After putting the mana sliver back in the drawer, hiding it between the pages of the 'Beginner Knight's Manual', Reynard remained in the study for a little longer.
He only put the book down when his eyelids grew heavy and a feeling of sleepiness began to take over his body.
Stretching, Reynard rose from the chair and left the room, feeling heavy.
He still had some problems to solve; however, the solutions weren't immediate, so it was unnecessary to suffer in advance.
Walking down the gloomy corridor, his footsteps echoed off the stone walls, while the soft illumination of the torches in the hallway created a peaceful yet oppressive atmosphere.
Passing the kitchen, he didn't see Lydia or Eleanor nearby.
'Are they already asleep?' Shaking his head, he continued down the corridor until he found a spiral staircase that led to the castle's second floor.
Without hesitation, he went up.
As he walked down the corridor, a slightly ajar door seemed extremely inviting in the middle of the night. Reynard stopped his steps. He turned his body and looked in that direction with a curious expression.
This was Eleanor's room.
'Did she forget to lock the door?'
The soft yellowish light escaped through the crack, gently illuminating the dark corridor.
'The candle in her room is still lit… Is she awake?'
As if answering his thoughts, the door creaked suddenly as a hand emerged, opening it completely, exposing the room's interior.
"Master Reynard, I don't think peeking into a woman's room is appropriate." A familiar voice sounded as Eleanor emerged from inside.
She was still wearing the same clothes, only having removed her apron, and a small notebook was in her hands.
Looking at the content, she seemed to be listing the supplies she needed to buy for the trip. Even though it was late at night, she remained so dedicated, and this made Reynard nod internally in approval.
She was putting in the effort.
"I wasn't peeking. You were the one who left the door open." He replied casually, shrugging as he faced Eleanor with a smile.
Eleanor approached him with a strange expression. Although her lips parted and closed a few times, she didn't say anything.
Reynard also didn't bother to say anything and just stood there, facing her. The corridor became completely silent, the cold breeze blowing lightly through the hallway carried by the current of air.
Reynard's gaze briefly captured the flames above her head.
It was glowing.
If before they were in a blue hue with some parts burning pink, now the flame was completely pink.
'What happened?'
This left him confused.
They had clearly just accidentally bumped into each other in the corridor, and he didn't recall doing or saying anything to justify her flames being in that state.
The conversation earlier with Eleanor in his study didn't seem to have such a great effect; yet now it seemed that was not really the case.
Reynard continued looking curiously, but the flame atop Eleanor's head continued burning, ignoring any external wind or his assumptions.
Eleanor bit her lips, oblivious to Reynard's thoughts and what he was seeing. Her expression seemed conflicted. It was as if she were deciding something very important at the moment, yet was still hesitating.
The encounter earlier had awakened some thoughts in Eleanor that Reynard couldn't imagine.
"Master Reynard… Do you want to come into my room? I need to talk to you about something that has been bothering me…"
After noticing that Reynard wasn't making any move, Eleanor whispered as she grabbed the hem of her dress, her fingers squeezing and twisting the fabric with apprehension.
Her head was lowered, hiding her expression, but it was obvious that she was thinking about something at that moment, and this made Reynard even more curious. Especially because of the color of the flame. Something was happening.
"Of course. Let's talk in your room." Reynard replied, walking past Eleanor and entering her room without hesitation. Although Eleanor's body trembled slightly for a moment, she quickly followed behind him.
When the two were inside the room, Eleanor pressed her back against the door, closing it gently while facing him in the eyes.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds, but no one said anything.
Eleanor became even more anxious.
She remained leaning against the door, her arms hidden behind her body. Her eyes looked misty at that moment, while her rigid expression gave way to a determined one with a slight reddish hue.
"What do you want to talk about?" Reynard sat on the edge of her bed, asking casually. His eyes were still watching the flame's behavior; yet his tone was calmer now.
Eleanor felt a shiver.
Although Reynard's intense gaze was causing tingling sensations, she tried to ignore them. Clearing her throat, Eleanor whispered, "Master Reynard, I have something to ask you. Do you promise to be honest when you answer me?"
Her voice was a whisper that broke the darkness of the room. At that moment, Eleanor's figure looked a little fragile.
"Just ask what you want to ask, and I will try to answer." Reynard shrugged, a smile playing on his lips. He didn't know what was going through Eleanor's mind, but the flame on her head was giving him some clear ideas.
He would be a swine if he didn't know what was happening now.
"A month ago, when you took me and my daughter in… did you have ulterior motives?" Eleanor finally clenched her fists, facing Reynard with a firm look as she asked softly.
Hearing this, Reynard was a little surprised.
"Ulterior motives?" He murmured, suppressing the reflex to answer 'yes'.
It had to be said, but this pair of mother and daughter were not part of the castle, nor did they know the original Reynard. It was he who had taken the two in at a time of need.
He genuinely didn't have ulterior motives at that time. At least not the ulterior motives she imagined.
It was just that… the few servants in the castle were all dead.
The original Reynard had two guards and a servant responsible for domestic chores, but they were also dead. No one else was left in the castle. They had died mysteriously.
There was no bloody mess, and everything seemed very natural. Whoever killed them, they had done it more than once and cleanly.
Regarding these deaths, Reynard suspected it might have been the work of that mysterious figure from the Shadow Cult, yet he had dismissed the idea when they returned to meet him in the following days.
They seemed to suspect nothing when they saw him alive
If the figure had killed everyone in the castle and found Reynard well, they would logically have suspected him. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
This was the greatest proof.
