Vol. 1 - Ch. 24
“She said not to appear before her again. Never again.”
Edmund put down the note he was holding. Beside it lay a letter, worn from having been read countless times. The handwriting on both the note and the letter was identical. It was undoubtedly Daphne’s.
A wave of nausea welled up inside him, as if something was tightening around him. This indescribable sensation left Edmund feeling uneasy.
I despise you. I’m sick of this place.
‘Not to appear in front of her, ever again?’
Edmund recalled both the note’s message and the words the maid had delivered. He then opened a drawer and pulled out a letter that he had never once unfolded. The real letter. As he stared at it, a strange thought crossed his mind.
‘Why have I been hesitant to look at this?’ Lately, Edmund often found himself in this kind of frustration. Living by predetermined rules and routines, he disliked grappling with questions that had no clear answers.
Fzzzt.
The cigar lit up, smoldering, sending wisps of smoke into the air. By the time the cigar had nearly burned out, Edmund finally reached for the letter. Despite the smoke clouding his vision, he didn’t blink once. His gaze remained fixed on one spot.
A blank letter. Nothing was written on it. No trace of erased words, no sign of hesitation. It was just a blank, white piece of paper, filling Edmund’s field of view.
‘Why did she leave this letter?’
His mind felt just as blank as the white letter in front of him. His eyes naturally drifted toward the side of the table, where the portrait of Daphne was placed.
‘What exactly was she trying to say?’
Edmund suddenly stood up from his chair.
— — —
Alec raised his head to the sky. The snowfall throughout the day had stopped in the evening, but by dawn, thick clouds had gathered again.
‘Looks like there will be another blizzard soon.’ Alec thought, narrowing his eyes. ‘Since it is just His Excellency and me, we’ll arrive quickly, but the return trip will likely take longer.
Fully prepared, Alec moved quietly to report to Damian. However, something passed by him even faster.
“?”
Blinking in surprise, he saw Edmund mounting a horse.
“Alec, follow me immediately.”