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“He threatened permanent wardship.”

Mira’s mouth opens, then closes. When she speaks again, her voice is lower. “We leave tonight.”

“I begin contingencies tonight. I cannot disappear without making Corin the obvious cause. Vaerith will use it.”

“Vaerith will use the weather if it rains sideways.”

“Yes, but I prefer not to hand him a thunderstorm.”

Mira presses both hands to her face, then drops them. “What do you need?”

“Bren. The west route. No written names. Tell him the laundry accounts are ready for delivery if the house catches fire.”

“That is a terrible code.”

“It is memorable.”

“It is ridiculous.”

“That too.”

She grips my shoulders carefully, avoiding the places where the ward left pain. “Iso, listen to me. There is brave, and there is letting a noble bastard fold you into paperwork until you cannot breathe.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

I cover one of her hands with mine. “Yes.”

The bond warms sharply beneath my ribs.

Corin.

I move to the desk and write quickly, not a plea and not a confession, because both are too easy to weaponize. I use the old contract shorthand beneath a layer of household nonsense.

Wardship clause threatened. Permanent binding possible by dawn if grounds manufactured. Shell ledgers copied. Ritual expenses tied to siphoning. I am preparing movement routes. Do not storm the estate. Meet west arcade after moonrise if unwatched.

I pause, then add one final line.

I am not asking permission.

When I fold the note, Mira reads my face and sighs. “That poor man.”

“He is not poor.”

“He is going to have feelings about that last sentence.”

“He can survive them.”

“Can the rest of us?”

I seal it with plain wax and hand it to her. “Go.”

She takes the note, touches my cheek once with rough affection, and disappears through the service door.

Night falls slowly.

The estate never fully quiets after humiliation. It mutters through walls, carries footsteps where none usually pass, and keeps mirrors awake in dark rooms. I wait until the moon has risen above the west roofline and the bond has steadied enough to guide me through the servant corridors without needing a lamp.