Chapter 8
Each step grew heavier as Sebastian approached the estate.
White mourning drapes hung from every archway of the Ashford Manor, their stark brightness stabbing at his eyes.
He stopped the head butler in the corridor, gripping the man’s arm with an oddly calm demeanor. “Why… why are these banners up? Everything was fine just this morning.”
The butler hesitated, glanced up at Lord Sebastian’s face–ashen, dazed, his eyes bloodshot–and sighed. He’d served this house for decades. He had watched Lord Sebastian and Lady Grace fall in love, fight for each other, walk through fire together.
Until Seraphina entered their lives.
“My lord… forgive me. Lady Grace is gone. They’ve laid her to rest in the great hall. Would you… would you like to see her one last time?”
Sebastian froze.
Then, wordlessly, he moved toward the hall.
The air inside was still, suffocating. The black coffin sat in the center, shrouded in pale mourning drapes. Grace lay within, dressed in the sapphire silk gown he had given her on their last Saint’s Day together.
She’d always treasured it, only wearing it during the holidays.
He had never imagined she would wear it to her grave.
He reached out and took her hand. Cold as marble.
Sebastian shivered.
Still, he didn’t let go.
“Grace… your hand’s so cold. Let me warm it for you,” he whispered.
“You were angry this morning, weren’t you? I noticed, but you didn’t say anything. If only you’d told me you were upset… if you’d just said no…”
His voice cracked. But even if she had spoken up, would he really have listened?
No. He would’ve brushed her off.
He would’ve thought she was being unreasonable.
“You just lost our child,” he murmured, eyes welling. “And I still didn’t understand… I thought, if I could just keep the boy and send her away afterward… you’d never have to know.”
“I wanted that child for you. That’s why I let Seraphina stay.”
Tears spilled down his cheeks, one landing softly on Grace’s face. It traced the curve of her cheek like she, too, was crying.
“I thought… if Seraphina had the baby, we’d be safe. I’d offer him to the Church as a ward, raised in a monastery far from here, securing our family’s favor with the king. You’d never have to face him, Grace, I only wanted to shield you from pain.”
His fingers brushed a lock of hair from her forehead.
“They say women always love their first child the most. If the boy had been taken at five, you would’ve never forgiven me.‘
“I didn’t want to see you grieve. Grace… I thought if you lost enough children, you’d stop hoping.”
“But I was wrong. I brought Seraphina back only to spare you from losing another.”
He bent over her, his sobs echoing through the empty hall.
No one was there to wipe away his tears.
No one to whisper, “Don’t cry, my love. I’m here.”
He had waited too long. And now it was far too late.
When my soul left my body, the pain vanished all at once.
”
M
I blinked, stunned to see my own body lying there. A maid knelt beside me, wiping the blood from my mouth, but it wouldn’t
A physician was summoned. He pressed two fingers to my pulse, then shook his head.
t stop flowing I watched as the servant’s face turned pale and bolted toward the family chapel.
I shook my
head.
There was no need to tell Sebastian.
After all, today was supposed to be his big day. Why ruin it with news of my death?
I pressed my hand to my chest, surprised to feel my heart still beating.
“So even souls have heartbeats…” I murmured.
[Host’s soul partially extracted. Due to extended time in this world, a full extraction will take six more hours.]
Six hours. I could wait that long.
I watched my body be gently laid in a coffin, a simple funeral constructed around me.
I was bound near it, unable to stray far.
It was dull. I sat on a bench, watching.
Until Sebastian arrived.
Pale, disoriented. He dropped to his knees.
And then he spoke. Piece by piece, he unraveled every wrong choice he’d made.
His voice trembled, then cracked, then finally broke.
A just sat there, listening.
[Host… do you regret it? He does love you.]
