Usually, Raguel took some extra classes and disappeared from the mansion during the afternoons. No one knew exactly where he went or what he did during those hours; his activities remained wrapped in a small mystery.
He was the only one of the five candidates who went out constantly. Since he didn't have to give explanations to anyone, his behavior contrasted sharply with Lucrecia's meticulous discipline. Even being so different, Delilah couldn't help but think that both were a fairly similar nuisance.
That night, she had made considerable progress with the preparations for the big party. The merit, in reality, was not her dedication, but her desire to avoid thinking about the past few days. Finally, she ended up taking refuge in the library, with the silent excuse of resting for a bit.
The room was illuminated by dim lamps and surrounded by enormous windows from which the dark sky could be seen, completely void of stars. Small drops of water slid down the glass as if it had been raining outside, tracing irregular paths over the pane.
Delilah walked slowly through the room. It was not a place she visited frequently. The number of books seemed endless. The long shelves stretched in deep rows that were lost in the shadows, forming a silent labyrinth of dark wood and aged pages.
Finally, she picked a book at random, barely checking the title before letting her body fall onto one of the padded armchairs. The atmosphere was peaceful. With the soft sound of rain hitting the windows and the silence that dominated the library, it wasn't long before sleep began to slowly take hold of her.
She probably would have ended up fast asleep... if the admirable son of the Barons Asselin had not opened the library door with such force that a sudden draft of air ran through the entire room.
—I finally found you.
His entrance was so dramatic that it seemed like the calculated appearance of an actor in the middle of a stage. Raguel's tall figure cast a long shadow over the library floor. His aristocratic bearing and confident presence made it practically impossible to ignore him.
When he approached, he took a seat near Delilah with total naturalness. She continued looking at the book she held in her hands, feigning disinterest in everything happening around her.
—There is nothing interesting here —she finally murmured.
Her voice sounded bored, but she still closed the book and set it aside to pay attention to him. She had a feeling that this direct man had come to talk about something she preferred not to hear.
Raguel sighed as he leaned back comfortably against the sofa's backrest. For a moment, he seemed not to know how to begin.
—I have always been curious to know what happened to Cain's fiancée.
Delilah's calm expression disappeared in an instant. Raguel continued talking as if he hadn't noticed the change.
—Cain was the heir to the Salieri county. Doesn't it seem absurd to you? —he commented with a slight gesture of incredulity—. Giving up everything for a woman.
He crossed one leg over the other as he spoke.
—My father is Baron Asselin. Lucrecia's parents are the Viscounts Reines. But none of us will inherit those titles.
He shrugged with a carefree smile.
—I am simply the son of a baron.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
—Cain, on the other hand, is different.
What Raguel was saying was no secret. All of Kevland society knew that story perfectly well. Even so, it was always difficult to believe that the prodigious Salieri heir had made such an... irrational decision.
—Even after being removed, that man is still full of himself —Raguel continued—. Now he has even captured the attention of the duke's granddaughter.
His green eyes shone with evident curiosity.
—Count Salieri might reconsider his firstborn if he manages to get engaged to Eilith.
Then he looked at her directly.
—Does he really want to reject that woman?
He paused briefly before adding:
—Why?
Delilah rose from the armchair. She had no intention of continuing to think about something that only managed to make her feel uncomfortable.
—I think you should ask Cain personally —she responded coldly while walking toward the exit—. I cannot know what he is thinking.
Raguel tried to stop her, but Delilah was already heading toward the door with quick steps, as if staying one more second in that room were unbearable. She didn't seem to have any intention of listening to a single additional word.
For an instant, the young Asselin stood watching the closed door, analyzing what had just happened. Perhaps he had misinterpreted her intentions. Her reaction had been unexpected. Despite the indifference she usually showed at all times, Delilah had reacted like someone fleeing from something they prefer not to face. That silent flight was too evident.
And if Delilah believed the matter would end there simply by showing reluctance... then she was a much more naive girl than he had imagined.
