Chapter 15: Lord Sapphire
It had only been a night since I got to this world, but... but I had to survive and wits every single second of it.
"Kai?" A voice, soft and sweet, called out. "Are you in there? Please, just tell me you’re alright. I was so worried. I... I just need to see you." It was Evelina. Her voice was thick with emotion.
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I slowly walked to the door and took another breath, trying to smooth the frantic edge from my expression, and slowly, deliberately, opened it.
Evelina stood there, her beautiful eyes wide and filled with unshed tears. Her blue hair was slightly disheveled, as if she had been running her hands through it in distress. The moment she saw me, her face was filled with overwhelming relief.
"Kai!" she cried. Before I could react, she lunged forward, throwing her arms around me, embracing me. Her head was against my shoulder, and I could feel the wetness of her tears soaking on it. "Oh, Kai, I was so worried! I thought... I thought something terrible had happened to you! I heard the commotion, and then they said you weren’t in your room, and I just... I just knew!"
Her hug was tight, and her grip was surprisingly strong. It was a genuine outpouring of relief and affection. She clung to me as if I were the only stable thing in her world, as if she might lose me if she let go.
"I’m alright, Evelina," I murmured. I gently patted her back, trying to convey a believable reassurance . "Just... startled. I heard the commotion too, and I... I went to investigate." It was a flimsy excuse, but she seemed too emotional to question it.
"Okay," She nodded, seemingly accepting my explanation. "Oh, Kai. It was dreadful. A... a body was found In the hallway. Father says it was assassin." her grip on my arms tightening. "I’m so glad you’re safe. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you." Her gaze held mine, a deep, almost unsettling concern in their depths.
We stood there for a moment. I continued to observe her, trying to make my own judgment. Was this genuine, overwhelming love for her adopted brother, or was it signs of something more complex, more dangerous? The diary’s words about her ’niceness’ being a potential tool still lingered in my mind, but her raw emotion felt incredibly real. I needed to know her, truly know her, beyond the words of a dead man.
"Come," she said softly, pulling me gently towards the bed. "Let’s have a talk."