HAPPY NEW MONTH.

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"Even storms pause long enough for the heart to remember warmth."

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The room fell quiet again after Seth disappeared beyond the chamber doors.

For a few seconds, Rosaline remained seated exactly where she was on the edge of the bed, her silver-white wings curled loosely around her body while her thoughts drifted somewhere far away. The memories from the dream still clung to her mind like shadows she could not peel away. The image of her mother...the real one...kept returning no matter how much she tried to steady herself.

Yessss...the book was also important just as the box.

And yet it had felt far too vivid to be only imagination.

The soft sound of fabric shifting pulled her from her thoughts.

Rosaline looked up immediately.

Xandros had already crossed toward the wardrobe at the far side of the room. His black coat rested over one arm while the sunlight painted sharp gold lines across his face. Without the formal layers of court attire, he somehow looked even more dangerous. More real.

She watched silently as he changed into darker traveling clothes with practiced ease, fastening silver clasps near his sleeves while his expression remained unreadable.

Rosaline lowered her gaze quickly before he could notice she had been staring.

Unfortunately for her...

he noticed everything.

"You’ve been staring at me for the last minute," he said casually.

Her head snapped upward instantly. "I was not."

One dark brow lifted.

The heat rising to her cheeks only betrayed her further.

Rosaline cleared her throat quickly and looked away. "You are impossible."

"And yet you continue looking."

"I literally just stopped."

A faint smirk touched his lips before he adjusted the black gloves over his hands. The movement pulled the fabric tightly over his forearms, and Rosaline immediately regretted looking again.

This man was genuinely unfair.

Xandros turned toward her afterward, and the amusement in his eyes faded slightly when he noticed the exhaustion still lingering beneath hers. He crossed the room slowly until he stood directly in front of her.

"We’re going back to Everbloom," he said.

Rosaline blinked.

For a moment, she thought she had imagined hearing him correctly.

"What?"

"I’ll take you there myself."

Her fingers tightened slightly over the blanket pooled in her lap. "Why?"

"Because you clearly intend to go whether I approve or not."

The answer startled a quiet laugh out of her.

He was not wrong.

Rosaline lowered her gaze for a moment before speaking softly. "I need answers."

"I know."

His voice lacked its usual sharpness this time.

That alone made her chest tighten strangely.

"I still don’t understand anything," she admitted quietly. "Every time I close my eyes, I feel like my whole life is becoming someone else’s story."

Xandros looked at her for several seconds before finally speaking.

"Then we’ll find the truth before it swallows you."

The certainty in his voice settled something restless inside her chest.

Rosaline nodded slowly, though uncertainty still lingered in her expression.

Before she could say another word, Xandros suddenly leaned down toward her.

Her breath caught immediately.

The movement had been too sudden.

Too close.

"What are you..."

His lips brushed lightly against her forehead.

Rosaline froze completely.

Every single thought vanished from her head.

The kiss lasted only a second.

A small thing.

Soft and gentle but somehow infinitely more dangerous than the heated kisses they had shared before.

Because this one felt instinctive.

Xandros pulled away just as quickly as he had done it, though something unreadable flickered briefly across his face afterward.

Rosaline stared at him in absolute shock.

"You..."

"I’ll return shortly," he interrupted calmly as though he had not just destroyed her remaining sanity.

Then he turned and walked toward the door.

Rosaline continued staring.

Her mind stopped functioning somewhere between the forehead kiss and his complete lack of shame afterward.

The door shut behind him quietly.

And only then did she collapse backward onto the bed with wide eyes.

"What was that?!"

Her wings fluttered violently behind her, knocking against the pillows.

Rosaline immediately buried her face into both hands.

Her entire body felt warm.

No.

Not warm.

Burning.

Outside the chamber, Xandros walked through the corridor with his usual composed expression.

Unfortunately for him...

Seth was already waiting nearby.

The man frowned the moment he saw him.

"You took long enough."

Xandros ignored him entirely and continued walking.

Seth narrowed his eyes suspiciously before suddenly stopping mid-step.

"...Why do you look strange?"

"I always look like this."

"No." Seth squinted harder. "Your face looks irritated."

Xandros finally stopped walking.

Very slowly.

Dangerously slowly.

Seth immediately realized he should have minded his business.

But unfortunately curiosity had already won.

"...Did something happen in there?"

"Do you enjoy keeping your teeth?"

Seth blinked once.

Then twice.

And suddenly his eyes widened in realization.

"Oh."

Xandros’ expression darkened immediately.

Seth covered his mouth instantly to stop himself from laughing.

"You kissed her, didn’t you?"