The next two days passed in a strange silence. Delilah maintained her usual behavior within the mansion. She finished her meals quickly and disappeared almost immediately into the kitchen under the pretext of helping with the party preparations, avoiding staying too long in any place where she might run into the others.
However, at the end of each day, her steps inevitably led her to the library. Raguel knew it.
During the first two days, he decided not to intervene. He thought that if he left her alone long enough, she would probably end up sleeping there among the books as if she didn't have her own room within the mansion.
It was on the third night when he decided to appear. And he didn't arrive alone.
The young Asselin entered the library accompanied by one of the kitchen staff, a girl Delilah knew quite well. In reality, she had a good relationship with most of the mansion's staff; she used to talk to them naturally, as if the social barrier separating servants from guests didn't exist.
Raguel had noticed that small detail for some time. And he had also reached a fairly simple conclusion. If he appeared accompanied by that girl, Delilah would not leave the library... and she wouldn't refuse dinner either. Of course, he was not wrong.
—It seems I have been misunderstood —Raguel commented with a conciliatory smile as he took a seat beside her on the sofa.
His tone was calm, almost carefree, but he leaned slightly toward her, as if wishing to ensure his words were heard clearly.
—I was a bit bold last time —he added softly—. Delilah, I want to apologize.
The young woman looked up briefly before accepting the cup of tea that the servant offered with both hands.
—Thank you —she murmured.
The atmosphere still felt strange, as if the memory of their previous discussion still floated between them, but Delilah decided to stay in her place.
—I ordered this cake especially for you —Raguel continued naturally, pointing to the tray the servant held—. I hope you like it.
Following his instructions, the young woman placed the colorful dessert on the coffee table and cut a small slice, placing it carefully on a plate in front of Delilah. Then she served another cup of tea for Raguel and, after a polite bow, withdrew silently from the room.
In a situation like that, Delilah couldn't simply leave everything on the table and walk away as she had done last time. Besides... it had been a long time since she had tasted a dessert like that. It would be a true waste to pretend she had no appetite.
Delilah looked up at Raguel, still holding the warm cup in her hands. He returned a calm smile. Then, suddenly, he leaned toward her.
His movement was so fast that Delilah barely had time to react when she felt the soft brush of his face, a closeness that lasted only an instant. But Raguel's green eyes were not on her. They were fixed on the library entrance.
There, among the shadows of the hallway, a figure watched from a distance.
Lucrecia.
The daughter of the Viscounts Reines possessed many virtues... but discretion was definitely not one of them. When she finally took a step back to hide, it was already too late. Raguel's provocation had hit the mark exactly.
The shadow disappeared from the hallway.
Then Raguel leaned back on the sofa with absolute tranquility, as if nothing had happened, and turned his gaze back to Delilah. The young woman seemed completely paralyzed by the sudden closeness.
—I'm sorry —he said naturally.
Delilah looked down quickly and brought the cup to her lips, trying to hide the slight blush beginning to appear on her face while taking a small sip of tea.
—I don't want to bother you again —Raguel continued with a more serene tone—. Forgive me if I drew hasty conclusions about Cain. That night I overheard your conversation... by chance.
Delilah's mood seemed to relax a bit upon hearing that. She understood that her previous reaction had been exaggerated. Cain already possessed a rather complicated reputation within society, and she had no intention of contributing to the rumors circulating around him.
Raguel rested an arm on the sofa's backrest, adopting a more relaxed posture as he distractedly observed the library shelves.
—I'm sure even you have wondered why we were chosen.
It was a doubt that all the candidates surely shared. But Delilah had never thought too much about it. In her mind, that story would end exactly as it had begun: she would leave the mansion with nothing.
—I think there is something in particular that connects the five of us —Raguel continued thoughtfully—, though there is one detail I have never managed to understand.
He turned his head toward her.
—Between the prodigious Cain... and me.
An ironic smile appeared on his face.
—I fail to see any similarity.
Delilah looked down for a moment. She felt slightly guilty for having considered his concerns absurd. From the start, that situation had never really been simple, and it was completely natural for Raguel to want to understand what was happening within the mansion.
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