The silence in the room didn’t break.
It stretched.
Long.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Ophelia looked from the servant… to the Duke… then to the Countess.
Nobody moved.
Nobody even pretended to be calm.
Which was… not a good sign.
“He just left,” Ophelia said slowly.
“Why is he back?”
No one answered her.
The Duke stood up first.
His expression was tight now, like he was already annoyed before anything even happened.
“Where is he?”
“In the main hall, my lord.”
Of course he was.
Like a villain waiting for his dramatic entrance.
The Duke didn’t even look at Ophelia again as he walked out.
The Countess followed right after.
Just like that.
Ophelia was left sitting there.
“Did I miss something?” she asked.
Emily, who had been standing quietly behind her, leaned closer.
“My lady… you should go.”
“Why?”
“Because if Lord Vale came back this quickly, something is wrong.”
Great.
Exactly what she wanted to hear.
Ophelia stood up slowly.
Her body still felt weak, but her curiosity was stronger than common sense at this point.
Which, honestly, might get her killed again.
But oh well.
The main hall was already tense by the time she got there.
Servants stood at a distance.
Nobody spoke.
And right in the center of it all stood him.
Alekxander Vale.
He stood facing the Duke, hands behind his back, calm like nothing in the world could touch him.
Which was insane considering the entire room looked like it was about to explode.
“You should explain yourself,” the Duke was saying.
Alekxander didn’t even blink.
“I already did.”
“That was not an explanation.”
“That sounds like a personal problem.”
Ophelia blinked.
Oh.
So this was the dynamic.
Interesting.
The Duke’s jaw tightened.
“You don’t get to walk in and out of this house as you please.”
Alekxander tilted his head slightly.
“I believe I do.”
The air felt sharp now.
Like one wrong word and everything would snap.
That was when Ophelia stepped forward.
“Okay… what exactly is going on?”
Both men went quiet.
At the same time, they turned to look at her.
Which felt like a mistake immediately.
The Duke frowned.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Go back to your room.”
“Still not an answer.”
She glanced at Alekxander.
He was already looking at her.
Not surprised.
Not annoyed.
Just… watching.
Like he expected her to interfere.
That made her more nervous than anything else.
Ophelia crossed her arms slightly.
“If this has something to do with me, I’d like to know.”
Silence.
Again.
God, these people loved silence.
The Duke looked irritated now.
“Fine.”
Finally.
“You are no longer leaving this estate.”
What?
Ophelia blinked.
“I wasn’t planning to?”
“That wasn’t a suggestion.”
The room felt colder instantly.
Ophelia frowned.
“Wait,what does that even mean?”
“It means,” the Duke said slowly, “until your condition is fully understood, you will remain here.”
Her condition.
Right.
The visions.
The “illness.”
Everything suddenly felt a little too real.
Ophelia glanced at Alekxander again.
His expression didn’t change.
But his eyes,
His eyes they were sharper now.
Like he didn’t like what he just heard.
“And who made that decision?” she asked quietly.
The Duke didn’t hesitate.
“I did.”
Of course he did.
Ophelia let out a small breath.
Okay.
Think.
Don’t panic.
But something about this felt wrong.
Not just strict.
But controlled.
Like they were trying to keep her somewhere.
From something.
Alekxander finally spoke.
“That won’t be necessary.”
The Duke turned to him sharply.
“I wasn’t asking for your opinion.”
“And I wasn’t offering one.”
Silence dropped again.
But this time,
This time.
It felt different.
Heavier.
More dangerous.
Alekxander stepped forward slightly.
“She will leave this estate.”
His voice wasn’t loud.
But it didn’t need to be anyway.
Ophelia felt it anyway.
That quiet certainty.
Like he had already decided.
The Duke laughed dryly.
“You think you have authority here?”
Alekxander didn’t answer immediately.
Then he uttered.
“Yes.”
Oh.
Okay.
So this was war.
The Countess finally stepped in.
“This is not the time…”
“It is exactly the time,” Alekxander said calmly.
His gaze flickered toward Ophelia for a second.
Just a second.
But she caught it.
Something in his expression changed.
Slightly softer.
“She’s not safe here.”
The words hit harder than expected.
Ophelia’s chest tightened slightly.
Because for some odd reason.
She believed him.
The Duke clearly didn’t.
“You’ve said enough.”
“And you haven’t said anything,” Alekxander replied.
That shut the room up instantly.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Then suddenly,
Pain.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Ophelia grabbed her head immediately.
The voices came back stronger this time.
Too loud.
Too fast.
“Lock her in”
“Make sure she can’t leave”
“If she remembers anything we’re doomed”
Ophelia gasped softly.
Her knees almost gave out.
Emily rushed forward.
“My lady!”
But the voices didn’t stop.
A memory flashed.
The same hallway.
This house.
Men arguing.
The Duke’s voice.
“She is not leaving this estate.”
Then another voice.
A familiar voice.
Alekxander’s.
Colder.
“If you keep her here, she will die.”
The vision shattered instantly.
Ophelia stumbled back, breathing hard.
Everything went quiet again.
Too quiet.
She slowly looked up.
The Duke.
The Countess.
The servants.
And Alekxander.
All staring at her.
But only one person looked like he understood what just happened.
Alekxander.
His gaze didn’t leave her.
“You saw something,” he said quietly.
It wasn’t a question.
Ophelia’s heart started beating faster.
Because now,
She knew something for sure.
This had happened before.
Not exactly like this.
But close enough.
The same argument.
The same warning.
The same fear.
History was repeating itself.
And she was standing right in the middle of it.
Ophelia swallowed slowly.
Then said the only thing that made sense anymore.
“I need to leave this house.”