The Crimson Throne

Elaine stared at the stubby young man momentarily before glancing away, pinching her forehead. "For your daughter's welfare, I hope you are true to your words." She waved his dismissal. Elaine's experience with Paraveas rendered her suspicious that he could reform his gambling addiction as promised. However, she had already fulfilled her side of the bargain and would have no more obligation toward Agnes Rossi and her family.

Elaine entered the manor as the carriage carried Paraveas outside the Croix estate. She then dismissed everyone inside her quarters and started paging through her journal. After half an hour, she returned the journal to the hidden compartment.

Nothing.

She sighed and rested her forehead on her palms, closing her eyes to quell the exhaustion. On the surface, the timeline was progressing as planned. Yet underneath the smooth sailing, details of events and characters Elaine once thought she knew were spiraling outside her grasp. The cogwheels of fate seemed to move toward the intended destination. However, based on previous situations, she could always stumble into an unforeseen conspiracy and accelerate Estella's demise. The original plot had determined the House of Croix's downfall a few months after Estella turned nineteen, and Elaine had no desire to change its path.

Laeticia de Sabran's case had transformed into a situation beyond her control and comprehension. Reflecting on the events, Elaine was confident someone else assisted Isabella de Valois in her revenge. Was the individual an accomplice or the mastermind? What was the meaning behind the Valois mistress' last words? How did the fire start? She repeated the questions in her mind, but no one could answer her.

Elaine reopened her eyes and lifted her head, turning to look outside the antechamber window. From her current location, she could see the looming Summer Manor. Elaine surmised the commotion had exploded to a level the Duke would not ignore. Despite his perceived apathy toward conflicts between the mistresses, Gerard had eyes scattered throughout the estate to monitor everyone's actions. The women were instruments in his game of influence with other noble Houses, and he preferred to maintain the facade of stability.

Elaine understood the Duke had seen her interest and investigation of Laeticia's death as nothing more than a child's pastime for amusement. He would allow her meddling as long as she did not stir too much tumult in his playhouse. However, they both could not foresee the fiery ending. The flames ignited from the corpses were far from ordinary since neither Isabella nor Azalea were magic users. Someone had disturbed the delicate balance and created disorders among the mistresses. The Duke of Geris deemed such brazen insolence unforgivable under his iron fist rule.

Gerard would investigate the incident. However, would he share the information with her? Elaine chewed her lips, pondering her options. Should she continue vying for influence in the estate and risk sinking deeper into the conspiracy? She wanted to gain the Duke's confidence through several avenues, and settling his harem's conflicts was one of the more straightforward methods. However, Elaine might have unwittingly walked into a quicksand. Whoever was creating disturbances among the mistresses would become a threat to the House of Croix and herself. Since Elaine's soul resided inside the Duke's daughter's body, the individual might also view her as a target for elimination. She did not wish to fight against a dangerous, yet unknown enemy.

For now, her safest option was to adopt a wait-and-see position. However, backing out would demonstrate incompetence and weakness. If she got spooked after only a minor incident, how could she convince Gerard she was capable and could handle his critical schemes? Estella's participation far exceeded an obedient puppet in the original story. Thus, she, too, could not afford to be complacent.

The sounds of wings flapping drew Elaine's attention to the trees surrounding the manor. Some birds perched high on the trees' branches, while others disappeared into the distance. Again, she felt peculiar staring into the winged creatures' beady eyes. It was like someone had placed Elaine under surveillance, watching her every movement. Given the dangerous world she had settled in, it would not be a wild notion to believe. Though Elaine had no evidence, she trusted her increasingly acute intuition.

Based on previous encounters, the birds were not her enemies, for they had saved her on multiple occasions. Yet, she was unsure if they were her friends. Who controlled those dark, marbled eyes, and what was their purpose? Gerard had accumulated many enemies through his years in the royal court, and on the battlefield, any of his foes or even allies could be the originator. Elaine shook her head and turned back to the writing desk. Her issues were numerous, and she had no time to investigate the birds. Because they had yet to harm her, Elaine reasoned that she temporarily needed not to worry. Her primary focus should be to achieve the same ending as the original storyline. Only then, perhaps, could she return home and leave these traumatic experiences behind. Someone or something had dragged Elaine into this world against her will, and she had no desire to stay.

She heaved a sigh and massaged her temples to subdue the incoming migraine. Since the beginning, Elaine had treaded on thin ice with each step. She had always been careful, trying to avoid dangers. However, when she participated in the Croix estate's power struggle, Elaine realized her path would soon become even more arduous. Yet, her only option was to continue, for retreating might cause her never to meet her beloved parents again.