to the walkway, and so Tam pushed up to stand, and made sure to draw himself up to his full height, which brought him an inch or two above Yun.

“I’ll see you out.”

“There’s no need,” Yun replied while belatedly remembering to bow farewell.

“Oh no, I insist. Luca, would you kindly go ask Haewon for lunch, and you,” Tam pointed at Eli, drawing her stormy gaze to him. “Get. Back. In. Bed. You still look exhausted.”

Eli opened her mouth to protest but Luca leapt in front of her and grabbed her hand. “You have to! And you’ll eat lunch there too, like you did for breakfast!”

Tam didn’t wait to hear Eli’s response as he clapped a heavy hand on Yun’s shoulder and started pushing him out.

And while he did remove his hand once they reached the courtyard, he still walked the two men out the two front doors, and closed them behind himself, making Chul and Yun turn to face him.

Chul’s eyes were red rimmed, but Yun was simmering with anger.

Tam slipped his hands in his pockets but made a point of still standing as tall as possible.

“Is there something else you’d like to say?” he asked the question directly to Yun.

“That child,” Yun started, his voice rasping. “She would’ve only been eighteen, possibly even younger when she fell pregnant with him.”

Tam’s face hardened, and fought against the urge to clarify that Eli didn’t give birth to him…

“Elisara Nam is the eldest daughter of the Nam family. A descendant of a Daxarian duke, and a Zinferan lord who-” Yun’s righteous rant was cut off by Tam.

“Oh, the Zinferan lord who was nearly bankrupt before his marriage to Marigold Iones?”

Yun’s mouth clamped shut, and Chul’s eyes snapped up to Tam. “You… You know of us?”

“I happen to have met His Grace Duke Oscar Harris. Marigold Nam’s half brother.”

“Lady Marigold! And your wife is Lady Elisara Nam! And yet she is saddled to a mere scholar?” Yun seethed.

Tam didn’t bother trying to defend himself, but he did continue watching Yun who visibly wrestled his atrocious mood and attitude back, having at least some awareness of the scene he was causing.

The man was quite earnest in his admiration for the Nam family… Elisara in particular…

“Mr. Voll, with just us being here, I will ask you, as I know Elisara would never betray a vow or contract, but did you force her to marry you?” While Yun attempted to sound mild, the ferocity in his expression still betrayed his true emotions.

“Hardly. It was our friend’s idea and she was more in favor of our marriage than I was at first,” Tam watched the way his words made Yun’s ears turn red, and relished in the fact that it was, in fact, the truth.

“She is exactly where she wants to be, can do whatever she wants, and I will support her–After she rests for the next three days in bed of course. I’m discovering that she tends to work herself past her limits,” Tam voiced more to himself with a sigh.

“She would’ve been a candidate to marry the crown prince of Zinfera!” Yun exclaimed passionately, still not willing to back down as Chul drew out a silk hanky and blew his nose.

Tam felt a cool smile curl his lips. “And do you think she wants to be the next empress?”

“Of course she would! She’s brilliant!”

“Brilliance doesn’t mean she wants power. Which is a foreign concept to you, I’m sure.”

“She wants to make the world fair,” Yun rumbled.

Tam paused.

For someone Eli had no memory of, she certainly had made an impression…

“She does want things fair. She might even want to become a Daxarian magistrate at some point, but we are still working out the legalities with the coven there.”

“Can I help?” Chul asked, stepping forward eagerly.

To him, Tam’s gaze softened.

Chul Nam seemed the warm hearted type, and Tam genuinely believed that all he wanted was his sister to be well taken care of and happy…

“I’ll let you know, Lord Chul, but thank you.”

Chul nodded firmly in response.

Tam offered the young man his hand, and Chul took it.

And it was during the handshake that Tam leaned forward and whispered. “Mind Yun. An ambitious, intelligent assistant can make even the best of lords marionettes.”

Chul swallowed, and stared up at Tam. There was something behind his innocent wide-eyed stare that struck the future duke…

“Chul, would you like to have a cup of tea or coffee with me tomorrow? Alone?”

While Yun at least had enough sense not to outwardly object he did square himself to his employer.

“Yes, I… I would appreciate that very much,” Chul’s eyes darted nervously toward Yun.

“Wonderful. Do you know Lord Kim’s establishment? Lang Tea?”

“I’ll find it.” Chul nodded, his watery gaze determined.

Tam bobbed his head back. “Then I will see you there.”

Releasing Chul’s hand, Tam watched as a discreet carriage pulled forward until it stopped in front of them.

A footman jumped down and opened the door for Chul, bowing.

Once the young lord had climbed into the vehicle and seated himself, Tam called out.

“Yun.”

The assistant turned, already frowning at the casual way he had been called.

Tam beckoned him forward, and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Disparage my son, or upset my wife again? And you will regret it.”

Yun laughed. “My family has worked with the Nam household for generations, yet you think you, a mere scholar–”

Tam leaned forward, and for once, he didn’t fight his magic.

He allowed shadows to flicker from his being, his vision to fill with blackness– a sensation he hadn’t known how to feel prior to his time in the void– and leaned forward watching Yun’s mouth shudder in horror. “I’m a man content with my life right now, but if someone upsets Elisara or my son? That will change. Understood?”

Yun didn’t respond as he grasped the carriage door with a shaking hand and clumsily clambered into its discrete yet extravagant interior.

Tam watched as the carriage pulled away, and he continued to stand outside of the house with a feeling of pride welling within himself.

He had threatened someone… And that wasn’t a good thing… But…

There was the sudden realization that he had something that was his own to protect. Something his family hadn’t given him. Even with Jeong and Bong there… He actually felt like he belonged.

Even if Eli remained nothing but an assistant to him…

She was in his family.

As if sensing his thoughts, the doors behind Tam opened, and out stepped Jeong and Bong.

Jeong was fully dressed, in a dark green shirt tied at his waist with white lining, but he was looking far more serious than was normal for him, and his cherub face turned after Chul’s carriage with his thick fingers slightly curling at his sides.

Bong had only put a coat back on after their spar that morning, but his bow staff was in hand as he, too, stared after their surprise guest.

“Anything we need to worry about?” Bong asked pointedly.

“We’ll see,” Tam answered shortly.

The future duke could feel the intensity of strength at his sides from the Ryu brothers, and so, he rounded back to re-enter the courtyard with the knowledge that the more he noticed the great people he had surrounding himself, the more steady he felt.

He needed to warn Chul about Yun, and then hopefully, they wouldn’t meddle in Eli’s lives anymore…

But in the meantime? He’d have a lovely afternoon with his friends and family that made him feel like he had at long last, finally found his own home.