Ember left with Lauren. She had taken Lauren's grip into hers and turned away from the Duke. Or, away from his life, as he had proposed.
Her steps were reluctant, though. And, when they got into Lauren's carriage that waited right outside the Duke's manor, Ember had almost skipped off and ran back into the arms of the Duke.
Even when they were miles away from the Duke's manor, Lauren wouldn't stop pestering her to rethink her decision. She had almost adhered to her advice, ordering for the carriage to seize riding at once.
However, she chose to take this step with her head, not her heart.
She loved the Duke. And if anything, events of these few days had assured her that she had fallen deeply in love with the Duke.
Regardless, she had a family. It would be irresponsible and selfish of her to abandon her family to run away with another man. After all, they were her family. And, the Duke hadn't raised her. They did.
So, she let the carriage crawl its way away from the Duke and out of his life.
Meanwhile, once she had stepped out of the Duke's manor, the Duke had whispered something in his heart as he glared deathly at the spot Ember disappeared from.
And, he had said, "I'd make sure I bring you back to me, Ember."
***
Lauren suggested they drop at her private home somewhere around Belmont's corner at first. The route that led to her house had the police bureau patrolling it, making sure no carriage crawls past it due to the recent strict curfew implemented.
And, when Ember had asked if that was necessary, Lauren pointed out that she needed to change from her night wears even.
Ember glanced down at the nightwear and nodded her agreement.
She had been in such a haste to leave the Duke that she had completely forgotten she was still in her nightwear.
Her haste wasn't out of excitement. She just wanted to leave to prevent a second thought.
"How was the funeral? Did you go?"
Ember suddenly asked, staring out through the carriage window.
"Yes. It was fun."
Ember threw an amused gaze at her friend.
"My funeral was fun?"
Lauren grinned.
"Yes. It was when I knew my friend wasn't dead."
Ember's smile instantly settled.
"The Duke told you that?"
"No, he didn't. Someone else did."
Ember frowned, turning her full attention to Lauren now. Did someone else know about her planned fake death?
"Who?" Ember's brow quirked in curiosity.
"I-He—"
Lauren cut herself, struggling to find her words, her lips parted slightly. This caused a deeper frown upon Ember's face.
"Wait. I actually don't recall."
"Lauren, are you pulling my legs?"
"No, wait! I actually can't recall who the person was."
Lauren announced, sitting back on the carriage cushion and trying to think.
"So, it's not the Duke?"
Lauren nodded, still gathering her thoughts.
"Are you sure it wasn't him?"
"Yes, but I know someone did. It was a man. He—he was furious. And, he—"
Ember suddenly grabbed Lauren's shoulders in a tight grip, forcing them to look at her.
"Listen, Lauren. I believe you might have met with the vampire."
When Lauren frowned, Ember instantly corrected herself, remembering that only she and her brothers had addressed him as a vampire.
"That is one of his tricks. He erases people's memory or compels them to forget it. He might have done the same to you."
Lauren's face went white in horror, and she immediately began to tremble.
"S-so, I've met the devil?"
"Yes. And, I'm almost certain it was because of me."
Ember quickly returned her gaze to the trembling figure of her friend. Quite frankly, she was as well trembling. She just didn't show it.
"Do you recall anything else? Something must have happened. He probably knew I wasn't dead."
"Wait! So, y-you mean to tell me that you've met with this man and he knows you well enough to give a fuck about whether you are dead or alive?"
Her voice was a bit composed this time but, one could still hear the slight crack in it. Ember nodded to her question, resting back in her seat. The carriage had burst onto a deserted road, heading to an old cottage at the conclusion of the road.
It was sort of an abandoned house that Lauren's mother once owned when she was alive. And, only Lauren and her mother knew about it.
"Right!" Laure suddenly exclaimed, forcing Ember out of her thought.
"It was disrupted. Someone had interfered when Lord Barrett was about to give a speech. He had a long coat, all black from head to toe. And, he had this dark aura that everyone had turned to gaze at him. And, when he walked up to me, they had thought he was my betrothed that everyone had diverted their attention far away from us."
Lauren took a pause.
"H-he did something to me. H-he did something to me before walking away. And, I screamed. Everyone screamed as well. Your brothers had this horror gaze as they watched what he had done to me. And..."
Ember blinked at her in anticipation.
"That's all I remember."
Ember's shoulders sagged in disappointment.
"I don't even recall his face. It's all blank."
"Do you think my brothers would? They saw him, right?"
Lauren stared back at Ember, her gaze sad.
"What?"
Ember frowned at her.
"Your brothers sent a letter this morning. They thanked me for adhering to their invitation to your funeral."
Ember batted her eyelashes in anticipation.
"Ember, according to them in the letter, the funeral was successful without any disruption."
This could only mean one thing, Ember thought: the vampire had erased her brother's memories as well.