Capital City—Late afternoon, in front of the store
I had just come out of another store, wearing a new dress: delicate, refined, and without being too flashy. Just enough to make me feel alive...
The capital is huge, and it must be said that we haven't even seen a quarter of it; everything is incredible and colorful!
Although some structures are Victorian in style, others give the impression that they are trying to preserve a medieval look, yet they are forced to move forward.
Kael was waiting for me a short distance away, leaning against a stone pillar, arms crossed and confident. Still as dark as ever, still true to himself.
I was about to join him when I heard a voice behind me.
“Well, well. The blood beast is out... and he's window shopping with a whore?”
I froze.
Kael slowly turned his head.
A man was approaching. I'd say he was about thirty years old. Well-built, embroidered coat, silk scarf, small gold-rimmed glasses. The kind of nobleman who thinks he can get away with anything because he's never had to deal with anything more difficult than a dinner that's too salty.
He stepped forward fearlessly, a mocking smile on his lips, in one of the most exasperating ways:
“It was said that you only consorted with the bodies of your adversaries, Dravenwald. I am delighted to see that you have discovered the charms of women full of life.”
I frowned.
“And you, have you discovered the taste for suicide?” replied Kael.
A heavy silence fell, broken only by the breath of passersby.
The passersby had stopped. All of them. A wave of attention had just washed over us like a crushing weight.
Kael remained silent. But his gaze had grown darker. More fixed. He stared at the nobleman as one might stare at an insect about to be crushed.
“You don't remember me, do you?” the man said pompously. “My father was on the Council. You ‘convinced’ him to change his vote, in your own way.”
I saw Kael's fingers tense up, just a little.
The nobleman stepped forward again.
“But I'm not my father. I'm not afraid of you. And I refuse to let this charade continue. You, with a woman? Come on. You must have drugged her or threatened her.”
He gave me an icy stare.
“Do you know what you're getting yourself into, my dear? Do you want him to tell you how many heads he's impaled? Or how many villages he's burned to the ground?”
I stepped forward, breathless. Blood was pounding in my temples.
“He didn't do anything to me. And I'm here of my own free will.”
He laughed.
“Sure. Like all battered women, right? You should run away while you still have both legs.”
I stopped a few inches away from him.
I slowly raised my hand... and gave him the hardest slap of my life.
SLAP
A gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd.
“I'd rather have a demon as my bedmate than a coward who hides behind his father's title.”
His face turned red. He brought his hand to his cheek, incredulous.
“You... little...”
But before he could finish, Kael appeared between us. Like an icy tide, his shadow enveloped me. And in his eyes... it was no longer mere irritation. It was the promise of carnage.
“I let you speak,” he murmured. “A mistake on my part.”
The nobleman took a step back, but Kael took a step forward. The ground seemed to shake. The guards standing nearby pretended to intervene... but didn't dare.
"You will no longer pierce me like a beast obeying its masters. And even less like a memory.
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“You will fear me. Not like your father. Worse.”
Leather cracked under his grip.
Electric tension rumbled in the air.
“Go home. Before I lose sight of the business purpose of my presence here. And not to put on a show.”
The nobleman turned pale. Then he backed away, trampling on his dignity, fleeing under the mocking glances of the crowd.
But the damage was done. We were the center of attention.
And in their eyes... it was no longer just fear.
It was admiration. Confusion. Attraction.
The legend of the bloody beast had finally been transformed... well, almost.
And I... I was part of it.
Twilight
Silence reigned in the carriage that was taking us back to the Dravenwalds.
Kael sat across from me, his eyes lost in the darkness, his arms folded, and his legs slightly stretched out. He still had that confident attitude... but his gaze wasn't fixed on anything in particular. He was staring into space.
As for me, my heart was still racing. The adrenaline from the scene in town was still coursing through my veins.
SLAP.
The sound of my slap echoed in my head.
I did it. I hit an aristocrat. In public. To support Kael, even though he didn't really need it. But mainly because he was irritating me.
And him...
I looked up slightly. He was still wearing his shirt slightly unbuttoned, his leather coat draped over his shoulders. A few dark strands of hair fell across his forehead. And even in the dim light, you could see the dried bloodstain on his collar. A remnant from earlier? Or from another night? I didn't have the courage to ask.
I discreetly cleared my throat.
“Um... I... I'm sorry if I caused any trouble...”
Kael slowly turned his head in my direction. Silence. Then:
“You hit him.”
I blushed to my ears.
“He... he annoyed me!”
He smiled slightly. It was faint and fleeting but very real.
“He deserved it. You did the right thing.”
I felt a twinge in my stomach. A vague warmth.
Perhaps even... pride.
Later—Hallway of the residence
We had barely returned home when Kael slowly took off his coat. He hadn't said a word since we got out of the carriage. And I was anxious without understanding why.
“Would you like me to prepare something?” I offered to break the ice. “Tea? A bath? Or...”
“Come here.”
I blinked.
“Huh?”
He turned around. His gaze was serious but not cold. More... focused.
“I want to talk to you. Follow me.”
I obeyed without asking any questions. My heart was pounding in my chest.
He climbed the stairs silently and stopped in front of a door in the right-hand hallway. It was a room I had never noticed before. He went in, then motioned for me to follow him.
It was another library. Tall bookshelves, darkened windows, and an extinguished fireplace. The place smelled of dust, leather, and a faint trace of ash, all lit by candlelight.
He sat down in a worn armchair, then motioned for me to take a seat opposite him.
“You surprised a lot of people today,” he finally said. “Not just that fool. Me too.”
I remained motionless.
“I... I didn't mean to embarrass you... and besides, he deserved it.”
“You didn't.”
He clasped his hands, his elbows bent on his knees.
“I'm a lonely man, Lyssandra. Not by choice. By necessity. Every connection is a weakness. Every emotion is a risk. You should be aware by now that many people hate me.”
He slowly looked up at me.
“And you... You're becoming a risk; your life will be in danger!”
I was left speechless.
“This is not a threat. Nor is it a reproach,” he added. "Just an observation. You could still leave. There's nothing stopping you."
I bit my lip. I didn't know if I was hurt or touched.
I took a step forward.
“And what if I don't want to leave?”
He stared at me for a long time. Then, without saying a word, he stood up... and approached me. Gradually.
I backed away slightly until I felt the back of the chair behind me. Her shadow covered me again. Her scent, a mixture of leather, fire, and iron, overwhelmed me.
He leaned in gently until our faces were almost touching.
“Then,” he said in a low voice, “show me if you're willing to take on what that entails.”
My heart skipped a beat.
Show him? It's true that staying with him increases the risk to my life. But he's also the person best able to defend me.
“You don't want to die so young, do you?” He whispered, his gaze fixed on mine.
I felt my cheeks flush.
My hands were trembling slightly.
And my thoughts... were racing in all directions.
Before I could answer, he sat up, moved away, and said in a neutral voice:
“Rest. We'll need energy for the days ahead.”
And he left.
Leaving me alone in the shadows of that room... breathless, confused, but strangely alive.
