Chapter 154: A Troubled Heart (Part Two)

Upon learning that Jane would soon be leaving Passus, Ligeia found herself entirely in a daze. While it was not quite to the point of losing her appetite, she lacked all energy for her daily tasks and drifted into frequent trances. Just like now, Ligeia had been staring fixedly at the woods outside the window for nearly an hour without making a single movement.

"Madam? Madam……?"

After some unknown amount of time, Lily's voice finally pulled Ligeia back from her wandering state. She turned her head, blinked her somewhat dry eyes, and looked toward her maid.

"What is it, Lily?"

"It's like this……"

Seeing her mistress's distracted appearance, Lily felt a touch of curiosity. However, being a young girl who had only just begun to experience the stirrings of romance, she was hardly familiar with the complexities of affection between men and women, leaving her somewhat puzzled by Ligeia's strange behavior. Still, in her mind, the mistress was likely just exhausted from her long journey of previous days; as long as she rested for a while and had time to recover, everything would surely be fine.

"Well, Madam, Jasmine has prepared some pastries. Would you care for afternoon tea?"

"Afternoon tea? Has it already reached this hour?"

Hearing Lily's reply, Ligeia snapped out of her stupor. She turned her head to look out the window, only to discover that the radiance of the setting sun was spilling down along the opposite mountain ridge, casting a fiery, vibrant red hue across the earth. In the distance, the evening glow drifted slowly like clouds of burning flame, proclaiming the imminent end of the day.

"Mm…… Very well…… By the way, where is Mr. Jhane? Please invite him to join us for afternoon tea."

"Mr. Jhane?"

At this, Lily cast a peculiar look at her mistress.

"Mr. Jhane has already gone out."

"What?!"

To Lily's astonishment, upon hearing her response, Ligeia abruptly stood up and fixed her with a furrowed frown.

"Mr. Jhane has left? When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?!"

"T-This……"

Faced with Ligeia's sharp demand, Lily was struck dumb for a moment, gazing at her mistress with an exceedingly strange look. A brief second later, she spoke up in a cautious, subdued voice.

"Well…… Madam. Mr. Jhane went out to the nearby woods to hunt this morning. Reckoning the time, he should be back before dinner. He actually took his leave of you in person at the time. Could you have forgotten?"

"Eh?"

Hearing this, Ligeia froze. Only then did she recall that such a matter had indeed seemed to take place this morning. But her mind had been in complete turmoil at the time. In truth, on the very night Jhane had explained to her that he would be leaving, Ligeia had not slept a wink, leaving her feeling heavy and groggy when she woke up. Perhaps because of that, she had failed to register Jhane's departure. One might even say that for this entire day, her soul had felt as though it had left her body, rendering her almost entirely oblivious to everything happening around her.

"Madam, are you truly alright? If you are feeling unwell, shall we have a doctor come and take a look……?"

"No, there is no need for that. I am simply a bit too tired from my recent travels and have not slept well these past two days. With just a little rest, I will be fine."

Hearing the maid's concerned inquiry, Ligeia wore a guilty expression, then hastily forced out a smile, waved her hand, and spoke. Hearing this explanation, Lily pressed the matter no further. After all, the reason sounded perfectly reasonable, so she asked no more questions. She simply nodded, turned, and left to prepare and arrange for the afternoon tea.

Not until Lily had departed did Ligeia let out a long breath. She placed a hand over her chest, casting an uneasy glance around the room as if she had committed some grave wrongdoing—or rather, as she indeed had. At the mere thought of her actions the previous night, Ligeia was overcome with profound shame. She had actually gone running to a guest's room dressed in nothing but a nightgown to meet him. That went far, far beyond mere discourtesy!

Yet, how had Jhane reacted?

At this thought, Ligeia furrowed her brow once more. The answer she had received from Jhane last night had been so shocking that she had completely forgotten to observe his expression at the time. Recalling it now, Mr. Jhane had not seemed particularly startled by her attire, nor had he displayed any sign of contempt or shame. His demeanor had been entirely normal, as though she had appeared before him in her usual daily attire rather than a nightgown.

What on earth did that mean? Had Jhane concealed his reaction merely out of politeness, or did he harbor some feelings for her as well?

In truth, the very question that had plagued Ligeia the entire day was precisely this: she could not tell whether Jhane was interested in her, or if he was deliberately pretending not to notice in order to reject her. This thought had hovered persistently in her mind, driving Ligeia to the verge of exasperation.

