Morning arrived quietly in the Ethral manor, announced not by bells or servants but by pale sunlight slipping through sheer curtains. The light traced slow patterns across the white ceiling, soft and almost unreal, as if the night before had been a dream rather than something truly lived.
Euris woke first.
For a moment, he did not move. His breathing was steady and controlled—an old habit from a life long gone. The warmth beside him was unmistakable, and the faint scent of roses and expensive incense clung to the sheets. He stared upward, eyes half-lidded, his mind already awake and calculating.
So this is where I've landed, he thought calmly.
A noble's bed. A viscount's protection. And a cage made of silk.
Beside him, Viscount Ethral slept on her side, her back turned slightly toward him. In the morning light, she looked different—less like the seductive noblewoman who had commanded the night, and more like a tired woman carrying too many scars beneath fine skin. Her crimson nightwear had loosened during sleep, strands of dark hair spilling messily across the pillow.
Euris studied her silently.
He didn't know anything about her. He only knew enough to understand that she was not someone to underestimate.
Carefully, he shifted, testing whether she would stir. She didn't. Her breathing remained slow and deep. Euris slipped out of the bed with practiced silence, gathering his noble attire from the chair nearby. The yellowish-white fabric felt unfamiliar against his fingers—too clean, too expensive for someone who had woken in a forest not long ago.
As he dressed, his thoughts turned inward.
He had chosen this path deliberately—playing the innocent and the fragile survivor. It was the safest option in hostile territory ruled by titles and bloodlines. Nobles didn't fear strength they could see, but they crushed threats they couldn't control. And right now, Ethral believed she controlled him.
That illusion would keep him alive.
He finished dressing and paused near the window. From there, the manor grounds stretched outward in neat symmetry—stone paths, trimmed hedges, guards changing shifts with disciplined precision. This wasn't just a noble house. It was a fortress masked as elegance.
A knock came at the door.
"Lady Ethral?" a maid's voice asked softly.
Euris turned just as Ethral stirred behind him. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, then froze when she saw him standing there fully dressed.
"…You're awake early," she said, her voice husky with sleep.
"Yes, my lady," Euris replied, lowering his gaze slightly. "I didn't want to be disrespectful."
For a brief second, something unreadable flickered across her expression. Then the viscount's mask slid back into place.
"Enter," she called to the maid.
The door opened, and the same maid from the night before stepped in, eyes widening just a fraction when she noticed Euris already dressed and standing properly. She bowed quickly.
"Breakfast is prepared in the small dining hall, my lady."
"Good," Ethral replied. "Have it served there."
The maid left.
Ethral rose from the bed, gathering her robe as she moved closer to Euris. Up close, her presence was overwhelming—not just beauty, but authority refined by suffering.
"You'll stay," she said, not asking. "With me, by my side."
"Yes, m-my lady."
She tilted his chin with a finger, forcing him to meet her eyes. "You're obedient. I like that."
Euris let his gaze soften, just enough. "I owe you my life, my lady."
That answer pleased her.
"Well," she said calmly, "before the servants come again to call us, we'll bathe."
'Together.' Euris stiffened for just a fraction of a second before mastering himself. "As you command."
She glanced back, amused. "Relax. It's only a bath."
They went to the bathroom connected to Ethral's room. The bathing chamber was larger than any room Euris had ever seen dedicated to such a purpose. White marble walls reflected the soft glow of enchanted lamps, steam already curling in the air. At the center lay a massive oval tub—pure white stone inlaid with delicate golden patterns that traced ancient floral motifs.
Warm water filled it nearly to the brim.
Ethral slipped out of her robe first, without ceremony, stepping into the water with practiced ease. The surface rippled gently as she leaned back, her arms resting on the tub's edge.
"Well?" she asked, eyes half-lidded. "Are you planning to stand there all day?"
Euris swallowed and undressed until he was only in his underwear, then followed her in, careful to keep his expression neutral. He entered the tub opposite her, the heat seeping into his skin instantly, loosening muscles he hadn't realized were tense.
For a while, neither spoke.
Steam rose between them, blurring edges and softening everything. The water lapped quietly against the porcelain. Ethral closed her eyes, sinking lower until only her shoulders and face remained above the surface.
"You're quiet," she said at last.
"I usually am."
"Hm." Her eyes opened slightly. "You weren't this tense last night."
Euris didn't answer. He didn't want to show his real self—not yet. He didn't know what might happen if he did.
Ethral shifted, the movement bringing her closer. Their knees brushed beneath the water—light contact, barely there. She didn't pull away.
Instead, she reached for a cloth, dipped it into the water, and slowly traced it along her arm. When she finished, she held it out toward him.
"Help me."
He hesitated, then took it.
His touch was careful and respectful. As he washed her shoulder, then her upper arm, his fingers barely grazed her skin, as though afraid to linger.
Ethral noticed. "You don't need to be afraid of me," she said quietly.
"H-hmm," he replied.
She turned slightly, allowing him access to her back. The scars there were faint, nearly hidden, but present. His hand paused for a second before continuing.
Her voice softened. "People think nobles bathe in luxury because we enjoy it. Sometimes… It's just the only place quiet enough to breathe."
The closeness was intimate in a way that had nothing to do with desire alone. Steam wrapped around them like a barrier from the world.
At one point, as she shifted again, her hand brushed his thigh under the water. This time, she didn't move it away immediately. Neither did he.
Their eyes met. The moment stretched—charged, restrained, deliberate.
Then Ethral withdrew first, leaning back with a faint smile. "That's enough for now."
Euris released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
They finished bathing in silence, dressing separately once more. By the time servants knocked to announce breakfast, the steam had faded, but the tension remained, settled beneath the skin like an unspoken promise.
Whatever this arrangement was becoming, it was no longer just convenience.
…
"Eat with me," she said. "After that, we'll decide what you are."
'What I am,' Euris repeated silently.
They left the room together, though not side by side. In the corridors, servants bowed deeply as Ethral passed, some glancing curiously at the boy following half a step behind her. Whispers would spread by noon. He was already a subject of interest.
The small dining hall was warm and quiet, sunlight pooling across polished wood. The table was modest by noble standards, yet still lavish to Euris—fresh bread, fruit, and steaming dishes prepared with care.
Ethral gestured for him to sit. He hesitated, then obeyed.
As they ate, she studied him openly now, without pretense. "You still claim you don't remember how you ended up in Hales Forest."
"Yes," Euris said calmly, keeping his act. "I-I wish I did."
She tapped a finger against her cup. "That forest borders territories I don't control. If you were being hunted, someone powerful wanted you gone."
Euris kept his expression neutral. "I'm not worth that much trouble."
A faint smile curved her lips. "Everyone worth killing says that."
Silence stretched between them—not awkward, but heavy with unspoken calculations. Finally, Ethral leaned back.
"You'll stay in the upper wing. You'll be educated—etiquette, history, and basic combat."
Euris looked up carefully, surprised. "C-combat?"
"I don't keep weak things," she said simply. "And I don't like depending on guards." That explained a lot.
"And in return?" he asked.
She smiled slowly. "You are my servant. You belong to me." There it was. Euris lowered his head. "As you wish, my lady."
Inside, something stirred not fear, not excitement, but resolve. This wasn't the end. It was the beginning of a much larger game, and this time, he would be the one deciding who survived it.