Claire looked at the mansion that looked quiet but full of shadows. The Duchy that she once knew as a luxurious place, full of light, and life now felt different. A mixture of emotions raging inside of her, longing, sadness, anger, and some indescribable emotions stirred in her heart.
The magnificent architecture and neat gardens seemed to ward her off, telling her to stay away as she is no longer a noble.
There was an aura that turned the place dark. The stone walls that used to reflect light now looked dark and tense, and the air felt colder than usual.
Claire could feel the tension in every corner, as if the residence was holding a secret that was kept hidden by any means.
'This place looks tense...,' she thought.
They stopped behind a large tree that grew in the corner of the yard, hidden from the sight of the knights on guard. Claire got off her horse, and Ethan remained where he was, still sitting casually on the saddle, looking as if he was in no hurry.
"You're not coming?" Claire asked, looking at Ethan hopefully.
Ethan only smiled faintly, a smile that always seemed full of mystery.
"No. I'll stay here, watching. Who knows, those two knights might have immediately caught you later."
Claire frowned, slightly offended. "You're very sharp with your words," she protested.
Ethan chuckled lightly, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "I'll wait for you, don't worry." Claire sighed, then looked at Ethan with a look full of doubt.
"Why would you even help me this far? It's weird doing something that … has no benefit for yourself."
Ethan turned away, his smile widening, but there was no joy behind it.
"Maybe it's because you're a spoiled brat who should be able to live peacefully until the end of your life."
Ethan's words were more offensive than anything he had ever said before. However, this time Claire did not retaliate, there was no resentment or anger in her heart. She remained silent, accepting the reality of what Ethan had said.
Maybe, he was right.
"I'll come back and tell you everything later," Claire said softly.
She put on the hood of her robe that covered her white hair, hiding her identity from the gatekeepers. With the robe, Claire walked up to the two knights guarding the mansion's grand entrance.
The first knight, a blond man, stood straight with a sword at his waist, while next to him was a younger, black-haired knight who looked alert from the hooded stranger in front of him.
Claire could feel their suspicious gazes.
"I want to see the Duke," Claire said in a firm voice, though there was a hint of doubt in her heart.
The two knights looked at each other, seemingly surprised by Claire's request.
"Is there a letter?" the black-haired knight asked in a sharp tone, showing no respect whatsoever.
Claire was shocked by the knight's rudeness. There was no letter, no preparation. All of this was done in an emergency. She only hoped that her family would accept her back without any formalities.
"No," Claire answered quietly, biting her lower lip.
"Then you must make an appointment first. The Duke is not someone who can have an audience without prior appointment," the black-haired knight said again, his tone condescending.
Anger began to burn in Claire's chest. How could they treat her like this?
She pulled back her hood, revealing her dazzling white hair and sparkling red ruby eyes.
"I am his daughter! Take me to my father this instant!" Claire snapped, her voice booming.
The two knights were shocked, not expecting who they were facing. The black-haired knight immediately reached for his sword, preparing to attack, but the blond-haired knight; Arnold immediately stopped him firmly.
"Don't do that to the Lady," Arnold said, his eyes glaring at his companion.
"She is no longer a Lady," the black-haired knight hissed, "She is a traitor, a rebel."
Arnold paused for a moment, considering the situation. He knew that any action they took could have fatal consequences, either they would be punished or Claire would be punished.
Eventually, Arnold opened the gate, glancing at Claire warily.
"Come, Lady Claire. I will show you inside."
Claire just stared at Arnold for a moment, then stepped inside. Her mind was in turmoil, not knowing if this was a good or bad omen. But one thing was for sure, she would soon meet her family.
She lowered her head as Arnold led her through the courtyard of the Duke's residence. Each step she took felt heavier, as if the eerie atmosphere of this place was pressing down on her chest.
The servants passing by in the hallway stared at her with cold, hateful eyes, as if they wanted to catch the traitor by their own hand.
Claire felt like a stranger in her own home, her heart pounding, alienated from a place that used to give her a sense of security and comfort.
'Why does everyone act like they don't know me? They should've known the truth that I have always stayed in this mansion.' Claire thought, feeling anxious.
Her heart felt tighter, especially seeing Arnold, the knight who used to be so loyal and caring, one of the few people that would genuinely treat her well, now seemed indifferent.
