Ramiro fixed his piercing gaze on Elena, his voice cold. "I would have killed you on the spot," he said. "But you protected Luzia... so I will spare your life."
Elena's breath hitched, but she quickly lowered her head, bowing deeply. "Thank you, my lord," she said, her voice trembling.
"But if I find out that you ever so much as think of betraying us," Ramiro's golden eyes darkened, his voice carrying a quiet, lethal edge, "I will ensure your death is slow and without mercy."
Elena remained bowed, her expression unreadable beneath the sleek black mask. "Understood, my lord," she said smoothly. Her tone was steady, but there was a subtle weight behind her words. "I promise I will not bring harm to the estate or your family."
Ramiro studied her carefully, his eyes narrowing as if searching for any hint of deceit. The room was deathly silent for a while.
Finally, he spoke, his tone clipped. "Good."
"Dad, I want her to be my personal maid," Luzia said, stepping forward hesitantly.
"Do as you wish," Ramiro replied with a cold expression, his gaze not softening in the slightest.
Luzia glanced between her father and Elena, her brow furrowing. Was he still angry? she thought, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"Dad, about—" Luzia started, but Ramiro cut her off, turning away. "Get some rest. I will be leaving for the Magic Tower tomorrow, and your tutor will arrive in my absence."
"But, Dad, wait! I—" Luzia called out, her words desperate, but Ramiro didn't stop. Without another word, he strode out of the room, the door shutting behind him with a resolute thud.
Luzia's fists clenched at her sides as she stared at the closed door. 'What the heck is wrong with him? I thought he said we would continue our discussion.' she thought angrily. She spun on her heel and rushed out of the room, her heart racing.
Her footsteps echoed in the hallway, but when she looked around, it was completely empty. There was no sign of Ramiro.
Why did he suddenly leave? she thought, a knot forming in her chest. Frustration bubbled up, but it was tangled with something else—an ache she couldn't quite name.
Elena watched Luzia closely, her voice gentle as she spoke. "My lady… are you okay?"
Luzia, her head hanging low, remained silent for a moment, the stillness stretching between them. Finally, she let out a soft sigh and said, "I'm alright. You may leave."
Though her words were steady, there was a hollowness to them that Elena couldn't ignore.
"Yes, my lady," Elena replied, bowing slightly before leaving the room.
As the door clicked shut, Luzia pursed her lips, her thoughts swirling. Why do I feel sad all of a sudden? she wondered, pressing a hand to her chest. It's not like I did anything wrong… I just wanted to survive.
The ache in her heart refused to fade, and with a groan, she buried her face in her hands before running her fingers through her hair in frustration. "I should just sleep," she muttered to herself, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
Luzia approached her bed, climbed in, and laid down, pulling the covers up to her chin. Let's get some rest, she thought as her eyes grew heavy. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.
---
The glow of the crystal illuminated the study.
"Who is there?" a cloaked figure asked, his voice sharp as he turned.
Is this the continuation of the vision I had before? Luzia wondered, her heart pounding. But this time, she could see the figure's face clearly.
It was Ivan.
His eyes widened as he quickly hid the glowing crystal in his hand. "Lady Luzia, what are you doing here?"
Luzia? Wait… so this wasn't a vision after all... but a memory. But where did this memory come from? she thought, her confusion mounting.
"I should be asking you the same," the Luzia in the memory replied, her tone suspicious.
"I was just inspecting the place. The Duke asked me to," Ivan said smoothly, his posture calm.
"What about the crystal in your hand?" she pressed.
"A crystal? What crystal?" Ivan asked, showing both hands, now empty.
The Luzia in the memory froze in shock, unsure of what to believe.
"You should get some rest, my lady," Ivan said casually before walking away, his demeanor as calm as ever.
The scene blurred and shifted.
---
Luzia was following Ramiro, her voice desperate. "But, Father, Sir Stephan didn't harm me! It was Sir Ivan… he tried to kill—"
Ramiro turned sharply, his golden eyes hard. "There was proof Sir Stephan tried to end your life, Luzia."
Luzia's eyes widened. "But I'm sure! Sir Ivan was the one—"
"Sir Stephan will be executed for laying a finger on you," Ramiro said firmly, cutting her off.
"No, Dad, please don't! Sir Stephan did nothing of the sort—he's being framed!"
But Ramiro didn't listen, his back already turned as he walked away, his expression unreadable.
---
The scene shifted again.
At the dining table, Ramiro sat in silence, his eyes focused on his plate. Across from him, Luzia in the memory stared at him, her heart heavy.
