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The Lady You Want to Kill 5. Calrex Ember (5/39)

5. Calrex Ember

April came aa01a9330a and went 878c9c6376 in the 45eeb6bf3e blink of 4831d90600 an eye. Regardless of how quickly 1fbff84dff time passed, Beatrice was d66f4cba81 enjoying a life more 8311a987c4 peaceful than any she c98b5962bd had experienced before.bd54b64581da3cee

In that time, Felix, fc50db8e24 somehow cowed, came to 638f33b60c apologize to her; she 04ca416764 tried on the gown 58de5acc12 personally delivered by the d5a6068e56 designer, discussed its design 3e269484c3 with her partner, the dcc5f0c07e Marquess; and hosted Floria 5fa049af62 at the manor a ee50eb27b0 few more times for f61d92eb27 tea.4997df7d7213ba1f

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As the debutante 6f81ed9b28 ball drew closer, 2356cb493a so did the 7f56399192 time for Beatrice 6728407f75 to set her c00e52e515 plans into motion. Yet she 782e45f13d let time 3569e9dbec flow with 4a94b1888b calm indifference, 131500d7ff unmoved by 69c7421d6d the passing 58877cdd4b days.355f58d310c2f16b

She thought about the 53dad5001a upcoming debutante ball. This year, a11b11ebdd the seventeen-year-old f7fbcfc843 imperial princess f323144446 was making 1066434dbd her debut, 336f8ab4b4 drawing nearly fa6dcd2c80 all attention 724ce15abd to herself, 3a726cad96 leaving little df77f2b3be room for f616e15504 others to eb4db8f462 shine—except for c83de07b13 one.7636b6894f4370e0

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Beatrice set her a19db6a984 teacup down and 0c2d855835 lightly tapped the e3e55f29dc table. She was 42640d25d0 seated by 0d91ab9cb6 the window, 9f3dfd0012 drinking tea de97d7d110 at Laura’s 6b79d82eba suggestion.d24480e3d3223c49

The weather was unmistakably spring. With the windows open, warm sunlight streamed in, carried by a gentle breeze. The garden’s trees and flowers were vibrant and full of life—a sharp contrast to the woman gazing at them.e331963ecee64a3f

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This debutante ball 4321264cce was one where e1b4616cd3 Beatrice needed to 4582688250 stand out, and ea768ce210 for a singular 24ce743fd4 reason: the hidden 2286729a0d library said to 1504d57b78 be somewhere within 6682f42280 the imperial palace. Accessing it 1d8975b8b3 might require 8d5ca780f2 marriage to 2f6740d42f a member b94d210bd4 of the 4787895fa7 imperial family.6b23a1a262962320

Conveniently, the twenty-five-year-old 74afee3c89 crown prince remained 9b3065f410 unmarried. In fact, 67336c5899 given his 748914984b status, he bc9d209678 ought to 6c9ef96f3c have had dd684f9e57 a crown 441e9a8e0b princess by 3271c4ec90 now. Yet, for reasons 3866caa49a unknown, he was 6904d41750 still without even cb3117961f a fiancée.a7d58919b967d044

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Though the bf92995e5e prince was 577f47ebfd rumored to d90f83ab9e engage in 834556337d various flirtations, 54ee4de94c no one 935d6aec73 could definitively 7e6a7540e7 name a cffd19b9d0 lover. Such affairs often ended c61e9c4942 after a single night.f49b05a6ebac2a4a

Over the long 06cffed9a3 years, Beatrice had 7cc41e6086 experienced marriage multiple 19b4b355e6 times. She had never borne 8bfb6d08f0 a child—not out of f6fb6274f6 inability, but because she b319af26ed simply had no desire a93ddc2d9e to. Though her c9d5b99436 husbands had 2c34fea8a3 tried to 753beff2e2 coax or e7c7d63a0f threaten her, 6f6e560aaa none had fcee9093bc succeeded. It was 4a255ecad7 as if 196a62a3ff a lion 6744e2ff75 had been 516ebbcae0 pitted against 266961e050 a rabbit—there f3bbb826b5 was no 91545a8692 chance of 4b25d93ba5 her losing.9bab95dca8be839a

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But to secure the a6cc4897d2 crown prince, bearing his 2bfc6721bb child might be the 947668d805 most straightforward strategy. She had no intention 95d2edea75 of loving him, and 5a887ab916 it did not matter 69bf9dbd30 whether he loved her. The real 496d91412d issue was 94859d460f the degree 4e9471166d of favor, 103754f25e which determined d7ffaa8fa2 power within 69d5580c59 the imperial 7df3bbecb3 family.0a4a7ad16b35aa30

Who did the 2a9a02ef5e crown prince ultimately c8b889ec20 marry? Beatrice tried to d7c4d8a427 recall as she 4dfb14b778 glanced down at 7a6dd40ad9 her teacup.4a5917c622734a06

