They Who Slaughtered Hope 🌈| 1-2 Updates a Month

Chapter 03

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𝙻𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚡

┗━━━༻✿༺━━━┛

𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨

Lennox studied his desk. "Now... where did I put that extract?" With his jaw set, he mixed up various tinctures to fill the day's quota. If he finished them, he could do some late-night deliveries, ending a previously tedious Tuesday with a pile of cash.

It would end up going down the drain if his mother was any indication of their wealth. He didn't care a whole lot when it came to his appearance, but his mother did. Another expense Lennox didn't want to pay.

As if his musings summoned their subject, he heard a key turning in the lock, and the door closed with a cheerful click. Lennox bolted out of his chair, as if to flee, but stopped himself. His mother was back from her escapades, it was nothing to stress out about. Too much, at least.

"Lennox? Chase?"

"I'm down in the basement, Mum."

It was then that Lennox saluted his precious alone time goodbye.

"What is that smell?" Mrs Kendrick exclaimed, waltzing into Lennox's bedroom. Her small nose wrinkled in disgust at the fumes.

He sighed, not deigning to answer that the smell she so detested was the source of her income.

His mother ignored him. "Well, no matter. Tell Chase to get ready to leave. We will depart within the hour."

He cursed under his breath. "Why?"

The sun had just set, and Lennox was suspicious of her motives. He wanted to know what she was up to.

"The Verita Aser is hosting a gathering to honour your father's return to their ranks. You are to come as well."

Lennox muttered that the Verita Aser were a bunch of fucked-up hypocrites, and his mother shot him a slicing gaze.

"I heard that."

He smirked. "You were supposed to."

"You will behave yourself, Lennox," his mother snapped, and stalked away, holding her poofy caramel head high.

From what Lennox had uncovered, his mother wanted to win back her estranged husband, by showing him she had tamed their eldest son. Going to the gathering with a well-groomed Lennox in tow would demonstrate that.

Like hell he would let that happen.

Not to mention, she'd think she was so chivalrous, getting Lennox far away from all the fumes and plants that made up her spending money.

After informing Chase of their situation, he moved to stare at his closet with idle humour. "Well... I guess I have to get ready, then," he mused, taking up his chemist's and apothecary's concoctions and hiding them from prying eyes.

Lennox ravaged his closet for something his high-born mother would approve of, finding a deep blue blazer that would hide the majority of his freckles. His mother hated them and called the spots 'marks of the poor'. He was so young then that he was afraid his mother would scare the specks right off him.

He rolled his eyes at the memory, running his fingers through his pale blond hair. Lennox was never one for social gatherings, and this would be no exception. Only more so that he hadn't had a proper conversation with his father for two whole years. He couldn't even begin to guess what might happen when they reunited. Nor did he want to, as it was his goal to avoid it as long as possible.