Page 40 of Everdoll

Without waiting for his answer, I headed for the stairs, but paused for a moment.

“Don’t give her hope.” I spoke calmly. “Keep acting like a jerk. Don’t make her confused.”

Mr. Olind snorted. “She’s my daughter. How dare you order me around!”

I locked my lifeless, tranquil gaze onto him. As the silence stretched, he shrank further back against the wall. Not for long, I wanted to say. But she was waiting for me. I couldn’t leave her alone any longer. I said nothing, and started up the stairs.

After not seeing Mina in her room, I quickly searched the house. As I made my way up to the attic—a place I’d never been before—I struggled not to cough. The stairs creaked beneath me, and the old walls of Olind House seemed to close in with every step.

But she was indeed there. She was sitting in the corner, small and unmoving, her gaze fixed somewhere beyond the room. I could not tell if she had noticed me at all. Her shoulders shook with the effort of keeping her emotions in check.

A tightness gathered in my chest as I watched her, unsure whether to speak. Then she lifted her head. Her eyes found mine.

And whatever had been weighing on her seemed to vanish. She stood quickly, crossing the distance with a sudden brightness, a smile breaking across her face.

“How did you know I was here?”

I stroked her hair, then placed a tiny kiss on her forehead.

“How could I not know the way to my home?”

“Then you can always find me?”

“Of course. As your knight, I’ll always know where you are.”

“Always? Like forever?”

I fought the tightness in my throat before forcing a smile. “Yes, my love. Forever.”

She wound her arms around my neck, and as she slowly slid downward, I leaned in, moving with her. We remained in each other’s arms. As her warmth slowly seeped into me, my lashes fluttered in surrender.

“Remi…” she began. “Do you hate my dad?”

I stayed silent for a while, then whispered. “Shouldn’t I?”

“Just… Don’t hurt him. Knights should always be gentle.”

“Hmm… is that so?” I mumbled absentmindedly. She drew back, her fingers finding my chin, and tilted my face toward hers.

“Take me serious.”

“I do.”

“You don’t.”

“Well…” I offered a tiny, innocent smile, my eyes locking onto hers. “I won’t be gentle to anyone who hurts you.”

“Even it’s my dad?”

I nodded slowly.

“You really want to protect me… What if one day, I disappear… would you be sad?”

Her question drew my brows together. “Disappear? To where?”

“I don’t know. Anywhere. What would you do?”

I swallowed hard. I knew the answer, but couldn’t say it out loud. In Mina’s eyes, I was just a mindless creature who loved her solely because it was my duty.