Pillyse awakened to the kind of silence that felt sacred.
Soft morning light slipped past silken curtains, warming her cheeks.
For a moment, she didn't move. She simply lay there, wrapped in the scent of cedarwood and something distinctly him. Her fingers curled into the sheets, remembering the firmness of his chest beneath her cheek the night before… the warmth of his arm around her waist… the strange safety she felt in a place she barely knew.
She smiled softly.
Then the bed shifted as she turned, and realized the other side was cold.
He's gone. " What am i expecting? this is not a fairytale"
A tiny sigh escaped her.
"Of course he left before I woke up. The man disappears like morning fog."
But she touched her lips, recalling the way he had looked at her. As if seeing her made the world stop.A warmth spread through her chest.
A sharp knock shattered the peace.
"Lady Pillyse, may we come in?" a maid called politely.
Before she could answer, four servants marched in like a tiny army.
Pillyse squeaked, scrambling for the blanket. "Hel-hello?? Personal space?!"
"Forgive us, my lady!" the youngest maid bowed so fast her braid swung like a whip. "The duke instructed us to help you dress immediately."
Pillyse muttered, "Of course he did. That overgrown prince of propriety."
The maids bit their lips, trying not to laugh.
They washed her face with fragrant rosewater, brushed her long hair with gentle hands, and slipped her into a gown soft as clouds. Gold threads sparkled through the fabric, catching the morning light.
"You look radiant," a maid whispered.
Pillyse stared at herself in the mirror.
"…I look like a noblewoman who charges taxes."
The maids snorted quietly.
The grand dining hall glittered with chandeliers and marble. It intimidated her every time.
Elarion stood the moment she entered.
He was breathtaking, hair slightly tousled, sleeves rolled up, looking unexpectedly human and… nervous.
"You're awake," he said softly.
His ears were pink.
Pillyse blinked. (Was Duke Elarion Ashenveil blushing?)
"Good morning… Elarion." She tried the name gently.
He nearly dropped the teapot.
"I—ah—yes. Morning."He poured her tea with the concentration of a man defusing a bomb.
"So," she teased lightly, "are you always up before sunrise or is this your dramatic way of escaping before I wake?"
He choked on air.
"I—I wasn't escaping."
"Mm-hmm."
His eyes flicked away.
She hid her smile behind her teacup.
After breakfast, Elarion cleared his throat, gathering the servants with a single command. They lined up instantly, stiff as soldiers.
" This is Denova Ravenscroft " he announced.
"She is under my protection. Her comfort is my highest priority. Treat her as you treat me."
The servants bowed deeply.
Someone whispered, "The duke looks… happy. Dear gods, he's glowing."
Elarion's eyebrow twitched."Dismissed."
The servants scattered like mice fleeing a cat.
Pillyse chuckled. "You didn't have to do that."
"I did," he said quietly. "You deserve respect."
And somehow, that simple sentence warmed her more than any fire.
" We need to talk alone."
Elarion guided her through the garden, stopping near a marble fountain.He looked troubled, more troubled than she'd ever seen him.
"Pillyse…"
His voice trembled.
"There is something I've wanted to tell you."
Her heart beat faster.
He continued, staring at the water instead of her.
"I know what you wished for in your past life. Freedom. Happiness. A place where you could breathe without fear."
She froze.(How could he know that?)
He slowly met her gaze.
"I want that for you. I want you to be happy… even if it means being with someone else."
The air left her lungs. "What? Why would you say that?"
His eyes softened with unbearable sorrow.
"Because your happiness means more to me than my own desires. You deserve a future you choose, not one forced by fate or… by me."
She stepped closer, hurt flickering through her chest.
"Don't you… want me to stay?" she asked softly, her voice wavering between sincerity and embarrassment. "I'm not saying we should be lovers or anything so absurd but it wouldn't hurt for us to at least be… friends, would it?"
His breath hitched. "I do," he confessed, barely audible.
"Then why push me away?"
He looked like a man standing on a cliff's edge with no ground beneath him.
"I'm not pushing you away, Pillyse please… don't misunderstand," he said, his voice barely steady, hands trembling, eyes pleading for her to believe him.
