Midnight had already passed.
The castle of Valemont was finally quiet.
The music that had filled the halls earlier that evening had fallen silent.
The voices of the guests had disappeared behind closed doors, and the servants had retreated to their quarters after hours of preparing for the wedding celebrations.
Only the moon remained awake.
Its pale light slipped through the tall windows of the guest chamber, spreading across the floor in long silver shadows.
Sylvan Ashford sat beside the window.
A book lay open in his hand.
He had not turned a page in several minutes.
His eyes remained fixed on the same line, but his mind was nowhere near the words.
He closed the book.
For some reason, sleep refused to come.
And he knew exactly why.
The strange girl.
Rosylin.
He had seen her twice since arriving at the Valemont castle.
The first time, she had been dressed as a maid.
The second time, she had been in the library without a maid’s uniform, sitting among the books as though she belonged there.
She had refused to answer his questions.
Then she had run.
Sylvan rested his arm against the window frame.
He disliked mysteries.
More precisely, he disliked people who deliberately made themselves into mysteries.
His gaze drifted toward the garden.
Something moved beneath the trees.
Sylvan’s eyes narrowed.
A figure stood in the moonlight.
Long burgundy hair.
Even from this distance, he recognized her.
Rosylin.
Again.
He watched without moving.
She glanced around the garden before walking toward the far corner, where the trees grew thick enough to hide someone from the castle windows.
A few moments later, she knelt.
Something small moved beside her.
Sylvan’s eyes sharpened.
A cat.
Rosylin carefully placed the animal on the ground.
The cat immediately curled against her skirt.
She stroked its head, then looked around again.
She was hiding it.
Another secret.
Sylvan stared at her for several seconds.
Then he stood.
He left the room.
Rosylin had no idea she was being watched.
The cat had been hiding in the garden for several days.
She had found it wandering alone near the castle walls and had secretly begun bringing it food whenever she could.
It was one of the few things in the castle that made her feel less alone.
Tonight, she had brought a small piece of meat wrapped in cloth.
“You have to be quiet,” she whispered, breaking the food into smaller pieces.
The cat began eating.
Rosylin smiled faintly.
“You’ll get caught if you make too much noise.”
A soft sound came from behind her.
Rosylin froze.
She slowly turned.
A man stood beneath the trees.
Tall.
Still.
His dark clothing blended into the night, while his blue eyes remained unmistakable beneath the moonlight.
Sylvan.
Her heart dropped.
She immediately stood.
“You…”
Sylvan walked toward her.
His expression gave nothing away.
“What are you doing here?”
Rosylin lowered her gaze.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
She remained silent.
His eyes shifted toward the cat.
“And what is that?”
Rosylin instinctively moved closer to the animal.
“A cat.”
“I can see that.”
His voice was calm.
Cold.
“Why is it here?”
Rosylin hesitated.
“I take care of her.”
“At midnight?”
She had no answer.
Sylvan looked at her for another moment.
“You’re hiding her.”
Rosylin’s fingers tightened around the edge of her dress.
“Please…”
“Please what?”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
Sylvan’s expression remained unchanged.
“Why should I?”
Rosylin looked up at him.
She had expected him to simply agree.
Instead, he was watching her as though he were trying to understand something hidden beneath every word she spoke.
“Because…”
She looked down at the cat.
“I don’t want her to be taken away.”
Sylvan’s eyes remained on her.
“You’ve been keeping her here without permission.”
Rosylin nodded.
“Yes.”
“And you thought hiding her would solve the problem?”
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
Silence settled between them.
The cat continued eating, completely unaware of the tension between the two people standing nearby.
Sylvan’s gaze returned to Rosylin.
“You’ve always been this secretive?”
Rosylin stiffened.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do.”
His voice wasn’t raised.
He didn’t need to raise it.
“You appeared during the wedding dressed as a maid.”
Rosylin said nothing.
“You were in the garden with my sister.”
Still nothing.
“Then I found you in the library.”
Her eyes flickered.
“And you weren’t wearing a maid’s uniform.”
Rosylin lowered her head.
Sylvan took another slow step toward her.
“Yet every time I see you, you have another reason to disappear.”
Rosylin’s heart began beating faster.
She didn’t know what to say.
Sylvan stopped in front of her.
“Who are you?”
Rosylin froze.
The question was simple.
But she knew she couldn’t answer it.
“I already told you my name.”
“You told me your name.”
His blue eyes remained fixed on hers.
“I asked who you are.”
She looked away.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why?”
Rosylin didn’t answer.
Sylvan waited.
She could feel his gaze on her.
It made her nervous.
She wanted to leave.
She needed to leave.
Rosylin carefully picked up the cat.
“I should go.”
She turned.
Before she could take more than one step, Sylvan moved into her path.
Rosylin stopped.
He stood between her and the way out.
She looked up at him.
“Please move.”
“No.”
Her grip tightened around the cat.
“I have to go.”
“You haven’t answered me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Rosylin shook her head.
“I just can’t.”
Sylvan studied her silently.
There was fear in her eyes.
Not the kind caused by his presence alone.
Something deeper.
Something she refused to explain.
But he didn’t press her for an explanation.
Instead, he asked again.
“Who are you?”
Rosylin lowered her head.
She remained silent for several seconds.
Then she finally spoke.
“When you visit the castle again…”
Sylvan waited.
“I’ll tell you.”
His expression remained unreadable.
“Next time?”
Rosylin nodded.
“Yes.”
She didn’t look at him.
“When you come back, I’ll tell you who I really am.”
Sylvan watched her carefully.
He could tell she was desperate to leave.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he stepped aside.
Rosylin didn’t wait.
The moment the path was clear, she ran.
Her footsteps quickly disappeared into the darkness.
Sylvan remained beneath the trees.
He watched until she was gone.
The garden fell silent once more.
His eyes settled on the empty path.
He had come outside because he couldn’t sleep.
Instead, he had found another question.
Who was Rosylin?
And why did she hide herself so carefully?
Sylvan slowly turned toward the castle.
For the first time since meeting her, he didn’t feel irritated by the unanswered question.
He was simply curious.
And curiosity was something Sylvan Ashford rarely allowed himself to have.
Yet somehow, that strange girl had managed to become one.