Alaric stood alone in his study, wrapped in the glow of a solitary candle whose wavering flame danced across scattered papers. The scent of old parchment and dried ink mingled with the silence, as though the room itself was suffocating under his unspoken thoughts. His hand hovered above a stack of unopened letters, yet his eyes were fixed on the void.
He muttered bitterly, as if confronting a hidden mirror within himself:
"They're just books… pages and ink. How can something so trivial light up her eyes? Ridiculous…"
A hollow, short laugh slipped from his lips — nothing but mockery of his own fragility. He clenched his jaw, imagining silently: What would she think if she saw me like this? His fingers brushed his chin, picturing her reaction… until a sudden voice cut through the quiet.
"Planning something unexpected tonight, my lord?"
Alaric turned sharply. At the door stood Aurelian, wearing his familiar grin, sly and mocking. Behind him, the head butler froze in place, his eyes wide with astonishment; it was not every day one witnessed the Duke of Blackthorne speaking to himself like a restless ghost.
Aurelian stepped forward, raising his hands in mock surrender.
"Ah, apologies, my lord. But you were… rather loud. Thinking aloud again, are we?"
Alaric shot him a cold glare, though a faint glimmer of warmth flickered beneath it. He turned away, his fingers curling hard against the desk's edge, as if restraining a forbidden impulse.
"You overstep your bounds."
Aurelian only chuckled softly, daring to draw closer.
"Perhaps… but who else would remind you that you are still human?"
The butler lingered for a moment, then sensed his presence was no longer welcome. With a polite bow, he withdrew, leaving the two men alone in the heavy silence. He had, after all, raised Alaric since boyhood — yet he had never witnessed such a sight. Perhaps long ago, too far to recall, he had almost forgotten… that Alaric could be like anyone else.
Alaric closed his eyes and exhaled sharply, as if attempting to banish an unseen weight.
---
Meanwhile, Elara sat curled at the edge of her bed, her fingers gliding across the titles of the new books strewn around her. Her eyes gleamed with a quiet hunger — the hunger of one long starved of stories, of voices beyond the echo of her own thoughts.
How did they know? she wondered, her heartbeat quickening. Was it the way I lingered over the pages? Or a sigh I thought no one heard?
She pressed a book to her chest, eyes closing. Was it… him?
Her fingers trembled faintly. Gratitude and confusion tangled within her, a strange warmth threading through the cold weight of her solitude. She glanced toward the door, half-expecting someone to be standing there.
---
A gentle knock startled her, but it was only the maid, carrying a tray of jasmine-scented tea.
"You seem more alive tonight, my lady," the maid said softly as she carefully gathered the books teetering on the edge of the bed.
Elara hesitated, then whispered:
"These books… they're wonderful. Thank you."
The maid's breath caught slightly before she replied:
"I merely told Master Aurelian of your tastes… he arranged the rest. I am but the messenger."
Elara lowered her gaze, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Even so… thank you."
The maid bowed her head, eyes glinting with quiet respect.
"There is no need to thank us, my lady. You are the Duchess of Blackthorne now. It is our duty to make your stay worthy of you."
A small, hesitant smile touched Elara's lips. Duchess of Blackthorne… The title still felt foreign, a cloak too heavy for her shoulders.
---
Beyond the half-open door, a still shadow lingered.
Alaric stood there, concealed in the darkness, watching. His frosted features softened, warmth stirring in his gaze. His fingers brushed the doorframe, as though it marked the line between what he could do and what remained forbidden.
She stayed. She's here. That is enough… for now.
And in a fleeting instant, the mask of sternness cracked. A faint smile touched his lips — a smile no one saw, save the moonlight spilling through the window, bearing silent witness to a secret in the Duke's heart.
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See you in the shadows…
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