Chapter 6 I've Already Told You That You Are My Favorite

Elodie

I stretched my limbs as I slowly woke, oblivious of where I was. It didn’t take long for realization to set in. I sprung up so quickly, I immediately regretted it. A twinge that took my breath away shot down my neck and my stiff joints refused to move from sleeping on the small couch all night. Then the gravity of that struck hard.

He let me sleep in the library. Why? He was here. Watching me. The book I was reading was now on an end table, a blanket draped across my body.

I slipped from the chaise and pad into the hallway, half expecting him to materialize from the shadows with that infuriating smirk. There was no doubt that the manor was awake as the hum of hustling feet and murmured whispers traveled through the halls.

Life continued as if I was not a prisoner wandering its corridors. As if I belonged here.

Marianna intercepted me near the staircase. “Lady Elodie, we have lunch ready for you.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Roman would insist that you have something to eat.” The way she said his name made my stomach twist.

“And where is Roman?”

“He had to go to town. He’ll be back soon.”

Town. My pulse spikes. “What is he doing in town?” Images rushed in uninvited. Harper dragged from our home, forced into compliance the way I was.

Marianna’s expression remained perfectly neutral. “We’re not privy to Master Roman’s business.”

Of course not. They were servants. Like me.

She gestured toward the dining hall. “You should eat something.” Is this her concern or his command relayed through kinder lips?

“I said I’m not hungry. And Roman’s not here to make me.”

We stared at each other, daring the other to break first.

“Understood,” she complied. “You’re welcome to roam the manor in your free time.” With that said, she left.

I took her request full heartedly. I roamed. The word felt liberating until I tested it and found that the front door doesn’t budge. Not even slightly. I tried the handle twice more before the feel of staring eyes prickled against my back. With a huff, I gave up…for now.

I have freedom to wander, but not freedom to leave. So, instead, I walked deeper and farther into the manor. All the way to the far end where sunlight poured through towering panes of glass.

A conservatory.

The air was thick and warm, heavy with the scent of dirt. Vines curled along iron trellises. Orchids bloomed in vibrant purples and reds. A small pond sat at the center, koi gliding lazily beneath lily pads while frogs leaped between stepping stones. Songbirds fluttered in the high branches, their melodies soft and startlingly normal.

This small sanctuary was alive. An opposite contrast to the coldness that clung to the rest of Valemor.

I sat down on the stone wall bordering the pond and closed my eyes, pretending I was home. Pretending Harper was arguing with me about the laundry. Pretending the world was small and ordinary and safe.

“Quite beautiful, isn’t it?”

My eyes snapped open and as I twisted around to face him I nearly tumbled into the pond. Roman stood in the doorway, expression unreadable as he remained in the shadows.

“Are you going to tell me the other girls liked it here too?”

His brow lifted slightly. “Why is it you have a fascination with the other girls?” he countered. “Did they cater to my every whim? Did they sleep in my bed? You don’t need to be jealous, Elodie. I’ve already told you that you are my favorite.”

“Jealous?” I scoffed, embarrassed by the truth spoken off his tongue. “Of what?” My voice betrayed me. The thought of others walking these halls, laughing at his jokes, believing his lies, coiled unpleasantly in my stomach.

He stepped onto the stone path, shoes silent against the damp surface. He took cautious, meticulous steps forward avoiding the brightly lit path. Suddenly, the trees and other canopy greenery made perfect sense. It created enough shadow for him to enjoy even in the daylight hours.

“Lying again,” he hummed from across the pond. “I can hear it in your pulse. It quickens for a beat or two and then calms back to normal.”

I hated that he could do that. Trying to regain my composure, I directed the conversation onto something else, “and what exactly were you doing in town?” I pressed.

“Nothing to do with your sister, if that is what you’re implying.”

My shoulders dropped a fraction despite myself. Would he tell me even if it did?

“I had business to tie up,” he continued even though he wasn’t obligated to tell me.

“Meaning?” I asked, clinging to every ounce of information he was willing to offer.

“Let’s just say I’m not a vampire who fails to keep his word.”

Evelia. The name forms before I can stop it. “Is she here?”

There was a glint of something in his eye as he paused before answering, “no.” A part of me was relieved with his answer. A part of me didn’t want to share his attention.

I forced a sense of confusion on my face. “Then where is she? Wasn’t the deal for her to become your servant?”

“My previous dealings have nothing to do with becoming mine,” he replied coolly. Stepping out from the shadow, he circled the pond and didn’t stop until he was looming over me. Bent over, hands firmly placed on either side of me, his cold gray eyes met mine.

I swear I could hear his unsaid words. But you are mine.

The silent statement hung between, thick and heavy. I felt its truth, but refused to acknowledge it. He holds my gaze a moment longer in the humid warmth of the room.

It takes me a moment to notice the slight change in his appearance. His cheeks are flushed. Not the pale, marble stillness I’ve come to associate with him, but a faint pinkness spread across his skin, like someone who’s been standing too long in the sun. My eyes flick toward the glass ceiling of the conservatory where sunlight poured through.

“You look…” I hesitated.

His brows lift in expectation.

“Are you sunburned?” Without thinking my hand rose to his check, fingers aching to touch his flushed skin, but before I could graze him he stepped away as if scorned by my impending touch.

