"Oh, dear," Azalea murmured, patting Leia’s head with a gentle hand. "Don’t carry the burden of your father’s mistakes. They aren’t yours to bear."
Leia sniffled, then leaned forward, wrapping her arms tightly around the old woman. "Grandma, I want to feel free... but I can’t help the hurt. It just weighs on ." Pulling back, she quickly wiped her tears away with the backs of her palms, embarrassed to let them linger. "I didn’t an to upset you too, Grandma. Would you like so almond walnut cake? I was thinking of baking one."
Azalea’s wrinkled lips curved into a soft smile. "Why not? If baking makes your heart lighter, then you should do it."
Just then, Kieran strode into the living room, his brows knit. "Leia, you left in such a hurry, you didn’t even wait for . Are you alright?" he asked, his tone carrying more concern than his words admitted.
"I’m fine," Leia assured him, forcing a small smile. "I’m going to bake a cake. You should stay here with Grandma," she added, already rising to her feet.
Azalea’s sharp eyes caught the way Kieran’s gaze lingered on Leia as she walked away. A knowing smile tugged at her lips.
"I’ll watch so television for a while," she said lightly. "Kieran, why don’t you go help Leia? You ought to learn a few things from her in the kitchen."
"Grandma, he’s already a better cook than the other two," Leia interjected before Kieran could answer. "Stay with her. I’ll manage on my own." With that, she slipped into the kitchen, leaving them behind.
Kieran sighed softly and lowered himself onto the couch beside Azalea. For a mont, the room was filled with nothing but the low hum of the television. Then Azalea spoke again, this ti her tone more serious.
"Leia is carrying the weight of her father’s sins. Why did you three even let her see Delia? Witches can’t be trusted. And why hasn’t Lucien punished her yet? How long does he intend to keep her alive?"
"That’s for Lucien to decide, Grandma," Kieran replied, his voice calm but firm. "And Leia asked for it. She wanted to face Delia herself, so she could uncover the truth about the hunters’ leader."
"I see. But don’t let her get dragged too deep into this," Azalea advised, her voice tinged with concern.
"We aren’t," Kieran assured her. "But sohow, her destiny keeps pulling her back into it." He leaned forward slightly, studying the older woman with quiet worry. "Grandma, don’t trouble yourself about what’s happening right now. Tell instead, have you been feeling more tired lately? Last night, you went to bed earlier than usual."
Azalea sighed softly, folding her hands in her lap. "Perhaps it’s the night dicine the physician prescribed. It seems to lengthen my sleep." She paused, her eyes turning thoughtful. "Don’t concern yourself with my health, Kieran. My ti in this world is limited, and when it worsens... there will be nothing anyone can do."
Kieran’s heart ached at her words. "Don’t say that, Grandma. I want you to live much longer," he murmured, his hands clasping tightly in his lap. No matter how harsh or stern Azalea’s words often sounded, she was still the anchor of his world.
Azalea said nothing in return, her expression firm, her gaze steady as if carved from stone.
With a quiet sigh, Kieran picked up the remote and switched on the LCD television for her. "I’ll go and help Leia," he said softly, rising to his feet.
The scent of vanilla and roasted nuts greeted him as he stepped into the kitchen. Leia stood at the counter, whisking the batter in a glass bowl with a focused haze.
"I told you to stay with Grandma," she remarked without looking at him, though her eyes briefly lifted to et his before darting back to her work.
"She’s watching TV," Kieran said as he walked up to Leia’s side. His voice dropped slightly. "What did you talk about with Delia?"
"Nothing much." Leia lowered her gaze to the bowl, her whisk moving slower. "She’s still angry about what my father did to her mother. She told I wouldn’t be safe, that many would keep coming after ... and then she claid she could protect . But—" Leia set the bowl down and finally lifted her eyes to his. "I didn’t trust her. I couldn’t."
"You did the right thing," Kieran said firmly, stepping closer until he stood near her side.
