Chapter Nineteen: A Vow in the Wind
Edward looked into her tear-filled eyes and asked in a softened voice, "What is your name?" She replied in a voice as delicate as a whispered breeze, "My name is Lillian."
Edward told her his name, and her features froze in shock for a moment; the name of Edward's family carried the resonance of old glory destroyed by invaders. Edward broke her daze by saying firmly, "Come with me to the mansion. You cannot stay here amidst the wreckage."
Lillian refused at first, her pride not allowing her to be a burden. But after Edward's persistent insistence, she agreed on one condition: "I will go with you, but I will not be a guest. I will work in your house, and I will help you restore your family's glory, in exchange for your revenge for me and everyone oppressed by the Ravencrofts."
Edward nodded in agreement and reached out his hand to help her mount the horse behind him. During the journey back, Edward began to tell her the mysterious tale of "Tula"—how he had summoned him from the other world, how the entity had deceived him at first, explaining his confusion in dealing with a being whose logic he did not understand and whose limits of power he could not grasp.
When they arrived at the mansion, Tula was standing at the entrance as if he had been waiting for them. Tula peered into the girl's face with his sharp eyes that glowed with a strange light, asking in a mocking tone, "Master... I am truly surprised. Who is this that you have brought into our lair?"
Edward replied as he dismounted his horse with confidence, "This is Lillian... my personal maid, and she will live with us in the mansion from now on."
Tula did not utter a word; he merely offered a mysterious smile, as if he saw in Lillian's presence a new piece on the chessboard he was managing—a piece that might change the course of the game entirely