Chapter 95: Ruelle’s realisation

After twenty minutes at the front of the Belmonts’ house, a carriage rolled and stopped. Out stepped Caroline before she headed inside the house, where the door was open.

“Mother? Father? I’m home!” Her voice was bright. She stepped inside the living room and frowned. “Why is it so quiet?”

Upon noticing the bare room before her, she wondered loudly, “Where is the couch? They must have finally decided to replace that dreadful thing. It was uncomfortable. Hm? Even the dining table is gone,” she noted obliviously.

“Caroline, you are here! The journey wasn’t too tiring, was it?” Mrs. Belmont enquired warmly as she came out of the kitchen.

“Not at all,” Caroline replied cheerfully. “But Mother, have you decided to redecorate? The room looks so… spacious.”

“We were hoping Mr. Henley and you would gift a couch to us this Christmas,” Mrs. Belmont replied, and Caroline laughed, unsure if her mother was joking or being serious.

Ruelle, who was still in the bathroom, heard her mother and sister speak. She stepped out of there, even though she was in no condition to be moving. Her body protested, but she steadied her expression and stepped out into the corridor.

By the time she reached the living room, Caroline was already standing in the centre of it, turning slowly in a circle.

“Ruelle!” her sister exclaimed, stepping forward. She caught Ruelle’s hands and gave them a squeeze in excitement. “When did you arrive? I am so glad that you are here.”

“This morning,” Ruelle replied quietly, biting down the pain.

Caroline tilted her head and stated, “You look tired. What’s the dirt on your face? Travelling must have been exhausting or is Sexton being hard on you? If it is, you can let me know. I will have Ezekiel take care of it!”

“Ruelle is smart enough to handle herself in Sexton. You don’t have to trouble Mr. Henley about it,” Mrs. Belmont intervened with a smile, while not wanting Ruelle reaching out to Caroline’s husband. She noticed him missing and asked, “Where is Mr. Henley?”

“Oh, he told he had some work to attend to and would arrive later,” Caroline waved her hand. She then turned to her mother and said, “You would be pleased to hear that I am going to host a soiree.”

“That must cost a lot…” Mrs. Belmont murmured, and Caroline nodded.

“Yes, but Ezekiel is letting me hold it. I just hope it turns successful,” Caroline stated in worry.

Before attending Sexton, Ruelle had believed that what her parents gave her was affection. She had convinced herself that they were strict because they cared, harsh because they worried and distant because life was difficult.

Then she met Hailey’s parents. She saw the way they spoke to their daughter, the way they looked at her and the way affection came easily to them without being earned first. It had been a strange thing to witness. For love to be given so freely without conditions. She had felt a small part of that warmth herself, simply by being near them.

And then she had seen Lord Azriel look at his sons with open pride, as if he was happy simply because they existed. Even vampires offered love, in contrast to what humans thought about them.

It wasn’t that Ruelle hadn’t seen such an expression from her parents. Only that it had never been for her. It had always been for Caroline.

“You will do just fine,” Mrs. Belmont encouraged Caroline, patting her younger daughter’s back, behaving as though the room were still full of furniture and nothing unpleasant had happened that morning.

Caroline smiled at the reassurance, fixing her new chain. She replied, “Of course I will,” as if success had always been a natural expectation for her. Her gaze drifted around the room once more and she asked, “Where is Father?”

“He stepped out for a bit,” Mrs. Belmont answered quickly. “He’ll be back soon.” Caroline gave a small nod, then glanced at Ruelle’s dress. “Nice dress, Ruelle. The vampires must have spent a fortune on you that day. You must be working hard in Sexton to receive this.”

Ruelle felt her mother’s eyes on her, and she replied, “It was a gift for helping.” She moved her hands behind her so that her sister would not accidentally touch her fingers.

“I am sure,” Caroline continued to smile. “But you shouldn’t wander about with three men. Even Ezekiel agreed it looked… ill-mannered. We are only worried about you. You’ve never been very good at refusing people.”

Ruelle didn’t know if it was because her wounds were wide open today, but Caroline’s words pushed her in a way they never had.

Ruelle offered a small, composed smile and replying, “I appreciate your concern, Caroline. But I was treated with respect and was not made to feel insignificant like other places do…. They treated me with respect,” she repeated.

Caroline tilted her head, unconvinced. She responded, “Well, just remember I said so.” She turned to her mother and said, “Mother, can you prepare tea?”

Caroline walked past Ruelle without another word. On her way to the bathroom, her gaze drifted toward her parents’ bedroom. The bare living room still puzzled her and she wondered if her parents had decided to change things around.

“Perhaps they have finally thought of the rooms too,” she murmured to herself.

She pushed open the door and took a quick look inside. Everything appeared exactly as it always had. She wrinkled her nose.

“They truly ought to replace that dreadful thing,” she muttered, staring at the old bed. She was about to leave when something on the small side table shone.

Caroline stepped closer, her curiosity piqued. It was a pair of diamond earrings. She muttered, “Father must have finally won something worthwhile.”

Without another thought, she picked them up and wore them, smiling at the small click as they locked into place. Turning her head left and right before the mirror, she admired her reflection.

“These look good on me,” she said with satisfaction.

After washing her hands, she walked back into the kitchen, still wearing the earrings. She announced,

“I love these earrings. I think I will borrow them.”

Ruelle glanced at her sister and froze, noticing they were the earrings from Sexton.

“Caroline,” Ruelle said carefully, “those are mine. You need to take them off, as I will need to take them back.”

“So you did spend the money on yourself,” Mrs. Belmont’s eyes narrowed.

Caroline’s expression changed at once. She scowled as she replied, “Since when does Sexton give out charity? Besides, the diamonds wouldn’t even suit you. They suit me better,” claiming it as hers.

“They are from Sexton,” Ruelle’s eyebrows furrowed. Exhaustion weighed on her body and mind, but she still raised her hand toward her sister. “Please return them to me.”

Caroline let out a small scoff. “Look at you—so possessive all of a sudden. It’s not as if I’m stealing them,” she replied with an irritated roll of her eyes. Still, she reached up to unfasten the earrings. Her fingers slipped over the delicate backs and she frowned. “Hm?”

The younger Belmont tried again, tugging a little harder before she complained, “They aren’t coming off.”

Ruelle watched her sister, unsure whether to believe her words. For a moment she thought Caroline was simply pretending, hoping to keep them longer. She said tiredly,

“Caroline, please don’t joke about this.”

“I’m not joking,” Caroline snapped, clearly annoyed now. She twisted her head and tried again. “They really won’t open.”

Mrs. Belmont stepped closer to her younger daughter. “Let me see.” She reached up and attempted to remove one herself but the clasp refused to budge. “Why is it stuck? Did you do something to it?”

“Of course I didn’t!” Caroline protested. “I only put them on. Ugh, stop!” She winced when her mother tried again. “That hurts!”

Ruelle noticed her sister pull away while rubbing her ear. Caroline turned to her and demanded, “Why the hell won’t they come off?! Maybe they are meant to be mine. This is a sign!”

Ruelle was confused. The earrings had been left unbothered in the little box all these weeks and she hadn’t noticed anything strange about them. But then she remembered something Prince Edward had told her last week on the balcony.

’Sexton is going to have you chosen anyway. All the humans signed their compliance and you belong to Sexton now, property of the institution. Shouldn’t you reconsider your options?

I know that the human male’s first or second time drawn blood is used for it. Though I don’t know the details about the women.’

The remaining blood in Ruelle’s face drained as she realised what just happened.

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