Wayne stood by the window, the orange glow of the sunset catching the sharp lines of his face. He looked like a man carrying the weight of the entire empire on his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Iris," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "I've spent my life training to be the fastest blade in Regulus, and yet... I stood there like a statue while a maid did my job."
Of course you did, I thought. You were too busy playing soldier.
"Don't beat yourself up, Wayne," I said, leaning back against the pillows. "You were too busy measuring your ego against the Duke and the Prince. It's a common male affliction."
He turned, a small, sad smile breaking his stoic mask. He sat at the foot of my bed, then slowly sank to his knees. He grabbed my hand, pressing it against his cheek. I looked away, my eyes stinging with unexpected moisture.
He hadn't done this in years.
When we were small, Wayne always apologized by getting on his knees. He would stay there until I forgave him, even if it took all day. But after he left for his sword-master training, he changed. He grew cold. Then he went to war at a young age, leaving me alone in that house.
Just as I was about to tell him to get up, he spoke again. "And that girl... Ishu. She approached me in the hall. She asked if you were always this 'difficult' to serve."
Hmm... so the war between us has already begun.
"I know," I replied, glancing at Mia, who stood by the door like a silent sentinel. "Mia is going to keep an eye on our little Baroness. If she breathes in the wrong direction, I want to know about it."
Mia nodded once, her eyes sharp. "She won't get past me again, My Lady."
The rest of the evening was quiet—or so everyone thought. No one knew that late last night, the Duke had entered my room.
I had been half-asleep when I felt a weight on the mattress. When I opened my eyes, Theodore was lying beside me, staring.
"What are you—"
He silenced me with a finger to my lips. He leaned down, whispering into my ear, "Quiet, little lady. It was entertaining watching you bark at the Prince today. But look at you... using my personal chambers as if you truly belong here."
My eyes widened. His chambers? The bastard had put me in his own bed on purpose. I wanted to scream, to shove him off, but my body felt paralyzed under his gaze.
Slowly, he leaned down, grazing his nose over the bandage on my neck. I wanted to choke him, but he simply murmured a few parting words and vanished into the shadows.
Argh! Thinking about it now, as our carriage jolted along, made my blood boil. Still, I kept my face a mask of indifference.
We left the House of Crisis at dawn. Theodore stood on his balcony, watching us depart. He didn't wave; he just watched, like a predator watching a meal walk away. Arwin had already left in a huff, likely heading back to the palace to plot his next "romantic" move.
The ride back to the Regulus estate was tense. As the carriage pulled up to the grand iron gates, I saw a figure standing there. My father.
He didn't look like a man relieved to see his kidnapped daughter. He stood with his sword gripped tight, his face a cold, emotionless void.
"Iris," he said, his eyes flicking briefly to my bandaged neck. "Do you have any idea how hard I've had to work to keep people's mouths shut about this? Go. Get some rest. We will be having a talk later."
I felt Wayne stiffen beside me, his protective aura flaring up. But I stepped forward, my golden eyes meeting my father's cold ones without flinching.
"Yes, Father," I said, my voice like ice.