It was late evening by the time Evangeline stirred from her long daze. The meadow had grown dim, shadows lengthening like weary sighs across the grass. Without realizing it, she had seated herself upon the same rock where she'd first seen Lord Hades's carriage.
Perhaps some part of her had been waiting, hoping, that it would appear again, that he might pass through this lonely place as he once did. At that moment, she longed for anyone who wasn't Milo, Serena, Adrian, or even her own parents.
She thought of Madam Trevor for a moment, dear, kind Madam Trevor. But how could she possibly confess her pain to the old woman? Milo was her grandson. It would be cruel to burden her heart with the truth.
So she sat in silence, hugging her knees, the ache in her chest heavy and unrelenting. Of course, Lord Hades's carriage would not simply stumble upon her again. Life was not a novel, and their fingers were not bound by the red string of fate, no matter what fantasy she had allowed herself to believe.
With a quiet sigh, she stood, brushing the dirt from her skirt. She should return home, she thought, and face Serena's mocking tongue. There was still the dress to finish for the ball in two days, another event where she would have to smile through humiliation.
But before she could take a step, her breath caught.
A figure stood before the setting sun, framed by the crimson light of dusk.
He held a pitch-black umbrella, its shadow spilling across the golden field. His head tilted slightly, violet eyes glinting with that same languid sharpness she remembered.
"I keep finding you here," Lord Hades said, his voice deep and velvety, filling the air like the first drop of rain upon dry earth. "It makes me wonder if you live inside that stone like some secretive meadow spirit, Miss Evangeline."
Her heart faltered.
Yes, she had hoped to see him—but to actually find him here, standing before her as the sun died behind his silhouette—it almost felt as though fate had heard her wish.
"Why are you—" She stopped, uncertain if the question was too forward.
Hades's lips curved faintly, as though reading her hesitation. "I was visiting a funeral," he said at last, brushing a bit of dust from his black coat. "Someone I didn't know too well, but I used to look after them when they were young."
Her eyes softened. "I'm sorry... my condolences," she murmured.
He inclined his head, the faintest shadow of amusement flickering across his expression.
"A young soul gone too soon—it unsettles the heart," she added gently. "I hope it hasn't burdened yours too deeply."
Hades gave a quiet hum, neither confirming nor denying, his gaze drifting toward the dying light. "A young soul, he's in his seventies, I doubt that is young by any means."
Eva blinked her eyes, "But you said you looked after them when they were young?"
"How old do you think I am?" He teased and when he laughed she realized he was joking yet again. "But you do know that this isn't the safest place to be don't you?"
"I," Arabella looked around and shook her head, "It should be alright, it is close to the village and everyone knows each other around here, if there is danger, someone will hear me yell for help."
"Don't be so certain dear, you're a lady while the people in your village, are they the nicest group of people towards you? I doubt it. They believe rumors so easily, which makes me worry whether they would truly help you in the time of a need or turn their eyes away and pretended they hadn't seen anything at all."
It was a fine point that Eva couldn't banter against. After all the painful truth was that most of her neighbor had even started ignoring her altogether, making it seem as if she was invisible from their eyes. Would they even pretend that they hear her if she had screamed?
"But I could tell you a trick or two if some terrible soul would ever try to hurt you," Hades walked closer and smiled as he reached out his hand towards her. "First, you ball your hands into a fist, try it."
With his coaxing, she balled her hands into a fist the way he did, "But I don't think I would ever be hurt..."
"I told you didn't I? Don't ever get too certain. There are many bad people, bad bad ones who pretend they are a peaceful lamb when they are nothing but a big bad wolf. Some pretend to be kind, make you feel guilty if you ever suspect them to be a bad person," Hades explained and saw how her eyes had twitched which made him smile knowingly. "You have to be very careful of people who loves to manipulate one's thoughts. They are dangerous and they stop at nothing."
Evangeline's heart flinched inside her ribcage. The way Hades had spoken reminded her of Adrian Iverson.
Someone who pretends to be nice, made you feel guilty of suspecting them... but someone dangerous who would stop at nothing?
The first two had happened, but the last hadn't— and she doubted Adrian would leave any stone unturned just to find her. It was far too bothersome, especially for a no-name village girl like her. After today, he wouldn't come back. She was sure of it. No. She hoped for it.
Hades watched her expression shift between defiance and fear, a knowing smile ghosting over his lips. Slowly, almost so tenderly, he reached for her. His gloved fingers brushed the curve of her arm before finding her elbow, and she flinched at the sudden chill of his touch.