Leia humd softly, her expression troubled. "Still... my father should be punished for what he did to others, if he’s alive, as Lucien believes." Her voice grew quieter with the last words.
Turning away, she crossed to the cabinet, opening it to take out two containers. One was filled with almonds, the other with walnuts.
"So... you don’t believe your father is alive?" Kieran asked as he gently took the containers from her hands. "I’ll help you with this."
"How can I believe it?" Leia muttered, reaching for the chef’s knife. She began chopping the walnuts and almonds. "When was he ever around? He chose to leave and Mom instead of keeping us together. And even in that, he failed. Sohow, I still ended up caught between the wolves."
Kieran watched her silently, wondering if a part of her still resented living among them.
As if reading his thoughts, Leia shook her head. "I don’t hate it here anymore. But my mother and I could never live freely among our own kind. Maybe... maybe she wouldn’t have struggled so much if things had been different. Still, if people had known we were connected to my father, life could’ve been even harder for us." Her gaze grew distant, thoughtful, as though she were staring past the kitchen walls.
"You’re right. We don’t know what was in the mind of your father," Kieran said. "Hopefully, you get the answers soon. Let chop them. You can prepare the cream for it." He took the knife from her and started chopping on the board.
"Thanks," Leia said with a smile and took out another bowl.
~~~~~
"Eshira, did you truly think I would never discover the truth about your leader?" Ronan’s low chuckle echoed against the cold stone walls of the dungeon.
Eshira writhed against the iron chains biting into her wrists, her breath ragged but her glare remaining sharp.
"Don’t toy with . No one, not even you, can uncover who he really is."
"Aaron Rudwig," Ronan said slowly, savoring each syllable as he watched the flicker of panic flash in her eyes. "Soon, he will rot in one of these very cells." He leaned closer, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "Why don’t you make it easier for both of us, and tell how to reach him? Perhaps then I might consider granting you freedom."
His smirk hardened. "Cling to your stubbornness, Eshira, and it will give you nothing but bitter disappointnt."
"It won’t be easy to reach Aaron," Eshira spat, voice raw. "Do you imagine North Calimore beca a hunters’ stronghold overnight? Aaron Rudwig isn’t a fool. He’ll find , and when he does, he’ll end all of you. You won’t get anything from . Whatever I had to tell you, I already told Lucien."
Ronan watched her, the truth settling like ice in his gut. Delia had not lied, Aaron Rudwig was the hunters’ leader.
When Eshira’s shouting rose again, Ronan only inclined his head and stepped back to leave.
"Where are you going?" she demanded.
"To catch Aaron Rudwig," Ronan answered coldly, then turned and walked out of sight.
As the dungeon door clanged shut, Eshira’s furious screams echoed off the stone walls, demanding freedom that would never co. Ronan ignored the sound as he stepped into the torchlit corridor, pulling out his phone.
"Draven," he said curtly when the call connected. "et at the mansion this evening. We need to talk."
Without waiting for a response, he ended the call and strode out into the daylight, his mind already set on his next move.
The drive back felt longer than usual, the weight of Aaron Rudwig’s na pressing heavily on his thoughts. When Ronan finally stepped inside the house, the air was filled with laughter and the sweet scent of sothing freshly baked.
In the living room, he found Leia, Kieran, and Azalea gathered around the table, each with a slice of cake.
"Ronan!" Leia’s face brightened as she waved him over. "Co quickly and sit. I baked this myself. By the way, did Lucien not co with you?" Her eyes flickered past him, as though expecting the other man to appear.
"No," Ronan replied as he crossed to her side.
Leia picked up a small forkful of cake and offered it to him. He leaned in, letting her feed him the bite.
He chewed slowly, letting the sweetness lt across his tongue. "Mmm. It’s delicious," he murmured. Reaching for another bite himself, he added with a faint smirk, "Better than anything I’ve had in weeks."
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