Retirement

"And what does that mean for us?" Lord Bastian asked, his voice gruff. "Does this 'goddess' intend for her to take control of the house?"

Sylvie smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I have no interest in leading this family," she said simply. "I merely wish to protect what I love."

Her words were enough to calm some, but not all.

I exhaled slowly and moved on to the next point.

"Third," I said, turning my gaze to Ana and Felix, "your plan to take the throne has failed, you brats."

Silence.

Ana's grip on her napkin tightened, a habit she has had since childhood while Felix kept his gaze fixed on the table, his jaws clenched.

I leaned forward slightly, my voice dropping to a deadly calm. "I don't blame you entirely. I understand why you did what you did. After all, I have lived my life as a patriarch.

I had already passed it on to my son, Dragneel. But when he died, I had no choice but to take it back."