CHAPTER 500: LAST DINNER TO BEHOLD

Isaac let the weight of his words settle into his sister’s mind before he reached out, gently taking hold of her thin arms. His touch was soft, almost hesitant, as though he feared that by being too rough he might shatter the fragile normalcy she still clung to. Then, without warning, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Ann let out a startled gasp, her hands automatically pushing against his chest in mild protest, ready to scold him for his overly affectionate habits as her older brother. But the moment she tried to pull away, Isaac pressed her head firmly against him, shielding her face against his chest which made her aware of the presence that someone might be keeping a tab at them.

His breath tickled the crown of her head when he whispered, voice low enough to be swallowed by the rolling fog, "I think their eyes are on me now."

Her body went rigid and for a heartbeat, she forgot how to breathe. Then her fingers grasped desperately at the fabric of his clothes, dragging him down to her level as she whispered sharply, "Does that mean... you’re in danger now? You didn’t call me here for nothing. You want help from me, don’t you, brother?"

"No," Isaac murmured back immediately, tightening his hold as though trying to soothe her through the gesture. "I will be fine. As long as I stay close to Lady Arabella, who would dare lay a finger on me?"

But his confidence didn’t reassure her. Not when both of them knew how merciless Morpheus was, how he could tear apart a life, a family and their future without the slightest flicker of remorse. Their Lord did not hesitate, did not regret, did not discriminate. If anyone inconvenienced him, even by accident, he cut them down. The whispers of what happened to Uncle Jam still haunted the castle corridors. And if Morpheus’s gaze had shifted to Isaac next...

The thought chilled her to the bone.

Ann clung tighter to him, fingers curling into fists at his back. She risked lifting her head just enough to peek past his shoulder and there, not far away, she noticed a maid speaking animatedly with another girl. At first glance they seemed engrossed in their chatter. But now, paying closer attention, Ann saw it clearly: the subtle sideways glances, the faint tilt of their heads, the way their ears seemed more pointed toward the siblings than toward their own conversation.

Her stomach twisted.

She quickly buried her face deeper into her brother’s chest, letting the pretense of a heartwarming hug conceal the sharp tension spiking through her body. In a whisper barely audible, she asked, "Then... you came to warn me?"

A soft chuckle vibrated through Isaac’s chest. "As expected of my clever sister. Yes. We cannot trust everyone here. Not immediately. Not yet." His hand gently stroked her back in reassurance. "There are too many people in this castle more loyal to Morpheus than they ever were to their own kin. They would sell their souls for him if he demanded it."

"I can see that now," Ann murmured, the admission trembling with fear she couldn’t hide.

"But don’t worry," she insisted after a breath, hugging him tighter— as though she could protect him with sheer closeness. "I will be alright. I always have been."

Isaac exhaled heavily, the sound pained and muffled by her hair. "I’m sorry I can’t stay by your side right now... not when everything is moving so quickly."

"You don’t need to apologize," she said, patting his back gently. "I know how much you’re carrying. And it’s not just for yourself. It’s for me. For the others. For everyone who has lived under the shadow of this castle for so long."

His hand slid up to cup the back of her head, thumb brushing comfortingly across her hairline. "Listen closely," he whispered, this time with a seriousness that made her skin prickle. "I need you to stay out of sight. Avoid any unnecessary attention. Speak less. Listen more. And if you can... try to gather the few who you are truly certain wish to free themselves from Lord Morpheus’s grasp."

Ann’s breath hitched.

Isaac continued, each word slow, deliberate, almost sacred. "When the time comes... when the moment finally arrives... I promise you, Ann— I will take you away from all of this. Away from the fog, from the walls, from the danger. I will bring you somewhere safe. Somewhere Morpheus can never touch us again."

Her eyes burned. She nodded fiercely into his chest.

Because even if the world outside was inscrutable, even if their Lord was ruthless... She believed one thing without question. Her brother never broke a promise.

"When the time has come I will tell you where to hide, bring the rest of those who wants to be freed from this Hell with you."

"When will it be?" She whispered back before pulling away naturally as though they weren’t talking about Morpheus from the start.

Smiling, Isaac felt proud that his sister had always been the clever one.

"Soon," he patted his sister’s head before waving his hand and leaving.

Ann, now left alone in the courtyard, bent to gather the remaining laundry when she noticed two figures approaching from the far end of the path. Her friend Kath walked towards her with a smile, the maid who she had always considered as a friend but now, she wasn’t too sure.

Both women wore pleasant expressions, sweet enough to fool anyone who hadn’t seen their eyes moments earlier, sharply watching Ann and Isaac like hawks circling prey.

Ann straightened herself, pulling on the mask she knew how to play well, acting as the harmless younger sister, the quiet girl, the one who never dared to ask and just follow submissively.

"What brought your brother here?" Kath asked lightly, as though making idle conversation, though her eyes glimmered with too much interest.

"He just told me he was going to be very busy," Ann replied with a casual shrug. She reached down to pick up a folded cloth, but a pale hand slid over hers— Esme’s. The woman suddenly appeared when she wasn’t around the spot at all, enough to surprise Ann into a scream.

But she managed to hold it, looking back at her with a purse of her lips and a wary smile of a person just worried to offend someone of a high stature.

"Lady Esme-" she greeted before Esme cut off with a raise of her hand.

"But that hug of yours with your dearest brother," Esme said softly, her head tilting, "seemed a bit longer than necessary, didn’t it?"

Ann let out a breathy laugh, deliberately unbothered. "My brother’s always been clingy. I’m sure you know that too, Kath."

Kath’s eyes darted away— guilt, shame, or fear, but Ann couldn’t tell anymore.

Then Ann looked directly at Esme, letting her expression turn mildly confused. "But what may I do to help you, Lady Esme?"

Esme’s smile finally cracked. "You’re a good liar," she whispered sharply.

She released the basket she was holding, letting it drop into Ann’s space as she leaned slightly closer. "But if you want your brother to stay safe, it’s better to know the right person to side with."

Ann’s jaw tightened.

Esme turned slightly toward Kath, her voice rising just enough for Ann to hear every word with painful clarity. "What about that Jammy Hertz you asked me about? Haven’t you heard? He was found dead this morning. Hung himself last night."

Ann’s fingers spasmed. The basket slipped from her hand and hit the ground with a hollow thud.

Her breath turned cold.

She snapped her gaze to Kath. "Is... is that true?"

Kath swallowed visibly, her face paling. "I— I just heard it too..."

Esme watched Ann with the satisfaction of a cat watching a wounded mouse. She took a step closer, leaving only a space of a shoe between them, and Ann instinctively lowered her gaze, hiding the fury building behind her eyes.

"Isaac, you say..." Esme mused. "Well, I do hope your brother can attend the funeral. I heard you were close with the deceased." She placed a hand dramatically over her heart, though the gesture held no warmth. "My condolences."

Ann’s throat tightened. She bowed her head as it was the only way to hide the anger trembling beneath her skin.

Esme’s shoes quietly shifted on the grass as she walked past her, voice turning honey-sweet again.

"Do be careful, Ann. This castle can be... unkind to people who keep the wrong company. If you bet at the wrong horse, I worry you will only set yourself to unnecessary disappointment."

Kath hesitated a moment longer, casting Ann a brief, conflicted look before following after Esme like a shadow.

Ann remained standing alone, the wind tugging at the fallen laundry around her feet, her heart pounding so hard she feared it might break through her ribs.

She prayed that her brother would succeed, taht there was finally a day where they don’t have to live in this pretense of heavenly place when it was controlled so sharply that an innocent’s life could be easily discarded if it doesn’t suit to Lord Morpheus’s ego.