Pillyse awakened to the kind of silence that felt sacred.
Soft morning light slipped past silken curtains, warming her cheeks.
For a long moment, she didn't move.
She lay still beneath the covers, eyes fixed on the ceiling, carefully steadying her breath. The room carried the faint scent of cedarwood. Her fingers curled into the sheets, gripping the fabric as if to remind herself of the boundary she refused to cross.
She didn't want him to misunderstand.
She didn't want Elarion to believe that the comfort she felt meant love or that she had somehow become the woman she used to be. Whatever the old Pillyse had felt, whatever devotion had once bound them together, it did not live inside her. And she could not bear the thought of him clinging to a hope that would only wound him further.
Still… she had slept.
That truth sat heavily in her chest.
She had slept because she knew he was nearby. Because somewhere in the quiet of the room, he had chosen to stay without asking for anything, without reaching for her, without even allowing himself the illusion of closeness. The comfort she felt was not romantic. It was not desire. It was the strange relief of not being alone in a world that still felt unfamiliar and unsteady.
And that was what made her feel guilty.
Because safety was supposed to come from love, and she could not offer him that.
A faint, conflicted smile tugged at her lips not from happiness, but from understanding the weight of his restraint. She turned slowly, the bed barely shifting beneath her, and felt the absence immediately. The other side was untouched.
Cold.
Her gaze drifted to the sofa.
Elarion lay there, half-curled, clearly having forced himself into sleep rather than risk watching over her any longer. One arm shielded his eyes, the other clenched tightly, as if even unconsciousness couldn't loosen his resolve.
He looked uncomfortable.
Out of place.
As though he had made himself smaller on purpose.
Her throat tightened.
He had given her space so she wouldn't mistake his presence for expectation. He had stayed far enough away to protect her freedom, and close enough to make her feel safe.
She turned back toward the ceiling, guilt settling quietly over her heart.
She didn't love him the way he once loved her.
But she had leaned, unknowingly, on the kindness of that love.
And that was what hurt the most, she then feel sleepy again and slowly close her eyes.
Then Pillyse woke up, reminding herself that she is now Denova. She then look at the sofa where Elarion was laying asleep.
He's gone. " What am i expecting? this is not a fairytale"
A tiny sigh escaped her.
"Of course he left before I woke up."
Recalling the way he had looked at her. As if seeing her made the world stop.
A warmth spread through her chest.
A sharp knock shattered the peace.
"Lady Denova, may we come in?" a maid called politely.
Before she could answer, four servants marched in like a tiny army.
Pillyse squeaked, scrambling for the blanket. "Hel-hello?? Personal space?!"
"Forgive us, my lady!" the youngest maid bowed so fast her braid swung like a whip. "The duke instructed us to help you dress immediately."
Pillyse muttered, "He did? can't he just let me sleep longer? I forgot to tell him i want to sleep longer."
The maids bit their lips, trying not to laugh due to Pillyse expression looking like a Lady in distress while holding her head and messing her hair.
They washed her face with fragrant rosewater, brushed her long hair with gentle hands, and slipped her into a gown soft as clouds. Gold threads sparkled through the fabric, catching the morning light.
"You look radiant," a maid whispered.
Pillyse stared at herself in the mirror.
"…I look like a noblewoman who charges a lot of taxes."
The maids snorted quietly.
The grand dining hall glittered with chandeliers and marble. It intimidated her every time.
Elarion stood the moment she entered.
He was breathtaking, hair slightly tousled, sleeves rolled up, looking unexpectedly human and… nervous.
"You're awake," he said softly.
His ears were pink.
Pillyse blinked. (Was Duke Elarion Ashenveil blushing?)
"Good morning… Elarion." She tried the name gently.
He nearly dropped the teapot.
"I—ah—yes. Morning."He poured her tea with the concentration of a man defusing a bomb.
"So," she teased lightly, "are you always up before sunrise or is this your dramatic way of escaping before I wake?"
He choked on air.
"I—I wasn't escaping."
"Mm-hmm."
His eyes flicked away.
She hid her smile behind her teacup.
After breakfast, Elarion cleared his throat, gathering the servants with a single command. They lined up instantly, stiff as soldiers.
" This is Denova Ravenscroft " he announced.
"She is under my protection. Her comfort is my highest priority. Treat her as you treat me."
The servants bowed deeply.
Someone whispered, "The duke looks… happy. Dear gods, he's glowing."
Elarion's eyebrow twitched."Dismissed."
The servants scattered like mice fleeing a cat.
Pillyse chuckled. "You didn't have to do that."
"I did," he said quietly. "You deserve respect."
And somehow, that simple sentence warmed her more than any fire.
For a moment, she almost forgot how much he had hurt the night before, how his eyes had held that quiet, unbearable pain.
But he was acting like nothing had happened. Like she hadn't told him she wasn't the same Pillyse he loved, like her truth hadn't broken him at all.
It made her chest ache in a way she couldn't admit, even to herself.
" We need to talk alone." she then look at him with an obvious curiosity appearing in her eyes.
Elarion guided her through the garden, stopping near a marble fountain.He looked troubled, more troubled than she'd ever seen him.
"Pillyse…"
His voice trembled.
"There's something I've been meaning to tell you."
Her heart stuttered at the sound of his voice.
Elarion didn't look at her. His gaze stayed fixed on the water, as if it were safer than meeting her eyes.
"I know what you wished for in your past life," he said softly.
"Freedom.
Happiness.
A life where you could breathe without fear."
She froze.
How could he possibly know that?
