The morning after the festival, I woke up with a strange sensation.
It wasn't fear, nor was it anxiety. It was something more faint—like the distant tolling of a bell that could only be heard if one remained perfectly still.
Anticipation.
I had given the Marquis one day to think. One day to decide whether he would surrender Harkon or face a war he could not win. Of course, it was a bluff. I had no army. I had no allies. I didn't even know who the person the Marquis feared actually was—the one he owed a debt of gratitude to.
But the Marquis didn't know that.
And as long as he remained in the dark, I held the power.
I rose from the bed. The Count's diary was still tucked under my pillow. I touched it briefly—confirming it was still there—then walked to the window. The sky this morning was overcast. Grey. It felt as if it were waiting for a rain that refused to fall.
Fitting.
I put on the same outfit as yesterday. The dark blue gown was still draped over the chair—I had been too exhausted to fold it last night. The fabric was wrinkled in places, but I had no other dress that was decent enough. Besides, today I didn't need to look elegant. Today, I needed to look... dangerous.
Or at least, make the Marquis think I was.
A knock came at the door.
"Come in."
Kael appeared. His face looked fresher than usual—perhaps he had finally managed to sleep after yesterday's tension. But his eyes were as sharp as ever. He already had his sword strapped to his hip.
"Gerald is here," he said without preamble. "He's waiting in the dining hall."
My heart skipped a beat, but I let none of it show.
"Alone?"
"This time, yes. Without guards."
Intriguing. The Marquis had sent Gerald alone. That could mean two things: he wanted to show good faith, or he wanted no witnesses for whatever was about to happen next.
"Tell him I'll be there shortly," I said. "And Kael—"
I paused, looking at him.
"You're coming with me. But do not say a word. No matter what you hear. Do you understand?"
Kael nodded. His expression was solemn. He had learned not to question me—at least, not to my face.
Gerald was standing by the dining hall window when we entered.
He didn't sit. It was a deliberate choice—standing gave him an air of control, allowing him to survey the room. But I noticed something else. His hands were shaking. Slightly. Almost imperceptibly. But enough for me to notice.
He was nervous.
Why would the Marquis's advisor, usually so arrogant, suddenly be nervous? Had the Marquis given him a message that even he felt uncomfortable delivering?
"Countess Varen." Gerald bowed. This time, it was deeper than before. Still not deep enough for a proper mark of respect, but better than yesterday. "The Marquis has sent me to deliver his answer."
I sat in the chair at the head of the table. The Count's chair. Kael stood behind me, just as he had yesterday.
"I'm listening."
Gerald swallowed hard. His eyes darted quickly—to me, to Kael, to the door, then back to me.
"The Marquis agrees to surrender Harkon."
I didn't react. I didn't smile. I didn't heave a sigh of relief. I simply stared at him, waiting.
There was always a "but."
"But..." Gerald continued, his voice trembling slightly, "the Marquis wishes for the Countess herself to come to Harkon's warehouse tonight. To... collect him."
Kael tensed behind me. I could feel his fury without needing to look.
"What?" Kael's voice was low and dangerous. "That is clearly—"
I raised a hand. Kael fell silent immediately.
Gerald looked at me with eyes that couldn't hide his anxiety. "The Marquis wants to ensure that the Countess... is serious about her offer. He wants a direct meeting. Only the Countess. Without guards."
"Just me."
"Yes, My Lady."
Silence.
I let it hang. I let Gerald sweat. He didn't know what I was thinking. He didn't know if I would be angry, afraid, or if I would simply laugh. And that ignorance—that uncertainty—was a weapon sharper than Kael's blade.
"Very well," I said finally.
Gerald blinked. "My Lady?"
"I said very well. I will come. Tonight. Alone."
"But—" Kael couldn't help himself this time.
I turned my head. One look. That was enough. He shut his mouth, though his eyes were still burning.
Gerald bowed again, deeper this time. "The Marquis will be waiting, My Lady. Tonight. At Harkon's warehouse."
He turned and walked out with quick strides—too quick for someone trying to appear calm. The door closed behind him.
And Kael exploded.
"Are you insane?! You're truly insane!" He paced around the table, stopping right in front of me. "It's a trap! A blatant trap! The Marquis will seize you—or worse—the moment you step into that warehouse alone!"
I looked at him, calm. "I know."
"You know?! If you know, then why did you agree?!"
"Because he thinks I'll be afraid." I stood up and met his gaze. "That is his weakness."
Kael went silent, his jaw tightening.
"The Marquis expects me to panic. He expects me to refuse, or to come with everyone I have as a precaution. He expects me to act like someone who is afraid." I walked past him toward the window. "But I will not give him that satisfaction."
"What is your plan?" Kael's voice was quieter now. Still angry, but he was trying to control it.
I stared at the cloudy sky outside. "He wants me to come alone. Fine. I will come alone. But that doesn't mean I don't have a plan."
"I won't let you go alone."
I turned to him. "You don't have a choice."
"I—"
"Kael." My voice was sharp. "I'm not asking for your permission. I'm telling you what is going to happen."
He stared at me for a long time. I could see the muscles in his jaw working as he ground his teeth. But he didn't argue.
"I don't like this," he said finally.
"Neither do I." I turned to face him fully. "But we have no choice. The Marquis has held control all this time because he thinks we are weak. He thinks we will submit. If I refuse now, he will know my bluff was empty. And at that moment... he will come with all his might."
Kael let out a long breath, his hands clenched at his sides.
"Then what will you do? Inside that warehouse? Alone?"
I paused for a moment, then smiled. A thin smile I had never seen in the mirror—cold and calculated.
"I'm going to make him think that surrendering Harkon was the best idea he ever had."