After he killed Stephan… Father has become cold, she thought. He refuses to speak to me like he used to. Was it because I defended Stephan?
Her chest tightened as the thought deepened. If this continues… Father might not talk to me again.
---
The air around her felt heavier, and she saw herself older, kneeling on the ground. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.
"How I wish, Father… how I wish we were happy like we used to be before that incident. I want to see you again. I wish to be with you again. Father… please come back!"
---
Luzia jolted awake, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. She looked around, disoriented, and realized it was still dark.
"Those were memories… not visions," she murmured, clutching her chest. "And they felt so real, like I've lived them before." She swallowed hard, her thoughts racing.
Now I know the information from the novel was vague. Ivan tried to kill Luzia because she caught him stealing the Ignis, she realized, the pieces falling into place.
"The author left out crucial details. Too many." she muttered bitterly.
But the last memory stuck with her the most, its weight pressing down on her like a boulder. Did Ramiro abandon Luzia? No… there's no way. She said they used to be happy. Or… did he disappear? Or… did he die?
Her chest tightened at the unanswered questions, her unease growing as the faint light of the moon spilled into the room.
'For some reason, I feel like I shouldn't let Ramiro leave tomorrow without making sure he's calmed down...' she thought, sinking back into the bed.
---
The next day, at dawn, the parlor buzzed with low conversation. Ramiro stood by the window, his usual stoic expression in place as Esteban, Beatriz, and Aurelio exchanged quiet words near him.
"Are you really leaving without saying goodbye to Lady Luzia?" Beatriz asked, her tone a mix of concern and disappointment.
Ramiro's jaw tightened. "Even if I did, she wouldn't consider me her father. It's better to give her space."
"By acting like this?" Beatriz shot back, crossing her arms. "My lord, Lady Luzia is still young. No matter what she does, you need to show her that you care. Otherwise, she'll feel completely alone."
Ramiro's eyes widened slightly at her words, guilt flashing across his face before he quickly masked it. He glanced away, his thoughts heavy. She's right… but would Luzia even let me care for her?
Before he could respond, the sharp sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the staircase.
"Dad!" Luzia's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
Ramiro froze, his head snapping toward the sound. Luzia appeared at the bottom of the staircase, her hair tousled, her nightgown slightly askew, and her piercing gaze locked on him.
"You're seriously trying to sneak off without saying goodbye?" she demanded, storming into the room. "Do I look like someone you can just avoid, Dad?"
"Luzia, you should—" Ramiro began, his tone firm but faltering.
"Don't you 'Luzia, you should' me!" she cut him off, hands firmly planted on her hips. "This isn't 'giving me space,' it's running away. And if you're going to be a coward, at least own up to it."
Beatriz bit her lip, suppressing a grin, while Esteban shuffled uncomfortably. Aurelio turned away, coughing into his fist, though his shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Ramiro's face darkened, his pride clearly stung. "I am not running away," he said, his voice low and defensive.
"Really? Because it sure looks like it," Luzia snapped. She stepped closer, her expression softening slightly. "You said we'd continue our discussion... is this what you call continuing?"
Ramiro blinked, her words landing heavier than he expected. He exhaled sharply, his shoulders relaxing just a fraction. "You're right," he admitted quietly. "I've been wrong. I'm sorry."
Luzia's posture softened as well, though she refused to meet his eyes. "I'm the one who should be apologizing," she murmured, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I should have told you everything from the start. I'm sorry I acted on my own."
A sudden sniffle broke the moment, and Luzia glanced up, only to find Ramiro's eyes brimming with tears.
At the sight, her expression flattened into one of pure exasperation. 'At this point, I'm not even surprised. I expected it,' she thought, utterly unimpressed.
Ramiro crouched to her height and pulled her into a firm hug. "There's no need to apologize," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I had no right to be angry over something like that."
Luzia hesitated before awkwardly patting his back. "I made you worry about me. I should be the one saying sorry," she mumbled as he pulled away slightly.
"No…" Ramiro began, only for Luzia to press her hand against his lips.
"Stop talking," she said bluntly, her tone dry. "I don't plan on dragging this out. We were both wrong. Let's call it even and move on."
Ramiro blinked, then gave a soft chuckle, wiping his tears. "Alright, Luzia. Even."
"Good," Luzia said with a sharp nod.
Beatriz leaned toward Aurelio, whispering, "She's sharper than the lord most of the time."
Aurelio smirked, his voice low. "Most of the time?"
"I'm just glad they worked things out," Esteban interjected, his tone relieved. The other two exchanged knowing smiles and nodded in agreement.