It had only been a night since I got to this world, but… but I had to survive and wits every single second of it.
"Kai?" A voice, soft and sweet, called out. "Are you in there? Please, just tell me you're alright. I was so worried. I… I just need to see you." It was Evelina. Her voice was thick with emotion.
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I slowly walked to the door and took another breath, trying to smooth the frantic edge from my expression, and slowly, deliberately, opened it.
Evelina stood there, her beautiful eyes wide and filled with unshed tears. Her blue hair was slightly disheveled, as if she had been running her hands through it in distress. The moment she saw me, her face was filled with overwhelming relief.
"Kai!" she cried. Before I could react, she lunged forward, throwing her arms around me, embracing me. Her head was against my shoulder, and I could feel the wetness of her tears soaking on it. "Oh, Kai, I was so worried! I thought… I thought something terrible had happened to you! I heard the commotion, and then they said you weren't in your room, and I just… I just knew!"
Her hug was tight, and her grip was surprisingly strong. It was a genuine outpouring of relief and affection. She clung to me as if I were the only stable thing in her world, as if she might lose me if she let go.
"I'm alright, Evelina," I murmured. I gently patted her back, trying to convey a believable reassurance . "Just… startled. I heard the commotion too, and I… I went to investigate." It was a flimsy excuse, but she seemed too emotional to question it.
"Okay," She nodded, seemingly accepting my explanation. "Oh, Kai. It was dreadful. A… a body was found In the hallway. Father says it was assassin." her grip on my arms tightening. "I'm so glad you're safe. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you." Her gaze held mine, a deep, almost unsettling concern in their depths.
We stood there for a moment. I continued to observe her, trying to make my own judgment. Was this genuine, overwhelming love for her adopted brother, or was it signs of something more complex, more dangerous? The diary's words about her 'niceness' being a potential tool still lingered in my mind, but her raw emotion felt incredibly real. I needed to know her, truly know her, beyond the words of a dead man.
"Come," she said softly, pulling me gently towards the bed. "Let's have a talk."
We sat on the edge of the bed, her hand still resting on my arm. She continued to talk, her voice soft as usual, recounting the chaos of the last few minutes, her fear for my safety, her relief at finding me. I listened, offering reassuring nods and quiet words, all the while trying to keep a leveled head. It was a strange, surreal moment – sitting with my supposed 'sister' after having just brutally killed a man, pretending to be shaken by the commotion rather than the act itself.
Just as she was recounting, a sharp, authoritative knock sounded at the door.
"Who could that be?," She asked.
"Come in," I called out, my voice steadier than I expected.
The door opened, and Lord Sapphire stood in the doorway. He was still dressed in his fine noble attire, but his face was grim, his scholared eyes hard and certain. He looked at me, then at Evelina, then back at me. There was no warmth in his gaze, only a cold, assessing scrutiny. After a while, he gave a strained smile. It was obviously fake, just a shard of sorts.
My mind immediately flashed back to the words of Olberic's diary: "Lord Sapphire, I always had my suspicions about him, it grew with every passing second, he for once never talked with me..." Olberic had complained about Lord Sapphire's silence, his somewhat strange silence at him. Yet here he was, at my door. Talking to me.
"Kai Lorne," Lord Sapphire said, his voice deep and resonant, devoid of the earlier fury, but filled with an undeniable authority. "I trust you are unharmed?"
"Yes, Father," I replied, trying to meet his gaze without flinching.
He nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on me, as if trying to peer into my very soul. "Good. That is good. The manor has been secured. The… incident… is being handled." He paused, his gaze shifting slightly, aimed towards the window. "I find myself in need of a moment of quiet reflection. Would you care to join me for a short stroll on the porch, Kai? The night air is quite refreshing."
My surprise must have been evident, despite my efforts to hide it. A stroll? With him? The man who never spoke to Olberic? The man whose guards were assassins? The man who was covering up a murder? It was a test. A dangerous one at that.
"It would be my pleasure, Father," I said, forcing a polite nod. I glanced at Evelina, who looked surprised but also a little pleased, as if this was a rare occurrence.
I stood, and carefully followed Lord Sapphire out of the room, leaving a bewildered Evelina behind.
The night air was cool and crisp on the porch, carrying the faint scent of distant pines and damp earth. The moon, cast long, eerie shadows across gardens. Lord Sapphire walked with a measured, deliberate pace, his hands clasped behind his back. I walked beside him, trying to match his pace, my mind racing.
"You seem… surprised, Kai," Lord Sapphire said, his voice low, breaking the silence. He didn't look at me, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "That I would seek your company. After all this time."
"I… I confess, Father, I am a little surprised," I admitted, choosing honesty mixed with a touch of deference. "It's not often you seek out… casual conversation."
He finally turned his head, his eyes, cold and piercing, meeting mine in the dim light. "Indeed. I am a busy man. But there are times when a father must speak with his son. Especially after… incidents such as this." His gaze lingered on my face, searching. "You seem… composed. More so than I would expect, given the circumstances."
I forced a small, almost gradual and subtle shrug. "I suppose I've always tried to remain calm in a crisis, Father. Panic serves no purpose."
He nodded slowly, a faint, almost unperceived smile on his lips. It wasn't a warm smile. It was a calculating kind. "A commendable trait, Kai. A very commendable trait." He paused, his gaze still fixed on me.
Then, his voice dropped, becoming a low, almost intimate one. "Tell me, Kai. Do you find me… intimidating?"