Free Web NovelChapter 45: The Broken Illusion
The morning after the Sterling’s were thrown out of the townhouse, the tension of war that had gripped the house for days finally vanished. Sunlight filled the sitting room, casting a warm, golden glow over the frost covered courtyard outside.
Standing by the window, Eveyr gazed at the grounds. His shoulders which used to be tense and ready to fight anyone were now relaxed. His magic that usually danced around him had become dormant.
He turned around and looked at Esme with happiness and satisfaction in his eyes. He had defeated her abusers, secured her financial power, and cornered Julian. He thought he had finally solved all her problems.
"The ravens have stopped circling, Esme," Eveyr said and walked to a small table, pouring tea in a cup. "Julian has retreated to the palace, and your father’s carriage was spotted leaving the capital before dawn."
Esme sat comfortably by the fireplace, wrapped in an expensive shawl. Eveyr walked to her and handed her the cup. Then, instead of hovering over her like a guard, he sat on the edge of the hearth, looking up at her softly.
"I told Commander George to reduce the guards in half," Eveyr said, resting his forearms on his knees. "The shadow guards are not needed in our bedroom anymore. And...I want to open the southern wing of the townhouse. It has a glass conservatory. I hope you would enjoy the sunlight there."
Esme’s heart fluttered unexpectedly.
"A conservatory sounds beautiful, Eveyr," Esme said, a genuine smile appearing on her lips.
Eveyr looked at her smile as though it were the greatest reward he had ever received. Then, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small velvet pouch.
"I almost forgot about this," he murmured.
Esme looked at the pouch curiously.
"What is it?"
Several heavy keys fell on the table and he emptied the pouch.
"These are the townhouse keys," Eveyr said. "Every room, vault, treasury, and archive."
"Eveyr..." she murmured, genuinely surprised.
"They were mine," he said as he gently pushed the keys towards her. "Now they’re yours too."
She stared at the keys in silence.
"You don’t have to ask permission to enter any part of this house anymore," he added. "If you dislike a room, renovate it. If you want new servants, hire them. If you wish to throw every piece of furniture into the river...’ll have better ones brought in before sunset."
Esme’s eyes moved from the keys to him.
"You’re giving me complete authority over your home?"
"Our home," Eveyr corrected her.
A faint smile touched her lips as she picked up one of the silver keys, turning it between her fingers.
"You trust me that much?"
"I trusted you with my life in that cave," he answered immediately. "A few keys seem insignificant after that."
Her smile widened as she put the keys back into the pouch and put the pouch in one of the drawers.
"I’ll try not to redecorate everything," she teased.
"I wouldn’t mind if you did. Whatever is mine is yours."
Before she could reply, a loud ringing sound pierced through Esme’s ears, shattering the happy moment.
System?? What’s happening?
The system’s interface flickered loudly in her vision. But this time there was bright yellow text, instead of the usual red one.
[CRITICAL SYSTEM WARNING: TARGET HAS ACHIEVED ’CONTENTMENT’]
[Agitation Level: 0%]
[Threat Level to Host: Zero]
[Penalty: Vitality Drain Initiated]
Esme gasped, her eyes widening in shock. Then she felt a sharp pain as if a huge blade had been driven into her left lung. She choked and, dropped her teacup. The cup shattered on the floor, spilling hot tea everywhere, yet Esme couldn’t even hear the crash.
She gripped the armrests of her chair tightly to keep herself steady. Under her left shoulder, the glowing blue scar burned like hot iron.
The smile immediately vanished from Eveyr’s face as he heard the teacup shatter. He looked like a scared and loving husband whose wife wasn’t well instead of a monster whose possession was in danger.
He rushed towards her and dropped to one knee beside her chair.
"Esme?" Eveyr muttered as he covered her cold hands with his warm ones, still gripping the armrests.
He looked at her pale face, and furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Esme, look at me. Are you hurt? What’s wrong?"
Esme looked at him, her vision blurring. The illusion of happiness shattered in an instant.
"I am fine," Esme replied, using all her energy to steady her breath despite the pain. "I just felt a sharp pain in my chest. It startled me. It’s just the exhaustion from dealing with my family. Don’t worry."
"Are you sure?" Eveyr asked, stroking her hand with his thumb. "Let me summon the physician."
"No! I don’t need a physician," Esme said, leaning back against the cushions to hide her shivering. "I just need to rest."
Eveyr wasn’t convinced, but remembering the curse she had told him about, he reluctantly agreed. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles softly.
"You will never have to deal with them again, I’ll make sure of that," Eveyr said. "I’m locking down this estate again. No one will be able to enter without my permission. And no one will bother you. You can rest."
As he spoke, the system interface appeared in her vision again.
[Agitation Level dropping. Target is at perfect peace]
[Vitality drained: -2%.]
[Warning: Host organ failure imminent if energy deficit is not corrected within 72 hours]
Resting will kill me! If he locked us inside this townhouse, away from the Empire’s politics, and stayed happy and satisfied...my heart would stop beating within three days.
She looked at Eveyr, fear and panic filled his face. He wanted to give her peace so she could rest but she...she couldn’t allow him to be at peace. To survive, she needed the monster version of him. She had to find a way to make Eveyr lose his mind again and she had to do it quickly.