Slowly, he turned to her. When their eyes met, something inside her tightened. There was no hesitation in his expression only resolve built on grief.
"I want that for you," he continued. "I want you to be happy." His voice faltered, just slightly. "Even if that happiness doesn't include me."
The words struck harder than she expected.
"What?" she breathed.
His eyes softened, filled with a sadness so deep it felt intentional as if he had chosen to live inside it.
"Because your happiness matters more to me than what I want," he said. "You deserve a future you choose. Not one shaped by fate… or by my feelings."
She stepped closer, something sharp flaring in her chest.
"Don't you want me to stay? like do some things that will win my favor?" she asked quietly. "Don't you want me to… love you back?" Her voice trembled, embarrassed but honest. "I'm not saying we should be lovers. That would be ridiculous, but at least...at least we could be friends."
His breath hitched.
"I....I'm afraid i don't wish to be in a relationship with you like we have before, for it was already in the past i choose to cherish until now. Being friends with you is already the best thing that ever happened to me and that's enough." he admitted, barely above a whisper.
"Then why does it feel like you're pushing me away?"
He looked like a man standing at the edge of a cliff, refusing to step back even as the ground crumbled beneath him.
"I'm not," he said quickly. "Please don't misunderstand." His hands trembled, his eyes pleading. "I would never push you away."
"But it feels like you are," she said, confusion threading painfully through her words. "I'm not promising anything. I don't even know what I feel yet. But the way you act?" Her voice softened. "It makes me feel like you're the only person I can trust right now."
Elarion closed his eyes and took a slow, measured breath, as though steadying himself against something invisible.
"Because I don't want you to mistake comfort for obligation," he said quietly. "I don't want you to stay because I make you feel safe. I want you to stay only if you choose it."
He looked at her again, pain etched so deeply it frightened her.
"Everything I've done has been sincere," he said. "I swear that, and I would rather suffer alone than see you hurt because of me."
The words landed heavy. Final.
And she didn't understand them.
But she felt the fear behind them, bone deep, soul deep, the kind that came from knowing something terrible and refusing to share it.
"I understand, Elarion," she said at last.
He smiled at her response.
But his eyes told a different story.
Something was wrong.
And whatever he was protecting her from, it was tearing him apart.
Elarion straightened, trying to regain composure. "I must attend a meeting. Kael will accompany you on a shopping trip."
Kael appeared instantly like a shadow with perfect posture. "Lady Pillyse," he greeted.
Pillyse whispered to Elarion, "Your right hand man scares me. He bows even when he breathes."
Kael coughed. "I heard that, my lady."
Pillyse just laughed a little as Kael guide her to the carriage to go to the market. Pillyse's eyes sparkled at every display. Dresses, pastries, hairpins, and books. But when she looks at Kael she suddenly feel shock.
Kael bought them all.
"Kael! Stop!" she yelped as he handed coins to yet another vendor. "I only looked at the ribbon!"
"The duke instructed me to purchase everything that catches your attention."
"Well my eyes catch a lot of things! They betray me!"
Kael responded expressionlessly, "That is unfortunate."
Pillyse groaned dramatically. "Is he trying to go bankrupt?"
"If he would then i would thank you for it," Kael replied.
She just took a deep breath and choose not to argue with for it will just waste her time if she does. She's enjoying herself with items that'snnew to her eyes. Everything's beautiful that makes her excited.
Then she saw it.
A beautiful antique mirror.
Gentle curves.
Silver filigree.
Moonlit brilliance.
She stepped closer… and her reflection flickered.
Her own face...
Then...She saw Denova.....Denova Ravenscroft
Her eyes swollen with tears.Her lips trembling.Her hands pressed against the glass.
"Let me go… please…"
Pillyse's heart slammed painfully inside her chest.
She staggered backward, gasping.
The world blurred.
Kael dropped the bags immediately.
"Lady Pillyse!"
She couldn't breathe.
She couldn't think.
Kael caught her before she collapsed.
His voice was steady but urgent.
"We're going to the doctor. Stay with me."
The doctor examined her carefully before smiling kindly.
" Just exhaustion" They said....but she knew better
"It is simply fatigue. Her mind must be overwhelmed. Rest will solve everything."
Pillyse nodded numbly. But she knew.
Hallucinations didn't look into your soul.
Kael cautiously whispered, "Should I inform the duke?"
"No!" she blurted, grabbing his sleeve."I—I need to understand this myself first."
Kael hesitated, then bowed. "As you wish."
But suddenly they heard a loud sound outside the door. The door burst open with a force that rattled the windows.
"PILLYSE!"
Elarion sprinted inside, eyes wide with terror.
He reached her and cupped her face with shaking hands.
"Are you hurt? Did you faint? Kael said—" He stopped, voice cracking.
"Gods, I was so afraid."
" You should call me Denova your grace" Elarion just nod faintly.
Pillyse's chest constricted. She had never seen him like this. She lifted her hand, gently wiping his tears.
"I'm okay," she whispered. "You don't have to worry this much…"
"But I will," he said fiercely, clutching her hand."Always."
The raw pain in his eyes made guilt twist inside her. This was because of her. Her body, her past, her memories, and her secrets.
She swallowed hard.
"Elarion… I'm fine. Truly. I just need rest."
He pulled her into an embrace so tender it nearly broke her.
She rested her forehead against his chest, listening to his trembling heart.
But deep inside, one truth echoed.
Something was wrong, something he feared, something she wasn't allowed to know.
And she would uncover it.
Even if the truth shattered her.