Neria sat near the window, staring down at the gardens below.
Her eyes followed the gardeners as they moved between the hedges, their blades flashing whenever they caught the morning light. The estate had been unusually busy lately. Servants hurried through the corridors more often than usual, she saw the guards carry more weapons around when they passed by the gardens.
Neria had no idea what was happening. She also didn’t particularly care.
Not unless whatever was happening became an obstacle to her.
She leaned closer to the glass, watching one of the gardeners trim a hedge into a shape that looked unnecessarily complicated. Her fingers absently found the shell necklace around her neck.
The garden was right there.
Close enough that she could almost imagine the smell of flowers carried through the open windows.
And yet, she was still locked inside.
With a quiet sigh, Neria removed her spectacles and rubbed her tired eyes. She was slowly getting used to them, though wearing them still felt strange. Also it took a Calypso more than a week to get used to something like this.
She slipped them back onto her nose. The garden sharpened into focus again.
Beautiful, and yet completely out of reach.
A knock sounded behind her.
"Neria!"
She turned to find Fiona entering the room with a stack of freshly cleaned sheets balanced in her arms.
"I am back," the maid announced cheerfully as she crossed toward the bed.
Neria barely glanced at the sheets. "Is the Duke back?"
Fiona paused then she shook her head. "No."
Neria’s fingers immediately tightened around the shell hanging against her chest.
Still?
It had been a week.
A whole week since Fiona had asked him about the gardens.
A whole week since Neria had carefully staged that little performance with her necklace, convinced that Darian’s curiosity would be enough to make him loosen the leash around her.
Apparently, she had been wrong.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Did he say anything about the garden?"
Fiona shook her head again.
Neria stared through the window. The gardeners continued working below, free in the morning sun, she had almost forgotten what it’s warmth felt like.
Why hadn’t he let her out?
She had behaved.
She had eaten what they gave her. She hadn’t hurt anyone. She hadn’t even caused trouble.
Wasn’t that enough?
Her fingers slid over the smooth shell again. Perhaps Darian had decided he didn’t trust her after all. The thought irritated her far more than it should have.
Neria frowned.
No.
She wouldn’t let him win.
If the Grand Duke wanted to keep her locked away, then she’d simply have to find another way outside. She refused to fail.
Still deep in thought, Neria heard the soft creak of her room’s door. Her head immediately snapped toward it, her brows drawing together when whoever was outside didn’t step in.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the door pushed open slightly, revealing Doctor William Vale.
Bingo.
There came the opportunity she had been waiting for.
Neria straightened slightly, her fingers slipping away from the necklace as she watched the physician step into the room. But unfortunately Doctor Vale wasn’t alone.
The door opened wider, revealing the estate’s butler standing behind him.
Of course.
He was probably here to observe her, just like the last time.
Seeing that stoic face immediately irritated Neria. It wasn’t because the man looked like his entire face had been carved from stone and the artist had forgotten to add a smile. It was because seeing him there just confirmed her thoughts exactly.
Darian still didn’t trust her.
She didn’t let her irritation show. She knew better than to give the Grand Duke more reasons to keep her locked away.
The butler remained near the door, his back perfectly straight and his cold eyes fixed on her while Doctor Vale crossed the room. The faint scent of herbs clung to the physician’s clothes, something sharp and clean that reminded Neria of the medicines Fiona had used on her chest wound.
"Doctor Vale?" she asked, keeping her voice soft.
"Here to check how those spectacles are working." He said offering her a small smile as he placed his medical bag on the side table beside her bed. The leather made a quiet thud against the wood.
His gaze shifted toward her, "Come on."
Neria did as he asked. She moved toward the bed and sat down, smoothing the fabric of her dress beneath her before looking back at him.
Doctor Vale pulled out a small instrument and leaned closer, examining the lenses before turning his attention to her eyes.
Neria remained still.
She could feel the butler watching her.
That was fine.
Let him watch.
He was supposed to.
She lowered her gaze innocently as Doctor Vale adjusted the spectacles on the bridge of her nose. "They’ve been feeling better," she said. "I can see much more clearly now."
