Esther ran down the opulent hallways of the Rubenhart Estate, her small feet thudding against the polished floors.
The estate staff watched her flight with bewildered and shocked expressions. Their confusion lingered only until Ulrich's figure appeared, strolling calmly behind her. In an instant, the servants ceased their gawking, bowing their heads and fearfully resuming their chores. A silent consensus passed among the workers: the Count had finally grown tired of harboring the witches' daughters and was moving to deal with them. Though they loathed the older girls, a few staff members could only offer silent prayers for little Esther, who seemed like nothing more than a sweet, innocent child caught in a dark web.
Unaware of their pity, Esther scrambled up the grand staircase. She knew that trying to flee the estate entirely would only expose her, and she refused to leave her sisters behind. Her plan was simple: she would hide somewhere secluded and wait until Ulrich gave up his search. Once the coast was clear, she would sneak back to the study, break those magical barriers, and free Airam and Hermione so they could all escape together. It was, admittedly, a terribly optimistic plan for a ten-year-old.
Reaching the upper floor, she darted into the library. It was a cavernous room lined with towering bookshelves that housed countless volumes spanning every conceivable topic. Ulrich was clearly a man of study.
Esther hurriedly scanned the room for a hide. Ducking behind the wooden shelves would be too obvious; he would find her in moments. Then, her gaze landed on a completely empty row on one of the lower shelves. Thankfully, her young, slender body was just small enough to squeeze into the tight gap.
Slipping backward into the dark recess, she pulled her knees to her chest and clamped both hands tightly over her mouth to muffle her breathing. Large, teary drops welled up in her wide blue eyes as she prayed Ulrich wouldn't search the shelves too closely.
She had been terrified of Ulrich since the very first day they met. How could she not be? He had stood at the very center of the brutal attack that decimated their village. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he had also tried to help them during the chaos, attempting to conceal them from the slaughter. Tragically, that effort had failed, and their beloved mother had died anyway.
In the aftermath, their lives had felt entirely bleak, seemingly over before they had truly begun. They were surrounded by enemies who harbored a deep loathing for witches. But in that darkest hour, Ulrich had stepped forward. He had defied the Royal Prince of Skargardia, stopping him from executing or capturing the girls, and officially claimed them under his protection by choosing to adopt them.
The sudden act of mercy had left Esther deeply confused. However, with their mother gone and the three of them thrust into a world brimming with danger, they hadn't had the luxury of overthinking it. Or rather, Esther simply couldn't process it at all. Her beloved mother was dead. The grief left her numb to everything else; she only cared about staying by her sisters' sides, blindly following whatever decisions they made.
Ulrich had offered a straightforward pact: he promised them safety, warm food, and protection, on the condition that they obeyed him.
Naturally, Esther's fear of the Count only multiplied after that day. She constantly wondered what a powerful nobleman could possibly want from three orphaned witches. Airam and Hermione were equally wary, their walls built high against him. True to his word, he did provide for them until he left without a trace, leaving them alone at the estate for over a long week.
In a twisted, almost shocking sense of irony, Esther had actually felt far more terrified living in the estate without Ulrich. The harsh maids and judgmental workers treated the girls like monsters the moment the Count's shadow was gone. When Ulrich was present, no one dared to whisper a single bad word about them. But during his absence, leaving their care to Fabian and Monika, the hostile glares had returned.
It hadn't been a total nightmare, but the anxiety was a heavy weight on her small shoulders. Though Airam and Hermione were too proud to ever admit it aloud, they had felt the exact same underlying panic without Ulrich around. He was the Count. His status was the only shield standing between them and a whole Kingdom's hate and wrath.
Without him, what would happen next? If the Prince or the witch-hunters returned to finish the job, there was no one left to defend them. They highly doubted any other noble possessed the power, or the audacity to step forward and pull off what Ulrich had done.
Initially, she had felt a brief wave of relief upon his return. But now, seeing how he had easily dealt with them, attempting to control and confine them fear crept back into her heart. From her trembling perspective, she could only wonder in dread what Ulrich was planning to do with her two elder sisters, currently trapped within their strange, red prison.
As those dark thoughts swirled in her mind, she heard the distinct sound of footsteps approaching. They were definitely his: calm and confident. He walked along the corridor, and for a fleeting second, she was certain he would simply pass by her hiding spot.
But then, the footsteps stopped entirely.
"I offered my protection, and I promised not to harm any of you as long as you obeyed me. I do not go back on my word," his voice echoed through the quiet hall. "I will hurt neither you nor your sisters, provided you submit to my rules. Now, tell me... have I hurt your sisters yet?" He asked.
Esther remained completely silent, pressing both hands tightly over her mouth to muffle her frightened breaths.
"If I truly wished to harm any of you, it would have been done already. I have no interest in such pointless cruelty," he continued. "Your sisters may not yet understand what I desire and expect from them, but I expect you to understand above the rest. Because unlike them, you actually listen."
His tone was as cold and emotionless as ever, yet the logic in his words easily reached Esther. Slowly, she lowered her trembling hands from her mouth, and her shivering began to subside.
Just a few feet away, Ulrich was leaning casually against a wooden table positioned directly in front of the shelf where Esther was cowering. He stared straight ahead. He could easily see the ruffled hem of her skirt peeking out from the shadows, yet he made no move to drag her out.
"I will release your sisters once they are done calming down and done with punishment. You may check on them if you wish; I will not interfere," Ulrich added.
Inwardly, he acknowledged that Airam and Hermione were quite a pain to deal with, each stubborn in her own unique way. He needed them to lower their defenses, and the most effective path to their compliance was through their beloved younger sister.
It was definitely a bit of manipulation, using a sweet, innocent girl as leverag —but he had no other viable choices. With their current behavior, both elder sisters would never survive the world of the nobility. This small confinement was only the beginning of their harsh lessons, but it needed to be done now. The sooner he won their submission, the better their future would be, and the most logical starting point was obviously the youngest.
So, he fed her the exact words she needed to hear: the promise of safety for her and her sisters once again. He lingered in silence for a brief moment, his piercing blood-red eyes staring thoughtfully at her clumsy hiding spot, before he finally straightened his posture and walked away.
When he reached the door at the end of the corridor, however, he paused. The faint, hesitant patter of light footsteps sounded behind him.
Turning slowly around, he saw Esther standing in the open, her small figure still trembling slightly in the dim light.
"Y—You truly won't hurt my big sisters...?" She asked.
"I will not, so long as they do not give me a reason to," Ulrich replied adding the last part seriously.
Hearing that, Esther gripped the fabric of her skirt tightly in her small hands. For the very first time, she looked up with seriousness, holding Ulrich's intimidating gaze for more than a mere second.
"I—I will tell my big sisters to listen to you!" She said.
A faint, almost invisible smile curled on Ulrich's lips at her compliance.
"Good."