They arrived in front of the Duke's office. The large wooden door was still the same as before. It felt tense, at the same time it felt arrogant and threatening.
Claire could feel her mind spinning, her chest felt sore. The door now seemed to be a gateway to a very scary uncertainty.
Arnold opened the door with a creak. Inside, the duke was sitting behind his desk, his face looking paler than before, a large portrait of a dignified-looking woman hanging on the wall behind him. The portrait added to the gloomy atmosphere that surrounded the room.
Claire swallowed. 'Father never forgot mother ...,' she thought. 'What would father be like if mother was still alive?'
Turning around to see the daring guest that visited him late at night, his face instantly turned colder and sour with a hint of anger and shock. The duke was so shocked he accidentally dropped the wine glass from his hand.
She hesitantly stepped in, but before she could open her mouth to speak, the Duke's loud voice broke the silence.
Clank!!!
The sound of glass breaking made Claire flinch. Her eyes widened when she saw the shards of glass scattered on the floor, and the Duke's cold gaze hit her like a knife.
"Seize her!"
The Duke shouted, his voice echoing throughout the room.
"Father!" Claire shouted, but before she could get close, the two knights at the door rushed at her, grabbing her arms roughly, locking her with their arms, not letting her resist.
Claire struggled, trying to free herself. "No! Father, I'm innocent!" Claire pleaded, but the Duke showed no mercy.
The Duke's gaze remained cold and unfeeling. He rubbed his head, as if he could no longer hear Claire's defense.
At that moment, rapid footsteps were heard approaching. Vincent appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide at the commotion.
"What's going on?" Vincent asked, his voice low but full of tension.
The Duke only glanced at his son before leaning back in his chair. Seeing the Duke's increasingly pale reaction, Vincent understood.
"Keep her in the dungeon," Vincent ordered.
Claire's eyes widened at Vincent's command. "Brother! No! I'm not a traitor!" She shouted in desperation.
However, Vincent's response shook Claire even more. Calmly, he showed the bloody red rose and the handkerchief that Claire had once given him.
"You've been proven guilty. The Crown Prince gave this to us as proof." The blood-stained red rose made Claire's stomach churn. She shook her head violently.
"But that's impossible! There are many people who like red roses, brother!"
Vincent remained calm, though there was a look of disappointment in his eyes. "It's not just about the flower. This letter was written in your handwriting, Claire," he said.
Vincent showed her a piece of paper that said, 'Tea Party Invitation.' The writing looked very similar to Claire's handwriting.
[To anyone who reads this letter, we will be gathering for our tea party at 5 o'clock Saturday as usual. Glory to the Lorvill Kingdom]
As she read the content of the paper, Claire's eyes widened, shocked.
'No! I never wrote such words!' she thought, feeling her body shiver violently.
The realization that they actually framed her that far stabbed Claire's heart like a dagger. She felt her head spin, and the cold gaze of the Duke who had always been distant from her now added to the wound.
However, Vincent only looked away, his voice tired and cold.
"The crown prince has seized all of the tea party members, they all have swore that you are the perpetrator, Claire."
Her dear cheerful brother was nowhere to be found, only a cold man left.
"N–no! You knew it yourself. I have never joined any tea party! You can ask them agai–"
"They have all been beheaded for treason, the same way you should've been dealt with." Vincent cut her off, for some reason, Claire couldn't see his face, is it anger? betrayal? anguish?
"You are no longer my family."
Vincent's words stabbed Claire's heart deeper than any sword. She fell silent, the voices inside her head screams of agony, blurring her vision even more.
Duke's cold face, Vincent's disappointed gaze, became clearer.
"Father!" Claire shouted, trying to reach Duke with her sad voice, but Duke refused, even his gaze was full of hatred. "Don't you believe me?"
Duke stared at her with a frozen gaze. "Don't you dare call me that!"
Claire widened her eyes even more, her body seemed to freeze in place. Duke's voice that had just rebuked her echoed in her head, but everything felt so far away, vague, like a nightmare that never ended.
Duke's face slowly became blurry as her vision began to blur with tears that she could no longer hold back. The roaring inside of her mind was like a raging storm, hitting her heart mercilessly.
"No—!" Claire shouted, her voice breaking, desperate.
She hoped for at least a glimmer of mercy from her father, a little understanding.
However, all she found was Duke's cold gaze, more piercing than any dagger. His face was hard, without the slightest hesitation.
