Chapter 5
Rambertaās strength never once falteredāyet he broke her resistance as easily as bending a reed, pulling her close in one swift motion.
The faint scent of leather. The mingled fragrance of wind and wood. They drew near all at once.
āā¦ā¦!ā
Ramberta tried to cry out, but her lips were pressed against his shoulderāher voice smothered before it could form.
Unable to speak, she struggled instead. In her flailing, the tip of her nose brushed against his bare skin.
His napeāuncovered by cloth.
Desperation made her reckless. As if that were her only chance for salvation, Ramberta tilted her head and bit into his neck with all the strength she could muster.
āā¦ā¦ā
Yet even at that defiant act, the man didnāt let out a single breath.
Perhaps her teeth hadnāt sunk deep enoughāhis flesh felt unyieldingly firmāor perhaps she lacked the ruthless resolve to tear his flesh away.
Whatever the reason, he ignored it entirely. Holding her tight, he reached out, tilting his body slightly.
Rambertaās frantic resistance burned through the last of her strength, and darkness began to press in before she could even decide to keep fighting.
āIf you bare your teethā¦ā
The manās voice slipped between breaths, a dry laugh threaded through it, as his rough hand slowly trailed down the back of her neck.
His palm was calloused, yet his touch grazed only the fine edges of her nerves, delicate as silk. Rambertaās body flinched despite herself.
āā¦you shouldāve had the resolve to bite.ā
Even closing her eyes did not save her from the darkness. When she opened them, hoping for a hint of moonlight, the only thing she could seeāmockinglyāwas him.
The faint light outlined his clothes and the hard curve of his neck.
The intruders crawling through the shadows beyond were hidden behind him. Shattering glass, someoneās cry, the crash of furnitureāall of it faded beneath the weight of his low whisper, which pressed against her ears like iron.
āAā¦ā
As she dumbly mouthed his voice, his fingers traced the corner of her lips, slowly.
She must have bitten hard; the dampness clung faintly to his fingertips as he brushed along her lips.
āWaitāwait, pleaseā¦.ā
Her stammer barely left her mouth before his thumb pressed inside.
āā¦ā¦!ā
Rambertaās eyes widened in shock, meeting his in silent protestābut he paid it no mind, his finger moving deeper, exploring.
Her tongue, pinned by surprise, stiffened helplesslyāmirroring the panic in her heart.
āYou canāt even bite now? Relax. I said it was a reward.ā
A rewardāhow could this possibly be called that?
Humiliation and anger tangled within her, yet the calm, commanding rhythm of his voice carried an undeniable weight. Against her will, her body obeyed.
Her tongue, once frozen, betrayed herācurling slowly around his touch.
When she averted her gaze in shame, he laughed quietly and withdrew his hand.
She twisted her body, trying to break free, but he caught her arm and pressed her down easily, his body covering hersāan unmovable weight.
āA candleās light canāt protect anything, Ramberta Coronis.ā
His voice was tranquilāso still it terrified her. His hand rose and rested at her throat.
āSo this is what itās about? You disgrace me, and now youāll kill me? ā¦Then make it quick.ā
Resignation dulled her voice. She shut her eyes.
His hand tightened around her neckāyet not enough to bring pain, nor even suffocation.
āIāll give you a deep sleep. Rest well, my lady.ā
Her breath slowed. The world turned black.
When Ramberta awoke, she jolted upright.
The air was thick with the sweetness of a sleep she hadnāt known in years.
Outside, the sky hung heavy and dark, the clouds swollen as if about to burst with rain. The light was so dim she couldnāt tell the time.
She turned her head. The candle on the nightstand had melted and toppled over. The chair that had stood by her bedside now sat neatly by the tea table, as if it had never moved.
āIf someoneās decided to play a cruel joke on me⦠Iād almost prefer that. Did I really dream something like that?ā
Her voice carried into the empty room.
There were no signs of intrusion. The faint scent of leather was gone. Even the windowāhalf open, half shutāgave no clue whether it had been touched by human hands or merely by the wind.
She sighed, scanning the room. If a maid walked in and saw her like this, rumors would spread that their lady had begun losing her mind.
Still, it seemed no one had entered. That meant it was probably still early morning.
Erwin had told her the day before that by afternoon, they would be meeting noble envoys arriving to ārepresentā their respective factions before her.
If the maids hadnāt yet come to wake her, she still had time to prepare.
After a momentās hesitation, Ramberta reached for the bell cord and gave it a small pull.
By afternoon, the rain came down in earnest.
Thunder rolled. Lightning flashed across the sky, turning the world outside as dark as night. Rain hammered the windows in an unending rhythmālike a long, somber symphony.
There were many reception rooms within Coronis Castle, but Erwin had chosen one on the east wing, ground floor.
The furniture there was faded, the colors dull with age. It hadnāt been used in years. Servants rushed in, dusting and sweeping the place in a hurry.
āItās fine,ā Erwin said, when Ramberta frowned. āIt helps that thereās nothing here worth stealing.ā
To her dismay, he even stopped a tall servant from removing cobwebs from the ceiling and knocked them down himself with the end of a broom.
But when one of the chairs wobbled under his hand, he barked for a replacement before turning back to her.
āShall I step out for a moment? Itād be terrible if my dress caught dust,ā Ramberta said, lifting the hem of her deep green gown as the servants scrubbed the floor.
āNo need. Today, let the dust fall where it may. Be a careless young lady who doesnāt notice such things.ā
āā¦Youāre sure youāre Erwin? I didnāt know you had a twin. Maybe I should checkājust in case youāre an impostor.ā
He gave a faint shrug. āWhat makes you think that, my lady?ā
āWell, youāre Erwin. When I was little, youād visit to teach my brother and me etiquette, right? Vanessa said youād inspect every corridor, every room, and drive everyone mad with how strict you were.ā
āThereās a time for everything,ā he said mildly. āBack then, the young master and you were learning. Observation teaches as much as instruction.ā
Around them, several older servants shot him sharp looksāmemories of his fastidiousness still fresh. But mostly, their eyes flicked toward Rambertaās face, which had frozen at the mention of her late brother.
Erwin, however, offered no comforting words.
Hastien had been dear to him, nearly like a son, yet Erwinās expression didnāt waver. Instead, he caught Rambertaās gaze and motioned subtly: straighten your face.
Donāt show weakness.
She understood. It was a bitter medicineābut necessary.
Drawing a deep breath, Ramberta steadied herself.
āā¦I see. And now?ā she asked softly.
Erwin took the new chair from a servant, setting it down himself. He adjusted it several times, aligning its angle with the table.
āNow, my lady,ā he said, āis not the time for manners or pride. Itās the time to survive. Especiallyā¦ā
He stopped.
From the hall came a booming, coarse voice that shattered the hush of rain.
āWhatās the harm in seeing that precious little face, eh? Out of the way!ā
Erwinās lips thinned.
āā¦Especially when dealing with those sorts of men.ā