"Humans are quite peculiar, aren't they?" Sebastian remarked to Lito, who was holding Cedric down on the ground.
"Should I eliminate him, my lord?" Lito asked, tightening his grip on Cedric. "No need for that, Lito. Just keep him restrained for now," Sebastian replied as he turned and walked towards Eliana.
"My lady, what happened here and why is this man following you?" Sebastian inquired with a curious tone in his voice. He had never felt such interest towards a woman before. Even in her tattered dress, she was the most breathtaking woman he had ever seen in his long life - with her long silver hair and beautiful red eyes. Her curvaceous figure and her chest slightly revealed by the torn fabric of her dress only added to her allure.
Sebastian's eyes remained locked on Eliana as she explained what had happened and how they had ended up there.
"Stepbrother, huh?" Sebastian commented, turning towards Cedric.
"What are you looking at? She's just a mere doll. I'll use her however I please," Cedric retorted, using Magister magic to summon a wind spirit and knock Lito off of him.
"Cute," Sebastian remarked with a smirk as he watched Cedric struggle to free himself.
"Hand her over to me and I'll let you live," Cedric threatened with a smug smile, thinking his use of Magister magic gave him the upper hand.
"How dare you address the lord in such a manner. I'll kill you!" Lito roared, his anger causing the ground to tremble. But before he could attack...
"Calm down," Sebastian commanded, his voice carrying authority. As soon as Lito heard his master's voice, all of his anger dissipated and he stepped back obediently.
"Now listen here, boy. Your magic won't work on me. Let's end this pointless fight and I'll take you home," Sebastian proposed, turning away to assist Eliana towards his carriage that was waiting around the corner.
"I don't want to go back to that mansion," Eliana pleaded with a sad tone. For the first time, Sebastian felt a strange feeling inside of him - concern for her well-being. "There's no need to worry, trust me."
Before Eliana could reply, Cedric interrupted with an angry shout. "How dare you ignore me! Here, take this-" But before he could finish casting a spell...
"Sleep." With one word from Sebastian, Cedric collapsed to the ground in a deep slumber. His voice carried such strength that it caused Cedric to instantly fall asleep.
"Take him to the carriage," Sebastian instructed Lito.
Eliana found herself being gently guided by Sebastian towards the waiting carriage, her heart pounding in her chest as she took in the sight of it.
The golden horses shook their manes and stamped their hooves impatiently, the sound echoing through the quiet village.
The villagers watched curiously as they passed by, whispering amongst themselves. They couldn't help but stare at the elegant carriage with its polished woodwork and gleaming windows.
As they approached, Eliana could even smell the sweet fragrance of freshly-baked bread wafting from the bakery nearby, mixing with the earthy scents of daily life here.
"How can I trust you?" she asked softly, looking up into his eyes that carried secrets she couldn't begin to fathom. "You're a Duke... you're not like me."
Sebastian smiled faintly, his silver eyes reflecting the sunlight filtering through the trees. "I may carry an air of mystery and power, but my past is not dissimilar from your own. Trust me when I say I understand what it's like to be trapped in a life not of your choosing." He opened the door for her and helped her inside before climbing in afterward.
The ride back to Willowbrook was uneventful, save for some occasional bumps on the dirt roads that sent them jostling about.
Eliana tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she thought about everything that had happened since fleeing from home.
She had never seen such magic before - Cedric's spells were powerful but crude compared to what Sebastian displayed so effortlessly.
The ride back was filled with questions about how he knew her stepfamily and why he offered aid against them; questions he simply wouldn't answer yet. Instead, he dipped into stories about his childhood in Ravenwood and their neighboring villages - tales of adventure and wonder that left her mouth agape at times. It was hard to imagine such a man could exist amidst their mundane lives back home.
As their carriage pulled up in front of the grand mansion, Lito announced, "We have arrived, my lord." The group's eyes were drawn to the luxurious carriage and its elegant design. As the doors opened, Eliana's stepfamily emerged from the mansion, their gazes fixed on the stunning carriage before them. Little did they know, the duke himself was sitting inside.
Sebastian gracefully stepped out of the carriage and offered a hand to help Eliana out. Lito sets Cedric gently on the ground, where he remains still in front of the mansion. Victoria sees her son lying there and hurries to his side, a mix of emotions rushing through her - worry for her child's well-being and fear of angering the enigmatic duke known for ruling with an iron fist.
"What happened here?" she demanded of the duke with a controlled yet stern voice, aware of his reputation.
"Next time, he won't be so lucky," Sebastian replied coldly. His tone had changed from charming to chilling as he looked down at Victoria, causing her to shrink back in fear.
"This will never happen again, I swear," Victoria pleaded softly. Even Eliana couldn't believe how scared her stepmother seemed in that moment. Without another word, Sebastian turned away and muttered, "Very well," before walking back towards his carriage.
Eliana watched him go with a mixture of confusion and gratitude. Though she didn't understand why he had gone through all this trouble for her, all she could do was thank him as he disappeared into the darkness of his carriage once again. The once kind man had transformed into a cold and calculated figure, leaving Eliana wondering what secrets he held behind his icy demeanor.
Sebastian's carriage disappeared from her sight, leaving Victoria and Eliana alone with Cedric's motionless body. "What are you standing there for? Help me get him inside," Victoria barked at Eliana, her eyes filled with a cold determination. But this time, Eliana didn't comply to her command. "I will not," she said, her voice trembling with fear and anger. "He tried to rape me and he touched me all over my body. He deserves to die." Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.
But before she could finish her sentence, Victoria stood up and slapped her across the face. "How dare you talk back to me," she spat, seething with rage. "Help me or go to your room and have no food for the coming week."
Eliana stood there, sobbing and reeling from the pain of the slap. Through blurry eyes, she saw her father standing in the doorway, watching silently as his daughter was abused.
"I will go to my room," she finally said through gritted teeth, unable to bear the sight of Cedric lying on the ground any longer. The only thought running through her mind was that she was trapped once again in this mansion, with no escape from the cruelty of her stepmother.