"Shall we go back?" Damian finally asked, his hand sliding up to cradle her neck, his touch soft yet possessive.

"But the promise..." Eilika started, her voice fading into the sound of the waves.

"It holds no value. Don’t you understand yet?" Damian’s eyes searched hers. "Sylvian sent word to the King. If you hadn’t been able to bring that flower, the King would have forced the cure from August himself. Besides, the physician’s calculations were wrong. I would not have died within hours."

He paused, his gaze darkening with the memory of his upbringing. "My body... I have a resistance. Since I was a boy, my father had me ingest small amounts of poison to build immunity. It ensures that any toxin takes far longer to claim me than a normal man. You made a choice based on a lie, Eilika. I was never going to leave you that easily."

Eilika nodded, her shoulders finally losing their tension. "In that moment, it was the only way I knew how to save you. You can’t imagine the terror I felt seeing you vomit blood," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the surf.

"Forgive me for putting you through that. It was a grave lapse in security," Damian admitted, his jaw tightening. "But we will settle the rest of this once we are home."

Eilika glanced toward the shadows. "The horse... we cannot leave it behind."

"Don’t worry. I’ll guide it back to the motorcar," Damian assured her. He stepped toward the animal and let out a sharp, melodic whistle. The horse tossed its head and stood, nickering in response. "It’s a good thing you chose a well-trained mount that knows how to listen."

As he turned back to her, he noticed her shivering against the biting sea breeze. Without a word, he stripped off his heavy overcoat and draped it over her shoulders, the fabric still warm from his body. With a final whistle to the horse, which fell into step behind them, he began leading her away from the dark shore.

~~~~

It was well past midnight when the heavy silence of the estate was broken. Louis and Sylvian paced near the entrance, their eyes fixed on the darkened driveway.

Maurice finally rode into the courtyard, leading the exhausted remnants of his search party.

As he dismounted, his shoulders slumped with the weight of failure. "Has the Duke returned?" Maurice asked, his voice gravelly from the cold.

"No," Louis responded, his face etched with worry. "How did it all fall apart so quickly? I truly believed they were finally finding happiness, but then..." He trailed off, the unfinished thought hanging heavy in the air.

The silence was suddenly shattered by the low rumble of an engine. The three men, along with the standing guard, turned in unison as the motorcar appeared.

Its headlights cut through the darkness, the blaring beams nearly blinding them. As the car slowed to a halt, the horse Eilika had taken followed close behind finally came to a stop.

Damian stepped out and rounded the motorcar to open the passenger door.

When Eilika emerged, resting her hand in his and still wrapped in his oversized coat.

The soldiers stood a little straighter, and the heavy tension that had gripped the estate finally broke.

Louis didn’t wait for a formal greeting. He sprinted forward and pulled Eilika into a frantic hug, nearly knocking Damian aside in his haste. "Eilika! What were you thinking?" he exclaimed while getting emotional. "I thought you were gone for good. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Damian stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he watched Louis. He hadn’t even had the chance to hold her like that himself, yet here was his friend, shamelessly embracing the Duchess in front of the entire guard.

Louis finally stepped back, gripping her shoulders to inspect her. "You aren’t hurt, are you? Tell me he didn’t do anything to you."

"I’m fine, Louis," Eilika said with a tired, gentle shake of her head.

"Let me see her too," Sylvian urged, nudging Louis out of the way. He stepped in and folded Eilika into a gentle, protective embrace.

"Thank God you are safe," he said, pulling away quickly. His expression was uncharacteristically soft. "Don’t ever do that again. The House of Varos is nothing without you. Roman was inconsolable earlier; he somehow sensed his mother had gone and feared you wouldn’t return."

"I want to see him," Eilika said, her head bowing as guilt clouded her features. "But at this hour... he must be asleep. Tomorrow is his birthday and I’ve truly hurt his fragile heart."

"Roman will understand," Damian assured her, his voice firm yet comforting. "Let’s go inside. You must be exhausted and famished." He placed a warm, steady hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the entrance.

However, Eilika stopped before they reached the doors. She turned to the gathered soldiers, offering a sincere apology for the trouble her disappearance had caused and the hours they spent searching. Finally, her gaze settled on Maurice.

With that, she walked inside. To their immense surprise, the foyer was not empty; Georgia, King Nyxen, and Prince August were all present, waiting for the Duchess’s return.

"Your Majesty!" Damian bowed his head in deep reverence, followed quickly by the others. Eilika felt even guiltier at the sight of the King; the weight of the trouble she had caused her elders was becoming unbearable.

"Why are you awake at this hour, Majesty?" Damian asked.

"Because I knew you would return with Lady Eilika," King Nyxen replied. "And August has something to say. He is sorry for what he has done."

August shot a sharp, disbelieving glare at his father but remained silent under the King’s heavy gaze. However, when his eyes shifted to Eilika, his composure broke.

"You looted me, Eilika," August hissed, his voice trembling with spite. "You took the cure from me and then you had the audacity to return..."

"August, do not say another word to her," Damian interjected, taking a predatory step forward. His voice was a dangerous growl, and the sheer intensity of his anger left Eilika bewildered; she had rarely seen him so openly defensive of her.

"August, stay quiet," Nyxen warned, his own glare fixed on his son. "Unless you wish to create even more of a nuisance than you already have."

August snickered. He didn’t offer an apology. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked away, unable to stomach their presence for even a second longer.

"Your Majesty, you should retire to the guest room we have prepared," Georgia said softly, breaking the lingering tension.

King Nyxen nodded in acknowledgment and walked away, the others bowing deeply as he departed. Once the King had cleared the hall, Georgia turned her attention back to Eilika and opened her arms.

"Come here," she said.

Eilika ran to her, throwing her arms around her mother-in-law while murmuring a broken apology for disappearing so abruptly. Georgia held her tight, gently caressing her back to soothe her sobs.

"Eilika, you have proven me right once again," Georgia whispered. "You are not only a perfect mother but a wonderful wife, a woman ready to sacrifice everything for those she loves. But let this be the last time you do something like this. You are precious to this family, too. Never forget that."

She pulled back slightly to cup Eilika’s face, her thumbs wiping away the stray tears.

"I’m sorry, Mother," Eilika mumbled, her voice thick with exhaustion.

"No, it is completely fine," Georgia reassured her, leaning in to press a tender kiss to her forehead.

"Now, go to your bedroom and get some rest," Georgia told her gently.

Eilika nodded as Damian moved to stand beside her. Georgia patted her son’s arm in a silent gesture of support before retiring to her own quarters.

"The three of you should head to the guest wing as well. We will see you in the morning," Damian told Sylvian, Louis, and Maurice. With a protective arm draped around Eilika’s shoulders, he guided her toward the grand staircase.

Instead of heading toward Damian’s wing, Eilika paused and quietly asked if they could check on Roman first. He agreed without hesitation, and they made their way to the young boy’s chamber.

The maidservant waiting outside informed them that Roman had finally fallen asleep three hours prior, though only after much insistence and many tears.

They stepped softly into the room, where Roman lay tucked beneath a heavy duvet, looking small and fragile in the large bed. Eilika sat on the edge of the mattress, her fingers trembling as she brushed his soft hair away from his forehead.

"Forgive me for hurting you," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of his steady breathing.

"I think I should sleep here with Roman. What if he wakes up in the middle of the night?" Eilika questioned him.

"I want you to sleep in my room," Damian said promptly. "I’ll take Roman to my room." He moved toward the bed and scooped Roman into his arms, not disturbing his sleep.

"Let’s go," he told Eilika, already walking toward the door.