His shoulders tightened slightly, as if the air had suddenly become heavier. “I’m going to rest for a while,” he said before retreating from the room.

I sat at the edge of the pond for a long time after he left, listening to the frogs plop into the water, birds fluttering through leafy branches, letting the warm sunlight cling to my skin like a blanket.

I try to convince myself the calm was real. But the manor never truly relaxed.

Even here, I felt the weight of it pressing down on me. Stone walls, locked doors, invisible rules.

Eventually the glass door creaked open behind me. “Lady Elodie.” Marianna’s voice is polite but firm. I turn to find her standing at the threshold. “It’s time for your bath.”

“I didn’t ask for one.”

“Master Roman did.”

Of course he did.

I rose reluctantly and followed her through the halls. The manor felt cooler away from the sun, shadows from the lanterns stretched across stone floors. Winding through the many halls, she led me into a bathing room nearly as large as the conservatory itself.

Heavily scented lavender steam curled through the air from a deep porcelain tub. Marianna lingered in the room as if she would be assisting me at some point.

“I can wash myself,” I declared.

Marianna simply nodded before turning around with her head bowed toward the ground. “Master Roman has insisted that I stay with you.”

“Is he afraid I’m going to drown myself?”

“I’m sorry. I just do what he requests, Lady Elodie.” For the first time, I felt sorry for her, for all the servants that were scattered throughout the manor.

“If he has a problem he can speak to me directly.” With my refusal of her company, she leaves.

Counting the seconds after she left, I took my time peeling off my dress before sinking into the water. A sigh slipped from my lips despite myself. There was no denying that the hot water felt wonderful and the smell of lavender was relaxing.

It’s been days since I’ve been properly warm. For a few minutes I almost forgot where I was.

“Are you relaxed?”

The sudden sound of his voice had a flash of terror bolt through my body like a lightning strike. Frantically, I tried to cover my naked body up as much as possible. “What is it with you always creeping up on me?”

“You said to speak to you directly about sending Marianna away.”

“And it couldn’t wait until dinner? I thought you were resting?”

“You mistake resting for sleeping. I was in the library when Marianna informed me of your dismissal. It could’ve waited until dinner…but, I couldn’t resist.” His voice was calm, almost thoughtful, as if he was inspecting a painting rather than a naked girl in his tub.

“Stop looking at me like that? Can you turn around? Better yet, can you leave?” I could feel his gaze slither across my exposed skin. It caused a flutter deep in my stomach that I was ashamed to admit. No matter how handsome he may be, he was still a vampire.

Roman didn’t move. Instead, one dark eyebrow lifted slightly. “Why?”

“Because-” my frustration quickly got the best of me. The words got stuck painfully in my throat, “because I’m naked.”

“Generally that is implied with a bath.”

“And you feel you are obliged to see me naked?” My fingers tightened around the rim of the porcelain tub. “Do you enjoy being insufferable?”

“Immensely.” The candlelight flickered across his pale face as he leaned against the doorway, arms loosely folded across his chest. He hadn’t stepped any closer, but he hadn't looked away either.

I splashed the water slightly in my agitation. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet here I am,” he replied smoothly. “Speaking to you directly, just as you requested.”

I glared at him. “I don’t need to be babysat every minute.”

Something shifted in his expression then. Not amusement exactly, something quieter. His gaze finally drifted away as he straightened from the doorframe and turned his back to me. “They are here to assist you.”

But it felt more like they were here to spy on me. They were here to keep in line, to keep me trapped, to tattle on me when I disobey.

His voice comes again a moment later, softer. “You won’t slip and crack your skull when getting out, will you?”

“I managed to bathe myself for twenty years without dying.”

“Humans are remarkably fragile creatures.”

Silence settled between us, broken only by the faint ripple of bathwater as I climbed out of the tub.

After a moment he adds, quieter now, “You should still be careful.”

Ignoring his thoughtful words, I grabbed a towel and quickly wrapped it around myself. The water’s warmth now turned cold in the open air. “You can leave now. No cracking of the skull.”

He paused as if thinking about refusing. “I’ll see you at dinner, Elodie.”

Without another word, he left. Only when the sound of his footsteps disappeared do I finally relax. Drying off as much as possible to prevent a trail of water droplets to mark my retreat, I stepped into the hall expecting to find Marianna, but no maids waited. No watchful servants hovered nearby.

For a brief moment, the manor felt almost…empty.

My damp hair trailed down my back as I made my way through the winding corridors toward the master suite where Roman better not be waiting. When I pushed open the bedroom door, I stopped. It wasn’t Roman, but a dress that was laid neatly across the bed.

Not the simple dress I arrived in. This one was deep green, the fabric soft and flowing. Candlelight glinted faintly off delicate stitching along the bodice. Someone has already laid out stockings and slippers beside it as if they knew exactly what size I would need.

I stepped closer cautiously, touching the sleeve. The material slipped between my fingers like satin. I debated with myself as to whether to wear the dress or not, but what was the alternative, wearing this towel? I slipped the dress on slowly, adjusting the fabric over my shoulders. It fit perfectly, too perfectly. The waist cinched just enough to shape me without being tight, the skirt fell softly to my ankles.

It unsettled me at how easily he anticipated this. How easily he began to place me inside this world.