It wasn't the cold of a simple breeze in the wind, it felt so chilling yet so firm, like a touch of death.
"Lift it," he said softly.
She blinked, unsure, yet her body obeyed to him as if it was natural. The motion of his fingers over her wrist felt intimate, so much so that she felt shy, almost curling her toes in the process, and when he guided her hand upward, she felt her pulse hammering against her wrist.
"Higher," he murmured. His tone wasn't commanding, it was coaxing, velvet-smooth, dangerous in how easily it could make her obey.
He positioned her hand beneath his chin, the edge of her knuckles grazing the firm bone along his jaw. "Here," he said, his violet eyes locking on hers. "If anyone frightens you again... strike here."
Evangeline swallowed, her throat dry. The space between them was barely a breath, her knuckles still resting beneath his chin. The longer he held her there, the more she noticed everything— the cold radiating from him, the faint scent of iron and rain, the quiet restraint in the way his thumb hovered just above her wrist and the fact that in his violet eyes there was only her.
It somehow made her feel... chosen.
"Understand?" His voice lowered.
She nodded, but her voice faltered. "Y-yes."
A faint smirk curved his lips. "Good."
He didn't move away immediately. Instead, he lingered, long enough for her to feel the tremor in her own hand, long enough for her to realize he enjoyed the way she hesitated between fear and fascination.
Then, as suddenly as he'd touched her, Hades released her elbow. The warmth of her own blood rushed back to her arm, yet the ghost of his cold lingered, like the mark of a secret pact.
"Thank you, milord," she bowed to him, "For teaching me how to defend myself."
"Ah you're silly, I haven't even taught you the best way to protect yourself yet." Hades looked at his hand, almost as if he was starting to miss touching her skin again which made her gulp. She schooled herself not to get over her own imagination or reading too deep between the line when Hades was simply being a good man towards her.
Trying to gather her thoughts with the tension stretched between them, Eva could only gulp and looked at him, blinking her eyes like a fawn, "The best way to protect myself?"
"Yes, it's a secret only you could do. No matter who you face against, by this trick everything will alright. Sort of a magic word," he said and she tilted her head.
"A word?" Hardly a word could ever fix or even stop someone from harming another person, right?
"My name," Hades pointed out before stretching his hand out and placing his neatly tucked black umbrella to her hands, "Just say my name if there ever a pest daring to hurt you."
She took the umbrella without a question, no she almost couldn't ask as her head was filled with the word he said ringing in her head, "Your name?"
"Hades," His violet eyes bore through her soul as he stared back at her, keeping his intense gaze, "Just say that one name and I promise you, I'll be there. It's going to rain soon, so be careful and... in a day there will be a gift coming for you, I hope you take care this one and prevent it from ever being torn apart again."
"Ah," She couldn't say a word as Hades bowed his head slightly and walked toward the carriage that had suddenly drove to his left side as if knowing when he was going to leave.
"Thank you, milord!" She bowed deep, bending her waist but when she looked up at the carriage window, she saw him smiling, waving his hand as if to tell her that the words weren't necessary.
When left behind, Eva could only press her hands on her cheeks again, the once gloomy day suddenly became a little more breathable for her, so much so that she even found it surprising.
The umbrella she held now became another treasure she had received from him but looking above at the sky, she wondered to herself why would he said that it would rain when it didn't seem like there would be any rain drops at all?
She found out that Hades was never wrong in predicting the weather by the night as she stared at the window where raindrops had now filled the sky, followed by thunder.
Her sister was still asleep but Eva couldn't bring herself to sleep comfortably after everything her sister had done today. She tried not to hold a grudge, but it doesn't mean she could just forgive and forget.
Thinking so, Eva moved from her bed, stirred as she opened the wooden door quietly. Approaching the kitchen, she then saw the single line of light coming from the gap of her parent's room. The sight of it caught her and she raised her eyebrows, both confused and curious.
She tried not to eavesdrop, especially to an adult conversation. But considering how they have been unhappy with her, she couldn't help her curiosity and her ears that perked when she could hear her name being talked about.
"...grandmother had said so, let us not make this a bigger problem than it already is."
"I'm not trying to make this into a bigger problem, Johan. I just want to know if one day she will truly be a danger. We shouldn't have named her Evangeline, that name was supposed to be for Serena."