A little while later we headed back inside.

Clara still looked unusually excited thigh m, I couldn’t really blame her.

Most people didn’t get invited to live inside one of the most powerful noble houses in the kingdom.

The three of us walked through the enormous corridors of the manor while servants occasionally passed by.

Every single one of them bowed toward Lillith as usual before quickly continuing on their way.

Eventually Clara finally spoke up.

"Wait."

She looked toward Lillith.

"Was that offer really serious?"

Lillith glanced at her.

"What offer?"

"The moving in one."

"Oh."

Lillith shrugged.

"Yes."

Clara blinked.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

The red-haired girl looked almost afraid to ask.

"I can actually stay here?"

"Sure."

Lillith looked completely unbothered by the idea.

"You can bring your things tomorrow."

Clara stared.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Then Lillith thought for a moment.

"You can pick whichever empty guest room you want."

Clara looked increasingly overwhelmed.

"There are multiple guest rooms?"

"There are lots."

That answer somehow made Clara even more stunned.

For several seconds she simply walked in silence.

Then finally—

"Thank you."

Lillith looked away awkwardly.

"You’re my friend."

The words came out surprisingly quietly.

Clara immediately smiled.

Unfortunately—

Lillith wasn’t finished speaking.

"As long as you don’t interrupt me and Leon when we’re alone at night."

The corridor became completely silent.

Clara’s face immediately turned bright red.

"Oh."

A pause.

"...ok."

Meanwhile I nearly tripped over my own feet.

"Lillith, that’s not what—"

Before I could finish explaining anything, Lillith suddenly grabbed me by the collar.

I blinked.

"Lillith?"

"Nope."

Then she immediately started dragging me down the corridor.

"What do you mean nope?!"

I looked back desperately toward Clara.

Unfortunately she looked far too embarrassed to help.

The red-haired girl awkwardly waved.

"B-Bye?"

"CLARA."

"Goodnight!"

"CLARA."

She immediately turned around and started walking away as fast as possible.

Traitor.

Meanwhile Lillith continued dragging me through the manor.

Several servants stepped aside as we passed.

One of them nearly walked directly into a wall trying not to look at us.

"Lillith."

"Nope."

"You cannot just say something like that and then drag me away."

"I can."

"No."

"Ok try and stop me."

Unfortunately, she was significantly stronger than me.

Which meant my opinion on the matter wasn’t particularly relevant.

I glanced behind us.

Clara was already disappearing around a distant corner.

The last thing I saw was her still looking completely red-faced.

Then she vanished.

Leaving me alone with the disaster I’d failed to prevent.

"Lillith."

"What?"

"She’s going to misunderstand."

Lillith looked back at me.

Then smiled.

"Good."

I stared at her.

"You did that on purpose."

"Maybe."

"You absolutely did."

Lillith looked entirely too pleased with herself.

A few moments later she finally dragged me all the way back toward our room.

The moment we reached the door she released my collar.

Meanwhile somewhere else inside the manor—

Clara was probably questioning every assumption she’d ever made about our relationship.

And somehow I had a feeling tomorrow was going to be even worse.

By the time we finally reached the room, I was exhausted.

The duel.

The greenhouse.

Teaching Clara and Lillith how to shoot.

And getting dragged halfway across the manor by my collar.

It had been a long day.

Lillith immediately claimed her usual position beside me while I sat down on the edge of the bed.

For once she wasn’t talking about babies.

Instead she wrapped both arms around one of mine and leaned against my shoulder.

"I’m glad."

I glanced at her.

"About what?"

She looked up at me.

"That Adrian never really hurt you."

I blinked.

"He shot mana blades at me."

"You dodged those."

"He stabbed the ground."

"You dodged that too."

"He trapped me inside a giant earth cage."

"You got out."

I stared at her.

Lillith simply smiled.

Then after a moment she frowned.

"Well."

She pointed at my forehead.

"Except for that part."

I immediately knew what she meant.

"The headbutts?"

"Yes."

Her expression became disapproving.

"That was completely unnecessary."

I shrugged.

"It was funny."

Lillith stared at me.

Then laughed a genuine laugh.

"I think you hit yourself too hard."

"That’s possible."

For several moments the room remained quiet.

Then Lillith tilted her head slightly.

"Why didn’t you shoot his head?"

I paused.

That was actually a reasonable question.

"I had opportunities."

"Lots of them."

"Yes."

Lillith looked curious.

"Then why?"

I leaned back slightly.

"Because if I killed him, I’d lose the five hundred gold."

Lillith immediately looked offended.

"That’s your reason?"

"It was part of the reason."

She crossed her arms.

"Only part?"

I nodded.

Then looked at her.

"If Adrian died, he wouldn’t have to apologize to you."

The room became quiet.

Lillith blinked.

I continued.

"And after all the things he said, I figured making him apologize in front of the entire academy would be more satisfying."

For several seconds she simply stared at me.

Then her cheeks started turning red.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Until she looked away.

"...Thank you."

I raised an eyebrow.

Lillith immediately buried her face into my chest.

Then started rubbing her cheek against me.

"I love you."

I sighed.

