The merchant guild controlled every merchant association across the kingdom. Anyone who wished to buy or sell goods needed the guild’s approval first. Filled with wealthy aristocrats, the guild looked down on ordinary merchants as if they were beneath them.

But none of that mattered to Elion. He was not some powerless merchant the guild could casually sneer at. As the head of House Goldleaf, his influence and wealth rivaled even the most prestigious noble families in the kingdom. He conducted a completely successful negotiation with them without running into any trouble, even if the delicate process had taken him a few days.

Today, he had finally returned to the estate.

Now, he sat alone in his study, reviewing documents. The room was dimly lit by a single desk lamp and the pale glow of the moonlight slipping through the open windows.

He finished one document, set it aside, and picked up the next one. His fingers were just about to open it when a sudden gust of wind swept through the window, lifting the heavy curtains. His neatly pinned black hair loosened slightly, several strands falling across his forehead. He set the document down and casually ran his fingers through his hair, pushing the strands back into place.

Then he turned his gaze toward the window. The moon hung bright in the night sky, pouring silver light across the floor. He stared at it for a long, silent moment.

Finally, he stood up from his chair and walked over to the hanger by the door. He grabbed his long coat, slipped it over his shoulders, and left the study. Descending the manor’s grand staircase, he quietly slipped out through the back door.

***

A little earlier, Evandria had gone to see Veronica. She had something she wanted to ask her, and it also gave her an excuse to walk the halls, to feel less like a prisoner in her own home.

Now she stood in the main hall, having just said goodbye to Veronica, when a perfume’s scent washed over her. Fresh like morning air after a light spring rain, soft and delicate, with a gentle hint of jasmine.

She knew that scent well. It was Elion’s perfume. The one he always wore.

She looked around for him, but he was nowhere in sight. Then her gaze landed on the back door of the mansion. It was slightly open.

Did he go to the vineyard again?

She stood there, staring at the open door, caught between two choices.

Should I follow him this time?

No. Why should I care what he does there? He can do whatever he wants.

She turned away and began climbing the stairs. One step. Two. Three. But then she stopped. Her hand tightened on the railing.

But what if he really is doing something dangerous there?

A quiet unease crept into her chest. She turned around. And before she could argue with herself any further, she walked toward that open door and stepped into the night.

***

The vineyard was quiet, rows of vines stretching beneath the moonlight. The air was much chillier here, but Elion was nowhere in sight. She stepped further inside.

“Where is he…” Evandria whispered under her breath.

She moved deeper between the vines. And then, not far ahead, she saw him.

Evandria quickly slipped behind a tree, hiding herself. From there, she watched Elion. He was standing silently in front of someone’s grave, his eyes fixed on the name carved into the headstone.

Sofien

Beloved wife of Elion 

Seeing that name, Evandria’s heart filled with quiet sadness, but she was also a little surprised. She had not known that Elion’s first wife shared the same name as her sister.

But what surprised her next was the rare display of emotion from Elion.

After a long while, he knelt and took off his gloves, then gently touched the stone, his eyes growing vacant in the moonlight’s reflection. Tears began to form, pooling at the edges of his eyes. His lips moved as he spoke something, his voice low.

What is he saying? I can’t hear anything.

Evandria strained forward, but the wind carried his words away. She bit her lip. Should I go closer? No... if I go any closer, I’ll get caught. I’ll just watch from here.

After a moment, Elion stopped speaking. He slowly stood up, put his gloves back on, and stared at the headstone for a few more seconds.

Then, without turning around, he said calmly, “I know you are there. Why don’t you come out?”

His calm, freezing voice cut sharply through the absolute silence of the graveyard.

Hearing that, Evandria’s heart skipped. Her eyes widened in pure panic.

Oh no... I’ve been caught.

Her breath stuck in her throat.

But… how does he know I’m here?