Chapter 31: Final preparation
>>Serena
As I stood in the guest room, awaiting her arrival, a knot of apprehension coiled in the pit of my stomach. It had been far too long since we had last seen each other, and I couldn't shake the sense of unease that lingered in the air.
Finally, the door creaked open, and Corvina's father ushered her inside, his expression a mask of concern as he glanced between us. I turned to face Corvina, my heart lurching at the sight before me.
"She looks thin because she's been very sick for the past two months." Count Cory chose to present me with a lie before I could utter anything. I turned to look at him in disbelief, "Enjoy your time here," And he wasted no time in leaving.
What the hell...
I turned to look at Corvina again. She stood before me, her figure shrouded in the dim light of the room, a mere shadow of the vibrant young woman I had once known. Her eyes were sunken and hollow, her cheeks gaunt and pale, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow at the sight of her emaciated form.
"Corvina," I whispered, my voice catching in my throat as I took in the extent of her suffering. "You look... different."
A bitter laugh escaped her lips, tinged with a hint of resignation. "Locked away in that cellar, with nothing but my thoughts for company," She murmured, her words heavy with the weight of her anguish. "It's no wonder I've changed." She looked so defeated that it made my heart drop.
As she spoke, I felt a surge of guilt wash over me. I should have done this sooner!
God!
I would have done it sooner if not all the business trips my mother kept taking me too.