Nathaniel steps into the study room per Lilith and Kian's request, checking on Caleb. The young lord is lying on the plush sofa, paperwork covering his face with a few fall down onto the wooden floor. Despite the small mess, the room looks relevantly clean.

"Hey there…"

Caleb jumps at the blond's voice, surprised at his presence. Pulling the stack of paper off his face, he slowly sits up with a welcoming smile on his face. Despite that grin looking warm and almost too perfect, it does not fit the atmosphere around them at all. A hint of anger and frustration still hangs tight in the air, the lingering sense of regret and an unknown fear.

"You good?"

"Of course."

His answer is too fast for someone who is calm and collected.

Nathaniel takes a sit across the coffee table, stealing a glance at the paperwork on it. Something about new orders of wine and invoices of other miscellaneous stuff. There is a drawing of some sort of vineyard, details about fertilizing, and how to maintain the quality of the wine.

"Wine business?" the blond is interested in what is in front of him.

"My family owns a winery. You should come visit sometimes."

"That sounds like a nice invitation." leaning back at the cushions, Nathaniel addresses the elephant in the room "So…what happened back there?"

Caleb's hand freezes when he collects the paperwork, the cursed question that he wishes to avoid at all cost is now spilling out of the blond's mouth. It makes him wonder which part of the previous conversation he is asking, Inna Cents's pressure him into a union with Seraphina Bloodhaven? Or his anger outburst?

Anger outburst…

He sarcastically clicks his tongue. He did not throw a fit at them, what he did was much worse than that…

"You were ready to end them right then and there?"

Nathaniel's inquiry catches him off guard again and Caleb feels embarrassed to admit it. Yes, the young lord was furious to the point that he could commit a crime. Inna provoked him, she constantly poked the bear, thinking that she could get away with it. While he is a man of diplomacy and harming a maiden has never been his way of dealing with problems, what she did was unacceptable.

"You looked like a completely different person…" the blond stops for a moment, choosing his words carefully "Does Primrose know…?"

Caleb's shoulders slump when her name leaves Nathaniel's lips. Primrose…

Just the mention of her name already makes him feel so guilty, but he can not let her see that…that side of him…

It will scare her and send her running. The Caleb she knows is kind and gentle, one who always keeps his composure no matter how stressful the situation is, not that beast that he is desperately trying to hide. The raven head deserves nothing more than love and affection, to be pampered by the person she loves. She can not witness that dark and twisted part of his soul, one that will slay anyone and anything that dares to step foot in his way.

That moment when Inna Cents crossed her boundaries, Caleb almost could not hold back the beast…

"You know that Primrose's line of work is not really normal, right?" Nathaniel tries to reason with him "Sure she is an author and lives a relatively normal life, but she goes on missions here and there with Marlin and Lumera. She has seen worse than what you are describing yourself."

"I know that…"

She is a young maiden with a strong and resilient heart, of course, she will not be afraid of such trivial things as his anger outburst. But Caleb doesn't want to let her know this side of him, it will taint her.

Up to this point, she is the sole reason why he can maintain and tame the beast in him. Her sweet smile, the way her eyes shine an innocent light, her pure and uncorrupted view of the world around her, her big yet fragile heart, everything about her gives him a reason to bury that darkness within the depths of his heart. Primrose is the light that grounds him to his own sanity and Caleb is not willing to taint that innocent with his own two hands.

He can't…Primrose is too precious to him…

"One day she will know the truth, do you think that will stop her from being with you?" the younger Emberlynn sighs "I will give you an answer. No, it will not."

He knows his sister. While his knowledge of her is not as strong and concreted as how she can see right through him, she shares the same trait as him, stubbornness. They are both as stubborn as a mule and Caleb must know this by now. A headstrong person, she is willing to put herself in danger just to protect her ideal and what she believes to be true.

"Just how many times have you seen her insert herself in a dangerous situation?" the blond offers a lighthearted joke that cracks a chuckle out of the young lord.

