Alys POV:

The door swung open, and my father, Lord Beaumont Hays, and my mother, Lady Annelise Hays, walked in. Clement and Henrietta trailed behind them.

My father wore a dark green velvet coat, his slight paunch straining the fabric. Several large, gaudy rings adorned his fingers. He looked more like a prosperous merchant than an honorable dragon-kin noble.

My mother, Annelise, wore an expression of pure fury and disgust. The exquisite Dragon-fire pattern embroidered on her skirt seemed to frost over with her icy glare. She looked at me not as a daughter, but as a piece of trash that had stained her reputation.

Henrietta immediately ran to our mother's arms, sobbing, "Mother, sister... she won't forgive me."

Annelise hugged her younger daughter tightly, then shot me a venomous look. "Alys! How long are you going to keep this up! Look how you've scared Henrietta! You heartless, ungrateful wretch!"

I ignored her curses, my gaze calmly settling on my father, the master of this house—Lord Beaumont.

Lord Beaumont cleared his throat, speaking in the unquestionable tone of a patriarch. "Alys, I heard from Clement that you've agreed to the marriage. Good. That's how a daughter of House Hays should behave. If you had done so earlier, you wouldn't have had to suffer this pain."

I looked at him and suddenly smiled. The movement pulled at the wound in my chest, making me dizzy with pain, but I smiled nonetheless.

"Father," I said softly, "I agree to marry him, but not 'unconditionally'."

Lord Beaumont's face darkened. "You want to negotiate? Alys, don't push your luck. Marrying Lord Kensington is the greatest fortune for a Dragonless like you!"

I ignored his anger and continued, "First, as a daughter of House Hays, my marriage requires a dowry befitting my station."

My words stunned everyone into silence. Annelise looked as if she'd heard the world's greatest joke. "A dowry? A substitute being sent away by the family, and you want a dowry?"

Clement cursed out loud. "Are you insane? The family is being generous by not tying you up and shipping you over directly!"

I turned to him, my eyes like ice. "Brother Clement, watch your tone. I am about to become Lady Kensington. Do you wish to provoke a dispute between our two houses by speaking to me this way?"

I deliberately emphasized the title "Lady Kensington." Clement's face turned a shade of purple. He wanted to argue but was rendered speechless.

I turned my gaze back to Lord Beaumont. "Father, I represent the face of House Hays. If I arrive with nothing, what will people say? That you are cruel and heartless, unwilling to provide a decent dowry for your own daughter? That, I'm afraid, would bring more shame upon the family than a 'Dragonless' daughter ever could."

Lord Beaumont's eyes flickered. He was a man obsessed with appearances, and I had struck his weak point.

Henrietta grew anxious, tugging on Annelise's sleeve. "Mother, how can sister do this? She's blackmailing the family!"

I cut her off coldly. "Be quiet, Henrietta. This is not your place to speak. Or would you rather take my place and marry that 'cursed' lord?"

Henrietta's face went white. She immediately hid behind our mother, not daring to utter another word.

For the first time, my entire family was silenced by me. A sick sense of pleasure rose within me. This was the feeling of being in control.

Lord Beaumont pondered for a long time before finally speaking. "Fine. You can have a dowry. But it must be within a reasonable limit."

I sneered internally. He had agreed. But I wasn't finished.

"There is a second condition," I said calmly, dropping another bomb.

"What more do you want?" Annelise shrieked.

I enunciated each word. "I want to sever all ties with House Hays."

The statement was a hundred times more powerful than the request for a dowry. The room fell into a dead silence.

They all looked at me as if I were a madwoman. For a noblewoman, severing ties with her family was tantamount to social suicide.

Clement was the first to react, his anger reaching its peak. "You... you traitor! The family raised you, and you want to betray us!"

He roared, charging at me like an uncontrolled beast. Ignoring everyone's shocked cries, he threw a heavy punch into my abdomen.

A sharp, agonizing pain shot through my entire body. I could clearly hear the crack of a rib breaking. A mouthful of blood erupted from my lips.

But I didn't scream.

I just stared at Clement, my will clearer and more resolute than ever amidst the extreme pain.

Good. I'll add this to your tab.