Chapter 9 – Part 2

“I should get some rest, too.”

Eliana turned off the light by the door and climbed into bed. She pulled the soft blanket up to her neck and closed her eyes.

However, despite lying there for a while, sleep didn’t come. She opened her eyes again, enveloped in complete darkness and overwhelming silence. Eliana found herself thinking of Mila.

“When I couldn’t sleep, Mila would sit by my side and tell me stories…”

Listening to her gentle voice always made Eliana fall asleep, as if by magic, but now Mila was far away.

Eliana tried to force herself to sleep, but it was futile, no matter how hard she tried.

“Calix must be asleep by now.”

Her thoughts naturally shifted to him. She recalled his figure walking toward his room after wishing her a good night.

His tall stature, solid build, and aura of strength suggested he could defeat anyone in a fight—yet he hadn’t always been like that.

In the absolute silence of her room, Eliana suddenly felt as though she could sense the lonely nights Calix must have endured as a child.

“He was probably left alone after his parents’ passing, forced to sleep by himself every night. How lonely and scared he must have been. I should’ve been there for him…”

Calix had never complained about his pain to Eliana or any other noble she knew. He had faced it all alone.

“Being left in this huge mansion yourself must’ve been an unimaginable loss.”

Eliana stretched her hand out from under the blanket. In the familiar darkness, she clasped her own hands together.

Healing often begins with warmth. If a different kind of warmth is felt, it means there is hope.

But even now, as she tightly clasped her hands, she felt nothing. She is no longer obsessed with her ability to manifest for recognition. However, if it emerged, she was determined to use it wisely.

“When will it ever happen? Will it even happen?”

Mumbling to herself, she closed her eyes again. But after tossing and turning for a long time, sleep still wouldn’t come.

“Sigh…”

In the end, Eliana sat up in bed. She wandered around the room, but it was no use.

“Maybe I should ask for a book to read.”

She remembered seeing a library near this room when they had toured the mansion earlier.

“Books should be placed in other areas, not just the library.”

Eliana picked up the lamp and opened the door.

“Huh?”

The maid, who should’ve been waiting outside, was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did she go? Maybe she went to the bathroom?”

Eliana looked around.

She caught sight of the far end of the corridor where Calix had walked earlier. The hallway was so long that the end seemed to fade into darkness. However, lamps spaced out along the way made it look like a manageable walk.

“Maybe I’ll walk to the end and back while waiting for the maid.”

Eliana decided that pacing the corridor might pass the time until the maid returned. She lifted the lamp a bit higher and began to explore the hallway.

Her footsteps echoed like she was the only one in the entire mansion. It felt as though she had to move even more quietly. The statues and artworks she had admired earlier in the day now had an eerie vibe in the night.

“This feels kind of scary…”

Eliana walked, her attention drawn to the statues, until—

“Come this way.”

A woman’s voice brushed past her ear, making Eliana stop in shock. She thought it might be Cosette and turned around, but no one was there.

“What was that?”

“Just walk forward.”

“…!”

The voice.

Whenever she heard voices, Eliana’s senses went on high alert. She had always wanted to listen to the voice that had saved her, but this was different.

“Who’s talking…?“

“This way.”

Despite hesitation, Eliana took a step as if guided by the voice. She had somehow reached the end of the corridor.

“Oh my…!”

Eliana jumped in surprise. A figure had appeared beside her. Someone wearing a white nightgown with blonde hair and blue eyes was herself.

A large mirror, much taller than Eliana’s, was fixed to the center of the wall. She had startled herself by her own reflection.

“Sigh…“ Eliana let out a breath, placing her hand on her chest.

“You scared me… What on earth…”

The mirror before her was enormous, so large it quickly reflected her entire figure with room to spare. What was odd was that her reflection wavered, like an image reflected on water.

‘What is this? Is it not just a normal mirror?’

The wavering slowly faded as Eliana stared at it, and her reflection became clear again. Between the strange voice and the odd mirror, she felt like she was being lured into something mysterious.

She glanced back down the hallway. The room she had left now felt impossibly far away.

‘I should just go back.’

As she resolved to return, she suddenly felt the presence of someone standing right behind her. Eliana froze on the spot.

‘There was no one here before… right?’

She thought about turning around to confirm who or what was behind her, but her body wouldn’t move. Her heart was still pounding from the shock of the mirror, leaving her paralyzed.

Eliana knew she had to make a choice.

‘Should I turn around or pretend I didn’t notice and return to my room?’

Summoning her courage, Eliana slowly turned. As she raised her lantern to illuminate the figure,

“Eliana.”

She heard her name called, and to her surprise, she dropped the lantern. It crashed to the floor, and the light went out. Darkness swallowed her surroundings.

‘That voice just now…’

Unlike the earlier one, this voice was familiar. She immediately knew who it belonged to. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a large hand gripped her wrist. The warmth of the skin against hers was unmistakable—it was the touch of Calix, a hand she had felt before when they danced.

Calix bent down to pick up the fallen lantern. However, the flame had already gone out, and no light returned.

“Why are you so jumpy? Were you up to something sneaky without telling me?“ His voice rang out in the darkness.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you that scared?”

In the pitch-black room, Eliana could only rely on him.

“Sigh…”

“Were you really that scared?”

Before she could explain that it wasn’t just him but also the voice and the strange mirror that had startled her, Calix interrupted.

“Come with me.”

He pulled her gently yet firmly by the hand, guiding her toward a nearby door. It felt as though she was being swept inside. Once they were in the room, the door shut behind them with a heavy thud, and Calix finally let go of her hand.

“Phew…”

Eliana pressed her hand to her chest again.

“You scared me, Calix.“

“I should be the one surprised. You’re supposed to be asleep.“

“Well…”

She looked up at him but then quickly averted her eyes. Calix wasn’t dressed like he had been during the day. He wore a white shirt that was loosely undone, revealing his muscular chest. Eliana had never seen a man’s body like this before.

“Wh-what are you doing?“ she stammered, flustered and unsure where to look.

“What?“

“Why are you… half-dressed?”

Calix chuckled softly, clearly amused by her reaction.

“Cover yourself, now.“

Eliana’s cheeks flushed red as she awkwardly muttered her request.

“Do you expect me to wear a uniform to bed?“ Calix replied with a smirk.

“No, that’s not what I meant…“

“This is my room. You should be the one covering your eyes.”

Realizing he had a point, Eliana finally looked up, meeting his teasing expression. There was a playful glint in his eyes, one she hadn’t seen from him before.

He wasn’t wrong—it was the middle of the night, and he had likely been preparing for bed when he found her.

‘And this is his mansion, after all.’

She had wandered the halls without his permission and felt a bit embarrassed. Eliana quickly covered her eyes with her hands.

“Fine! I’ll cover my eyes. Just… put something on. Anything.”

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