"Any headaches?" Vale asked.
"Sometimes."
"Dizziness?"
"A little." She pressed her lips together.
He hummed thoughtfully, his fingers briefly lifting her chin so he could examine her eyes beneath the morning light.
Neria resisted the urge to glance toward the butler.
She needed him to believe she was completely focused on the examination.
After all, she knew what the Grand Duke had told them about her. For all she knew, they were waiting for her to slip.
So she gave them nothing. She simply sat there, quiet and obedient, while her mind worked, plans fighting against each other in her head.
Neria’s eyes drifted slightly toward Fiona, who stood not far away. Thankfully, the girl caught the look almost immediately. Fiona waited another minute before stepping closer, as though she had only just thought of something, then spoke with a concerned expression.
"That reminds he doctor" she started "We don’t know how Neria’s eyes react to natural lighting," she said, carefully keeping her voice casual. "We’ve never really been able to test them under the sun."
William looked up from the spectacles, a slight frown forming between his brows. "Sunlight?"
Fiona nodded. "Yes. She’s been inside for most of the time, and we’ve only been able to examine her eyes under the light in her room. She did complain once if the light being too bright once... I don’t know if natural light applies"
Neria lowered her gaze, pretending to examine her fingers while secretly listening to every word. She could feel the butler’s attention shift almost immediately. The atmosphere in the room seemed to change, becoming slightly heavier as his eyes moved between Fiona and Neria.
She didn’t need to look at him to know he was suspicious.
Still, she did.
The butler stood exactly where he had been, his back straight and his expression as unreadable as ever, but his eyes had narrowed slightly.
They lingered on Fiona for a moment before shifting toward Neria, as though he were trying to figure out whether this concern about her eyesight was genuine or some carefully arranged excuse.
Neria quickly looked away.
So she was right.
He did suspect them.
Doctor Vale seemed to notice it as well. His gaze moved from Fiona to the butler before settling on Neria again. He adjusted the spectacles gently against the bridge of her nose, then leaned back slightly as he considered Fiona’s suggestion.
"Natural light would be useful," he said eventually. "Especially now that her vision is beginning to improve. We should know whether prolonged exposure causes any discomfort.".
William stood, slowly straightening to his full height before turning toward the butler. Hartley’s expression remained unchanged, though Neria caught the slight twitch in his jaw as he folded his hands behind his back.
"Why don’t we test it out in the gardens?" William suggested.
"The Duke permitted no such thing," Hartley replied flatly. His gaze shifted briefly toward Neria, sharp enough to make it clear that the answer was not open for discussion.
Neria raised her head, keeping her lips pressed together as she looked toward Doctor Vale. She had to resist the urge to smile. Hartley was exactly as stubborn as she had expected, but that didn’t mean she was going to give up so easily.
"It’s okay..." she said softly. "My eyes will be fine. I don’t think the sunlight will hurt them."
William sighed and glanced toward Hartley, clearly growing impatient with the man’s refusal. "Come on, Hartley. It’s just the gardens. What damage can a Calypso do?"
Hartley’s brow twitched.
"She is His Grace’s decision."
There was something in the way he said it that made Neria’s fingers curl against the bedspread. He wasn’t merely reminding William of Darian’s orders. He was reminding her that every little bit of freedom she wanted still belonged to the Duke to grant.
William shook his head, seemingly unimpressed by the argument. "I will take a few guards with her. She won’t be alone, and I’ll be there the entire time. It is necessary for her recovery."
Hartley stared at him for a long moment, his expression giving away nothing. Neria kept herself perfectly still, though her heart had begun beating faster. She knew better than to interfere now. The more innocent she appeared, the more convincing William’s argument would become.
After a moment, Hartley’s eyes shifted toward her again.
Neria lowered her gaze immediately, allowing her fingers to find the shell necklace around her throat. She gently rubbed her thumb across its smooth surface, looking almost nervous at the thought of leaving the room.
Inside, however, she was already celebrating.
The gardens were within reach.
She only needed Hartley to say yes.