Sera poked her food gently with a fork in her hand before sighing. Accompanying their guests for dinner wasn't on today's agenda, yet she found herself unable to leave her grandfather and cousin's company. While Sera was annoyed for a different reason, her father, the old duke, and Alec took her sigh as a sign of distress caused by Cedrick's action.
"Are you not in the mood to eat, Sera?" Alec asked, his expression one filled with concern. He noticed how thin she was and how her long hair had lost luster since the last time he'd seen her.
"I just had a meal this afternoon before you arrived, Alec," Sera replied with a weak smile. "May I be excused? I wish to take a walk to clear my head."
"Then let me accompany you." Alec was about to stand up when the duke stopped him.
"You stay, Alec. I have something to discuss with you." Duke Lysander said. The meal before him was barely touched, like Sera's.
"But-" Alec wanted to object as he wanted to assure Sera that they wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her again. Seeing her look so dejected made his chest hurt. Sera was like the little sister Alec never had, so how could he not be worried about her?
"Rowan, please accompany Sera. Ensure she won't leave the premises." The duke said with finality.
Sera frowned as she looked at Rowan accepting her father's command. She ignored the hand he extended to offer and walked away without a word.
Duke Lysander rested his forehead on his hand and sighed. It never occurred to him that something like this would happen during his absence.
"Let her be, Lysander." The old duke said as he picked up his goblet, gently swishing the reddish wine with a flick of his wrist. "Whatever Sera had endured in the Tower of Penance was more than enough to break her and change her."
"I feel like I'm looking at the younger version of herself, Father." Duke Lysander replied, "Back before she attended the magic academy with Rowan."
His father tilted his head and regarded him. He paused for a moment, considering his son's words. There was an undeniable truth in what Duke Lysander had said. Sera's current demeanor showed the same behavior she had in the past.
When Sera was young, she had an aversion to socializing with other children her age. While the other children were drawn into games and childish endeavors, Sera would rather study spells and magic formulas in the library. Duke Lysander had tried numerous ways to introduce her to other children, but Sera would always find a way to chase those children with teary eyes.
Most people recognized her intelligence, yet this very reason also led to her being isolated by others. Sera didn't seem to mind it, but her arrogance started to show as she got older.
However, when Sera reached the age of twelve, they noticed a sudden change in her behavior. While her love for books remained, Sera started befriending others regardless of their social status.
Duke Lysander was initially worried Sera would lash out when he took Cedrick as part of their family, but instead, she welcomed the boy with open arms and didn't make a qualm out of it.
Cedrick's betrayal must have deeply hurt her, and they failed to protect her from it. However, the bloodbath that she performed during her attempted escape from the Tower of Penance was something the duke never thought Sera was capable of doing.
The level of her expertise in controlling the corpse as her puppets was astonishing. Others would need years of experience before they could perform such a complex feat. It made him wonder how long Sera had been using her Bloodfire magic and what else she was capable of.
"After all of these, perhaps we should let the master of the magic tower assess Sera." His father commented as if knowing what was running on the duke's mind.
"I'm planning to do that, Father. I'm just not sure Sera would allow it. I think she's hiding something from all of us."
"She's at that age now, Lysander. She might be thinking she could only rely on herself after what happened."
Duke Lysander couldn't refuse his father's words. It was one of those times he wished his wife were alive. Perhaps Duchess Rosalia would know what to do with their elusive daughter. He couldn't tell what Sera was thinking, and he was ashamed to admit that he had failed her as her father.
He wasn't blind to see the cold rage in her eyes. The magic she performed at the Tower of Penance must be just the tip of the iceberg. Duke Lysander knew that if Sera chose to exact revenge, their entire family would be implicated. However, how could he blame her? He wasn't oblivious to the methods the crown prince might have used when they tortured her.
Meanwhile, Rowan followed Sera a couple of steps away from her with light steps. Sera didn't hide her displeasure. She wanted to roam around the estate to find the hidden passages, room, and the underground spring that the system had mentioned. But how was she supposed to do that if Rowan was following her?
"How long do you plan to follow my father like a loyal hound?" Sera asked him, without looking back.
Rowan merely raised a brow at her jab.
"A hound follows for a scrap of approval. I am here to ensure the most volatile asset on the estate doesn't accidentally... destroy itself. Your father's orders merely align with my duty. I suggest you don't make a scene now, de Lys."
"I'm curious why a tower mage is playing guard dog for a noble house, Ashgrave. You seem to have a lot of time on your hands. You would be more useful at the magic tower than being here."
Sera, sensing that Rowan wouldn't easily let her out of his sight, chose to ignore him. She continued taking a stroll on the darkened hallways of the estate, paying attention to the items she typically ignored before. She didn't wander aimlessly. Instead, Sera went to places that logically could hold secrets.
Meanwhile, Rowan didn't miss a thing. He noted where her eyes lingered, what she touched.
"Looking for something, Lady de Lys?" He asked, breaking the silence between them.
"Ah, yes. I need to find a way to get you out of sight." Sera answered mockingly before adding, You're so keen to watch me. Tell me, Sir Warden, what do you see?"
Rowan stopped walking, his height towering over Sera's smaller figure.
"I see a dark star trying to swallow everything around it. You seem to love to destroy and break whoever displeases you."
Sera met his gaze without flinching. She then let out a humorless laugh as she crossed her arms over her midsection.
"A star, you say. I think you are mistaken, Ashgrave," she said in a dangerous tone. "I'm not destroying senselessly. I'm trying to burn away the infection."
She took a step forward, lessening the distance between them. Sera didn't seem to mind invading Rowan's space. She knew she should be wary of Rowan, but she couldn't help but be honest with him.
Perhaps it was because, despite their opposing views on using magic, Rowan never criticized her or mocked her for using heretic magic. He tried to stop her, yes, but never with malice. It irked her how persistent he was in trying to convince her not to use her Bloodfire magic. She had lost count of how many times they argued and fought, but she couldn't remember a time when Rowan looked down on her.
"No matter if they are the crown, the church, or my foolish brother, I would burn the rot." Her eyes shone with mischief.
"They conspired against me, tried to execute me for a crime I didn't commit. Tell me, Ashgrave. Should I have thanked them? Should I have offered them tea and been a magnanimous person, forgiving them? You speak of destruction as if kindness would have saved me back then. Kindness almost got me on the executioner's block, Ashgrave. Rather than a dark star, I think of myself as a sharp scalpel. The question is, are you going to stop me or lend me a hand, Ashgrave?"
Rowan's eyes narrowed slightly as he analyzed her. He was silent for a long moment, and when he spoke, his voice was quiet, devoid of condescension.
"Lady de Lys, a scalpel does not feel rage, unlike you. It does not take pleasure in the cut."
Sera shrugged, not denying his subtle charge against her. A slow, cold smile spread across her lips.
"Then you have never held a blade with a purpose, Ashgrave. The cut is supposed to hurt, and that's the point. I will make sure it hurts them more than it ever hurt me."
After saying those words, Sera turned around and resumed walking, leaving Rowan behind. She didn't see the murderous intent flash in his eyes for a second before returning to normal.