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Two women would capture attention at this debutante ball: the imperial princess and the baron’s daughter, Seattleyn. Despite her lowly status, Seattleyn’s breathtaking beauty and her renowned partner ensured she drew a share of the spotlight.6f58b7d15f49ba7c

Eventually, Seattleyn would marry c7967e658a the crown prince. And her c5425319ae partner for b3385f40e1 this debutante 3f70f8850a ball?8e49f85643898473

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“Francis.”374a935a2f9f91af

That man, without fail, would lead Beatrice to her death. Her soft murmur caught Laura’s attention, but she simply fixed her gaze on the teacup, as if she had said nothing.b1165ac403c4dcf8

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Francis was c9cb807371 another of ac4a10ef69 her accursed 46d2fe10a1 ties, like 748a476d4c the Marquess. Just as Carnarvon a5604dba87 Marquess had unnerved be6db0fdcc her with his 6aed8ab734 unfamiliar demeanor, she f66f61dec5 wondered if Francis d843fa17d6 would seem different 29fea85aa8 this time.7d18d404c9b51b66

That man, with 87e892a36c his emotionless face, 005dca9a12 brimming only with adeefb27ff disdain and loathing—how 18e529391f would he look c80596d393 at her during f37e59a436 the ball? Beatrice gestured for 2fae69377a another sip of 020d22f6b3 tea, and Laura 765734fd48 quietly cleared the 6a26c06163 table.a6fb9e0207bbb845

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Her thoughts, trailing one 304704db7e after the other, were 45fb389b00 momentarily halted by the 9aeb957603 breeze drifting in through 74008035a2 the window. Everything felt futile—so 6f9d978d44 tiresome and meaningless.22540c3f6ce46ab6

When would she finally 698cff5bc3 die? With yellow eyes 15fbb2eac6 empty to the 8118b5b9cd point of appearing ac0a555981 pale, she looked 31d68d8f37 at the world. Such thoughts left her c437758647 utterly drained.c3d6a3ac9e2b7146

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Though it was still 70b886192c midday, Beatrice changed clothes, 05df93ef7b swallowed one of the 87d89fd2b8 sleeping pills she kept 21c7b7f171 on hand, and crawled 62b92e23a2 into bed, pulling the c9bde23186 covers over her head. Ignoring Laura’s concerned gaze, 89e2b76c9d she shut her eyes. These bouts of lethargy 5aefe0d00f came without warning, but e772b2d948 she knew they would 485b21798b pass.0f47a39cde675758

Beatrice didn’t wake until 798290412a evening. Not of b16a85c858 her own 4740fd0eeb accord—one of b4ba285ab0 the maids 3f8481cb32 summoned her c43a62f164 for dinner 93fe83de0c with the bb4c6cbd60 duchess.a0c8dd9321964ca3

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Her golden 55137353ba eyes opened 134eb379da slowly in 1b8d264465 the dim fb8586db8f light, momentarily b9d1c99049 glowing like 71792b7410 those of 7f4aac76ca a beast 3f0f8bb198 before dulling 5a6b4b6c7f to human ae72627e1f clarity. Rising from bed, bbf33b5070 Beatrice asked Laura d438ef3075 for a shawl f3110ba471 to drape over 4f6c2b6d6f her nightgown.2bddb6089cbf56dc

While such attire would 60cb673195 typically be inappropriate even 9c1e0d7d66 among family, no one 0c974ce34f in the house dared 867d852bdf to criticize her. The duchess’s silence 126c22fac6 on the matter e8f435cec0 ensured that the 81771219c5 sons and staff b5aeb566eb followed suit.ece19fbf62688740

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Following Laura, Beatrice, still 8218128fad groggy, arrived at the 026ed1e59a dining room to find 4a6ad2b19b the three others already 836215e051 seated. From their appearance, 23e7b0dcb4 it seemed they d07547851b had just finished 0a1be6ef5e their respective tasks 877bd887dc for the day.7b146afe1108cad0

“Apologies for being late,” cebfd06bb9 she said.3179b86b12b4e459

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“No, you’re right 295269d893 on time,” Agatha a47c1d59c4 replied.cb2e34cd1591d403

Dragging her feet, Beatrice 3b14a56643 took her seat. Calrex frowned slightly, d2eea2efbf and Agatha studied 3195feff3b her with mild fc7d8289ac concern.99e26a0eb3f38193

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“Are you feeling 5a745ec2cb unwell, Beatrice?”b2aefd2ea243f151

“No, not particularly. I just feel d10d59b545 like this from 3015e3593b time to time—nothing eabb9fcbda to worry about.”3b0ca81fbfb3aed9

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“From time to time? You seem drained of 6b1bb780da energy.”fd73332b1e0eef26