At that exact moment, Ligeia's ears caught a sound drifting up from the courtyard. As if drawn by an invisible force, she walked to the window and looked down. There, Jhane was leisurely walking back toward the mansion. Lily and Jasmine hurried forward happily to receive the game Jhane held in his hands; it seemed his hunt had yielded a quite bountiful harvest once again. Ligeia could be certain that she would be able to savor that tender, juicy game meat at dinner.

Watching the scene below, Ligeia suddenly felt a sense of unreality wash over her. For a fleeting second, she felt as though she were trapped inside a dream. In the dream, she and Jhane were a devoted couple; her handsome, dashing, and ambitious husband always radiated a spirited aristocratic bearing. And she, like any newlywed wife, served her husband with all her heart, living a peaceful and sweet life day after day. The scene unfolding before her eyes seemed no different from a husband returning from a hunt, while she, as his wife, needed only to welcome his return to be content……

"Hoo————!"

At that very moment, a gust of biting cold wind swept by, acting like an invisible hand that abruptly dragged Ligeia back from the realm of dreams into the chilling reality. That sweet dream vanished, replaced by a harsh truth: her husband was dead, and the current House Black consisted of nothing more than herself and two maids. No one would shield them, and no one remained for them to rely upon, save for the young nobleman before her eyes. Yet, after all, he was merely an outsider; he could not protect her forever……

At this realization, Ligeia suddenly clenched her fists, and a nameless wave of anger and resentment welled up from the depths of her heart.

Why? Why must she be subjected to such treatment? She had done nothing wrong; she had always strictly observed propriety and poured her heart into this household. She was merely an ordinary woman who longed for nothing more than a peaceful, stable, and happy life. Was she to be denied even this meager wish? Those aristocratic matrons and young ladies who engaged in scandalous affairs were far more debased than she, yet why were they still able to live in the warm embrace of happiness? And why must she remain chained to this dilapidated mansion, awaiting the arrival of death alone? She was barely twenty years old—an age that should have been the very prime of her blooming youth. Yet now, this blooming flower received neither sunlight nor rain, left to wither entirely alone in a cold, dark corner.

With that thought, Ligeia made up her mind deep within her heart.

The hours that followed proceeded just as usual.

Attended by Lily and Jasmine, Ligeia and Jhane shared a lavish dinner together. Afterward, as was their custom, everyone chatted in the parlor, spending a pleasant span of time. Then Ligeia excused herself to retire, and Jhane returned to his guest room. Everything appeared no different from any other day…… yet something had already shifted.

The warm current of water washed over her fair skin, and Ligeia could feel her fingertips trembling slightly. Though the water temperature in the bath was thoroughly pleasant, she still felt an uncontrollable surge of tension and unease. She had already dismissed the two maids to rest; their rooms were located on the opposite side of the second floor, making it impossible for them to hear any sounds from this direction, and the soundproofing here was quite exceptional as well……

Lost in wild fantasies, Ligeia glanced toward the bathroom door, half-expecting Jhane to burst through it at any second, seize her body from the bathwater, and forcefully press her down.

Ligeia had to admit that she could not tell whether this was her fear or her desire.

The night grew deep.

Even the birds had ceased their chirping. Listening closely, one could hear only the intermittent chirping of insects, blending with the howling night wind sweeping through the mountain forest to form a symphony unique to nature. Jhane leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes as he gazed out at the silvery white moon and the mountains casting dark shadows beneath its light.

The time should be just about right.

At this thought, the corners of Jhane's mouth curved upward slightly. Dark shadows danced between his fingers like serpents, forming a peculiar and striking sight. He had keenly perceived the confusion and bewilderment churning within Ligeia's heart. Human emotions were profoundly complex, yet they also possessed a high degree of predictability. As the saying went: if there are no difficulties, create them; if the conditions are not met, simply manufacture the conditions.

In truth, Jhane had not cast any mind-warping dark magic upon Ligeia. If mere mind control was all that was required, any demon could accomplish it with ease, requiring no grand effort from Jhane whatsoever. As a master of manipulating the human heart, he preferred to guide his target's thoughts to "flow naturally downstream." Every person harbored a side of weakness and darkness deep within their soul, and if handled properly, this approach yielded far richer rewards than a simple brainwashing spell. The seed had long since been sown, and now the harvest season had arrived.

"Knock, knock, knock……"

Just as this thought crossed Jhane's mind, a soft series of knocks sounded, breaking the original silence.