"But it feels like you are!" she shot back, confusion threading through her tone. "I'm not saying I'm in love with you, we barely even know each other now but the way you act around me… it makes me feel like you're the only person I can trust in this world. At least… for now."
Elarion took deep breath and tried to be as calm as possible.
"Because I want to give you freedom, Pillyse," he said softly, each word trembling with earnestness. "I don't want to bind you to something you never chose. I want you to live as you wish, to follow what your heart desires. Please… try to understand. Everything I've done has been sincere. I have no intention of hurting you, seeing you in pain is something I can't bare"
The words felt too heavy. Too final.
And she didn't understand why.
But she could feel the fear behind them, bone deep, soul deep.
" I understand Elarion." Elarion smiled with her respond but it seems like his eyes are telling the opposite.
Something was wrong.
Something he wasn't telling her.
Elarion straightened, trying to regain composure. "I must attend a meeting. Kael will accompany you on a shopping trip."
Kael appeared instantly like a shadow with perfect posture. "Lady Pillyse," he greeted.
Pillyse whispered to Elarion, "Your right-hand man scares me. He bows even when he breathes."
Kael coughed. "I heard that, my lady."
Pillyse just laughed a little as Kael guide her to the carriage to go to the market. Pillyse's eyes sparkled at every display. Dresses, pastries, hairpins, and books. But when she looks at Kael she suddenly feel shock.
Kael bought them all.
"Kael! Stop!" she yelped as he handed coins to yet another vendor. "I only looked at the ribbon!"
"The duke instructed me to purchase everything that catches your attention."
"Well my eyes catch a lot of things! They betray me!"
Kael responded expressionlessly, "That is unfortunate."
Pillyse groaned dramatically. "Is he trying to go bankrupt?"
"If he would then i would thank you for it," Kael replied.
She just took a deep breath and choose not to argue with for it will just waste her time if she does. She's enjoying herself with items that'snnew to her eyes. Everything's beautiful that makes her excited.
Then she saw it.
A beautiful antique mirror.
Gentle curves. Silver filigree. Moonlit brilliance.
She stepped closer… and her reflection flickered.
Her own face...
Then...She saw Denova-Denova Ravenscroft
Her eyes swollen with tears.Her lips trembling.Her hands pressed against the glass.
"Let me go… please…"
Pillyse's heart slammed painfully inside her chest.
She staggered backward, gasping. The world blurred. Kael dropped the bags immediately.
"Lady Pillyse!"
She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.
Kael caught her before she collapsed. His voice was steady but urgent.
"We're going to the doctor. Stay with me."
The doctor examined her carefully before smiling kindly.
" Just exhaustion" They said....but she knew better
"It is simply fatigue. Her mind must be overwhelmed. Rest will solve everything."
Pillyse nodded numbly. But she knew.
Hallucinations didn't look into your soul.
Kael cautiously whispered, "Should I inform the duke?"
"No!" she blurted, grabbing his sleeve."I—I need to understand this myself first."
Kael hesitated, then bowed. "As you wish."
But suddenly they heard a loud sound outside the door. The door burst open with a force that rattled the windows.
"PILLYSE!"
Elarion sprinted inside, eyes wide with terror.
He reached her and cupped her face with shaking hands.
"Are you hurt? Did you faint? Kael said—" He stopped, voice cracking.
"Gods, I was so afraid."
" You should call me Denova your grace" Elarion just nod faintly.
Pillyse's chest constricted. She had never seen him like this. She lifted her hand, gently wiping his tears.
"I'm okay," she whispered. "You don't have to worry this much…"
"But I will," he said fiercely, clutching her hand."Always."
The raw pain in his eyes made guilt twist inside her. This was because of her. Her body, her past, her memories, and her secrets.
She swallowed hard.
"Elarion… I'm fine. Truly. I just need rest."
He pulled her into an embrace so tender it nearly broke her.
She rested her forehead against his chest, listening to his trembling heart.
But deep inside, one truth echoed.
Something was wrong, something he feared, something she wasn't allowed to know.
And she would uncover it.
Even if the truth shattered her.