A House Without Warmth

The Ravenscroft estate was breathtakingly massive. As the black luxury car drove through the towering iron gates, Eren quietly stared out of the window.

Endless gardens stretched across the property, decorated with elegant fountains, perfectly trimmed hedges, and expensive sculptures.

The mansion standing proudly in the distance looked more like a royal palace than a family home. Even though Eren had grown up in a wealthy household, he had never seen a place this extravagant. For a brief moment, he forgot to breathe.

The ride had been painfully silent. Eren glanced sideways at Sebastian, who hadn’t spoken to him once since they left the wedding hall.

Sebastian sat comfortably beside him, his attention completely fixed on his phone as he scrolled through emails without the slightest interest in acknowledging his new partner.

Eren looked away again, quietly folding his hands on his lap. The silence between them wasn’t awkward anymore it simply felt cold.

The car finally came to a stop in front of the grand entrance. Before the driver could even open the door, several servants rushed outside.

Sebastian stepped out first, loosening his tie with one hand as though he had finally escaped something exhausting.

The moment his polished shoes touched the marble steps, over twenty maids and servants lined up neatly on both sides of the entrance.

“Welcome home, Master.”

Every single one of them bowed deeply in perfect unison.

Eren slowly stepped out of the car, feeling everyone’s eyes shift toward him.

The servants immediately bowed again.

“Welcome home, Young Master.”

Eren blinked in surprise. His father owned a large company and employed many workers, but he had never been greeted with such respect before It almost made him slightly uncomfortable.

An elderly man dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit walked forward with calm elegance. His silver hair was neatly combed back, and his posture remained straight despite his age.

“Everything has been prepared, sir,” the butler said respectfully.

Sebastian gave a small nod before walking inside the mansion without slowing his pace.

“Prepare another room for him,” he said indifferently. “We’ll be sleeping separately.”

His tone was so casual, as if he were talking about moving furniture instead of his partner.

The butler nodded calmly.

“Understood, Master.”

He turned toward Eren with a polite smile.

“Young Master, please follow me.”

Eren quietly followed him through the enormous mansion. The marble floors reflected the crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings, while expensive paintings and antique decorations covered every wall. It was beautiful, yet strangely empty.

Deep down, Eren already understood what Sebastian’s order meant.

He doesn’t even want to sleep in the same room as me…

His chest tightened slightly.

Unable to stop himself, he asked in a quiet voice, “Um… I thought married couples usually shared a bedroom.”

The butler stopped walking and turned to face him. His expression remained kind and respectful.

“That is true, Young Master,” he replied gently. “However, Master Sebastian has been dealing with many matters recently. He believes it would be best if you both had your own space for now.”

There was no hostility in his voice, but Eren understood the message perfectly.

The butler opened a large bedroom door.

“We’ve prepared this room especially for you. Please get some rest. It’s been a very long day.”

Eren forced a small smile.

“Thank you.”

The butler bowed once before quietly closing the door behind him.

The room instantly stole Eren’s attention.

It was larger than his bedroom back at the Hawthorne mansion. Soft golden lights illuminated the elegant furniture, while floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the beautifully lit gardens outside.

The king-sized bed looked impossibly comfortable, and fresh white lilies decorated the room with a pleasant fragrance.

He slowly walked around, taking everything in.

“I can’t believe this is just… a guest room,” he murmured.

With a tired sigh, he loosened his tie before taking off his wedding suit. He walked into the luxurious marble bathroom, where a large bathtub had already been filled with rose and warm water. Steam rose gently into the air.

He took a long shower before sinking into the bathtub, allowing the warmth to ease the tension in his aching body. It felt like the first peaceful moment he’d had all day.

After drying himself, he noticed a neatly folded set of silk pajamas waiting on the bed. Someone had thoughtfully prepared everything for him.

He changed into them, crawled beneath the soft blankets, and within minutes, exhaustion pulled him into a deep sleep.

The next morning, loud knocking interrupted his peaceful dream.

At the same time, the alarm clock beside the bed began ringing.

Eren groaned softly and reached over to switch it off before dragging himself out of bed. Still half asleep, he shuffled toward the door and opened it.

A young maid stood outside, smiling warmly while pushing a breakfast trolley.

“Good morning, Young Master.”

“Good morning…” Eren answered quietly.

“I’ve brought your breakfast.”

She wheeled the trolley inside and carefully arranged the dishes on the dining table.

Before leaving, she turned back toward him.

“Master Sebastian asked me to inform you that after you’ve eaten and freshened up, he’d like you to come downstairs.”

Eren nodded until she added,

“His friends are here.”

His body instantly stiffened.

“H-His… friends?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes.”

She smiled politely.

“They arrived earlier this morning.”

After bowing, she quietly left the room.

Eren remained standing there for several seconds.

Meeting Sebastian alone was already nerveracking.

Meeting the people closest to him…

That sounded even worse.

Trying to calm himself, he went to the bathroom for a quick shower before opening the enormous wardrobe. It was already filled with clothes that fit him perfectly, as though someone had taken his measurements beforehand.

He chose a simple cream-colored sweater and black trousers before sitting down to eat breakfast.

Although the food looked delicious, he could barely taste it.

Once he finished, he took one deep breath after another before finally making his way downstairs.

The closer he got to the living room, the stronger a strange smell became.

The air was thick with cigarette smoke.

By the time Eren reached the bottom of the stairs, it surrounded him completely.

His breathing immediately became uneven.

“Cough…!”

He covered his mouth.

“Cough… cough…!”

The smoke burned his throat and stung his eyes. Tears instantly gathered at the corners of his eyes as another coughing fit escaped him. His chest tightened painfully, making it difficult to breathe.

He stood there trying to steady himself before finally looking up.

Sebastian sat comfortably in the center of the living room, one arm lazily resting on the back of the sofa. A glass of red wine rested in his hand while two stunning women kept him company.

One sat comfortably on his lap with her arm around his shoulders, while the other leaned against him, smiling sweetly as she refilled his glass.

Eren quickly lowered his gaze.

“…Good morning.”

Sebastian looked at him for only a second.

Then he calmly took another sip of wine, saying nothing.

The awkward silence lingered until one of the men in the room suddenly stood up with an easygoing grin.

“So you’re finally here.”

He walked over and extended his hand.

“It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Eren hesitated before shaking it.

The man chuckled warmly.

“I’m Axel. That gloomy guy over there puffing on another cigarette is Lucian. The three of us grew up together.”