Bound by the Mark of Lies (BL)
Chapter 103 - 98: Cold war (2)

Chapter 103: Chapter 98: Cold war (2)

Gabriel did not wait for more. He rose gracefully, nodding to those present before turning away. He felt the weight of Damian’s gaze on his back, the quiet force of it pressing against his shoulders as he walked toward the familiar figure near the edge of the ballroom.

Theodore von Jaunez stood with his usual quiet authority, looking around the room with the eyes of someone who had seen far more than he spoke about. Unlike the nobles eager to impress with the court’s latest spectacle, Theo remained a steadfast presence in Gabriel’s world. Nobles attempted to get his attention, but as always, he responded politely but coldly.

As Gabriel approached, his older brother turned to him, his expression unreadable at first, until a flicker of something softer passed through his green eyes.

"You held your ground," Theo remarked, voice low enough that only Gabriel could hear.

Gabriel exhaled, allowing himself a fraction of relief now that he was out of Damian’s immediate orbit. "I had little choice."

Theo studied him for a moment before glancing past his shoulder, no doubt observing the Emperor’s reaction. "And yet you made a choice regardless."

Gabriel allowed himself a small, dry smile. "It was only fair."

Theo hummed, tilting his head. "Damian is not a man who takes well to being ignored."

Gabriel took a glass of wine from a passing servant, curling his fingers around the stem with deceptive ease. "I am aware."

Gabriel’s brother gave him a knowing look, and for the first time that evening, something settled in his chest. Here, at least, was someone who saw him for who he was—not as a pawn to be maneuvered, not as a spectacle to be seen, but as Gabriel. Or so he believed.

Theo took a slow sip of his own drink before speaking again. "Do you have a plan?"

Gabriel’s lips twitched. "Several."

’Some include you and the family.’ He thought bitterly.

"Good."

Gabriel’s grip on the stem of his glass tightened, but his expression remained composed. The music swelled around them, couples moving in elegant steps across the polished floor, the court lost in its own orchestrated dance. Yet here, away from the center of attention, something colder, heavier hung between the two brothers.

Gabriel exhaled slowly, his dark eyes sharp as they locked onto Theo’s. "Did you bring me back for this?"

Theo stilled, but his expression remained unreadable.

Gabriel tilted his head slightly, searching his brother’s face for even a sliver of hesitation, of guilt, anything. "Did you bring me back just to be the new Empress? The new source of power for our house?" His voice did not rise, but there was something raw beneath it, something splintered and jagged.

Theo did not answer right away, and that hesitation was all the confirmation Gabriel needed.

"You already know the answer," Theo finally admitted.

Gabriel let out a quiet, mirthless laugh, setting his untouched glass down on the nearest table with a sharp clink. "So it’s true, then." His lips curled slightly, though there was no humor in it. "Not as a son. Not as a brother. But as a pawn."

Theo’s jaw tightened, but he did not refute it.

Gabriel’s fingers curled at his sides as he took a step closer. "You could have told me," he said, voice low, dangerous. "At any point, you could have told me what was happening. That the court had already decided my fate. That our family had decided my fate. That the magical contract was nothing but an excuse to bring me back." His breath came out slow and measured, but his words still burned. "But no. You proceeded with the official events without me. You let them use me like I was nothing more than a means to an end."

Theo remained silent, but his green eyes flickered with something unreadable.

Gabriel clenched his jaw. "You and Father knew, didn’t you?" His voice sharpened, every word cutting like a blade. "You knew how to break my contract."

Theo’s gaze did not waver, but something about his posture shifted—so subtle that most would not have noticed. But Gabriel did.

His stomach twisted. "Of course you knew," he breathed, shaking his head. "Lucius von Jaunez wouldn’t allow his own son to be bound by something so absolute without looking into it. And yet, you did nothing."

Theo exhaled through his nose, his expression carefully neutral. "Gabriel—"

"No," Gabriel interrupted, his voice steady, but his anger simmered beneath it like a slow-burning fire. "You knew Damian could break it. You knew, and yet neither you nor Father so much as tried." He let out a quiet laugh, but there was no mirth in it. "Tell me, was it because you were waiting for the right moment? Was it because you wanted to make sure I would be useful before lifting a single finger to help me?"

Theo didn’t deny it.

Gabriel’s lips pressed into a thin line, his chest tightening. "I was supposed to be your brother. But instead, I was just another tool. Another advantage to secure power for the von Jaunez name." His dark eyes bore into Theo’s. "At least George Claymore was honest with his intentions."

At that, something in Theo’s mask cracked, but Gabriel wasn’t finished.

He shook his head slowly. "And I actually believed—" His voice caught for a fraction of a second before he steadied it. "I actually believed that coming back meant something."

He let out a breath and then, almost to himself, murmured, "Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t remember my past."

Theo’s brows furrowed slightly, but Gabriel kept going. "Because if I remembered how you, Lucius, and the rest of the family betrayed me, I do not think I would be able to stand here and look you in the eyes."

Silence stretched between them, suffocating and heavy.

For the first time that evening, Theo appeared to want to say something, anything. But no words came.

Gabriel exhaled softly, shaking his head. "Thank you for answering my question." His voice was polite and cold, as if he were speaking to a distant noble rather than his own brother.

And with that, he turned, leaving Theo standing alone as he disappeared into the sea of masked intentions.

If they wanted him as a pawn, they had chosen the wrong man.