For two weeks, Austin and Alina pretended everything was normal. Every morning, Austin sat four chairs away from Lord Ashby in the great hall and forced himself to eat, smiling at him.

"You seem well rested these days, Your Grace," Lord Ashby said one morning while buttering his bread. "Work seems to be less these days."

"The work is the same as ever, Lord Ashby," he replied calmly. "I’ve just learned to carry it better."

Ashby smiled in response.

"Still, it’s good to see you looking so relaxed. Your father would have been proud."

Austin’s hand tightened around his knife under the table. But his face remained calm.

"Thank you."

Alina, sitting beside Austin, watched the entire exchange. After his conversation with Austin, Ashby returned to his conversation with a young lord beside him, asking him about his mother’s health. She noticed how everyone became relaxed talking to him. He had the talent for charming people.

But she also noticed how he kept looking at everyone, noticing who was speaking to whom. How his friendly questions always extracted information from others without them realizing it.

On the same afternoon, when Alina was walking through the castle corridor, Ashby suddenly appeared beside her.

"Alina," he said warmly. "I miss you in the library these days. Why haven’t you been coming?"

Because you’re there!

"I’ve been busy with the sewing circle women," she answered. "We are discussing what to do next."

"Ahh! Yes! The circle," he smiled. "You’ve given those women a real purpose. I’m so proud of you."

"Thank you, Lord Ashby."

They walked together for a few steps. Then he spoke again.

"Did you find anything about M. Voss?" he asked.

Alina didn’t react but she understood what he was actually trying to ask.

"No," she replied. "Austin told me to leave it alone. And he I think he is right. We’ve already gone through so much together. I don’t think it will be wise to step into another problem when everything is finally normal around us."

"I agree," Ashby nodded. "Some questions only bring pain. There’s no reason to reopen old wounds."

"That’s what I thought too."

"I’m glad you’re letting it go," he reached out and gently patted her arm, like a father.

Then he smiled and walked away. Alina waited until he disappeared and went straight to Austin.

"Ashby asked about Voss," she told him "He wanted to know if I am still trying to find Voss." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Austin wasn’t surprised. It was expected.

"He wants to know about our next move," Austin replied.

"It’s so exhausting," Alina said, sitting in front of him. "He pretended to be kind like always but all I could think about was that he is the reason I was sold. He burned Cecily. And he does it without feeling any shame or guilt."

Austin closed his eyes briefly as he replied.

"I know."

"How do you do it?" she asked. "How do you sit across from him every morning and pretend? I talked to him after a week and wanted to choke him."

"By reminding myself that every morning I don’t put a knife in his throat brings me closer to the morning I finally can."

Two weeks after the first letter, Maren entered Austin’s study carrying another sealed message.

"The network answered," she said.

Austin stood up immediately.

"What does it say?"

Instead of replying, she handed him the letter. The reply was short.

Stand down. Don’t engage with the girl. Don’t draw attention. They would handle it. And regarding the Ravenmoor fire, that matter was sanctioned. No further discussion.

Silence stretched in the room. Ashby was indeed involved with thr fire.

"It is not Ashby alone," Maren said. "The network approved the fire."

Austin put the letter down, his whole body shaking with rage.

"I want him right now," he shouted.

"Not yet."

"Maren, he..."

"Austin! Please try to understand. We don’t need one man. We need the whole network."

"You want me to sit across from the man who burned my sister and smile at him for weeks," he exploded.

"I just want you to be the duke your sister needs," Maren said. "Not just the brother who wants blood."

"She’s right," Alina said.

Austin looked at her as if she had betrayed him.

"If we punish Ashby, someone else will take his place. If we cut just one branch, the tree will grow back. So we should aim for the roots."

"Ahhhh!" Austin screamed in frustration because he knew they were right. But right now, he wanted to walk on the wrong path.

"Fine," he said at last. "But Alina, you need to stay away from him. No more library or corridor conversations. He doesn’t get to stand near you after what he did to my sister."

"Don’t worry. I can handle him," Alina said.

"I know you can." Austin’s voice cracked a little. "I’m just saying you shouldn’t have to. Not when I’m still breathing."

In the evening Alina went to Cecily. Cecily played piano while Alina sat on the sofa watching her, looking lost again.

"You and Austin have been acting strange for weeks. You both have been quieter. What happened?"

"Nothing," she tried to smile.

"That’s what you always say now."

But Alina didn’t answer and Cecily didn’t push further. Alina looked down at her hands for a few minutes before looking up at Cecily and speaking again.

"When the fire happened... do you remember anything from that night? Before it started?"

Cecily’s hand stopped at the piano.

"Why are you asking?

"Austin has been looking at the old files again. He wanted me to know if there’s anything you remember but have forgotten to share."

Cecily turned away from the piano, fully facing Alina now.

"I was reading in bed," she began. "It was late. I heard my door close. I thought it was the wind. Then...after a few seconds there was fire."

"Before the door closed did you hear anything else?"

Cecily thought for a second.

"Footsteps," she replied. "I thought it was a maid. Then..." She frowned. "Actually...there is as something else."

"What?"

"A smell. Something I couldn’t figure out."

"What kind of smell?"

Cecily closed her eyes before answering, trying to focus.

"Like old paper. Something sweet. Warm tea."

"Like a library?" Alina asked.

Cecily opened her eyes and looked at her.

"You know something," she said. "You and Austin found something, right?."

"I can’t tell you yet."

"Alina..."

"When we have all the evidence, I promise I’ll tell you everything."

Cecily was disappointed but she understood. She reached out and took her hands.

"Find them," she said. "Whoever did this to me, please find them. I want to come out."

"We will," Alina said, squeezed her hand.