Chapter 2

“Emma…”

Elena looked up at Emma with teary eyes, visibly shaken by her parents’ chilling conversation. At this rate, her parents, Emma, everyone in this house, would surely perish in the fire. She couldn’t let that happen. No, she wouldn’t let that happen.

But unlike Elena, who was riddled with anxiety, Emma treated her worry like it was nothing.

“They’re just having a disagreement. It’s nothing serious.”

Emma bent down and scooped up Elena, whose face had gone pale. It seemed Emma believed Elena was frightened by a simple marital spat. But that wasn’t it.

The wound on Tyrtan’s arm, her parents’ sharp exchange… no matter how she looked at it, too many things were happening exactly as they had in that ‘nightmare’.

The fire could not be allowed to happen. But Elena didn’t know what caused it in the first place. All she remembered were screams echoing from outside her bedroom and smoke flooding into the room.

So how was she supposed to avoid the fire? The only idea that came to mind was… 

“I heard my brother is taking leave next month. I was thinking we could go on a picnic together…”

Elena racked her brain and finally came up with a plan. Tyrtan was returning home soon. If she asked her parents to go on a picnic with him, maybe they could all leave the mansion for the day?

“You could say that. If you go into the study, I’m sure they’ll stop arguing.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Yes. That could work.

As this thought solidified into conviction, Elena’s tense face eased slightly as she looked up at Emma. Just then, her parents’ voices rose again.

“Exactly. That’s why you sold off our son!”

“Sold him? How could you say that? It was his decision.”

“His decision? You forced him into it! You were always too hard on Tyrtan. That’s why he was desperate to escape and signed up so quickly!”

“He was born with talent. Thanks to my connections, he’s thriving now. What exactly did I do wrong?”

Elena hesitated in front of the study, unable to step inside as the argument turned even more volatile. Emma, sensing her trembling, held her tighter.

“Just one more month. That’s all we need. Everything’s ready, and with Tyrtan coming home… we can escape together…”

“But I’m still worried. It feels too reckless.”

“Floran…”

Oblivious to Elena and Emma standing outside, Floran broke down, burying her face in her hands. Aurin, flustered, gently placed a hand on her quivering shoulders and pulled her into an embrace.

This was the moment.

Taking advantage of the slightly softened mood, Emma quickly took Elena’s hand and led her toward the study. Elena’s eyes were red from holding back tears, but she quietly peeked her head into the room, guided by Emma’s touch.

“Elena? What brings you here?”

Aurin smiled when he saw her, a completely different expression from just moments ago. Seeing her father as his usual self, Elena glanced at Floran, who was discreetly wiping her eyes, then fidgeted with her fingers.

“It’s okay. Go ahead and speak.”

“Um… When my brother comes home next month, I thought maybe… we could go on a picnic…”

The tense atmosphere made it hard to breathe. Still, Elena fidgeted and looked up at Aurin as she spoke. She silently prayed.

Please. Please let Father agree.

‘Only with that can our family survive…’

Thump, thump…

Her heart pounded wildly. Holding her breath, Elena waited for his answer.

“Really? Shall we? How about that stream we meant to visit last time?”

Yes!

Tears welled up again but this time, from relief as Elena saw Aurin agree so easily. Her blue eyes sparkled with joy at his kind reply. All doubt vanished.

From this moment on, the future would change.

If the fire was going to bring death, they just had to be out of the mansion when it happened.

“Okay!”

Elena threw her arms around her father’s neck and gave his cheek a light kiss. Aurin smiled and nodded at the affectionate gesture.

* * *

One month later, the day finally arrived Tyrtan was scheduled to return home on leave.

Would Elena’s plan really work? Her heart beat a little faster from nervousness, but she looked relatively at ease as she helped Floran prepare food for the outing.

While Elena spent time in the kitchen chatting with the head chef, in the study, Aurin had gone pale at the butler’s report.

“Master, His Grace the Grand Duke has set off.”

“What?”

“This news came in just now. He left on his own. In his dragon form, no less.”

