Chapter 1

It was the seventh day of vigil since my husband, Samuel Hill, had been laid in state at the manor.

I had kept vigil before the coffin for so long that my knees ached and had gone numb, the ash from the burning offerings drifting onto my hair and face.

The guests drifting through the great hall had not come to pay their respects; most were here for the spectacle to watch how the wolves of the Hill family would devour a young widow, not even two years married.

"Look at her, such a devoted widow, hasn't moved from that spot in seven days."

"Indeed. I heard Samuel was sickly all his life, yet fortunate enough to marry such a steadfast wife."

I kept my head down, laying a prayer card into the brazier. The flames leaped up, warming my face.

They were right; I had kept vigil for seven days.

But what they didn't know was that during those days, I had secretly lifted the coffin lid and looked inside. It was empty.

There was no body, no burial garments, not even the pendant he always wore.

It was an empty coffin.

The day Samuel died, the officials came to examine the body. They said they found a corpse floating by the river, so bloated and disfigured that they could only identify it by the clothes.

I was so distraught I fainted, too overwhelmed to question anything. But after seven days of vigil, I grew more wakeful and more suspicious with each passing hour.

The night before Samuel died, he suddenly shook me awake in the middle of the night, rambling on about all sorts of cryptic things. "If I'm not around anymore, you need to keep living your life."

I was groggy and pushed him away. "What are you babbling about at this hour?"

He didn't answer, only slipped two tokens under my pillow. "I leave these two to you. If anything happens, find them."

When morning came, he was gone.

Later, I found the tokens. They were engraved with names: Shadow and Frost. The plaques felt cold to the touch and were exquisitely made, unlike any common object.

I tried calling the names into the air, but no one answered. Yet at night, I kept hearing faint noises in the rafters, like a ghost was lurking there.

The noise outside pulled me back to reality.

"Out of the way. All of you, move!" Samuel's mother, Tracy Hill's voice cut through the courtyard, sharp and commanding.

I looked up and saw her marching into the mourning hall with a whole crowd behind her. Samuel's uncles, Thomas Hill, Charles Hill, and several family elders, their faces as stiff as coffin lids.

Tracy stopped before me, not bothering to tell me to rise. She looked down at me and said, "Charlotte, the funeral is over. It is time we discussed certain matters."

I tried to push myself up, but my legs gave out, and I dropped back down. Luna Geller, the maid, rushed over to steady me, whispering, "Take it easy, Lady Charlotte."

Once I was steady, I kept my eyes down. "What is it you wish to say, Lady Tracy?"

"Wish to say?" Tracy let out a cold laugh. "How dare I give you orders? You are the lady of the house. All these lands and shops are in your hands. I will have to rely on your generosity from now on."

Her words dripped with sarcasm, and the guests who hadn't left yet were all listening in, sneaking glances in our direction.

I kept my head down, my voice soft. "You flatter me, Lady Tracy. All those land deeds are locked away in Samuel's study. I'm a woman. A woman like me has never even touched them."

"Never touched them?" Lord Thomas stepped forward, his narrow eyes fixed on me. "Search! Find them."

Several maids rushed in, grabbed me, and hauled me toward the back. Luna stomped her foot in frustration. "What are you doing? This is a house of mourning. Lord Samuel's seven-day vigil is not yet over!"

Nobody paid her any mind.

I was dragged into the back bedroom, where the maids ransacked the place, throwing clothes and bedding everywhere.

I leaned against the doorframe, watching them make a mess. My lips twitched in a sneer, but I quickly suppressed it.

The night Samuel died, I'd already quietly moved all the land deeds and property titles somewhere else. What was locked away in the hidden compartment of his study now were a few empty account books.

"Did you find it?" Tracy's voice called out from the courtyard.

One of the maids hurried outside, shaking her head. "No, we turned the place upside down, nothing."

Tracy's face darkened instantly. She shoved the maid aside, marched in herself, and circled the room, her gaze cutting into me like blades. "Where did you hide it?"