He continues by saying that Primrose is tougher than her physical appearance may suggest. She may look small and fragile, but her inner strength is what makes her the woman she is today. Caleb might be scared at the idea of showing his inner demon to her, but Nathaniel knows that she loves this man too much to even care about it. Her strength is driven by the love she has for everyone around her and her desire to keep them safe, and Caleb is no exception. Maybe he even stands above them as someone she will put in her trust and love no matter what, no matter how dark and twisted his heart is compared to hers.

"Trust her, Caleb Vatore. Trust her love for you and the future you guys are building together." Nathaniel offers him a reassuring smile "She can handle things that are beyond our wildest imaginations, you know..."

Their heartfelt conversation is put to an end when Lilith barges into the study room, worries fill her face as she informs them about the arrival of Edward Emberlynn. Caleb immediately asks about Primrose and the hesitation from his sister is the answer he needs. Within the blink of an eye, the young lord appears in the living room, where he witnesses everyone, all weary and battered.

"Mr. Emberlynn…" he steps to the older blond, offering a friendly handshake "We're glad that you're all safe…"

"Caleb, yeah…" Edward sighs and turns his attention to the raven head on the plush sofa, her eyes are wrapped in a white cloth.

His voice hitches at the sight of Primrose. Her body is littered with bruises and cuts, her clothes are tattered and her face is stained with tears. He frowns at the sight, moving closer to her and rests a palm on her forehead. He can feel a hand grab onto his heart and squeeze it painfully, so tight that he finds himself unable to breathe.

What happened to her…?

He wants to ask that question but remains silent, knowing that everyone is tired from their escape. A soft groan escapes her lips as she murmurs under her breath, the bandage on her eyes is wet as tears fall down again, prompting Lumera to come over and soothe her with healing magic.

"Caleb…"

Even when she is sleeping, his name never stops escaping her lips.

The young lord feels the lump in his throat, too big and too painful to swallow. He turns to Marlin, who looks more beat up than everyone else, and inquires what happened. The fire mage frowns at him, he is too tired to even speak about anything. The fight with Edward's shadow and the onslaught army of House Emberlynn have left him drained.

Edward steps in and offers to speak up about the situation, recalling the event and how that elder blinded his daughter with a concoction. He ensures that House Emberlynn has taken that man into custody and it's likely that he would be banished from the family. He then turns to Nathaniel, letting out a relieved sigh when he sees that his son is unharmed and informing him about the upcoming meeting between Alfred and the elders' council.

"Nathaniel…" Rosalina walks to him and the blond wastes no chance to pull his mother in a tight, warm hug "We're glad that you are safe…"

"Thank you for your kindness, Caleb. I understand how difficult it must have been to offer my son shelter…" Edward turns to the young lord "I hope that we did not cause you any trouble."

"Not at all. Everything is fine on our end." Primrose is resting her head against his chest as the young lord carries her in his arms, she is no longer crying "Butler Richard, please prepare a resting place for everyone."

The butler nods, proceeding to do what his lord has told him. Rosalina speaks up about how she will make medicine for Primrose to treat her injury. The blinding powder is carrying the poison from the false morel mushroom but it is treatable. While they all want to help the raven head get through the pain caused by the elder's reckless act, Nathaniel advises his mother to at least take a rest before jumping into her task.

"It's okay, Nat. The sooner I get on with the treatment, the better it will be for Primrose." she pats her daughter's head gently "But Caleb is doing a very good job stopping her from crying."

"Crying?"

Rosalina nods, instructing the young lord to do whatever he can to prevent her daughter from crying. The more Primrose tries to interact using her eyes, she is putting more strain on the delicate nerves of her injured eyes and the harder it will be for them to heal.

"Lumera puts a sleeping spell on her to keep her calm, but…" she sighs, looking at Primrose's bandaged eyes "Please take care of her when she wakes up, Caleb."

He nods, reassuring her that Primrose is in safe hands and proceeding to bring his lovely maiden back to his quarter. Edward's knowing eyes follow him until the door closes, turning to Nathaniel and silently inquiring about the situation between his daughter and Caleb. He is even more surprised to know that his son is not overreacting at what is unfolding in front of him, as if the blond has come to terms with his sister's relationship.