The Grand Duke of Valra, Van Nizena.

Though he normally appeared human, he was, in truth, a dragon. In urgent situations that required speed, he would take to the skies in his true form. And now, he was flying back north from the capital in his dragon form.

“D**n it. No… no, it can’t be. He didn’t find out, did he?”

“There’s no way. Didn’t the Marquis promise to keep everything secret?”

“Yes, he did. But him coming back so suddenly, it makes no sense.”

Aurin muttered, his face twisted in panic.

Van Nizena was also the Lord of Anhal, the northern city where House Vened resided. As the sole Grand Duke of Valra, he was charged with defending the monster-ridden North. Still, he had only left for the capital, Serheim, with a pile of documents yesterday.

The task that was to begin based on the documents Aurin had handed over to Van was nowhere near something that could be completed in just a day. In other words, there was a mountain of work waiting for him in the capital. And yet, he was already on his way back to Anhal?

This wasn’t in Aurin’s plans. If things continued like this, everything would unravel.

“No other news?”

“None, sir. But I advise you to act quickly…”

The butler’s despairing tone left Aurin fumbling with the quill in his hand.

He had arranged everything with Marquis Masen Chariot for their escape. But they were supposed to leave tomorrow. Elena had insisted they delay a day for the picnic.

If only they’d left today instead.

“Do you know why the Grand Duke is coming?”

“No, sir.”

“D**n it! And Tyrtan’s supposed to arrive soon too… What is going on? Don’t tell me… he knows?”

“Master?”

“There’s no choice. I’ll leave first. When Tyrtan arrives, go south with him.”

Overcome with dread, Aurin rushed out of the study and ran out of the mansion. 

If his worst fears were true, they needed to get out immediately. As long as he wasn’t here, Floran and Elena might still be safe.

“Master!”

Ignoring the butler calling after him, Aurin reached the front gates, only to come face-to-face with a man already standing there, blocking his path.

Hair as dark as night, like the essence of shadows distilled. Crimson eyes, slit like a predator’s, unique only to those born of dragon blood. With a mocking curl of his lips, the man spoke.

“Baron Vened. Going somewhere in such a hurry?”

The Grand Duke of the North, Van Nizena.

The moment Aurin saw him, his face filled with panic. Van, however, looked amused, like he had just discovered something entertaining. His tone was no different.

“You look like you’re trying to run.”

“N-No, that’s not it…”

And in that instant, Aurin realized.

He knew everything. There was no escaping him. All Aurin could do now was surrender.

In the end, he led Van into the mansion.

“Your Grace… this way, please.”

Van replied lightly to the submissive tone.

“Of course. We have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”

Though his eyes were smiling, Aurin saw the seething fury beneath them, and with a devastated expression, led him to the drawing room. The butler, pale as a ghost, tried to follow, but Aurin subtly waved him off behind Van’s back.

“Master…”

The butler, who knew exactly what Aurin had planned and attempted, covered his forehead with one hand.

Your Grace the Grand Duke, I beg you, please, for the sake of the bond you’ve long shared with my Master, spare his life.

With trembling eyes, he watched the two disappear down the hall and, for the first time in a long while, silently prayed.

* * *

While Aurin dismissed the servants and entered the drawing room alone with Van… 

“I think this will do. No, wait. This one’s better.”

Unaware of what was happening outside, Elena was in her bedroom, picking out an outfit for the outing.

What should she wear?

There wasn’t even a hint of danger. Not a single sign of fire. Everything seemed perfect, and she hummed cheerfully to herself.

Until… 

“Fire! There’s a fire in the drawing room!”

What…?

Elena froze, her hand still reaching for a blue skirt.

“…Fire?”

A fire… now?

Her breath caught. With a face drained of color, she scrambled to recall her nightmare.

She didn’t remember the exact time, but the fire had happened late in the afternoon. Around the time Emma came in to help her get ready for bed. That’s when it started.

But it wasn’t even noon yet. So why was there suddenly a fire in the drawing room?