Control Your Emotions

Adelia and her father had prepared to leave Lavim the next morning. She was already packed and ready, heading down the long stairs with one of the Donvark's servants trailing behind, carrying her luggage.

She spared a backward glance at the maid and released an internal sigh. She had barely used any of the items Lyra had packed for her; the woman would be furious if she found out that all her work had gone to waste.

Within seconds, Adelia reached the base of the stairs. The Duke had already finished his preparations and now waited for her by their carriage, just like he always did.

She always seemed to be the one causing delays.

Adelia hurriedly headed toward the front doors of the Manor. As she opened the door, closer to making her way to the carriage house, she ran into the new Count.

"Ah…" She stumbled back and offered a hurried curtsy. "Good morning, Count Donvark. Did you sleep well?"

The Count smiled sadly. "I can hardly say I did," he replied, and Adelia internally chided herself. "Though I can at least say I'm warming up a bit to my new title."

Adelia returned his smile genuinely. Having gone to bed early the previous night, she hadn't crossed paths with the Count. She hadn't gotten an opportunity to thank him.

She curtsied again. "Thank you, Count Donvark, for everything."

The man smiled warmly at Adelia. He had sympathized with her father when he got word of the attack on her.

The Duke had told her that they were only able to find her as fast as they did due to Lord Kelvin, who had provided him with more than a handful of his soldiers.

Count Kelvin waved his hand dismissively. "I hardly did anything deserving of your and your father's thanks, Lady Adelia," he said. "I was merely fulfilling my duty to my liege."

"That alone is worth acknowledging, Lord Kelvin."

The Count shook his head solemnly. "No, my lady, I was merely taking responsibility."

"Responsibility?" Adelia echoed, her confusion evident.

"I'm sorry, Lady Adelia," the Count said with a downcast expression. "Truly, I am."

His apology was abrupt, yet Adelia's gaze softened kindly. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Count Donvark. It's not your fault I was ambushed."

"It might not be, but it was within my territory that such a vile thing happened to you, Lady Adelia," he spoke. "I am ashamed of it, and I will not rest until I uncover the identities of those culprits."

"We would be genuinely grateful for that, Lord Kelvin," she assured him. "And I believe my father will spare no effort in assisting you."

"There is no doubt he would," he said seriously. "The victim was his daughter, after all."

Adelia pressed her lips together, clearly looking a bit uncomfortable but the Count continued. Because it was something she had to hear.

The young lady of the Veldon house was infamous among nobles for her impulsiveness and disregard for safety. It was his duty as a vassal to give advice to his next liege.

"You must be careful going forward, Lady Adelia, because I'm certain you understand that what happened to you wasn't just a random attack." He placed a fatherly hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for taking the time to come and see my father, and I wish you and yours a safe journey back."

Adelia managed a smile, murmured her thanks, and watched him until he disappeared into the Manor's interior. She then wearily headed toward her carriage.

His words weighed heavily on her; it was obvious that someone wanted her dead. She obviously hadn't just realized it—it had been lingering at the back of her mind for a while, though she had chosen not to think too deeply about it.

After everything she had encountered yesterday, she preferred not to dwell on it at that point in time. It would've only served to increase her fear and frustration.

Yet, now she had heard and acknowledged the truth, a shiver ran down her spine at the realization.

Someone wanted her dead… She wouldn't lie, it was bone chilling.

She managed to shake off some of her fear as she approached the carriage. The Knights were already mounted on their horses, and just before she climbed into the Coach, she caught Edward's eyes.

If she hadn't been looking carefully, she might have easily missed the Knight's nod, but she caught it. Although she was a bit annoyed by how small it was, she felt a hint of relief that he hadn't completely ignored her.

Adelia knew he was ashamed and remorseful, but she would never judge him for his failure... never. Because she knew she was far weaker...

With that frustrating thought in mind, she boarded the carriage, and soon they were on their way to Veldon castle.

*~*~*~*~*~*

They were back at their castle in just over an hour, the ride had been fairly silent, since the Duke seemed to be deep in thought. Adelia then alighted the coach with her father's help.

In a couple of minutes, her maid, Lyra, hurried toward her with a smile.

"Welcome back, my lady!" Lyra exclaimed, helping with the luggage. "Did you get to see the Count? How was Lavim? Did you have a good time?"

Adelia hesitated, unsure of how to respond to her many questions."It was... an experience."

Lyra stopped tugging at the heavy baggage and looked worriedly at her young mistress. "My lady, did something happen?"

Adelia met Lyra's gaze, her eyes weary. "I'll explain everything later, Lyra, I promise." She inhaled. "For now, let me rest a bit."

Traveling in a carriage for long distances had left her back and bottom sore.

Lyra nodded in understanding, and took the load. She began heading toward the castle's interior, expecting Adelia to follow closely.

Before trailing behind Lyra, Adelia turned to her father, who had remained quiet throughout the journey.

"Father... Mother isn't aware of what happened, is she?" she inquired.

The Duke shook his head gently. "No, she isn't. You know I would never risk her health like that, Delia."

'Stupid question, Delia.' Adelia chided herself. 'Of course he wouldn't send her a letter saying I'd been ambushed and gone missing.'

Adelia swallowed hard. "Alright." Hoping that the guards her father had dispatched to search for her hadn't accidentally leaked the news with their imposing presence.

She then took a moment to reflect, and realized that even if the locals had spotted the numerous guards, they would never truly know who or what they were searching for.

The only information they must have gotten would be that a pale, smallish, young noble lady with auburn hair and green eyes was missing.

Hardly any commoner would have guessed it was the sole child of Lord Veldon.

Letting out a sigh, she curtsied slightly to her father before turning around. But before she could take a single step forward, the Duke's voice reached her from behind.

"Delia," he called, and she turned to face him. "You must be cautious not to let your mother know what has happened."

Adelia furrowed her brow with concern. "I'll do my best, father, I will..." Her voice wavered. "But what if she notices something and questions me? I can't... I can't lie to her."

The Duke's expression softened. "Then you must make sure she doesn't perceive anything unusual. That responsibility falls on both of us," he said, his expression suddenly turning serious. "Adelia, for the sake of your mother's well-being, it is crucial that you learn to control your emotions."

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