In the midst of the heavy silence filling the hall, a deep and reassured smile spread across Len's face. There was a spark in his eyes that rivaled even the pressure of Astria's sharp inquiries. Still holding Eric's hand, Len took another step forward.
"I had wandered quite a bit further than intended while walking," Len said casually, his voice carrying the excitement of a new discovery rather than any sense of guilt.
Astria's gaze remained anchored to Len's face. She was meticulously reading his expressions. That fearless smile drifting across Len's features was somewhat unsettling for her, as the palace discipline rarely allowed for such unbothered calm.
Astria tightened her palms against the armrests of the sofa, and her voice grew a fraction more serious.
She tilted her neck slightly, and her sharp eyes came to rest upon Eric's steady face and those shimmering crimson eyes. After a heartbeat of silence, she asked directly:
"Len... who is this boy?"
Len gradually loosened his grip on Eric's hand and let it go entirely. That same reassured smile remained fixed upon his face. He began to pace toward Astria with steady steps, as if he were about to announce a grand achievement.
"I have made a friend," Len said, his voice a blend of excitement and pride. Gesturing toward the silent boy standing behind him, he added, "And his name is Eric."
Lines of bewilderment and hesitation surfaced on Astria's face. She repeated the name under her breath, as if searching for it in the corners of her memory, "Eric?"
However, the moment Astria's gaze collided once more with those shimmering crimson eyes, a sharp edge of suspicion entered her tone. Staring intently at Eric, she asked directly, "Eric... are you a vampire?"
A heavy silence draped itself across the hall. Instead of lowering his lashes or flinching, Eric anchored his gaze directly into Astria's eyes. Meeting her stare with a calm and steady voice, he replied:
"I do not know... and I do not think that I am a vampire."
Eric's lips parted to say something more, but Len cut in with his blossoming smile. He looked at Astria with immense excitement and said, "And... and he is going to stay right here now! He doesn't know anyone here, and that's why."
Astria anchored her deep, stern gaze upon Eric. Frown lines deepened on her brow. "Do you truly know no one here? Where do you live?" she questioned.
Irritation flickered clearly across Eric's face. He shrugged his shoulders and replied with a hint of annoyance, "I told you before...
I don't know anyone, nor do I know anything. Stop questioning me! I don't like this noise at all." Adding a touch of firmness to his voice, he continued, "And I am not going to live with anyone."
Upon hearing these words, the radiance on Len's face vanished as if behind a cloud. He quickly snatched Eric's hand into his small palms. There was an innocent plea in his voice, "But... you said we were friends? And friends help each other, don't they?"
Eric looked at Len with his crimson eyes. This time, his tone was a bit louder and sharper, "I don't need anyone's help!"
The spark in Len's eyes flickered out in an instant. His lips began to tremble, and that sweet smile disappeared. His face fell, and he spoke in a tearful voice, "You... you are getting angry at me again? You said you liked me..."
Tears began to swim in the corners of Len's eyes. Astria watched all of this in silence. She was bewildered to see Len—who was always so calm and grave—making such innocent faces and acting with such childish stubbornness before this stranger.
Seeing Len on the verge of crying, Eric's anger vanished into thin air. He took a long breath and muttered in defeat, "Fine... yes, I know. I said I liked you."
Hearing this, Len instantly wiped his tears and gripped Eric's hand once more. His golden eyes filled with that magical shimmer again. He chirped with pure innocence and joy:
"Then it's settled! You will live right here from now on."
Astria's gaze lingered upon the two boys, yet no protest escaped her lips. Her silence acted as a mute concession to Len's stubbornness. She turned her neck toward a nearby maid and delivered a brief command, "Prepare a room."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the maid bowed and hurried out of the hall.
Astria adjusted her heavy silken gown and, without looking back, ascended toward the grand staircase. The rhythmic thud of her steady footsteps soon faded into the corridors of the upper floor. Before long, the other attendants in the hall had also departed for their respective duties.
The hall was now empty. Len maintained his grip on Eric's hand and led him toward the plush velvet sofa. He gently guided Eric to sit. Eric offered no resistance; he merely watched Len's every movement like a silent observer.
Len then turned his gaze toward the standing guard. "Could you bring me the game I was playing this afternoon?" Len asked, his voice laced with an innocent plea.
"Yes, Master, I shall send someone at once," the guard replied and headed toward the inner corridors of the palace with heavy strides.
At a turn in the hallway, he encountered the same maid who had been playing with Len earlier that day. The guard stopped her and asked, "Do you know which game the Master was playing this afternoon? He is asking for it now."
"Yes, I know," the maid said with a smile. "I will bring it right away."
"Good. Take it directly to the hall. The Master is waiting there," the guard instructed.
The maid turned swiftly and vanished into the deep corridors of the palace. Meanwhile, on the massive velvet sofa in the hall, Len and Eric sat side by side. The dim light of the torches washed over their faces—one filled with golden hope, the other masked by the countless unspoken questions behind crimson eyes.
In a secluded room on the palace's upper floor, Astria sat heavily upon the edge of her massive bed. The dim light of the chamber emphasized the deep contemplation etched across her face. She let out a cold breath and whispered to herself, "Perhaps...
perhaps Len truly does need a friend." She closed her tired eyes and leaned against the headboard for a moment before suddenly letting go and falling backward onto the bed.
Down in the hall, the soft footsteps of the maid echoed. In her hands, she carried the same chessboard Len had been playing with earlier. With great care, she placed the wooden board and the pieces onto the table in front of Len and Eric.
"Shall I bring you anything else, Master?" the maid asked with a gentle bow.
A sweet smile blossomed on Len's lips. He looked toward Eric and then said to the maid, "Bring something for both of us to eat."
The maid bowed in respect and silently took her leave. The moment she departed, Len picked up the chessboard from the table and spread it neatly between himself and Eric on the sofa.
The clink of the chess pieces resonated through the quiet hall. As Len set the white queen in its place, he anchored his gaze onto Eric's crimson eyes.
"Do you know how to play this?" Len asked, his voice filled with curiosity.