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When the carriage came to a stop in front of the gates of the south tower, Rhapsody was surprised to have the door opened by none other than the marquis himself.

"Welcome back, milady." After helping his pet down, Mihail was about to ask where she had gone when he detected a rather undesirable scent clinging distastefully to her skin. A man. Even worse, a man who with a seeming obsession with the women of his family. First it had been Zari, his brother's heartkeeper, and now Rhapsody?

Rhapsody belatedly noticed the hardened expression on the marquis' face. "Master?"

"Is there anything you'd like to tell me, milady?"An icy black rage had started consuming him from within, and it controlled his thoughts and words. Even dictated the way his heart was thudding against his chest.

"There is a missing tourist—-"

"Aside from that."

"I bought you a gift—-"

"I don't give a damn if you bought me a fucking gift."It was like hearing another being speak using his own voice, his rage taking a life of its own."So I am asking you one last time. Is there anything you wish to say?"

Rhapsody had a hard time thinking clearly. "You truly do not care that I bought you a gift?"

"Goddammit, Rhapsody."

Her heart threatened to break. It was only the second time he had called her name, but now...it didn't...it wasn't what it used to be.

"The g-gift—-" She stopped speaking when she saw the blaze of anger in the marquis' eyes.

The rage in him saw no reason.Why did she keep on harping about that fucking gift? Why wouldn't she just tell him she had been with Lord Erou?He hadn't thought to ask why she had suddenly needed to visit her therapist yesterday, but what if that boy was the reason? What if that was why she could not answer him now, knowing that heartkeeping forbade any words of dishonesty between them?

He felt like he was about to explode, and it was only when he actually started a threatening step towards his pet and saw Rhapsody flinch as if she believed he would hit her—-

NO!

It was like waking up from a nightmare, reality extinguishing the rage in a blinding instant, but in its ashes despair whipped out.

Was this, he realized sickly,how he would end up hurting her without meaning to?

Rhapsody was stunned when the marquis turned his back on her and began walking away.

"Master?"

She waited for him to look back. To return to her side. She waited the whole night just to see him again and know that things would be fine once more.

But he never did.

And it was then she knew.

This tremendous pain that couldn't be anything else...

This pain that came from nowhere to rip her world apart and have her heart break into pieces...

She knew now.

She had her answer.

But it was as Lady Aurora said, and Rhapsody wished with all her heart such a moment had never come.

Chapter Fourteen

Mihail watched Rhapsody's silhouette cross the curtained windows in his bedchamber as dawn painted over the last mile of darkness in the skies. He had spent the entire night in Amstel Woods, keeping the other patrol guards company while his gaze strayed every so often to the south tower. It had been almost two in the morning when she retired, and now she was up again a mere three hours later. Sleep was probably his pet's only indulgence, and so for her to rise even before the sun had reclaimed its throne...

He had hurt her unforgivably last night,Mihail thought bleakly.