"Your welcome."

"I love you."

"Lillith."

She somehow managed to press herself even closer.

"I love you so much."

I couldn’t help but to laugh slightly.

Her response was immediate.

She tightened her grip.

Then repeated it again.

And again.

And again.

Eventually I stopped responding entirely.

Mostly because I was too tired.

The warmth of the room combined with the events of the day slowly started catching up with me.

My eyes felt heavier.

The conversation became more distant.

Lillith was still talking.

Mostly about me.

And occasionally about how wonderful our future would supposedly be.

I only caught about half of it.

The last thing I really noticed was Lillith resting her head against my shoulder while absentmindedly playing with one of my hands.

Then the room grew quieter.

The exhaustion finally won.

My eyes slowly drifted shut.

And before long—

I was asleep

******************************

I watched my darling sleep peacefully beside me.

The room was quiet.

Just him and me.

A smile found its way onto my face.

I really did love him so much.

More than anything else in this entire world.

Sometimes I wondered if he truly understood how much he meant to me.

Most people looked at me and saw the future heir of the Nightbane family.

A monster.

A threat.

Leon never did.

Even after learning what I was capable of.

Even after seeing the parts of me that frightened everyone else.

He still treated me the same, still smiled at me and still worried about me.

And today had only reminded me of that.

I glanced down at his sleeping face.

A warm feeling spread through my chest.

He could have killed Adrian as he had many opportunities.

I knew he did.

Yet he didn’t.

Not because he couldn’t.

But because he wanted Adrian to apologize to me.

Leon risked so much just for me.

Even now the thought made me happy.

"You really are too kind, darling."

Leon didn’t respond.

Of course he didn’t since he was asleep.

Still—

I wanted to be sure.

I raised a hand above his face.

A faint mist of purple mana flowed from my fingertips and drifted gently over him.

The spell settled almost immediately.

Then I spoke out loud.

"Sleep tight.."

A small smile crossed my face.

"I don’t want to make the same mistake I did a couple days ago."

Satisfied, I rested my hand lightly against the blanket covering him.

"You were so considerate today."

My voice softened.

"Leaving Adrian alive just so he could apologize to me."

I shook my head.

That was exactly the sort of thing Leon would do.

Then my smile became a little stranger.

A little sharper.

"I haven’t killed a single person since you were kidnapped, you know."

I laughed quietly.

The sound barely above a whisper.

"I’ve been very good."

My fingers tightened slightly.

"Very, very good."

For a brief moment something maniacal flickered through my thoughts.

Months.

It had been so many months.

And I had behaved exactly as Leon wanted.

Mostly.

I leaned closer burying my face into the depths of his neck breathing in deeply, before then subsequently letting out a light moan in relief.

"But thank you anyway."

My voice became warm again.

"I’m sorry Adrian won’t be apologizing in front of me tomorrow like you wanted."

I sighed dramatically.

"But I suppose some things can’t be helped."

For a few moments I simply stayed there, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing.

The room felt peaceful and safe.

"Some day"

"I wil lock you up, far away from the eyes of any other living creature, and so I can monopolise all the light from that smile, just for me."

Eventually I lifted my head and looked at him one last time.

"But I’d know you’d hate it, and I just can’t stand the thought of you hating me."

"So I guess I’ll wait "

A smile tugged at my lips.

"But once I have my excuse, I’ll clip off your wings and put you in my golden cage so you’ll be mine, and mine only."

Then I stood up.

Carefully.

I moved toward the wardrobe and pulled out a long black cloak.

The dark fabric concealed everything beneath it.

A few moments later I fastened it around myself and pulled the hood over my head.

Then I returned to the bedside one final time.

I gently brushed a few stray strands of hair away from his face.

My fingers trace the curve of his jaw, barely brushing his skin.

"I’ll be back soon."

My voice was barely audible.

"As soon as I’m done with my errand."

Leon remained asleep.

Satisfied, I turned away.

A moment later I stepped out onto the balcony.

Cold night air swept across the room.

Snow drifted beneath the moonlit sky beyond.

I took one last glance back toward the sleeping figure inside.

Then I stepped onto the railing.

Purple mana gathered around me.

And without another word—

I launched myself into the winter night.

I soared above the sleeping Royal Capital.

Snow drifted through the night air while countless lights stretched across the city below.

The wealthier districts glittered beneath magical lamps and polished stone roads while noble estates stood proudly behind tall walls and iron gates.

The farther I traveled from the academy district—

The fewer lights there were.

The roads became narrower.

The buildings became older.

The people became poorer.

Eventually the elegant parts of the capital disappeared entirely.

The slums began.

I looked downward silently.

Unlike the noble districts, the streets below weren’t illuminated by expensive magical lamps.

Most of the light came from small fires burning inside rusted metal barrels or from candles shining through cracked windows.

The roads were little more than muddy pathways.

Snow mixed with dirt along the edges of the streets.

Many buildings leaned dangerously to one side as if a strong wind might finally finish the job and knock them over.

I saw children huddled together beneath blankets near a broken wall.

Several exhausted workers sat around a small fire trying to stay warm.

