Not Yours (BL)

Seraphina sat in the lounge, sipping her tea while a maid gently massaged her shoulders. Walter entered the room and took a seat on the sofa.

"What's the matter?" Seraphina asked, glancing at him.

Walter sighed. "I heard that Gottfried invited William to a tea party… and he went."

She raised an eyebrow. "So what? Let him do whatever he wants."

"No, that's not the case," Walter said, shaking his head. "By the way, Gottfried's daughter is quite pretty. Don't you want William to marry her?"

Seraphina took another sip of her tea, her expression calm but calculating. "If William gets married, then your father will stop caring about him and focus on you instead."

Walter sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't need anyone's attention. I'm not a kid anymore."

She scoffed. "You are a kid. Careless and immature. You should work like William—serve under the Crown Prince."

"I don't want to work under the Crown Prince," Walter said firmly.

Seraphina's calm demeanor shattered in an instant. In a fit of rage, she grabbed her teacup and hurled it at Walter. The maid gasped and stepped aside as the porcelain flew through the air. Walter barely dodged it, smirking.

"Oops. Missed," he said, unfazed. Then, his smirk faded slightly. "Mother, are you really going to hurt me? I'm your son."

Seraphina's eyes burned with fury. "Do you think you are like a son to me? Get out of my sight!"

Walter stood up, his expression unreadable. Without another word, he quietly left the lounge.

As he walked backward down the hallway, lost in thought, he suddenly bumped into someone.

It was Charles.

Walter's father frowned at him. "What's with all the noise coming from the lounge?"

Walter rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah… Mom's just really angry."

Charles sighed. "You must have done something foolish again."

Walter shrugged. "I'm going to William's house. I'll come back when Mother's temper cools down."

Charles watched as Walter turned and walked away, shaking his head at his son's usual antics.

Charles walked into the lounge, his expression calm yet firm. He gestured to the maid with a simple hand sign, and she immediately bowed before leaving the room.

Turning to Seraphina, he sighed. "Why are you stressing yourself like this? You'll only raise your blood pressure." He sat down on the sofa beside her.

Seraphina clenched her fists. "Did you see him? My secretary told me he spent the entire night with women! He's becoming more careless by the day. And at his age, William was already handling all the responsibilities."

Charles let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temple. "Let Walter do what he wants. He's still young—this is his time to enjoy life."

Seraphina ran her fingers through her hair, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, William and Jonathan arrived home. They stepped out of the carriage and entered the house. An old man in a butler's suit was waiting for them.

"Welcome, Lord William," the old butler greeted.

William looked at him and smiled. "Oh, Bertram! It's been a while."

Bertram nodded. "Yes, it has been seven years."

He then turned to Jonathan and observed him carefully. "You've grown up, Jonathan."

Jonathan smiled slightly. "Yeah, I have."

Bertram nodded. "You should rest now. I will take care of the house."

Jonathan excused himself and went to his room. William stretched his arms and said, "I'm going to freshen up first, then I'll have a light dinner."

"Alright, I will prepare it," Bertram replied.

William went to the bathroom to freshen up. Afterward, he walked to the dining hall, where Bertram stood to the side, waiting.

William sat down and began eating. He glanced around and asked, "What about Jonathan?"

"He already ate dinner and went to sleep," Bertram informed him.

William raised an eyebrow. "Already? He must be really tired."

He shook his head slightly and continued his meal in silence. 

As William ate, Bertram spoke.

"Ah, Mr. Alaric came to the house while you were at the tea party."

William looked up. "Did he say anything?"

"Yes," Bertram replied. "He left a letter for you."

He placed the letter on the dining table. William picked it up and opened it.

Dear William,I will meet you tomorrow.Take care.Goodbye.

William placed the letter back on the table and stood up.

"I'm going to sleep. Wake me up at 8 AM."

"Understood, my lord," Bertram said as he began clearing the dishes.

As William walked toward his bedroom, he passed by Jonathan's room. He paused for a moment, then quietly opened the door.

Jonathan was fast asleep, his breathing slow and steady. William stepped closer, looking at him with a soft expression. Leaning down, he placed a gentle kiss on Jonathan's forehead.

"Have a good dream about me," he whispered.

Then, he quietly left the room and headed to his own bedroom for the night.

William entered his bedroom and walked over to the bedside drawer. He opened it and took out an envelope. Carefully, he pulled out its contents—several photographs.

His eyes narrowed as he examined them. The pictures showed a young child alongside members of the royal family.

William's grip on the photos tightened. Why do these pictures exist? he thought to himself.

Lost in thought, he sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the images, trying to piece everything together.