Compensation

Leonard's fury simmered beneath the surface as he observed Isla's expression darken. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his nails biting into his palms. His patience had already worn thin, and if Isla dared to do anything reckless now, he swore to himself that he wouldn't hesitate to end her. The only reason he had let her live before was because she was a crucial lead in his investigation, but that didn't mean he valued the case more than his wife, Vivian. Isla had merely been fortunate, nothing more. Besides, she wasn't the only one in her family, though she was undoubtedly the most suspicious.

He narrowed his eyes, watching her closely. She had always been difficult to read, but this was different. A storm brewed behind her eyes, a battle between control and something darker. Her posture stiffened ever so slightly, her fingers twitching at her sides. Leonard had seen many emotions flicker across Isla's face before, defiance, amusement, even the occasional fear when the situation demanded it, but this? This was raw, unrestrained terror. It was the kind of fear that came not from the present, but from something, or someone, far worse lurking in the shadows.

Isla almost allowed herself to drown in the storm raging inside her mind when a chilling voice echoed in her head.

"Rein in your expression before you expose yourself and let your family collect your corpse. That duke looks like he truly wants to kill you now."

Her entire body stiffened as if an icy hand had gripped her spine. Her blood ran cold, and her face drained of color. That voice. It was unmistakable. Her mistress.

Her mistress never spoke without reason. There were only three possible explanations, either she had an assignment for her, was delivering information, or worse… Isla had made a mistake. And given the venom lacing her mistress's words, it was painfully clear that it was the latter.

"You've already messed up more than usual since yesterday, so don't disappoint me by doing anything even more reckless. You'll retake your lessons tonight, clearly, yesterday's punishment wasn't enough."

A shudder passed through Isla's frame before she could stop it. She was in serious trouble.

Every fiber of her being screamed at her to maintain her composure, but her body betrayed her. She felt the weight of eyes on her, burning into her like searing embers, and she knew she had been noticed. Everyone had seen her sudden shift in expression, though most would likely attribute it to the consequences of her actions catching up to her. Most of them.

Leonard, however, was not like the others.

His gaze sharpened, his mind piecing together the fragments of the puzzle he had been assembling for weeks. Isla was cunning, careful, always two steps ahead, but not now. This time, she had slipped, and Leonard wasn't about to let it go unnoticed. He had suspected Isla and her family for a long time since her debut, but this moment only solidified his suspicions.

Her reaction… it wasn't natural.

This wasn't fear of punishment, nor was it mere regret over her actions. No, this was something deeper, something more sinister. Isla was afraid, but not of him, not of Vivian, not even of the repercussions of her misdeeds. It was as if she had heard the voice of death itself.

And then there was the magic.

It was faint, almost undetectable, but Leonard's senses were sharp. His nose had caught the scent of it, just like yesterday and this morning. It lingered in the air, subtle yet unmistakable, slipping through the cracks like a whisper in the wind. If he hadn't been paying attention, if he hadn't been particularly attuned to magic, he might have missed it entirely.

But he hadn't.

Now, he was even more sure of it, Isla and her family were hiding something. Something dangerous. And whoever or whatever they were involved with was powerful enough to make even Isla tremble and enough to slip through him. He needed to uncover the truth before it was too late.

Before something went terribly wrong.

A voice cut through the tension, smooth yet commanding.

"According to my lady-in-waiting, Lady Anna, this dress and accessories with jewelry was commissioned in Caelithra and cost my brother a staggering seven hundred and eighty-nine million gold."

Vivian's words carried a weight that silenced the murmurs around them. Her expression remained calm, her demeanor gentle, yet her presence held an unshakable authority. She was not giving Isla a choice.

"That is no small sum. Under different circumstances, I wouldn't mind gifting you a dress or accessories. However, this particular gown is not only an expensive treasure but also a gift from my brother. I'm sorry, Lady Isla, but you will have to compensate for your actions."

The room felt colder.

Isla's breath hitched.

Seven hundred and eighty-nine million gold.

The number echoed in her mind, suffocating her. Where, how, could she possibly find that kind of money? Her family was already drowning in debt, struggling to stay afloat, and now this? This could destroy them. If they failed to pay, they would have no choice but to sell off everything, their estate, their title, their dignity.

Or worse, they would be sold.

Her heart pounded violently against her ribs. This wasn't supposed to happen. Vivian was supposed to be kind, benevolent, and merciful. But now, she was making things impossibly difficult over a single dress? A dress her family could easily replace? Hypocrite. Isla clenched her fists, barely restraining the glare that threatened to rise.

But then she caught sight of Leonard's expression.

His gaze had darkened, a silent warning in his eyes. He was watching her, reading her, as if daring her to make a wrong move.

She swallowed hard.

Begging for mercy might lessen her punishment, but she refused to grovel. She would not give them the satisfaction, especially that wretched Lady Anna. That woman would relish in her misery, and Isla would rather die than let her.

But just as the silence threatened to stretch too long, Vivian spoke again.

"Don't worry, Lady Isla. I won't ask you to fully compensate me for the dress, considering your family's financial situation. However, I expect at least one million gold coins to replace the inner lining. After all, this dress is a gift from my brother, and I intend to wear it to welcome him home after the war."

The softness in Vivian's tone was almost unsettling, yet the words were non-negotiable.

And then, for the first time, a smile touched Vivian's lips.

It was small, almost imperceptible, but it was there. She wasn't even aware of it herself, but the mere thought of seeing the original host's family, the warmth, the love, the bond they shared, filled her with a strange sense of anticipation despite the fact that the original host had not spent a lot of time with her family, the bond undoubtedly is there. She had inherited the original Vivian memories, her emotions, and somehow, she had embraced them as her own.

She couldn't wait to meet them.

Most of all… she couldn't wait to see her brother again.

It was amusing, really. How easily she had accepted them as hers.

How effortlessly she had become one of them.