A group of drunk men staggered between buildings while shouting at one another.

Farther away, two figures were already fighting over a sack of something.

Nobody intervened. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Nobody cared.

Life in the slums was different.

Harsh.

The kind of place where people worried more about surviving tomorrow than anything else.

I continued flying.

Eventually my eyes settled upon a particular building.

A weathered three-story inn squeezed between several abandoned warehouses.

Its sign hung crookedly from rusted chains.

Most of the paint had peeled away years ago.

The faded lettering still remained barely visible.

The Broken Lantern.

A very fitting name.

The roof looked one storm away from collapsing.

Several windows had been repaired with wooden boards.

The front entrance looked as though it had been kicked in and rebuilt more times than anyone could count.

I descended silently.

The snow cushioned my landing as I touched down atop the roof.

Not a sound escaped me.

Then I walked toward the edge.

Below the inn sat a narrow alleyway hidden from the street.

Broken crates rested against one wall.

Old barrels sat half-buried beneath snow.

The entire alley remained dark and isolated.

Exactly as expected.

I pulled my cloak tighter around myself before crouching near the edge of the rooftop.

Then I waited.

Minutes passed.

The city continued moving around me.

Distant voices echoed through the slums.

A dog barked somewhere far away.

Snow continued falling.

Then—

Movement.

A figure emerged from the shadows at the far end of the alley.

Then another, and another.

My purple eyes narrowed slightly.

Looks like they were finally here.

I clutched both hands against my face as trembling laugh escaped me.

Finally.

Finally.

Finally.

Do you have any idea how difficult the past few months had been Leon?

I had behaved and listened to all your rules.

No killing.

No unnecessary violence.

No incidents.

Every single time somebody annoyed me, I remembered what Leon would say.

Every.

Single.

Time.

It had been exhausting.

"But now..."

A smile completly took over my face beneath the hood.

"Now I have a reason."

A perfectly justified reason.

Adrian had challenged Leon.

Threatened him.

Insulted him, who belonged to me.

Honestly, I felt like Leon would be proud of my restraint.

I looked down into the alley.

Three figures entered from the far end.

My eyes immediately locked onto the one in the center.

Adrian.

I tilted my head slightly.

Interesting.

The damage from the duel was completely gone.

Not even a scar remained.

His fiancée must have arranged for some very expensive healing magic.

That was the only explanation.

The two men behind him were larger.

Older.

Experienced.

Their movements were disciplined.

Not academy students.

Professional fighters.

Mercenaries perhaps.

Or retired adventurers.

Either way—

Not important.

I tightened my grip on my cloak.

The smile on my face widened.

Then I stepped off the roof.

My cloak billowed behind me as I landed silently in the center of the alley.

Snow shifted beneath my boots.

The three men immediately stopped.

All of them tensed.

Good instincts.

Adrian narrowed his eyes.

"You came."

I remained silent.

The hood concealed my face completely.

For several moments nobody moved.

Then Adrian laughed.

"I was worried you wouldn’t show."

Still silent.

His confidence visibly increased.

Adrian stepped forward.

"I hope you’ve realized how dead you are."

The two men behind him removed their hoods.

Both possessed visible mana signatures.

Strong ones.

Not exceptional.

But respectable.

I recognized the level immediately.

Low B-rank.

Adrian grinned.

"I hired them personally."

He spread his arms slightly.

"No tricks this time."

His voice dripped with satisfaction.

"No smoke."

"No strange weapons."

"No lucky surprises."

One of the mercenaries cracked his neck.

The other rested a hand on his sword.

Adrian continued speaking.

"Leon Aldric."

"You embarrassed me."

His smile became uglier.

"You humiliated me in front of the entire academy."

A pulse of mana escaped him.

"So tonight I’m returning the favor."

For several seconds I simply stared at him.

Then—

I laughed.

Quietly at first but then louder.

The sound echoed through the alley.

Adrian frowned.

The two mercenaries exchanged glances.

Something about the laugh had clearly made them uncomfortable.

Good.

Very good.

I raised one hand.

Then slowly pulled back my hood.

Snow drifted between us.

My black hair spilled free.

My purple eyes met Adrian’s.

The smile vanished from his face instantly.

Color drained from it.

His entire body froze.

For a moment nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

Then Adrian whispered—

"...Lillith?"

The two mercenaries looked confused.

Then they looked at me.

Then they looked at Adrian.

Then they looked back at me again.

Recognition slowly appeared.

Followed immediately by horror.

I smiled.

A genuine smile.

The kind Leon always told me scared people.

"Oh."

I tilted my head.

"You thought I was Leon?"

Adrian stumbled backward.

Actually stumbled.

His confidence shattered so quickly it was almost impressive.

I took a single step forward.

All three men took one backward.

My smile widened.

"Please."

Purple mana slowly began illuminating the alley around me.

Snowflakes evaporated before touching the ground.

The air itself seemed to tremble.

"You’ve already come all this way."

Another step.

The two mercenaries looked ready to run.

Adrian looked ready to faint.

I clasped my hands behind my back the excitement I’d been suppressing for months threatened to spill over.

"Let’s talk."