In the afternoon, I summoned Reno to my room.
He arrived with a curious expression, his white hair a bit disheveled—he had likely just returned from the village.
"You want me to do something?" he asked directly.
"I want you to watch Harkon's warehouse tonight. From a distance. Do not get caught."
Reno's eyebrows shot up. "Aren't you going there yourself?"
"Yes."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
Reno fell silent, then smirked. "You really are crazy."
"I've heard that a lot lately."
"What should I do if something happens? If they try to—"
"Do nothing." I looked at him sternly. "No matter what you see. No matter what you hear. You do not move. You only observe. Do you understand?"
Reno stared at me, his smirk vanishing. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
He nodded slowly. "Fine. I'll watch."
"And Reno." My voice caught him before he left. "If I don't return before dawn... you are to lead the family."
Reno's eyes widened. "What? Why me? Kael is the—"
"Kael is coming with me."
"You said you were going alone."
"I lied."
Reno was silent, then he let out a short laugh—more of a sigh. "You really are... alright. I understand."
He turned and left. But before the door closed, he stopped and looked back.
"You'll come back, right?"
I met his eyes. "I don't plan on dying tonight."
Night fell.
I stood before the mirror again. This time, I wasn't wearing a gown. I wore simple cloth trousers and a dark tunic—clothes that wouldn't hinder my movement. I tied my sea-blue hair back. The scar on my shoulder was covered.
If something happened tonight, I had to be able to move.
I took the short sword from the armory—the same one I had held a few days ago. The weight felt right in my hand. Familiar. Like a piece of myself that had been missing.
Kael was waiting for me at the back gate. He had prepared two horses.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked.
"No."
He smirked. "At least you're honest."
We rode through the night. Varen Village was dark and silent—the festival was over, and the residents had returned to their normal lives. Harkon's warehouse was located on the outskirts, near a small stream. A secluded enough place to hide something.
Or someone.
We stopped at the same small hill from a few nights ago. From here, I could see the warehouse. An oil lamp was burning inside, but there were no guards outside.
They wanted me to enter.
"I'll wait for you here," Kael said. "If anything happens—"
"You don't move," I looked at him. "Unless I scream."
Kael nodded, his face tense.
I dismounted and walked down the hill toward the warehouse. Every step felt heavy, but not out of fear. It was... anticipation.
The Marquis thought he was trapping me. He didn't know... he had just given me an opportunity.
I pushed the warehouse door open. The hinges groaned.
Inside, oil lamps lit the room with a dim yellow glow. Wooden crates were stacked in the corners. The smell of damp wood and something else filled the air—iron. Dried blood?
And in the center of the room, Marquis Vellon stood.
Alone.
Behind him, kneeling with his hands tied, was a fat man with a sweat-slicked face. Harkon.
"Countess Varen." The Marquis smiled. "Punctual as always."
I stepped inside. The door closed behind me.
"You came alone," the Marquis said, his eyes moving around me, assessing. "I admit... I'm impressed."
"I kept my word," I said, staring at him. "Now it's your turn."
The Marquis stared at me for a long time, then he let out a soft chuckle.
"You know... I almost believed you had a hidden card. But looking at you now—a seventeen-year-old girl with a borrowed sword—I realize..." He stepped closer. "...you were just bluffing."
I didn't move.
"You have nothing, Countess. No army. No allies. No Eternal Eye protecting you." He stopped right in front of me. "You are just a poor widow who got lucky with an inheritance."
Silence. Then, I smiled.
"You're right," I said softly. "I have no army. I have no allies. And the Eternal Eye... I don't even know who they are."
The Marquis's eyes narrowed.
"But you're wrong about one thing." I looked him straight in the eye. "I didn't get lucky."
I took a step forward. He flinched back—a reflex.
"I am not a lucky poor widow, Marquis. I am someone who has already died once. And I am not afraid to die again." I paused. "The question is... are you?"
The Marquis stared at me. For the first time, I saw something in his eyes he couldn't hide.
Doubt.
"I don't need an army to destroy you, Marquis." My voice was almost a whisper. "I only need one person. The person you fear. The person you owe. You think I don't know who he is?" I smiled. "I had a whole day. You think I didn't use it to find out?"
It was a lie. I had no idea who that person was. But the Marquis didn't need to know that.
His face paled.
"So... here is my offer." I stepped back. "You hand Harkon over to me tonight. And I will forget that seven-hundred-coin debt. I will even forget your threats. You can return to your territory, and we shall never meet again."
"And if I refuse?"
"If you refuse... I will make sure the person you fear knows everything you've done. Including the fact that you tried to seize a castle connected to the Eternal Eye."
A long silence followed.
The Marquis looked at me, then at the kneeling Harkon, then back to me.
"You truly are different from the Countess I heard of," he said quietly.
"I've died once. People tend to change after that."
He fell silent, then let out a long sigh. "Crazy woman."
"Take him," he said, gesturing to Harkon. "He's yours."
Harkon looked at the Marquis with terrified eyes. "M-Master...! You can't possibly—"
"Silence!" The Marquis looked at him coldly. "You are of no use to me anymore."
He turned and walked toward the back door of the warehouse. He paused for a moment.
"We will never meet again, Countess. That is my promise." He turned his head slightly. "But if you break your word... I will return. And this time, I won't send ravens."
The door opened, and the Marquis vanished into the night.
I stood there, alone with the kneeling Harkon. My heart was racing, and my hands were trembling.
But I didn't let it show.
I looked at Harkon. The fat man stared up at me with eyes full of terror.
"You worked for the Marquis," I said softly. "Now, you work for me."
"W-what... what do you want from me?"
I smiled. A smile I had never seen in the mirror.
"Everything."