Silence.

Which was answer enough.

Seth turned away entirely before his laughter escaped louder.

"Oh gods...you actually kissed her willingly....it seems."

Xandros looked genuinely murderous now.

"I can still kill you."

"A vampire doesn’t get sick except getting corrupt," Seth muttered beneath his breath while grinning. "So this must be love corruption."

A sharp object struck him directly in the forehead.

Seth hissed and grabbed the silver coin Xandros had thrown.

"That was unnecessary!"

"You’re still talking."

Seth wisely shut his mouth after that.

Mostly because the swelling on his forehead appeared instantly.

The two continued walking afterward, though Seth still occasionally glanced sideways at him with clear amusement.

"You’re changing," he said eventually.

"I’m not."

"You are getting obsessed with your wife."

Xandros’ jaw tightened.

"...Heal your forehead before I make it worse."

Seth grinned openly this time but finally stopped talking.

Inside the chamber, meanwhile, Rosaline remained exactly where he left her.

Still stunned.

Still blushing.

Still trying to understand why such a small gesture had shaken her more than anything else he had ever done.

Her legs felt oddly weak.

Even her wings twitched restlessly behind her.

The knock at the door startled her so badly she nearly jumped.

Before she could respond, the door opened slightly.

Lily entered cheerfully...

...and screamed immediately.

The maid’s shriek echoed through the room with enough force to wake the dead.

Rosaline shot upright in panic.

"Lily?!"

Lily stood frozen near the doorway with both hands covering her mouth while staring directly behind Rosaline.

More specifically...

At the enormous silver wings curled behind her.

Her entire body shook violently.

Rosaline’s heart dropped instantly.

"No...Lily wait..."

"YOUR GRACE HAS FEATHERS!"

Rosaline winced.

"That is not helping!"

Lily pointed at her with trembling fingers while hyperventilating dramatically.

"There are giant bird things attached to your back!"

Rosaline scrambled off the floor immediately, trying desperately to hide them.

Unfortunately, hiding enormous glowing wings was apparently impossible.

"Please stop yelling!"

"I AM TRYING!"

Lily looked one second away from fainting.

Rosaline reached her quickly before she could collapse completely.

"Lily, breathe!"

"I am breathing badly!"

That nearly made Rosaline laugh despite the disaster unfolding.

The maid stared at the wings again before looking back at her lady’s face.

Then back at the wings.

Then back at Rosaline.

"...Can you fly?"

Rosaline blinked in disbelief.

"That’s your first question?!"

"Well, yes!"

Rosaline stared at her for several seconds before suddenly laughing helplessly.

The tension cracked instantly.

Lily blinked in surprise.

Then her eyes softened.

"You’re okay?"

Rosaline’s laughter faded slowly.

"...I think so."

Lily looked at the wings once more.

Carefully this time.

Less fear.

More wonder.

"They’re beautiful," she whispered.

Rosaline stilled.

Completely.

"You’re not scared?" Rosaline asked her shakily.

Lily looked horrified by the question itself.

"Why would I be scared of you?"

Rosaline swallowed hard.

"I thought..."

"That I would run away?" Lily stepped closer carefully before lowering her voice dramatically. "Your Grace... I once saw Seth carry a dead deer through the courtyard with one hand and licked his bloodied stained hand...though I’m unsure if I saw right."

Rosaline blinked.

"...What?"

"The point is," Lily continued firmly, "after working in this mansion, I am no longer surprised by anything."

Rosaline laughed again despite herself.

Relief flooded her chest so suddenly it almost hurt.

Lily finally relaxed completely afterward before narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"...Wait."

Rosaline immediately recognized that expression.

It was dangerous.

Lily pointed toward the bed dramatically.

"You and His Grace were alone together again."

Rosaline choked instantly.

"That is not the issue right now!"

"It is absolutely the issue!"

"No it isn’t!"

Lily gasped loudly. "Did he sleep here.....he knows about your feathers too?!"

Rosaline’s face burned immediately.

Lily’s eyes widened even further.

"Oh my gods he DID and KNOWS."

"Lily!"

The maid looked seconds away from exploding with excitement.

Before Rosaline could survive further humiliation, the chamber door opened again.

Xandros stepped inside.

He stopped immediately upon seeing the scene.

Rosaline standing red-faced beside Lily.

Lily vibrating with excitement.

The sheets and objects scattered absolutely everywhere from Rosaline’s panicked flapping earlier.

Silence followed.

Then Seth slowly appeared behind Xandros.

One look inside the room....

....and he immediately walked away again.

"No," he muttered. "That room doesn’t need me!"