"Well, you know…" Nathaniel fumbles on his words, feeling like he is being cornered by his dad "But did I tell you guys about our fistfight?"

"Fistfight?" Rosalina exclaims "You guys got into a fistfight?"

While the blond distracts his parents about the violent breakout between him and Primrose days ago, Caleb is taking her back to his quarter to rest.

He understands Edward's skepticism, especially when the young lord is stealing the older blond's daughter from him. By this point, the raven head is no longer a guest at the Vatore estate, she is his mate and it is only natural to bring her to his room.

Primrose is still sleeping soundly in his arms, there are small groans here and there but she remains in her slumber. When they finally enter his bedroom and the door is closed behind him, Caleb tightens his hold on her, trying to calm his racing heart with the warmth of her human body. He continues to murmur into her ears, feeling grateful that she is by his side again.

"Caleb…"

Even when she is deep in slumber, Primrose still calls out to him. Her voice is soft and tired, but she unconsciously snuggles in his embrace, humming in pleasant with the familiar scent.

"I'm here, beloved. You are safe now."

Grazing his lips on her forehead, the young lord sets her down on his bed, pulling the soft cover over her. He might need Lilith to come in and help her change into a more comfortable outfit, but for now, he is happy that she is here with him.

Caressing her face with his hand, his heart tightens when the raven head knits her brows and her lips quiver in discomfort, despite the soothing of Lumera's healing magic, the burning still resides in her eyes. He curses at himself for not stopping her on this mission. Had he stood his ground and did not give in to her pleading, he would have prevented this from happening. And how, here he is, unable to do anything to chase the pain away.

"Hurt…"

Gentle brushing away the tears falling down her bandaged eyes, the young lord cradles her in his arms, whispering loving and comforting words, hoping that Primrose can pick up his voice in her sleep and know that she is safe. The crying subsides again as she becomes more comfortable in his embrace and Caleb laces her delicate fingers in his, providing her another source of safety.

"It's okay, Primrose. I'm here now…" he murmurs on top of her head "You are safe, beloved. I will not let any harm come your way again."

A soft moan escapes her lips as Primrose wakes up from her deep slumber. Her eyes are irritated, but there is some kind of soft fabric covering them, cooling the burning feeling. As she slowly regains consciousness, she tries to open her eyes, but all she can see is sheer darkness, pitch black and eerie.

What happens? Where is she? Where is her parents? Why can't she see anything?

Panic sets in as she is forced to cope with the blindness, her heart is racing, and her breathing quickens. She does not recall anything other than how she got hit with some kind of powder, burning her eyes as she cried out in pain. Darkness shrouds her world and everything around her is quiet, too quiet for her liking, causing the raven head to act more frantically.

She tries to pull away some kind of cloth that is on top of her, moving her leg to the side until her feet can feel a firm surface to stand on. Primrose slowly stands up, balancing herself by placing a hand on a drawer or nightstand of some sort, trembling as the raven head searches for any form of balancing she can reach to help her walk straight. But she is not able to make it far as one of her feet gets tangled in the soft blanket, making her stumble on the floor with a loud yelp.

"Primrose?"

She can hear the sound of the opened door and that familiar voice that pierces through the darkness. She moves her head from side to side, trying to catch where that voice is coming from.

"Caleb?"

In the darkness, her voice quivers as she calls out to the one person she longs to be with. Her hand reaches out, searching for his response and Caleb immediately sweeps her off her feet. The moment she feels the familiar scent of him, Primrose immediately holds onto his shirt, fisting it tightly so that she leaves wrinkles on the fine fabric.

"Caleb…" she calls him again, her lips forming a thin light, hoping for an answer.

"I'm here. I'm here with you." he holds her tight in his arms, reassuring her with his embrace that he is not going anywhere.

"I ca-can't see anything…" her hands shoot up and grasp onto his the moment he sets her down on the bed again "Caleb, what happened?"

