Elena woke up early the next morning, the remnants of last night still clinging to her skin like a second layer. The fire of his touch, the taste of him, the feeling of the heat in his mouth against her skin, it was all still there, seared into her memory.
And yet, when she opened her eyes, the emptiness of her room made her wonder if it had been nothing but a feverish dream. Did that really happen? She wondered
Determined to find Lorenzo, to confirm what had transpired between them, she quickly freshened up and left her room. Her feet carried her through the halls with a purpose, her heart hammering with anticipation but Lorenzo was nowhere to be found. She checked his study, his bedroom which was shown to her by a passing maid but he wasn't there.
Feeling frustrated already, Elena frowned, stopping one of the maids along the way. "Have you seen the young master?"
The young woman lowered her eyes, shaking her head quickly before scurrying away as if afraid to say the wrong thing.
Elena's frown deepened and not wanting to waste time, she headed straight for the one person who would have answers to her question, Nana. Unfortunately for Elena when she asked, the elderly woman simply sighed, shaking her head. "I have no idea where he is, dear."
At first she felt a little frustrated when looking for him when she was eager to ask him about last night event and what he thought of it but his absence didn't really bother her. Lorenzo was always unpredictable, perhaps he had some business to tend to.
But as the hours stretched into days, Elena's little frustration from before clawed at her insides like a raging monster that's both starved and deprived. The house was unbearably quiet without him, not that the house wasn't silent with him there but she had gotten used to his brooding presence with the little time they had together.
Elena found herself wandering through the vast estate, the silence pressing in on her like an invisible force, almost suffocating her. There was nothing for her to do, nothing to occupy her mind except the ever-growing thoughts of him.
She couldn't help thinking, trying to guess why he had left her hanging that way yesterday and disappeared immediately for so many days, wondering if all this disappearance was due to his regret. Elena couldn't help thinking out loud, "Was he disgusted by what happened that night?"
She hated the way her chest tightened at the thought, the feeling of being choked overwhelmed at that thought making her run her hand over her slender neck. The way she felt restless and lonely just by his disappearance was maddening.
Even though when Lorenzo had been around, he had never been warm or welcoming. But his presence, just his mere existence had been something to keep her on her toes. The unpredictability of his moods, the sharpness of his gaze, the tension that always crackled between them… it had given her something to focus on.
And now, with him gone, she felt adrift. She felt like a bird locked in a cage too large to understand its own confinement. After days of waiting, of wondering, she finally asked Nana again.
And again, the older woman avoided her gaze, mumbling something about Lorenzo handling important matters that needs him to focus as it involves the underworld. Although, Elena knew that was a lie, judging from how Nana's hands kept twitching and her gaze unfocused, she nodded her as she accepted this explanation, her fist clenched by her sides. She now knew Lorenzo was avoiding seeing her, perhaps now disgusted by her presence.
And then, one afternoon, while wandering the halls in a restless daze, she overheard the maids discussing someone and it seems the topic of their discussion is someone of great importance, judging by the way they were whispering while looking around.
At first, she thought it couldn't be that important but some lousy gossip of the house staff about the rich or idols, nothing worth her attention.
But then she heard a name that seems familiar and resonates with her.
"…Madame Esmé de Brume—"
Elena stilled, she hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but the name alone sent a strange chill through her spine. She instantly pressed herself against the wall, staying just out of sight as she listened as the first maid with a slightly shrill voice began to talk.
"....it's been years, but even in death, she still...."
"Shh! Are you crazy? If anyone hears you talking about her—" the second maid voice cautioned.
"Relax, no one's around. I'm just saying… after all these years, it still feels like she's haunting this place. I swear, I can feel her presence sometimes. And the young master… you've seen how he is whenever she's mentioned. He never talks about her. Almost like she never existed."
"Because for him, she might as well have never existed," the other maid whispered.
Elena felt her breath catch in her throat as she wondered who Esmé de Brume was and why she felt both familiar and chills at the mention of this name.
The way this person was talked about was as if they were talking about a ghost. And worse—
A ghost Lorenzo wanted to forget.
Elena was so absorbed in their conversation and her thoughts, so focused on every word, that she didn't notice the approaching footsteps behind her.
It wasn't until a light touch landed on her shoulder that she jumped, a startled gasp escaping her lips. She whirled around, heart hammering in her chest. And before her stood a maid, her expression unreadable but her lips curved into a small, polite smile.
"Nana sent me to find you, Miss Elena," she said gently.
Elena let out a shaky breath, pressing a hand to her chest. "You scared me…"
The maid's smile didn't waver. If she had noticed Elena's obvious eavesdropping, she didn't show it. And for that, Elena was grateful. She forced a sheepish smile, brushing off her embarrassment. "Right. Lead the way, please."
As they walked, silence stretched between them but it doesn't bother Elena who was lost in her thoughts. Her mind kept circling back to what she had just heard, to the name that now echoed inside her skull.
Esmé de Brume.
A woman who had long been dead yet still held an unspoken weight over this house.
Who was she? What had happened to her?
All these questions burned inside Elena's mind like embers, refusing to be extinguished. And by the time they reached the garden, she barely noticed the maid stopping until she gestured toward the entrance.
"Nana is waiting inside."
Elena turned to thank her, but as she did, something caught her attention. The maid's face was slightly flushed, her eyes darting away the moment Elena looked at her.
Was she... blushing? Elena wondered frowning, confusion flickering across her features. She wondered if she had said something embarrassing or if it was something entirely.
She had no time to ask as her mind was on earlier matter and the moment she stepped into the garden, her focus shifted entirely.
She needed answers and Nana was the only one who could give them to her.