Chapter 40

"This is going to be your room. There's a dress ready for you to wear inside."

Elvin opened the door, revealing a spacious chamber bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun. A large bed, easily accommodating three adults, was draped with crisp white sheets, its foot adorned with a plush wool carpet the color of a winter sky. Near a tall, mullioned window, a slender pillar supported a flickering candle, its light dancing across a small table holding a vanity with a delicately carved seat.

Ysabel gasped, her eyes wide with astonishment. The room was far beyond anything she could have imagined. It was opulent, luxurious, a stark contrast to the cramped, dimly lit quarters she had expected.

"I take it that it is to your liking?" Elvin asked, a subtle smile playing on his lips as he watched her shocked reaction.

"What are you saying, Elvin? This is too much! This kind of room is for someone... a mere commoner like me doesn't deserve this,"

Ysabel exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief and a touch of anxiety. A tiny room, even a servant's quarter, would have felt more than sufficient. This extravagance felt almost... wrong.

Elvin's smile softened, his expression turning serious. "These chambers, here on the second floor, are intended for the house's guests. You and Lilah are our guests, regardless of your status. Beside..." His face clouded slightly, a hint of irritation in his tone.

"Lilah would be fuming if I gave you a room in the back. The rooms at the back of the house are for the Umbra. Only Sir Aleric and I use the rooms upstairs, as we are the ones who host guests when necessary."

"But, still..." Ysabel began, her uncertainty lingering.

"Just try to relax while you're here," Elvin reassured her, his warm smile returning. "I know the atmosphere can be... suffocating at times, but once the Umbra grows fond of you and accepts you as one of the people here, you'll be treated better than any princess could ask for."

"I don't wish to be treated like a princess or anything... I just... I just don't want to be resented," Ysabel mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. The fear of rejection still clung to her.

"They'll soon come to realize that you pose no threat, Ysabel,"

Elvin said, his voice gentle and reassuring.

"Thank you, Elvin. You're always so kind to me," Ysabel murmured, a genuine warmth in her tone.

Elvin shifted uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head, momentarily at a loss for words. Then, Ysabel's eyes brightened.

"Oh, before I forget," she said, reaching for her small pouch. She carefully extracted three intricately crafted charms.

"I made these for you, Hector, and Sir Aleric, too." She presented them with a shy smile.

Elvin's eyes widened, his gaze darting between the charms and then to a set of small canisters sitting on the vanity. "You...knew how to make spell-crafted charms?"

Ysabel's brow furrowed.

"Spell-crafted?"

"Yes,"

Elvin said, picking up one of the bottles. He hesitated, then touched the charm to his skin. As he did, a surge of intense heat coursed through him, leaving him breathless. It was the same reaction Lilah had experienced.

"But those are just ordinary charms, like Lilah made. They weren't infused with magic; I don't possess any ."

Elvin stared at Ysabel, his expression a mixture of awe and bewilderment. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. Worried, Ysabel looked at the two remaining charms in her hand.

"Is something the matter? Lilah also looked quite unwell when I gave her hers. I know it won't do much; it's just a simple charm."

"Ysabel,"

Elvin began, his voice hushed, "this thing that you made..."

"Elvin!"

Both Ysabel and Elvin turned towards the sound of Lilah's voice. She stood a few feet away, her expression stern.

"Let the girl rest,"

Lilah commanded, her brow furrowed. "Aleric sent me to get you. We have matters to discuss."

Her gaze flickered to the charm in Ysabel's hand and then to the one Elvin held.

With a sigh, Elvin carefully placed the charm in his pocket.

"Thank you for the thoughtful gift, Ysabel. I like it."

Ysabel's eyes lit up at his words.

"Really?"

"Yes," Elvin said, "but it's better if you give the other two to Hector and Sir Aleric. I'm certain they'll be happy to receive such a gift from you."

He stepped back from the doorway, nodding his head in dismissal.

"We'll see you at supper, Ysabel, so rest until then,"

Lilah said before turning and walking away, Elvin following close behind.