I looked up at her, tears in my eyes. "Lady Tracy, I do not know. Samuel passed so suddenly and told me nothing. I am a new wife, barely two years in this house. How could I dare touch what belongs to the Hill family?"

"Don't give me your bullshit!" Tracy barked, slapping me hard across the face. My head jerked to the side, my cheek burning with pain.

Luna screamed in terror and rushed over to shield me. "Please, Lady Tracy, have mercy! Lady Charlotte is telling the truth; we really haven't ever seen those deeds."

Tracy was about to slap me again when Thomas's voice shouted from outside, "Tracy, we've found something!"

The whole crowd rushed out in a commotion. I stayed where I was, wiping the corner of my mouth; my fingertips were stained with a bit of blood.

Luna was crying, her heart aching for me. "Lady Charlotte, why didn't you dodge?"

"What's the point?" I muttered. "Let them hit me all they want. The harder, the better."

Luna froze, stunned.

I looked at her, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "Go on, open the window."

I had no idea how long the commotion in the mourning hall lasted. I sat in the room, listening to the noise outside. Groups went from the study to the storeroom, found nothing in the end, and left grumbling and cursing.

When night fell, Luna brought in a bowl of broth, her eyes red. "My lady, you have eaten nothing all day. Please have a few sips."

I took the bowl and was about to bring it to my lips when I heard a dull thud outside.

Right after, a hole was poked through the window paper, and a thin tube slipped in, releasing a wisp of white smoke.

Luna's mouth opened in terror, but I clamped a hand over it and pulled her into the corner. At the same time, I whispered up toward the rafters, "Go."

As soon as I spoke, a scream rang out from outside.

I grabbed Luna and pushed the door open. In the moonlight, a man in black had a masked assailant pinned to the ground, the assailant's knife lying off to the side as he groaned and struggled.

Another man in black stood nearby, his face covered so tightly that only his eyes showed.

The one holding the assailant glanced up at me, then hauled the man to his feet and began dragging him away without a word.

"Wait," I called out.

He stopped in his tracks.

I looked at him, then at the other man standing nearby, and spoke slowly, "You two are Shadow and Frost, aren't you?"

No one said a word.

"Samuel told me he was leaving you with me, said if I ever needed anything, I should come to you," I added.

The one holding the man paused a moment, then finally said, "Yes."

His voice was low and muffled behind the mask, so one couldn't tell how old he was.

I pointed at the blood on the floor. "Who sent him?"

"The Hill family," he replied.

I nodded. As expected. Tracy didn't find what she wanted during the day, so she sent someone at night to try to make me die with Samuel.

If I ended up dead, even if those land deeds never turned up, they'd still fall into her hands. I was a widow, no kids, family far away; if I died, nobody would give a damn.

"Let him go," I said.

The guy pinning him down snapped his head up, staring at me like I was crazy.

"Let him go," I repeated. "Let him go back and deliver a message to his master."

I walked over to the masked man, crouched down, and met his terrified gaze. I spoke softly, "Go back and tell Lady Tracy. I didn't die for Samuel like she wanted. Tomorrow morning, I'm heading straight to the authorities to demand justice.

"I'll ask them to split Samuel's estate. Whatever belongs to Lady Tracy, she'll get every dollar; whatever's mine, I'm not giving up a single cent."

The assailant stared at me, dumbfounded.

"Got it?" I asked.

He nodded frantically.

I stood up and jerked my chin at Shadow. "Let him go."

The assailant was released and tumbled over the wall, scrambling away in a panic.

I stood in the courtyard, watching him disappear over the wall. Luna moved closer and whispered, "Lady Charlotte, are we really going to the magistrate?"

I smiled, saying nothing.

The night wind swept in, chilly as ever. I turned to face the two men in black. Under the moonlight, they stood straight as poles, like they were rooted to the spot.

"Shadow? Frost?" I called their names, one after the other.

The one who'd pinned the assailant nodded, and the other followed suit.

"So, when did Samuel bring you into this?" I asked.

Silence.

"Is he really dead?" I pressed.

The silence got even heavier.

I stared them down, but they wouldn't look at me. Not a flicker in their eyes.

