Chapter 56

Chapter 56

“A patient? I’ve been fine for ages!”

Rose bristled at being called a patient for the second time in a row, but she forced herself to calm down and get to the point.

“I still haven’t told you what I saw in the ring. It’s already been three days—”

She didn’t get to finish.

James had closed the distance between them without her realizing, and now he stood right in front of her, his large, warm hand resting against her cheek.

Every nerve in her body lit up where he touched her. Staring into those piercingly blue eyes, seeing herself reflected there, Rose forgot how to breathe.

“You’re not dizzy? Your stomach doesn’t hurt?”

His question was quiet, patient, as he checked on her once more. Rose responded with an emphatic shake of her head.

“I’m perfectly fine. I’m so sick of soup that I want to tear into a thick steak, so stop worrying.”

James gave her a regretful smile as he let his hand fall away and stepped back.

“No matter what excuse you give, I’d like nothing more than to put you back in bed and make you rest for a full month. But I’m sure you’d hate me for it.”

His smile turned wry, but Rose was having none of it.

“Listen to me. I want to share what I saw in that ring as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the greater the chance there’ll be another victim.”

Her voice was firm, her eyes unwavering. James nodded slowly.

“Understood. I have something I need to share with you as well.”

“Good. Then what I saw in the ring was—”

“How long does it usually take you to pack for a trip?”

He cut her off with the question so abruptly she blinked.

“Huh? What?”

“How much time do you need to prepare to travel?”

Travel? She could only stare at him, questions piling up in her mind.

James’s expression didn’t waver.

“Yes, travel. If I can’t keep you in bed, then we’re going on a recuperation trip. I think a month would be ideal.”

“Wait, a whole month? That’s too long! We can’t do that! We need to investigate Betty’s case and start looking for that girl—”

But James didn’t bother arguing. He simply checked his pocket watch and spoke as if planning everything himself.

“Time’s a bit tight. Let’s meet again in an hour. Whatever you don’t pack, we’ll buy when we get there.”

“Wait! James! You can’t just decide this on your own!”

Rose’s voice was rising in frustration.

Before she could protest further, that familiar warm, woodsy scent closed in on her. She felt something soft and hot press lightly against her cheek.

James’s lips.

He kissed her gently but firmly, as if sealing a letter, then his voice dropped to a husky whisper by her ear.

“Burn it.”

She barely had time to register the contact, let alone form a retort, before he was striding out of her room with maddening calm.

Burn it? Burn what? Did I even hear that right?

Rose stood frozen for a moment, replaying that cryptic instruction.

Then she noticed it. Tucked into the sash of her silk robe was a small, crinkling slip of paper.

She unfolded it quickly, eyes scanning the neat, slanted handwriting.

There are signs of magical surveillance in the mansion. I’ll explain more once we’re somewhere safe.

★ J.D. ★

The breath caught in her throat.

Magical surveillance? Someone was listening? Watching everything I did?

A cold sweat broke out along her spine.

For a split second she wondered if it could be her uncle. After she’d run away, he’d used Arthur to keep tabs on her under the guise of “protective observation.”

No. If it were him, James wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to hide this from me.

Her thoughts crystallized with chilling clarity.

Ouroboros.

They knew far too much already. Where she’d be. What she was doing. That James was a Revis.

Grace’s voice echoed in her mind, a taunting, oily memory from the street confrontation:

“Our Ouroboros priests have a bit of a possessive streak. We don’t really care if the thing we want is broken. Especially the Principal—he just can’t give you up.”

“A bit of a possessive streak.”

“He just can’t give you up.”

The words sank into her bones.

Rose felt her body lock up, breath hitching in terror she couldn’t quite control.

“We don’t care if it’s broken.”

Her heart pounded violently. She realized she’d forgotten how to even inhale or exhale properly.

Rose forced herself to take a huge, ragged breath, driving the panic from her body.

I am not going to let them play with my mind. Not with my fear.

