Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Zamir's POV

I buried myself in work, Reports from the northern territories. Tax records. Petitions from noble families. One scroll after another found its way across my desk, yet none of them managed to keep my mind where it belonged. It kept returning to her.

The look on Amira's face when I had asked her to feed me. The panic in her eyes. The way she had looked at me as though I were moments away from tearing out her throat.

A faint smile touched my lips. The moment I noticed it, it disappeared.I picked up another scroll and signed my name across the bottom without another thought. Hours slipped by unnoticed. Leaning back in my chair, I retrieved my compass watch and flipped it open.

Past midnight, With a quiet sigh, I rose and left my study. The manor had long since fallen silent. Moonlight spilled through the tall windows, stretching pale silver across the stone floor. At this hour, every servant knew better than to wander the halls.

As I rounded the corner, my butler stepped out from behind one of the pillars. He bowed before straightening.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"My lord, the servants have all retired to their chambers. They will resume their duties at dawn."

I nodded and walked past him.After only a few steps, I stopped. "...What about Amira?"

He looked at me in surprise."My lord... the slave girl? She—"One look from me was enough.He swallowed whatever he had been about to say.

Without another word, I continued toward my chambers, The bedroom was empty.

My gaze drifted to the floor beside the bed.

She wasn't there. A slight frown settled on my face. Where had she gone? Before I realized it, I had already left the room.

My pace quickened as I walked through the corridor.

Then I stopped, The kitchen. Something had caught my attention. I took two slow steps backward, There she was. Fast asleep with her head resting against the wooden table.

The fire had almost burned itself out, leaving only a faint orange glow across the room. Strands of crimson hair had fallen over her face, hiding part of it from view.

Without thinking, I walked toward her.

Each step brought me closer. Then the moonlight reached her face, Everything inside me stilled.

"...Genevieve."

The name escaped before I could stop it.

For one impossible moment...It was her.

The same red hair,  the same delicate features, the same peaceful expression. I shut my eyes. No… When I opened them again, Amira was still there,My breathing slowed.

Carefully, I reached toward her, my hand trembling as my fingers hovered just above her cheek. Why are you here...? The question formed before I could stop it. Then another face replaced hers, Genevieve smiling, laughing, Dying beneath my claws.

"No..."Pain tore through my chest, My knees gave way beneath me. I hit the cold stone floor, clutching at my chest as memories I had buried centuries ago came rushing back.

The warmth of her blood, the emptiness in her eyes, and cold sweat gathered across my forehead. Something wet struck the floor, A tear, I stared at it in silence.

"...Lord Zamir?"I looked up, Amira had awakened. Before she could see anything, I wiped my face and rose to my feet.

By the time she turned toward me, every trace of emotion had vanished.

She hurried to stand, Her legs buckled almost immediately. I caught her wrist before she could fall.

"You're too clumsy," I muttered, She quickly pulled away.

"I... I'm sorry."Her hands twisted together nervously. She refused to meet my eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I... I couldn't sleep." A faint smile tugged at my lips,I stepped closer.She stepped back, Again and again. Until her back met the kitchen counter. I leaned down slightly. Then I caught its scent. Fresh roses after rain. Not once in nine hundred years has a human smelled like that. It stirred something inside me.

"You know," I murmured near her ear, "wandering through the manor in the middle of the night isn't wise."She stiffened. "You might be caught..."I paused. "...or sucked dry."Her eyes widened. Both hands flew to her mouth as she gasped.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, I almost laughed. Instead, I held out my hand. She stared at it, then at me. After a long hesitation, she slowly placed her trembling hand in mine. I led her from the kitchen. Neither of us spoke. Only our footsteps echoed through the empty halls.

And beneath them., her heartbeat.

Steady, and Fast. Every beat reached my ears with impossible clarity. For reasons I didn't care to understand, I found myself listening. When we reached my chambers, I gestured toward the bed.

She hesitated before climbing onto it.

She lay on the very edge, stiff as a board, as though afraid taking up too much space would somehow offend me, Minutes passed. Her eyes remained shut.Yet I could still see them moving beneath her eyelids.

She wasn't asleep, Then another shiver ran through her. My eyes shifted toward the fireplace. The flames had nearly died.

The room had grown cold. She curled into herself, wrapping her arms tightly around her body, but it did little to stop the trembling.

She would end up sick, and a sick slave was of no use to anyone. I crossed the room. The mattress dipped beneath my weight. Her eyes flew open, fear flashed across her face.

"W-What..."

"Do you intend to stay awake all night?" I asked. "Sleep." She nodded quickly, though every muscle in her body remained tense.

Without another word, I lay beside her.

She immediately shifted farther away.

There was nowhere left to go. With a quiet sigh, I reached over and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer beneath the blanket. A soft gasp escaped her lips. Her entire body stiffened. Even her heartbeat lost its rhythm.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Amira," I said, keeping my eyes on the ceiling."You're shivering." She blinked."The room is cold."

Silence settled between us, Then I added,

"I have no intention of letting my slave die from a fever."She said nothing, but little by little, the trembling stopped. I closed my eyes.And convinced myself...That was the only reason I had pulled her close.