Ulrich winced slightly after the door closed.
Hermione had been visibly upset.
He did not understand why.
She had barely met Ceres, yet she had looked at the girl with hostility from the beginning. Airam had reacted the same way. Even Esther, who seemed curious rather than hostile, had watched Ceres with more caution than usual.
Was there some kind of instinctive hostility between them?
In the novel, Ceres would become a rival to the three witch sisters, especially Airam who were antagonist characters. Their powers, personalities, and paths would clash again and again.
Perhaps that rivalry had already begun.
Perhaps fate had a way of pushing certain people toward conflict no matter how early they met.
Ulrich was too tired to think deeply about it.
He turned his attention back to Ceres.
"Are you all right, my lord?"
Ceres stood near the bed, her hands held uncertainly before her.
Her gaze had fallen to Ulrich's bandaged left arm.
"I… I was not certain whether I did well."