Of course, he didn't discard the possibility of the figure faking it and waiting for a better moment. After all, the original Reynard was already dead, and he could be being monitored at that moment.
However, no matter how much he tried to think of the other party's motives, he couldn't figure it out. And that was what he feared the most, so he wasn't completely confident in his hypotheses.
But there was also the possibility that Reynard himself had killed his own people. People's intentions could change, especially the original Reynard, who had joined the Shadow Cult for simple reasons of gaining more power.
He might simply not recall having killed his servants.
"Master Reynard?" Eleanor called softly when she saw him quiet. Was he really considering this? Eleanor felt her heart would jump out of her mouth.
Realizing he was distracted, Reynard shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside and turning his attention back to Eleanor with a smile: "There were no ulterior motives at that time. When I saw two figures in need, I had to reach out and help them. I couldn't stand idly by and watch a beautiful widow and her daughter sleeping on the street."
Reynard's tone seemed quite convincing, yet Eleanor rolled her eyes when she heard this, pouting slightly.
"Please, Master Reynard, I'm being serious here!" She moved away from the door and walked slowly to the bed, stopping in front of him with a serious expression.
A floral scent entered Reynard's nose, making him tingle.
He could see her curvy figure even closer, hidden in the shadows the room cast over her body. Her slender waist in the dress gave her a perfect hourglass shape, and her wide hips let his imagination run wild.
Facing Reynard with a misty look, Eleanor slowly parted her lips, whispering: "I am willing to serve you as you wish. I only ask that you take care of my daughter from now on, and I will give you everything you desire."
'Oh?' Reynard frowned upon hearing this, re-evaluating Eleanor.
He didn't need to think much about what she said.
Did this woman want to use her body to satisfy him? All this to maintain her status as a maid in his castle, avoiding returning to the streets with her daughter and facing the difficult life of misery that plagued the commoners?
It seemed this maid was overthinking things...
"Are you saying you intend to serve me with your body if I promise to take care of your daughter?" Reynard asked mysteriously: "Do you truly believe this is the only way to guarantee your future?"
"…"
Eleanor didn't answer.
She closed her eyes for an instant, as if she could, for a brief second, escape reality.
'If I do this, I can never go back.'
The idea resonated in her mind like thunder.
As her hand reached for the strap of her dress, a knot of anxiety grew in her stomach.
She raised her arm and her fingers grabbed the strap, slowly sliding it down her white and tender shoulder. Some small black moles appeared as the fabric slipped off her shoulder, giving a unique charm to her mature figure.
"I don't know if this is the only way, but it was the way I found…" She didn't finish speaking when she let the strap of the dress gently fall, exposing the upper part of her breasts.
Reynard was slightly stunned by the sight.
The flame burned atop Eleanor's head, emitting a pink glow that seemed to be the only source of light in the dark room. The light source that only Reynard could see.
Before he could answer, Eleanor advanced, her lips moving temptingly closer to his. Reynard felt the heat of her breath and her sweet floral perfume.
For a second, he let himself get carried away by the moment.
Eleanor pushed him onto the bed, falling on top of him while her warm lips began to explore his neck, seemingly starved for attention.
"Wait." Reynard grabbed her shoulders, putting a small distance between the two.
Eleanor stopped for a moment, a mix of surprise and disappointment in her eyes.
"Am I not beautiful enough? Does my body not please you, or is the problem my age?" Eleanor murmured. One of her hands was covering her breasts with the dress, the strap dangerously falling to the side. If she let go, her breasts would be free to feel the night air as they came into the world.
Reynard could perceive the anguish and uncertainty behind her words. With a sigh, he straightened up on the bed, looking directly into her eyes.
"It's none of that." His voice was calm. "But are you sure you want to surrender yourself to guarantee your daughter's future?"
Eleanor seemed to hesitate for a moment.
She was doing this because she was afraid of being discarded by Reynard and having to return to the streets with her daughter.
Reynard's castle was the fire in the darkness, so she needed to ensure Reynard needed her. Even if it meant using other means that she didn't initially agree with.
Nevertheless, even using these means, she was still refused by him.
After formulating this thought, she felt a sudden mysterious impulse and decided to try to make things happen today. Now a bit of clarity was returned to her thoughts, and she realized what she was doing, shame taking over her.
How could she be so dirty?
Reynard continued in a calm voice: "I don't want this to happen just out of impulse, or some obligation you feel." Despite saying this, Reynard's gaze was fixed on the pink flame, assessing its behavior with curiosity.
Eleanor's expression softened as she absorbed his words.
She moved closer, sitting next to him on the bed. Her hands, still covering her breasts with the dress, tightened even more around them, a small ravine forming between the two snow-white peaks.
"You're right." She murmured, oblivious to her appearance. "I was letting my own insecurity guide me. I apologize for that."
Her rigid expression returned for a moment, realizing that what she had done had crossed the line.
She continued holding her breasts with one hand, and with the other free hand she reached to put the dress strap back in place, wanting to cover herself, looking embarrassed by her current situation.
But she couldn't pull up the dress strap.
Her actions were stopped by a strong hand…
Lifting her head, Eleanor looked at Reynard, feeling a shiver run through her body. A misty cloud took over her mind again, and her thoughts became confused.
She didn't know what was happening, but she felt something inside her burning more intensely.
At that moment, Reynard was like a wolf facing a rabbit.
His gaze was hungry, forcing Eleanor to lower her head in shyness.
"Now that you are aware of it, I accept your body…" Reynard whispered with a malicious smile, pushing her down onto the bed.
"Master Reynard…"