She understood exactly what Ouroboros wanted them to hear, both through Grace’s mouth and the memory in that ring.

Fear us.

Revere us.

Recognize how small and powerless you are.

Know you’ll watch helplessly as we accomplish our great work.

Rose let out a harsh, mocking laugh just to hear the sound.

“Ha. Yeah, right.”

They think I’ll just roll over?

She was afraid—she wasn’t going to pretend she wasn’t.

But surrender?

Not. A. Chance.

The rear gate of the mansion was bustling with activity as Rose and James finished loading their luggage.

With a loud clunk, the last of Rose’s trunks was hoisted onto the back of the carriage, making the entire frame tilt for a moment.

“What on earth is in there to make it that heavy?”

James watched the footmen strain as they secured it.

“Books.”

Rose replied with infuriating nonchalance, smoothing the fresh sky-blue striped dress she wore for travel.

James narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t tell me that entire trunk is nothing but books.”

“Of course not. I left about a third behind.”

The way she said it so matter-of-factly, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d filled two or three trunks with nothing but books had she had the time.

“And are you finally going to tell me where we’re headed?”

“Nope. It’s a secret. You’ll just have to wait and enjoy the surprise.”

Enjoy, he thought drily.

Anyone else watching might think they looked like the picture of a romantic couple, heading off on a dreamy month-long getaway.

But this wasn’t some lovers’ retreat. It was an excuse—an urgent pretext to escape the mansion.

The carriage door closed with a solid thump, and soon the rhythmic clop of hooves filled the air as they pulled away from the back gate and onto the road.

For a while, James stayed silent, watching the scenery slide past. Then he finally spoke.

“I’m sorry. Things got hectic and I couldn’t explain the situation properly.”

He hesitated, pressing his fingers to his forehead.

“James?”

“Ah… hold on. I need to think about where to start.”

He fell quiet for a moment, sorting his thoughts before deciding to begin with their destination.

“We’ll be taking the railway south. I already needed to visit anyway, since there’s been trouble with the company’s southern distribution network.”

“Oh—Philip mentioned that the other day.”

James nodded.

“More importantly, my mother’s old villa is in Egarde. That’s where we’ll be staying.”

Rose’s eyes went wide, and she nearly shot to her feet in the moving carriage.

“Egarde?!”

She forced herself to sit back down, heart hammering.

Of all places—it wasn’t Dashfield, the southern capital, but Egarde.

“Is there a problem?”

“Grace mentioned Egarde. She told me they didn’t intend to harm us yet, and that I should ‘try visiting Egarde.’”

James frowned, rubbing his jaw in thought.

It was too much of a coincidence for comfort. After all, the Dautryche Company’s main southern office was in Egarde.

“Didn’t intend to harm us yet, huh…”

He fell silent, brows drawing together, then finally spoke again.

“Rose. I couldn’t explain it in the note, but… I found carved wooden figurines in the mansion. Shaped like mice and birds.”

Rose blinked.

“What?”

She thought she must have misheard.

“I sent a telegram to Minister Crowley and had them identified. They’re magical surveillance tools. Eavesdropping charms, essentially.”

Her breath caught.

Half a century ago, certain Mythos criminals had used such illegal magical tools—but to think they’d been planted in the Dautryche mansion.

James’s mouth tightened.

“Between that and the scandal in the papers, plus everything going on in the south, that’s why I didn’t have time to see you these last few days.”

Even so, despite the fatigue in his voice, there was a gentle calm in his expression that hadn’t been there before.

He looked at her directly, a trace of slyness in his half-lidded eyes as he asked softly:

“Did you miss me while I was gone?”

Rose froze.

She couldn’t answer.

She wanted to say no, that of course she hadn’t—but the words wouldn’t come out.

Instead she just sat there, eyes darting anywhere but at him, cheeks hot.

James watched her fidget in silence, suppressing a chuckle.

Note to self—never play cards with this woman. She’s hopeless at bluffing.

But all he said aloud was:

“I’m glad to hear it.”