Under the vampire Lord's protection Chapter 609: Home not sweet home

The journey back to Sterling manor was destined to be a lengthy one, so Arabella prioritized comfort over beauty.

The gown she picked was no less refined than her everyday elegance.

She had struggled fiercely to break free from that place... Yet here she stood before a mirror, preparing herself to return exactly where it all began.

Her heart wasn't precisely thumping in her throat, but neither was it her steadiest part—her mind raced far ahead in turmoil and fervor.

"The carriage is ready," Silas lingered behind her, simply observing as she pinned her wedding brooch to her chest.

"Wonderful," she cleared her throat, "I am all ready to go."

Though her eyes avoided his, the vampire's face stayed grave, "Are you sure?"

"It does not really matter whether I am ready to set foot in that place or not," her lips curved into a sweet smile that never lit her eyes, "I still have to go and face those walls... Bid it proper goodbyes, so to speak."

Those words prompted Silas to step closer without touching her. Their heats alone blended, silently sharing their hidden feelings.

"Do not strain yourself," his voice seeped into every corner of her ears and mind, calming her profoundly.

"I will try," she forced another smile.

Silas let the topic drop, his gaze shifting to the curtains mere moments before a soft knock echoed at their door.

They approached together, finding Ada already dressed and waiting.

"Lord Arthur is ready and has been guided out to the carriage. We all are ready to go," she curtsied, pausing for their reply.

"Thank you, Ada," Arabella’s smile softened slightly, "But are you sure you wish to go back to Lustris so soon after everything that happened to you there?"

Ada’s head tilted slightly aside, "I will always be more than ready to stand by your side."

Her words confirmed it all, letting them head outside to the waiting carriage.

Just like their trip from the castle, Arthur sat facing his sister, eyes locked on the window.

Ada faced Silas, sharing only brief glances with Arabella before turning to the window herself.

The carriage's silence felt far from oppressive, as everyone withdrew inward while trees blurred and reshaped outside.

Dubbing it the road home rang hollow. Eleazar manor held that distinction in her heart by leaps and bounds.

Though Sterling manor housed most of her memories, it seemed wrong to equate it with the haven that offered her rebirth, unbound by demands.

Every tie she forged under that roof came from her own will and choice.

The love and warmth there supplied all that her supposed home had withheld.

Her father orchestrated everything inside, down to the decor—a tyrant who ignored the voices of those he shackled to his whims.

How peculiar to ponder... The very man behind it all, who unwittingly propelled her into her former life... Now gone, erased from their world.

Yet after close to twelve hours on the road, the siblings entered the manor, father's ghost haunting every inch.

His shadow clung to every corner, every furniture piece he alone selected without input. Not forgetting the blue tint he relentlessly daubed on the walls.

No soul dared defy Reubon Sterling there... Long ago, his voice alone chilled the siblings to the marrow in those halls.

One thing he couldn't corrupt: the staff, who poured sweat to fulfill his every caprice.

"Oh, dear Lord! You have returned!"

The maids shattered protocol, dashing from line to hurl themselves into Arabella’s arms.

"You were supposed to greet them properly," Rubius's heavy sigh drew all ears.

"Forgive us, my Lord," an older maid clutched her mouth, sniffling, "The pull is too strong. I thought... I feared we had lost them forever," she sobbed.

Freely baring their hearts before her grandfather signaled promise.

The mood flipped instantly when Silas cleared his throat.

Beholding their widening eyes, catching their sharp intakes of breath—quite the scene...

As if his vampire presence had jolted back into their awareness.

"Oh, forgive our insolence, my Lord," they curtsied, scrambling to their original spots with gazes lowered.

Those crimson-flushed faces dissolved the barbs piercing Arabella’s chest and heart.

These gentle, known faces had softened the harshness of life within those walls.

Thanks to those dear women, her tears flowed far less, their diversions shielding her from the agony.

"Welcome home, my Darlings,"

Rubius finally stepped up, sweeping Arabella and Arthur into his arms unannounced.

"I am so glad you’ve had a safe trip," he gripped them like lifelines.

Arthur stood rigid, unyielding, but Arabella encircled her grandfather—for the first time truly, inhaling his very being.