Reporter: Lyn Tolbert (Gen 11)
Location: The Resident’s Suite, West Wing, Capp Manor
Time: 2:14 AM
I’m in.
The window at the back of the West Wing wasn’t just unlocked; it was practically waiting for me. Tybalt Capp is either the worst security guard in the history of noble estates, or he wants me to find what’s up here. I’m betting on the latter.
The air in this wing doesn't smell like the rest of the Manor. There’s no lemon polish or "Imperial" beeswax. It smells like old paper, dried lavender, and something sharp—like oil paints.
I followed the light. There was a single line of gold bleeding out from under the door at the very end of the hall. No guards. No Alicia. Just the sound of a brush scratching against canvas.
The Meeting
I didn't knock. I just pushed.
The room is... a library. But not like the one downstairs where Alicia keeps her boring law books. This one is alive. There are sketches pinned to every inch of the wallpaper. Maps of the 48 households, but drawn with colors I’ve never seen. And in the center of it all is a girl who looks exactly like the "Imperial" standard, but with eyes that actually see.
Lyn: I’m guessing you’re not a historical artifact.
Celeste: (She didn't even flinch. She just kept painting a portrait of a tree—the one with the scar.) Artifacts stay where you put them, Lyndsey. I tend to wander, even if it’s only between these four walls. You’re late. I expected the 'Ghost Historian' to find the drafts three days ago.
Lyn: I had to deal with your Aunt Alicia first. She’s currently downstairs trying to explain to my mother why 'lineage stability' is more important than sleep. She doesn't know I’m here, does she?
Celeste: (A sharp, knowing smile) Alicia doesn't know anything that isn't written in a ledger. She thinks she’s the architect, but she’s just the decorator. She keeps me here because I’m the 'glitch' in her perfect system. A daughter of the noble line who doesn't want the crown? That’s a constitutional crisis she can’t solve with a decree.
Lyn: Tybalt is protecting you. But why hide? You’re a Henderson-McLean-Capp. You’re Generation 11. You have as much right to that parlor as she does.
Celeste: I don't want the parlor, Lyn. I want the truth. Alicia wants to turn Nadine into a statue and Leslie into a soldier. I’m the only one who remembers that we’re supposed to be a family, not a museum exhibit. You found the 'Scarred Wood' clue. Do you know what happens to a tree when you try to polish out the scars?
Lyn: It weakens.
Celeste: Exactly. Alicia is polishing us to death. And I’m the part that’s still raw.
The Historian’s Tactical Sidebar:
The Hidden Genius: Celeste isn't just "hiding." She’s documenting. Her sketches are more accurate than any record in the Archives Museum. She knows everyone’s secrets—including the ones about the Greyson Branch.
The Sibling Shield: It’s clear now. Tybalt and Addyson are keeping her here to save her from Alicia’s "re-education" programs. She’s the heart of the house, kept in a cage to keep it beating.
The 12th Generation: Celeste mentioned Theodore Vance. She’s been watching him, too. She thinks he’s the key to breaking Alicia’s hold once and for all.