As Karl assured Ilkar he would handle the situation, the tension in the room eased slightly.
Ilkar’s gaze lingered on Eiravyne for a moment longer, a mix of frustration and calculation in his eyes, before he turned and left abruptly.
Alone again, Eiravyne felt a rush of relief mixed with lingering fear.
Karl approached her cautiously, his expression a blend of concern and professionalism.
“Are you hurt, Lady Eiravyne?” Karl asked softly, his voice a stark contrast to Ilkar’s harsh tone.
Eiravyne shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper.
“No, I’m… I’m alright.”
Karl nodded, though his eyes betrayed his skepticism.
“Your safety is my priority.”
“I don’t understand,” Eiravyne murmured, her voice wavering with a mixture of confusion and fear.
Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke.
“What was he talking about, knowledgeable about what? I only learned of the blood ritual when the Romani family murdered my entire family and took my blood… Why does the Duke think I know anything?”
Her words tumbled out in a rush, her hands trembling with the weight of her memories and the uncertainty of her future.
She had found the courage to speak to Karl because he had assured her of her safety, but she was certain that no one in this mansion truly cared about her survival.
Karl looked at Eiravyne for a long moment.
Finally, he spoke in a low, somber tone, his words carrying the weight of harsh reality.
“In this mansion, Lady Eiravyne, no one would believe a Sangrever,” Karl stated firmly.
Eiravyne swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Karl’s words like a cold stone in her chest.
His demeanor, though respectful, carried the same harshness she had come to expect from Ilkar.
“Okay,” she murmured, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.
“What should I do, Karl?” she asked quietly, her voice tinged with both desperation and determination.
“In a place where I am seen as both a tool and an enemy, where do I even begin?”
Karl met her gaze with a steady, thoughtful expression.
He took a moment to consider his words carefully before responding.
“The Duke is not as forgiving as you might think, so cut out those suicidal acts of yours as a start,” Karl advised firmly.
Eiravyne blinked, taken aback by the bluntness of Karl’s words.
“In truth, there is nowhere for you to return to now,” Karl spoke with a wisdom that seemed to emanate from years of experience.
“Verdant Vale has fallen under the authority of the Crown Prince, following the tragic demise of all members of the Duke’s Lysander Verenth family.”
She noticed how he did not say” her family”.
His voice carried a solemnity that acknowledged the weight of recent events.
“Here, in Wandova, you will be offered a new life. It is crucial, however, that you refrain from acting as recklessly as before. This place is not like the Romani family cottages in Aloxa—it is not a place of filth and disregard. You will be treated with the utmost care to preserve your life. Rest assured, we will not extract all your blood at once. That, at least, I can promise you.”
Karl’s words were measured and deliberate.
Eiravyne listened to Karl’s words with a mixture of fear and resignation.
“I… I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, her voice trembling slightly.
“Everything has changed so suddenly. My home, my family… all gone. And now, here in Wandova, I’m supposed to start anew?”
She glanced up at Karl, seeking some form of reassurance in his steady gaze.
“I’m scared,” she confessed quietly.
“I don’t know how to navigate this… this new life. How can I trust anyone here, when everything I’ve known has been ripped away?”
Eiravyne was not accustomed to openly discussing her feelings; she usually kept them guarded.
However, as she put her hands over her mouth to stop herself from speaking further, she suddenly noticed a blue light hovering in the air above her head.
“What… what’s that?” she managed to say, her voice betraying her surprise and curiosity.
Karl’s expression softened slightly, a faint hint of understanding in his eyes as he regarded her.
“It’s something to clear your mind, to help you speak more freely with me, Lady Eiravyne,” he explained calmly.
“I noticed you were tense, and I wanted you to feel comfortable enough to share more than usual.”
Eiravyne blinked, unsure of what to make of Karl’s revelation.
The presence of the mysterious blue light, combined with Karl’s explanation, left her feeling both unsettled and strangely reassured.
She had always been cautious about revealing her emotions, but now, under Karl’s gaze and the influence of the light, she felt a subtle shift—a faint glimmer of trust beginning to form in the midst of uncertainty.
Karl cleared his throat abruptly, then stood up and said with a commanding tone, “Give me your wrist, Lady Eiravyne.”
Eiravyne was puzzled by the request, taking a moment to comply.
When she finally offered her wrist, Karl swiftly cast a spell, forming a bracelet that shimmered with a faint, ethereal glow.
“This bracelet will track your every movement,” he explained, his voice tinged with gravity.
“There is nowhere for you to leave in this mansion without it being known.”
Eiravyne’s heart sank at Karl’s words, realizing the extent of her confinement within the mansion’s walls.
She nodded silently, understanding that her every move would now be monitored, adding another layer of complexity to her already precarious situation.
“Please understand,” Karl continued, his tone softening slightly with empathy.
“This is for your safety…lady Eiravyne…it’s essential that we know where you are at all times.”
Eiravyne fastened the bracelet around her wrist, feeling its slight weight and noticing the delicate shimmer it emitted.
As she looked down at it, a strange sensation washed over her—a sense of déjà vu that sent a chill down her spine.
“This… this looks so familiar,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.