Chapter 291 - Extrications
Scarlett looked down at the cat before her, locking eyes with its deep amethyst irises. The pupils reflected the dim light like polished glass.
“Hello, Empress,” she said at last.
The cat cocked her head to the side, gaze steady as she studied Scarlett, her tail flicking lazily behind her.
Scarlett’s brow furrowed. Did she not recognise her? If this was just another memory or a construct…then perhaps this Empress was not the Empress that she knew. But if that were the case, it seemed odd for the cat to appear here. The memories she had encountered so far were tied to items in some way, be it through the Emberling or the [Hartford Garnet Ring]. But what connection could there be now?
Unlike before, she hadn’t seen the glow that accompanied the [Crown of Flame’s Benediction] or the [Hartford Garnet Ring]. Was this a continuation of the last memory, then, or…?
Her gaze wandered, taking in the corridor around her. Its walls were cold stone, broken by tattered tapestries whose faded scenes were too indistinct to decipher. Dim lanterns hanging from a vaulted ceiling provided the only light, casting long shadows. There were no windows, but she was relatively certain she’d never set foot in this place before.
Why would this place appear now, after the Hartford mansion? Why at all? The questions piled up, pressing on her as she thought back to the young ‘Scarlett’ she had met. Was that truly the original, or merely a memory of her?
A shadow crossed Scarlett’s brow. That last scene, with the woman the younger Scarlett called ‘Mother’. Lara…
Scarlett had only ever seen her in portraits before. To meet her in person had been…unnerving. She had no idea the original’s mother had been that unstable. In fact, she hadn’t even known the woman was alive when Evelyne was born.
Was that what the younger Scarlett had grown up with? She could hardly imagine the impact that would have on a child — especially one of noble birth. Not that the girl she spoke with seemed particularly fragile…
A soft meow pulled Scarlett from her thoughts. Empress watched her for a beat longer, then turned and padded down the corridor. Scarlett’s eyes followed the cat for a few seconds, then she sighed. This wasn’t the time to get lost in musings about the original’s past. There were important questions there, yes, but those would have to wait. For now, she had to deal with the situation in front of her. And if there was one thing she knew about Empress, it was that the cat expected her to follow.
She began walking, scanning the hallways as they moved, trying to glean any clues about their location. Minutes passed in silence, with only the quiet rustling of her feet and the soft tap of the cat’s paws to accompany them. The hallways seemed to stretch on endlessly, each turn feeling identical to the last, blending together in a dizzying array of narrow passages and shadowed corners.