Royal Dumont

Aurora's hands curled into fists, her expression darkening as she snapped, "Do not dare call me that!"

His scarred face creased into a cheerful smile. "Why so glum? We have not crossed paths in sixteen years. Can you not manage a smile?"

Aurora shuddered, her eyes darting outside to the welcome sight of Theodore pulling up in a carriage. Her face lit up with a genuine smile.

"Oh?" Her brother followed her eyes to the carriage, where Theodore was helping the quadruplets out, their faces lightly bruised but beaming with big smiles.

Aurora sighed, shaking her head in stunned silence. Trouble still seemed to follow them wherever they went.

"Ah, so those are the little troublemakers Mother mentioned." her brother said, his words making her heart skip a beat.

She swallowed stiffly. Her body was trembling a bit. No... she had to protect her children from him at all costs.

"Do not even think about touching my children, Royal, or you will suffer far worse than the scar I left on your face."

Royal Dumont laughed, his hazel eyes gleaming with sadistic glee as he savored the turmoil on her expression, her eyes a window of her rage, fear, and unresolved trauma.

Without acknowledging his quiet gaze, Aurora rushed to her children, squatting and sweeping them into a warm hug as they clamored for her attention.

"How was school today?" she asked, her eyes closing as she let the warmth of their hugs dissipate her fear.

When they broke away, she stood up, lifting Lucien in her arms, his small body a comforting weight.

"Leon started a fight!" Lucien blurted out, his finger accusingly pointed at his brother, who promptly turned beet red.

Aurora's calm response was a simple "Oh," betraying no surprise, given Leon's scratched cheeks and disheveled uniform.

"It seems like a serious fight, sweetie, do you want me to visit the school?" She asked, stroking his hair.

Leon's "No..." was hesitant, his face flushing an even deeper shade of red.

Aurora's curiosity was aroused. "Why?" She asked, her eyes turning to his brothers, who were clearly trying to hold back their amusement.

"What is going on here?" She asked, laughter evident in her voice as she looked at Lucien, who was clearly struggling to contain his giggles.

"Aww! Stop!" Leon groaned heavily embarrassed, covering his face with his hands. And he was immediately followed by a burst of laughter from his brothers, who couldn't hold back their amusement any longer.

"The truth is, it was a girl, and Leon was too chicken to fight back, so she basically pulverized him!" Alexandre explained, laughing the loudest

"It is not my fault," Leon murmured, praying for the floor to swallow him whole. "Mama's number one rule is to never hit a girl. She was really annoying, but I did not want to hurt her, even though she was driving me insane."

Aurora's face lit up with a warm smile. "That's my boy," she said, patting his head affectionately.

Leon dropped his hands, revealing his flushed face, and whispered, "Thank you, Mama."

"Mama, are you going somewhere?" Adrien asked curiously.

Lucien chimed in, pointing towards the entrance, "Who was that man we saw earlier, Mama? The one with the briefcase?"

Her eyes followed Lucien's pointing finger, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that the Royal was no longer there.

"It was your uncle," she replied, her eyes twinkling with mirth, as she playfully nudged Lucien's cheek. "Go get cleaned up, I will get the sandwiches ready."

He smiled, and she set him down, watching as he joined his brothers stampeding into the house, their laughter and shouts filling the air.

Sighing, she made her way to Theodore, who was inspecting the horses' condition. "Are they truly faring well in their studies?" She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression a mix of concern and doubt.

Theodore turned from the horses and faced her, his expression calm, "They are bright young minds, young mistress. You need not be overly protective of them."

Aurora laughed nervously. "I cannot help but worry. They are the leverage used to manipulate me. Please continue to keep them safe, I am forever in your debt."

Theodore bowed his head. "I owe you my life, young mistress."

She smiled weakly. "I need your assistance in locating Sebastian. I must obtain that necklace."

Theodore lifted his head, his eyebrow arching in concern. "Is it a healthy choice to pursue a mate who has already rejected you, young mistress?"

"He is living on borrowed time. He no longer has a hold on me whatsoever. Yet, I cannot deny his impressive ascent. He has built a vast fortune and expanded his territory, a truly remarkable feat." She pondered, her chin cradled in her hand.

"Being purebreds, their powers are destined to increase." Theodore stated, his sigh reflecting his unease. "I apologize for not warning you about his plans to attend the auction. I was distracted by my responsibilities towards the children."

"Let's not dwell on that." Aurora said, her voice taut with suppressed anger. She was fuming about the situation, but decided to keep her emotions in check. Her rage was primarily directed at Royal's unexpected and unwelcome arrival.

When she returned, she was told that he had been in the Netherlands for the past three years, supposedly engaged in research. It was clear that his return coincided with her own return to France.

That bastard, along with his power-hungry family, had shaped her into the person she was today.

....

As the sun set, the Dumont Estate was abuzz with the arrival of luxurious carriages, and the ballroom was packed with distinguished guests, all of whom were human.

The atmosphere was electric with the excitement of a high-end gala, complete with music, gourmet food, and drinks that fit the sophisticated setting.

The night had worn on, and the clock had struck a late hour.

Dressed to impress for the evening's gala, she sat in her children's room, lost in the pages of a storybook. Her children had already fallen asleep, but she found the tale too captivating to abandon.

A faint smile graced her lips as her ears detected the sound of footsteps in the distance, their echo growing louder with each passing moment.

She shut the book, placed it on the table, and rose from her seat to approach the door. Just as her hand touched the handle, a knock resounded, and she opened the door to find Royal standing before her, his presence eliciting a terrified gasp from her lips.

Unbeknownst to her, the quadruplets, stirred by her sudden fear, awakened simultaneously.

They exchanged a quick glance to confirm they were all present before turning their attention to their mother and the man standing before her.

Royal's scarred face and sly smile instantly put them on high alert, their protective instincts kicking in.

"No need to look so frightened, mother requested that I fetch you," Royal said, his smile growing wider. "The media and our esteemed guests are eager to meet you."

"Return to sleep, boys," Aurora whispered softly, striving to maintain a calm demeanor to reassure them and prevent any rash actions.

The quadruplets slowly relaxed, their tension easing, but they refused to close their eyes until Aurora had exited the room, the door closing behind her with a soft click.