Erwin ignored Charlotte's question. Instead, he strode to a nearby table and picked up a crystal vial containing a swirling purple liquid. He gave it a gentle shake, admiring the eerie yet mesmerizing hue.
"Lavender—my favorite scent," he said, inhaling deeply from the vial's mouth. "Professor Snape's handiwork. Even I have to admire his impeccable taste."
Charlotte eyed the vial warily. "You... poisoned me?"
Erwin shook his head. "No, not me. You did that to yourself by being so greedy. Even before I knew who you were, I kept a close eye on you. Did you really think I wouldn't notice a missing potion from my stores?"
Her eyes widened. "You left that out on purpose? Just to trap me?"
"Not for you specifically," Erwin replied with a shrug. "Snape brewed an extra vial as a backup. But I never imagined you'd be so desperate to uncover my secrets that you'd guzzle it down. A simple vitality potion—you must have realized that much. But I added a few... enhancements. This little beauty activated them." He held up the vial. "Snape's a genius, isn't he?"
Charlotte's face drained of color, and she fell silent, her magic pooling uselessly inside her like stagnant water.
Erwin flicked his wand lightly. "Anyway, time to wrap this up."
As he raised it to strike, Charlotte blurted, "Wait! I'm still valuable to you! I know everything about the ancient pure-blood families—details even Snape couldn't uncover. Only the heads of those families know the full truth. I can tell you! And I'm no threat. I just need your power for revenge. That's it—no hidden agenda!"
Erwin paused. "I am curious, but I also know you'd lie through your teeth. The real answers will come to me eventually. You're no use now."
Panic flashed in her eyes. "Erwin, please! Give me a chance. I can help. I'll tell you everything, including how to awaken your bloodline. Don't you want that?"
That stopped him cold.
Seizing the moment, Charlotte pressed on. "I know how to activate your talent for speaking to dragons. I can guide you through it. And you have ways to bind people—like what you did to Barty Crouch, akin to the Dark Mark's power. Use it on me. Trust me, keeping me alive will benefit you immensely. I hold secrets no one else does."
Erwin tapped his wand against his palm thoughtfully. "Now that's intriguing. Extend your arm."
Without hesitation, she thrust it forward. Erwin pressed his wand to her skin, and the Dark Mark slowly etched itself into her flesh—a coiling purple emblem of control.
She didn't flinch throughout the process. Once it was complete, relief washed over Erwin. The mark was potent, but it required willing submission to take hold. Now, her fate was his to command.
A tremor ran through his magic. Charlotte gasped as agony lanced through her body, dropping her to her knees. The pain faded as quickly as it had come.
"Words are cheap," Erwin said coolly. "Better to feel it once than hear it a thousand times. That's the Dark Mark's bite. I can inflict pain, or end you outright. Your only escape? Taking your own life."
Trembling on the floor, Charlotte stared up at him in terror. "My lord, I swear my loyalty!"
Erwin nodded. "Good. I know acceptance won't come easy. Feel free to hunt for a countercurse—but tread carefully. Trigger the wrong failsafe, and if you die, that's on you."
Her fleeting spark of defiance snuffed out. "I won't, my lord. I'm yours—loyal and true."
"Then talk," Erwin commanded. "Start with yourself."
"I hail from the Theresa family," Charlotte began, "one of the ancient pure-blood families—one of the Noble Houses."
Erwin raised an eyebrow. "The Noble Houses?"
She nodded. "What people call the eight ancient pure-blood families are really just four core lineages: Cavendish, Theresa, Alva, and Demos. Over centuries, they've branched out, spawning four vassal houses—the Solent, Conrad, Simpson, and Steward. These are the Lower Four, serving as enforcers and guards for the Noble Houses."
"Specifically," she continued, "the Solent align with the Theresas, the Conrads with the Alvas, the Simpsons with the Demoses, and the Stewards with your own— the Cavendish line, now the Selwyn family."
Erwin pieced it together, the web of alliances clarifying in his mind.
"What's the true purpose of these Noble Houses?" he asked.
Charlotte leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Merlin. It's all for the mantle of Merlin. When he vanished, he selected four heirs—children who became the founders of those lineages. He bestowed fragments of his talent for speaking to dragons upon them, commanding them to thrive and evolve it. Only the strongest, the one who fully awakens that Draconic bloodline, can claim his legacy and become the new Merlin."
...
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