After a while, I laughed. "Alright, you won't say, huh? Fine, keep your secrets. Guess it doesn't matter. You're working for me now, so you'll do what I tell you."

Shadow, the one who'd pinned the assailant down, spoke up, his voice muffled behind the mask. "We're here to protect you, not to follow your commands."

"Alright, alright, protect me." I waved my hand and yawned. "You've had a long night. Go get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be another big day."

I turned to head back inside, but after a couple of steps, I paused and glanced over my shoulder at them. "Oh, and when I'm sleeping, you don't have to lurk up in the rafters. It's kind of creepy."

Before they could say anything, I grabbed Luna and pulled her inside, shutting the door behind us.

Luna fumbled with the lock, whispering, "Lady Charlotte, you're way too bold. Those two men in black, they don't look like the friendly sort."

"What's there to be scared of?" I sat on the bed, rubbing my bruised knees. "Samuel left them behind for me. If anything happens to me, they'd have to answer for it."

Luna blinked. "But what if they're not on our side?"

I didn't reply, only stared at the moonlight spilling across the window paper, lost in thought.

Villains or heroes?

'Samuel, are you really dead? Did you leave these two behind to protect me or to watch me get torn apart?' I wondered.

I had no clue about any of it. But one thing was certain. From now on, I wasn't going to be that idiot who trusted Samuel's every word.

Early the next morning, I took a carriage straight to the magistrate's office.

News had spread through the town. The Hill family's young widow, pushed to the brink by her husband's mother, was going to file a formal complaint.

All along the way, people peeked through the curtains to get a look at me. I sat inside, my face still bearing the mark of Tracy's slap, eyes swollen and red, looking every bit the wronged young wife.

When I arrived at the magistrate's office, I had someone hand over my petition. The county magistrate, George Andrews, was a slick one.

He took the paper, glanced it over, and smiled. "Lady Charlotte, rest assured, I'll handle this fairly. But this inheritance dispute involves a lot of people, so I'll need some time to look into it properly."

I thanked him and left the office. Before getting into the carriage, I accidentally stumbled, and a promissory note slipped from my sleeve, right where Mike Wilde, the magistrate's assistant, could see it.

He happened to pick it up and slip it back into my hand.

On the way back to the estate, Luna couldn't help but ask, "Lady Charlotte, didn't you say you were going to file a complaint? Why did you slip money to that assistant?"

"Silly girl." I leaned back against the carriage and closed my eyes. "The complaint was for show. What really matters is making sure everyone sees it."

Luna looked completely lost.

I didn't bother explaining any further.

If Samuel was still out there, what would he do if he found out I went to the magistrate? And those enemies hiding in the dark, how would they react, seeing the Hill family at each other's throats?

Some things couldn't be rushed. I had to mess things up little by little, muddy the waters, and keep everyone guessing.

That night, I lay in bed and whispered up at the dark rafters, "Shadow, are you there?"

No one answered.

I added, "I know you're there. Tell me, did that slap mark from today go away yet?"

Still no answer.

I rolled over, but couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips.

Whether Shadow answered or not didn't matter. What mattered was that he heard me. That quiet one, crouched up in the rafters, was probably dumbfounded, trying to figure out why I'd suddenly ask about this.

That was exactly how I wanted it.

He'd better get used to it; there would be plenty more things that would leave him puzzled in the days ahead.

The wind picked up outside, making the leaves rustle. I burrowed under the covers and closed my eyes. Tracy's bound to pull something tomorrow. Thomas, Charles, and those family elders, none of them were pushovers.

But I wasn't scared.

What was there left to fear for a woman who did not even know if her husband was living or dead?

Before I drifted off, a thought flashed through my mind. The calluses on the web of Shadow's hand came from years of wielding a blade.

Yet the sachet at his waist bore embroidery that looked familiar; it was the signature pattern from Cloud Pavilion Boutique in Betrico. Samuel once brought me one, said it was all the rage back then.

How did he get his hands on that?

Forget it, not worth thinking about now.

There was a long road ahead. Sooner or later, the truth would show itself.