"Take her to the dungeons quickly." The Duke's voice was cold, as if Claire was not his flesh and blood, but merely a burden to be removed.
Claire was shocked, her eyes searching for something—anyone who could save her. She turned to Vincent; her brother, the only hope left in the room.
In the darkness, Vincent stood still, watching her with a gaze that was as hateful as the Duke's, full of disappointment.
The dim light from the candle only showed his hollow shadow, as if he was a figure Claire no longer recognized.
"Brother…," Claire called hoarsely, almost desperately, hoping that Vincent would defend her.
'You are no longer my family.'
However, Vincent's words flashed through her mind again. Vincent only looked away, his face frowning as if holding back a deep sense of contempt.
That gaze pierced Claire more than anything, more than their father's orders, more than the treatment of the knights.
'Why… why won't you look at me? Do you hate me that much, dear brother?'
Claire's mind spun quickly, accompanied by a suffocating pain in her chest. All their memories, all the affection that she had thought was sincere, felt like it had just evaporated.
The memory of Vincent giving her a dagger in the kingdom's dungeon came back to haunt her mind. At that time, Claire was too blinded by affection to realize the hidden intention behind that action.
'I understand now.'
Claire swallowed hard, her voice stuck in her throat.
'The affection they gave me… it was never real. It was just a cold, useless pity. They never cared … everything was all fake.'
Claire continued to struggle, trying to free herself from the rough grip of the knights holding her, but their strength was too strong. Her hands ached, her body was forced to walk in a direction she didn't want to.
The tears that began to fall down her cheeks were not just from the physical pain, but from the realization that broke her heart.
'In reality, there is no place for me to return to. I am no longer part of this family… I was never part of it.'
Claire bit her lower lip hard, holding back the sobs that were growing more urgent.
Just as Claire was about to lose all hope, a sudden loud voice broke the silence.
Crash!!!
The large window in the Duke's study shattered into pieces, producing a thunderous sound accompanied by the cold night wind. Everyone in the room was shocked, including the knights holding Claire.
The wind blowing from outside made the candles flicker erratically, creating an increasingly tense atmosphere.
Claire caught a glimpse of a silhouette jumping in through the window—a nimble figure. Before she could process what was happening, the figure moved quickly.
His brown hair was his trademark, especially at night, the moonlight making it sparkle.
Ethan.
The man attacked with a speed that Claire's vision could not keep up with. His hand grabbed one knight, knocking him down with a well-placed blow to the neck.
The other knight tried to fight back, but Ethan was faster—he spun around, hitting his opponent with a powerful kick that sent the knight flying into the wall, knocking two out of three knights holding her.
Without hesitation, Ethan approached Claire, his eyes radiating calm amidst the chaos. In one swift movement, he pulled Claire from the last knight's grasp, releasing her from the suffocating grip.
Claire felt her body being lifted, Ethan hugged her tightly, protecting her from the attack.
"I knew this would happen, we have to go," Ethan said firmly, his tone low but urgent.
He didn't give Claire time to think. Quickly, he jumped towards the broken window, taking Claire with him.
Claire was shocked, her body felt like it was floating in the air as they fell from the second floor of the Duke's residence. However, Ethan had prepared for everything.
She can see Duke's shocked expression slowly turned into anger, a wrath she had never seen before.
Everything happened too fast for Claire's mind could process them, in the blink of an eye, they shot like an arrow straight forward, the wind seems to have helped them… helped Ethan. The wind from his magic blew the Duke's office, scattering every item as they shot into the sky, pushing Vincent out of the office.
Just as they were about to fall to the ground, everything around her seemed to slow down, her white hair no longer blown by the wind, only seemed to be caressed by it, she looked at Ethan with a surprise, time seemed to slow down a moment before they fell.
'Time magic?' She silently thought.
They landed neatly in the courtyard, away from the knights who were still confused inside the house. Claire gasped for breath, feeling her heart pounding. Her chest still felt tight from what she had just experienced.
"Ethan—" she whispered, barely audible over the noise of the night.
But Ethan didn't answer. He just grabbed Claire's hand, leading her away from the Duke's residence that now seemed more like a prison than the home she had ever known.
Claire looked back, seeing the large shadow of the residence growing further away. A mixture of feelings enveloped her—a sense of relief at being free, and a sense of profound loss.
Only now she truly understood that she had truly lost everything.