Free Web NovelChapter 175: My Person
Only after they had left the abandoned residence behind did Caelith finally stop walking.
She pressed a trembling hand against the rough stone wall of a nearby building and lowered her head.
Her legs felt strangely weak beneath her as though the strength that had sustained her until now had suddenly seeped away, leaving nothing but exhaustion in its wake.
The world around her seemed distant, muted, and unreal.
Beside her, Erian remained silent. He knew better than to speak too soon.
The afternoon breeze slipped through the narrow alleyway, carrying with it the scent of dust and sun-warmed earth. It stirred loose strands of Caelith’s hair, brushing them across her pale face.
Time stretched between them.
Neither spoke.
At last, she broke the silence. "So I’m not part of the Grandien family?"
Her voice sounded faint, fragile enough to shatter.
Erian turned toward her.
"You are."
Caelith froze. Slowly, almost mechanically, she lifted her head to look at him.
"What?"
His expression remained calm and unwavering.
"Master Grandien was your uncle." His voice softened. "That makes you family."
For several seconds, she simply stared at him, then she shook her head.
"But he said..."
"They don’t know everything." Erian interrupted. "They only know your mother’s surname."
His eyes darkened slightly as old memories surfaced.
"They don’t know that your mother was Master Osvald’s younger sister."
The alley seemed to fall completely silent, even the wind appeared to have quieted down.
Caelith stared at him in disbelief.
"How do you know that?"
A brief silence followed. Then Erian answered quietly.
"Master Osvald told me himself."
The words struck like a blade. Something deep within her cracked.
Her vision blurred instantly. At once, her eyes blurred with unshed tears.
Memories surged forward without warning.
Osvald lying in a pool of blood, the crimson spreading beneath him. His face pale beneath the stains of red. His hand clutching hers with the last of his fading strength.
And those final words.
Live well.
Nothing more. Just two simple words. Words she had carried with her for months. Words she had repeated countless times.
Yet now, standing in the fading afternoon light, they seemed heavier than ever before.
Now they carried meanings she had never understood.
Regret. Protection. Love. Farewell.
Caelith closed her eyes. A tear slipped free, followed by another.
Neither of them spoke again.
The silence felt kinder than any comfort.
***
That night, when Rhaegar returned, he found her sitting beside the window.
The city beyond lay quiet beneath the darkness. Moonlight spilled through the latticework and painted silver patterns across the floor.
Caelith sat motionless within that pale glow, lost in thought. The faint tracks of dried tears still lingered upon her cheeks.
The moment Rhaegar saw her, he stopped. Concern immediately darkened his features.
"What happened?"
Caelith slowly lifted her head.
"Rhaegar."
His expression softened.
"Yes?"
"Someone came to see me today."
His eyes narrowed at once. "Who?"
She told him everything, and Rhaegar listened without interrupting, without speaking, without looking away.
At last, he stepped forward, drawing her into his embrace.
"Don’t be afraid."
The warmth of his arms surrounded her instantly, enveloping her in his invisible comfort.
Caelith buried her face against his chest. Beneath her ear, she could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat––strong and unhurried. A reassuring anchor amid the storm of emotions threatening to pull her apart.
"I’m not afraid." She lifted her gaze to look at him, yet uncertainty lingered in her eyes.
"I just keep wondering..." Her voice trembled. "Who am I, really?"
For a moment, Rhaegar simply looked at her, silent. Then he lowered his head and pressed a kiss against her forehead.
When he spoke, there was not the slightest hint of hesitation in his voice.
"What do you mean ’who are you?’?"
Caelith arched her brows. For a heartbeat, she forgot how to breathe.
Rhaegar met her gaze steadily, his golden eyes remained steady, revealing his unwavering devotion.
"You are my person. That is the only identity that matters to me."
There was nothing else that mattered to him. No titles. No bloodline. No family secrets. No hidden past.
None of it.
Not now. Not ever.
A sharp ache rose within her chest, yet it was not painful.
It was warm––overwhelmingly warm. The kind of warmth that spread through every fractured corner of her heart.
Her eyes stung once more. This time, however, the tears came from somewhere entirely different.
Caelith wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, as though anchoring herself to the one certainty that remained unchanged.
Outside, the moon hung high above the sleeping city. Its silver light washed over rooftops and quiet streets alike.
Yet within the room, the warmth between them outshone it all.
***
Felix, however, had no intention of allowing matters to end there.
The following morning, shortly after Firefly Pavilion opened its doors, a letter arrived.
The messenger was a ragged boy dressed in patched clothing. He darted inside, tossed the folded letter onto the counter, and fled before anyone could stop him.
By the time Yvaine hurried outside, the child had already disappeared into the tangled maze of alleyways.
Caelith picked up the letter, and a strange sense of foreboding settled over her before she even broke the seal.
Inside were only a few lines; the handwriting was bold and disciplined. Every stroke carried a sense of unwavering resolve, as though forged through years of hardship and bloodshed.
"Miss Caelith,
Our conduct yesterday was discourteous. However, there are still matters concerning Master Grandien that we wish to discuss with you.
Three days from now.
The same location.
We shall await your arrival."
The paper trembled slightly between her fingers.
She was not afraid, but she had no idea what it meant either.
Osvald’s face surfaced once more within her memories, and she flinched at the sorrow hidden behind his final gaze.
There were still countless questions left unanswered.
Erian emerged from the rear courtyard and stopped beside her. His eyes swept across the letter.
Almost immediately, his expression tensed.
"Don’t go."
Caelith widened her eyes at him.
Erian rarely offered his opinions unprompted, but when he did, there was always a reason.
"What do you think they want?"
He shook his head, while his gaze remained fixed upon the letter.
"I don’t know."
A brief pause followed. Then his expression hardened. "But those men are dangerous. I know it."
There was unusual gravity in his voice. The warning carried weight.
"I followed Master Osvald for twelve years. I knew many of his former subordinates."
His eyes narrowed at the thought.
"Master Felix was one of his most trusted lieutenants."
The memory clearly unsettled him. "His hands are stained with blood."
The words fell heavily. "He is not someone to underestimate."
Erian folded his arms. His gaze turned distant.
"A man who can disappear for twenty years and evade every pursuit is not an ordinary man."
Silence settled between them once more. Caelith carefully folded the letter and slipped it into her sleeve.
The simple motion caused Erian’s brows to knit together.
"You still intend to go?"
Caelith nodded, her eyes locked with his.
"Yes."
"Why?"
A faint shadow passed through her eyes.
"Because I want to know what they really want... after all this time."
Her voice was quiet, yet beneath it lay unmistakable determination.
Deep within her heart, she already knew the truth. Whatever answer awaited her there, it was connected to Osvald and to the secrets he had carried throughout his life.
Secrets he had ultimately taken with him to the grave.
Truths she could no longer ignore.
Truths that had already begun changing everything she thought she knew about herself.
