Valerie's heart beat a little faster but her face remained composed. She merely nodded. "I see."
No further questions. No objections. Yet the silence that followed felt heavier than the conversation before it.
"I don't want you to feel unsafe," Demian said finally, his voice lower. "In this castle."
Valerie looked at him for a long moment. "I know."
But there was so much she didn't say. That the unease she felt wasn't only about Bianca. Not just about a maid's placement or corridors that seemed increasingly full of watching eyes. It was about how everything was now moving beyond her full control about how her past good intentions were beginning to reveal consequences she could no longer undo.
Demian finally turned away. His steps were steady, but his shoulders tightened slightly a sign that his mind was far less calm than his appearance suggested. The door closed behind him, leaving Valerie alone.
She stood still for a while, then released a long breath.
