Silence weighed heavily upon the dimly lit chamber where Lucian lay resting. The air was thick with the scent of medicinal balms and blood as the family physician, having carefully cleansed and dressed each of the young man's injuries, methodically put away his instruments.
At his side, the family mage was applying healing magic to Lucian. Though such magic could not fully restore him, it hastened the closing of his wounds and eased his pain. Helia, Lucille, and Aldric were present as well, all still reeling from the shock of the attack.
Seated in an armchair at the corner of the room, Helia felt her heart pounding violently in her chest. Lucian's screams still echoed in her mind, interwoven with the image of the predatory gaze of the mercenary who had approached her. She could not stop wondering who could have orchestrated such violence, and what might have happened to her had Lucian not been carrying his invisibility artifact.
That object, which he usually employed to shirk his duties and wander freely through the city, had very likely saved her life.
Suddenly, the door flew open, revealing the marquis. His frantic, feverish gaze swept across the room before settling on his daughter.
He hurried toward her and asked in a voice filled with concern.
"Are you hurt?"
"No, Father," she replied weakly, her throat tight.
He did not linger on her and moved at once to the bed where his eldest son lay. He then turned to the family physician, fixing him with a grave look.
"What is his condition?"
The physician, having just completed his treatment, bowed respectfully before answering.
"My lord, your son has sustained serious injuries: several fractured ribs, a significant head wound, a broken arm, as well as numerous bruises and superficial lacerations. Fortunately, his spine has not been affected. He will require time to recover, but he should survive."
The marquis stood rigid, staring at Lucian's sleeping face. A flicker of anger mixed with helplessness crossed his eyes.
"Is there a risk of lasting damage?" he asked tensely.
"We will not know for certain until he regains consciousness. However, based on my observations, he instinctively shielded his head with his hands during the assault, which greatly reduces the likelihood of brain injury."
The marquis nodded slowly, yet his features remained tight, strained with anxiety. The physician gave his final instructions to the servants before taking his leave. A heavy silence settled over the room, broken only by Lucian's uneven breathing.
After a long pause that seemed to stretch into eternity, Aldric discreetly cleared his throat and addressed Helia.
"My Lady, do you believe yourself able to recount what happened?"
Lucille cast him an icy glance, silently reproaching him for pressing her too soon. But Helia, gathering her courage, nodded softly.
"Yes. We must find those men as quickly as possible," she replied with fragile determination.
She told them everything, every detail etched painfully into her memory. She tried to contain her emotions, yet her voice faltered at times, and tears slid down her cheeks. Behind her, the marquis, still seated beside the bed, clenched his fists, his knuckles white with tension.
When she finished, she turned anxiously toward Aldric.
"Have you had any news of Madame Cecilia's husband?" she asked abruptly.
Aldric, surprised, raised his brows slightly.
"He was found in the storeroom, tied to a chair and unconscious. But he is safe, he suffered no serious injuries."
A sigh of relief escaped her. It was, at least, one small consolation amid the chaos.
The marquis then asked in a restrained voice.
"Aldric, do you know who these men were?"
"I have heard of them," Aldric replied gravely. "They are mercenaries notorious for their brutality. Hired for operations of this nature, they have never left any trace leading back to their employer. But I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to find them."
Moments later, the steward Barthold entered the chamber, announcing the arrival of the imperial authorities.
They all moved to the small sitting room, where two men in official attire awaited them, sober, elegant, their posture upright and their expressions marked by cold efficiency.
One of them spoke after a respectful bow.
"We have been dispatched by His Majesty the Emperor to collect your statements regarding the assault on the young master and the Lady."
The marquis nodded and invited Helia to recount the events. Once again, she was forced to relive the horror of her account under the attentive gaze of the officers. They recorded every detail meticulously, asking precise questions to clarify certain points.
When the time came to propose hypotheses regarding the instigator of the attack, one of the officers asked.
"Marquis Sterallis, do you harbor any suspicions as to the identity of the sponsor, someone who might bear you or your family ill will?"
The marquis did not hesitate for a second.
"To my knowledge, only one individual could have orchestrated such an attack, given our recent disputes: Lord Adrian Allistair, the duke's second son." He declared, his voice resonating with certainty.
Helia froze, her stomach twisting painfully. She had not considered this possibility, yet the more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Long ago, she had realized that Adrian was not the gentle, flawless man she had once loved. Still, hearing her father pronounce his name with such assurance struck her like a dagger.
Moreover, Adrian was aware of the tradition. It was she herself who had told him about this annual meeting she shared with her brother at that very jewelry shop, on the same date each year. She remembered mentioning it casually the previous year.
One of the investigators exchanged a glance with his colleague before replying carefully.
"Are you certain, Marquis? Accusing a member of a ducal family without formal proof could carry severe consequences."
"You are an influential nobleman, a powerful and wealthy businessman. You surely have more enemies than you realize. Perhaps you should consider every possibility before making such accusations with certainty." The other added gravely.
Helia immediately recognized the signs of her father's cold anger, the contained tension that signaled he was nearing the limits of his patience.
Yet his voice remained implacably calm as he answered,
"I do indeed have rivals in business, but none have ever directly threatened my family, unlike Lord Adrian. And above all, none would dare such an attack. Furthermore, had this assault been motivated solely by greed, my son could have bought them, he offered to multiply their payment tenfold. They refused. These men were not seeking money; they sought to harm us. Therefore, yes, I am absolutely certain it was Lord Adrian. Must I truly instruct you on how to conduct an investigation?"
The two officers exchanged a look, and one of them sighed softly before replying.
"We will, of course, conduct a thorough investigation, but I fear it will be difficult. This group is elusive."
"In the past, we captured one of their men. Even under the harshest torture, he never revealed anything about his employer." The second added solemnly.
The marquis clenched his jaw, his fists tightening on the armrests of his chair, but he said nothing.
The officers concluded their inquiry and took their leave, promising to do everything in their power to find the culprits.
Once they were gone, Helia and her father remained alone in the sitting room, a heavy silence settling between them.
She felt a dull anger simmering within her, directed at her father, though she did not consider him directly responsible for the tragedy. The true culprits were the one who had orchestrated the attack and the mercenaries who had mercilessly beaten her brother. Still, she resented him for having triggered this situation by confronting Adrian, a decision she could not comprehend.
She was convinced that he had acted neither out of concern for her safety nor out of paternal affection, but rather for the honor of the marquisate. Never had he concerned himself with her reputation or her personal anguish. For what other reason, then, would he have taken such a risk? In truth, he had acted to preserve the image and prestige of their name.
She lacked the strength to confront him. Everyone was already shaken enough by the events, and there was no need to add to the turmoil.
Thus, without another word, she rose and went to her chamber, her heart heavy with regret and unspoken resentment. That day, meant to be one of the happiest of the year, had turned into a living nightmare.
Several hours later, after taking time to change, to rest, and to soothe her turbulent emotions, a servant knocked at her door and informed her that Lucian had finally awakened.