"I'm not sure," Ellie replied honestly. "He mentioned something about doing what you told him to do."
Lyra's brows knit together. Her mind searched for any memory of giving Kael a task. "What I told him to do?" she repeated.
Her hands slowly came to rest on the table. "I don't remember asking him to do anything today…"
Her eyes widened slightly. "Don't tell me he was… sneaking around?"
There was shock in her voice, but also suspicion. She knew her son. Kael was clever—too clever—and often driven by curiosity. If he had been near their room, it wasn't without reason.
Ellie remained quiet, unsure whether to speak further, while Lyra stood still, her thoughts now consumed by what exactly Kael had been up to—and why.
"Carry on, I'll be back," Lyra said firmly.
Ellie nodded obediently and turned back to cleaning the dishes.
Lyra walked swiftly toward her room, her thoughts racing. The moment she stepped inside, she quickly shut the door behind her and scanned the space.
At first glance, nothing seemed out of place. The bed was neatly made, the curtains exactly as she had left them, and even the scent remained undisturbed.
Still, something felt… off.
She moved toward the main wardrobe and opened the drawers. One by one, she checked the compartments where she and Alaric kept personal belongings.
Clothes, accessories, jewelry—everything was there. Nothing missing.
Her brow furrowed deeper.
What did he come here for?
She stepped back, folding her arms, trying to make sense of it. Maybe he was just passing by, she thought. Maybe Ellie misunderstood.
But then her gaze dropped—almost by instinct—to the side table by the bed.
Her breath caught.
The drawer was not fully closed. And Lyra…she always locked that drawer. It was habit.
She kept things there she didn't want anyone—especially not her children—stumbling upon.
A rush of tension ran through her. She moved to the table and slowly pulled the drawer open.
Inside, everything looked untouched on the surface, but now her suspicion sharpened.
Kael… what were you looking for?
And more importantly—what did you find?
She crouched and opened the lower drawer. Dresses, sealed letters—everything was neatly in place. Untouched.
Only one drawer remained now.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for it. It was the smallest of the three, rarely opened and always locked. But tonight, it wasn't.
She opened it.
"My nightgown…" she whispered.
It was gone.
It was a gift from Alaric in their youth, something intimate and not meant to be seen by anyone but her husband.
Gone.
Her heart thumped against her ribs, disbelief shifting into a fury. She stood up sharply, closing the drawer with a snap.
Kael… what did you do?
Lyra paced around the room, her mind spinning. Why would Kael take it? Her thoughts collided, each one more puzzling than the last.
She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. But why? What would he possibly want with it?
Her mind flashed back to earlier moments—Kael's behavior, his strange demeanor. He had been quieter than usual, almost distant. And the odd way he had acted when Ellie found him near her room. Could he have...?
No. She shook her head, rejecting the thought.
Kael was her son. This couldn't be true, it just didn't make sense.
Yet, despite the confusion, suspicion flared brighter with each passing second. Could it be possible? Did he somehow…
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. No. She couldn't jump to conclusions without answers. But there was something wrong.
With a deep breath, Lyra made a decision. She would confront him tomorrow. She needed to hear it from his own lips—what was going on in his head.
After a moment, she fell on the bed, running her fingers through her hair in frustration.
Confront him? How? What can I even say? The thought of asking her own son why he had taken her sexy nightgown made her stomach turn.
She rubbed her forehead, trying to clear her thoughts. Focus. There was no way she could keep avoiding this. If he had taken the gown, there had to be a reason. But what could possibly justify such a thing?
Lyra sighed deeply, exhausted. She didn't have the answers.
Tomorrow, she would ask him. But tonight, the questions swirled, unanswered. She closed her eyes, her mind refusing to quiet as sleep slowly overtook her.