The mansion felt different that night.
Not quiet.
Watching.
Aeris stepped inside.
And for the first time—
she didn't feel safe here.
"…You're late, Young Miss."
The voice was calm.
Familiar.
Unshaken.
She stopped.
"…Eron."
Eron Kade.
The man who raised her.
Protected her.
Kept her hidden.
And maybe—
kept her blind.
"…You knew," she said quietly.
A pause.
Then—
"Yes."
No denial.
No hesitation.
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
"…For six years?"
"Longer."
That—
broke something.
Not loudly.
But deeply.
"…Why?"
A breath.
Slow.
Measured.
Then—
"Because keeping you alive mattered more than telling you the truth."
Her fists tightened.
"…That wasn't your choice to make."
A step closer.
For the first time—
his tone shifted.
Not soft.
Sharp.
"It was the only one I had."
Silence.
And suddenly—
Aeris understood something terrifying.
Eron Kade wasn't just a butler.
He was a survivor.