The knight narrowed his eyes but seemed to be thinking if her solution would be acceptable to his master or not. Then his eyes widened, and an unkind smile spread across his face. “Fine then, acting countess. I will pass on Duke Brendwald’s message to you instead.”

Lianna clasped her hands together in front of her waist to keep them from trembling. She nodded with a polite smile on her face. “I’m glad to hear that. Otherwise, we would have had to send you away before you’d completed your assignment. I’ve heard that Duke Brendwald doesn’t take kindly to those who fail to complete the tasks he gives them.” The knight’s smile faded at her subtle threat. At the very least, he didn’t seem sure about whether she could have carried through with it or not. “Harrace, leave us, and keep the others from entering the foyer for the time being.”

“Miss, you can’t–”

“Harrace, this is an order, not a request. You can stay just outside. I will call if I need you.” She had to be firm, just as if she were truly the countess.

Harrace seemed to sense her need for authority in front of the knight. “As you wish, miss.” He bowed despite his face still showing that he clearly wished she’d reconsider. 

Sorry Harrace. I don’t want anyone hearing what this knight has to say just yet. Her bad feeling had only doubled now that the knight had agreed to speak with her, sneering as if she were walking into a trap, but at least she didn’t think the knight would go out of his way to harm her directly.

“So, what does your master wish my father to know?” she asked when Harrace had moved into the hallway and shut the door behind him. She stayed on the landing, forcing the knight to look up at her.

“Duke Brendwald seeks an answer to the request that was delivered earlier.” The knight continued to smile. It seemed he knew the contents of that previous request. “He is understanding that the count has been unwell, so he has sent me to find out whether an answer has been sent yet or not, and if not, to return with one.”

Lianna’s heart pounded in her chest. She was thankful that there was no way the knight could hear it. So he’s been sent here to get a reply and won’t leave until we give him one? This was quite different from her visions. Acquiring her had almost been an afterthought it seemed, something that was not in the forefront of Brendwald’s mind until he had seen her at her debut. But obviously, something had redirected his interests, shining a clear focus on her. Her uneasiness over the last few days now seemed warranted. The last place she wanted to be was within Brendwald’s sights.

“No reply has been sent yet due to my father’s health,” she answered, mostly truthfully. Her father was still following the actions she was familiar with. He was simply putting the request away until he was forced to answer. But it was true enough that his health was part of that reason. Only now, the forcing had come much earlier.

“I see. Then, I should meet with him and get his answer to take back with me. That will surely solve the issue.” The knight took a step towards the stairs as if he would march right up to her father’s bedroom.

Lianna stepped towards the knight, coming to stand in his way just two steps above him. “I will not let anyone disturb him. Without his rest, he will only become more ill. If you wish to get his answer, then you’ll have to make a request for a time to see him and come back another day.” She swallowed as her voice almost cracked towards the end.

The knight leaned forward as if to press her, but she did not flinch and would not move. He frowned and stepped back. “I see I’ve come at a bad time.” His cruel smile returned. “But miss, you are the acting countess today. Surely you could give an answer to the request. You do know the nature of the request, correct?”

“I do.” Lianna might be able to bend the truth, but she couldn’t lie outright to a knight of Brendwald. She knew from the clammy chill that settled on her face that she’d lost all color in her cheeks at the thought of the knight pressing her for the answer.

“I see. Then you know how generous His Grace’s offer is and how favorably he looks upon you, young miss. I have been given permission to say that he is willing to be even more generous than was mentioned before. I already admire His Grace, but hearing him say he is willing to raise up and save the family of a poverty-stricken count makes me admire him all the more. And surely you’re a dutiful daughter who would welcome such generosity to save her family?”

The knight’s sly words caused bile to sting the back of Lianna’s throat. But more than that, she couldn’t help but feel her anger rising as well. “And who are you to judge me so, you who are lower than a count? Poor or not, my family still has the right to decide our actions, and while the duke may be showing much generosity, we will still weigh our decision ourselves. As a dutiful daughter, I know when not to overstep my bounds while acting in the count’s stead.” Lianna gazed down at the knight whose expression had turned dark. “I’ll let my father know what you’ve said. We’ll contact you soon to give our answer.”

The knight’s jaw muscles twitched. “One week, young miss. I’ll be staying at the inn. I’ll wait there. If you have not contacted me within a week, I will return, and I will meet with the count. Please inform him of the day so that he may be well rested before then.” The knight didn’t wait for Lianna’s reply but turned on his heel and left.

Lianna stood frozen on the stairs until she heard the sound of horse hooves fading into the distance. She took a step down, but her knees buckled. She fell into a sitting position on the stairs, her hand clasping the railing uselessly.