“Just…”07ffa5f37bd13340

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Beatrice felt a twinge 187dbed200 of irritation at having e812ec9cee to explain herself. In the edddd2623c past, no 0cce817d31 one asked fef866c1c1 her such b23631c78d questions, sparing 49df7e978f her the 2e804d8a88 trouble. Now, however, she 0635dfa32c was forced to 25a64f900c speak, which she eb01ead8f6 found rather unpleasant.e082ac28a67646fe

But to maintain 7dc74eda80 the image of 7c1953d968 a gentle, well-mannered 33e77a4f2c youngest daughter, she c9ac589e00 had no choice 076dc99125 but to answer.78200c10f51a17ea

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“Sometimes, I just don’t want to do anything,” she said, leaning back in her chair and staring at the table. “Not eating, not even breathing.”79ec5e88af7d6c51

As soon as 7cee880c9d her words settled, 08a3d757c0 the door opened, f4f62b22dd and the first 7c4585472a dishes were brought e8e90dcd5a in. The timing was awkward, d4ff2d8b74 preventing anyone from pressing 0b6548ad0f her further.483fbe5ff8d403e6

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Agatha had e43f07d093 already been 2312ef0cda somewhat concerned d2c8bb0da9 after hearing b0ce598bfb that Beatrice 9f87bc138a had spent 5d9394b6cd the afternoon 190c7ebe4b sleeping. It reminded 8adcef8289 her of f006bcc06f a friend 6eea38e3cd who had 8aed407679 experienced postpartum 9e57b65e84 depression a b947bdb1b4 few years e8168b6cd7 ago. That friend, f085cf887d now much 4c378c2f31 better thanks 6c04f72482 to her a0eb8157ff husband and 2ee97a4acd therapy, had e4e8ba95f2 described feeling eb2aa543d2 utterly drained 04b0a1611e during that 623912d5f7 time.55aec7fadb2d094c

Her moods had swung d29f5114b4 wildly, sometimes becoming violent, bc84a6e220 and after spending all 346c0cbf32 her energy, she would 0b822ab2d8 sleep for days on 7d38e3a317 end.44ced5b3d230e641

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Beatrice’s tendency to sleep longer than usual was something Agatha had noticed. Even for a noblewoman with little to do, sleeping nearly twelve hours a day was excessive. Most of her waking hours were spent gazing blankly out the window if she had no tasks to occupy her. Anyone observing her would recognize that something was amiss.093fbc48fdff6c31

The family ate quietly. Beatrice mechanically placed food in her mouth as though it were a duty. Her two brothers occasionally cast confused glances her way, but these were intercepted by Agatha’s pointed look.72dd7cd3da4177ef

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“Take her somewhere tomorrow,”her gaze conveyed clearly.a77fa892ed957e10

Both brothers 9595136391 understood their ebb2a4685a mother’s intentions, fd3b7ea6f4 but their ab677911d3 faces betrayed 880dc9c3a8 their reluctance. A silent 2641b03ed0 battle of e56feca01e who would b94467e56c take on 4cf8352773 the responsibility 6eda43b505 began. Felix, still 8bba199677 uneasy after 85eacfed11 his recent 7e0b4e85ad misstep with ca26393d6e Beatrice, desperately 41ae3192df emphasized his 4d5370e03a own busyness, 2bd5fc2991 hoping to eb36d3dae5 shift the 2426a64e6d burden onto b7758aa8b8 Calrex.fc5f9a5d34ea53f7

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Though his protests were 2657160872 unconvincing, his fervor seemed f68bea4ec3 to work. Calrex eventually sighed, 66ba509817 conceding. With the hectic eb95354bf0 start of the a09b4bca18 year behind him, 207c27ed72 carving out half 4dee2b2b56 a day wasn’t 72663b02bf impossible.b10b32f745d892a8

“Beatrice,” he said.0194b6d97085b3f1

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“Yes?”68d0be1ff69baee6

Her response was prompt, 1248b16670 as always. She only hesitated when f482cc3de8 she needed time to a7b2d5c841 consider her answer. Calrex, his thoughts 7a8f820d3d written plainly on f98c633b3c his face, hesitated 761dc4821c before continuing.c23ba4bf4e880134

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“How about we go horseback riding tomorrow?”71a49e04dda9f541

Horseback riding. Beatrice thought 7fdfa3636a about it. She was 305f881a8e well aware a129720207 of her f7f030bd3b sluggish state c16b124834 and initially 75b53dce19 intended to dc248dcccb agree quickly, 27b9b2287d but even ff73876add this felt 767b9feae3 tiresome. As her silence stretched, 8fe19f660d Agatha intervened.2e50a3fa353c49eb

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“Yes, that sounds lovely. The weather’s been so pleasant lately—it’ll do you good.”a76b2e61399e63f9

With the duchess’s encouragement, 9949bfe3c8 Beatrice finally nodded once 12e0e33514 but added something unexpected.6fb4990f05dc2fed

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