Her frantic cries and trembling body pull his heartstrings even more. The way Primrose holds his hands as if she is holding onto her dear life makes him mentally curse himself. The young lord becomes more anxious seeing her distressed state, tears fall down from her injured eyes that he has to gently wipe them away and nestle her delicate body in his embrace, murmuring comforting words to soothe the raven head from crying.

"I'm here, Primrose. I'm here now." he whispers attentively against her soft, raven locks "Don't cry, beloved. Your eyes will hurt more if you cry."

"B-but…" her voice is trembling "I can't see. Caleb, I can't see anything."

"It's okay, beloved. Your eyes are injured, but they will heal. Your mom is making your medicine now and she will bring it here soon." massaging her tensed scalp, the vampire lord continues to soothe her with his warm and reassuring voice "You don't have to be afraid, I'm here with you. I'm right by your side, Primrose."

He tightens his embrace, using his body as her safe haven and source of comfort. She asks him, like a broken child, if his words are true, that her eyes will heal and everything will be okay. Despite not having any fear of darkness, this sudden yet drastic change in her eyesight becomes unbearable. Just a couple of hours ago, she was fighting alongside her parents and mentors, now she sees nothing but a pitch-black canvas.

But Caleb reassures her that everything will be okay, that Rosalina has found a cure and she will regain her eyesight very soon. He apologizes for leaving her alone like that, his heart is heavy with guilt the moment he sees her on the wooden floor of his bedroom, frantically trying to get up. The good thing is that she doesn't suffer from any other injury from the fall.

Lumera came in earlier to heal her bruises and cuts, and then after that, Lilith came with a new set of clothes and helped her change into them. Rosaline walked in next with a salve-filled bandage as she changed the white cloth on Primrose's eyes with a new one. Caleb, forever the gentleman, left the room to let the women have their time to treat and take care of her. He did not anticipate that Primrose would wake up that quickly.

"Everything will be okay? I will be able to see again?"

"Yes, Primrose. Your mom said that your eyes will probably take a week to fully heal." planting a kiss on her forehead, he smiles "But you can not cry. It will strain your eyes even more and make them harder to heal."

"No crying…" she nods "No crying…"

Chuckling at her promise, Caleb reaches for the nightstand and places a delicate object in her hand. Primrose is surprised, unsure how to react. She can not see anything and has to rely on all her senses as she touches the object. She can feel a small stem, the leaves coming from it, and further on top is some kind of petal, smooth and silky. It is a big flower, and the floral scent is easy on the nose, sweet and minty, with a hint of fruitiness.

"Is this a white rose?"

Primrose knows that there is a flower garden at the Vatore estate that is filled to the brim with white roses, his mother's favorite flower. So it must be a white rose…Right…?

Caleb smiles, but he doesn't say anything. His eyes twinkle in joy when he sees the raven head play with the rose in her hand, caressing the delicate petal with care. The cool and calming hue mimics the depth of the ocean, evoking a feeling of peace and tranquility just by looking at it. She might be correct about the flower, but it is not in the white color. This is his finest creation and he wishes for Primrose to see it when her eyesight is restored.

"Caleb?"

"You will know it soon."

She frowns at his answer as she is now literally being left in the dark, unable to see anything beyond the black canvas.

There is a knock on the door, Butler Richard opens it, and behind him are Rosalina, Edward, and Nathaniel. The moment they see the young couple in bed, Rosalina can not hold back her giggles.

"My my, you both look so cute."

Primrose turns her attention to where the voice is, not quite understanding what her mom just said. She can't see anything and she doesn't even know what her current situation is with Caleb. Rosalina shakes her head lightly, holding a cup in her hand, filled with a green liquid. The raven head frowns upon picking up the herbal scent, earthy yet musky, even without tasting it, she can already tell that this is going to be a bitter drink.

"Primrose, don't make that face." Edward speaks up "You need your medicine to treat your eyes."

When Rosalina hands Caleb the cup, the raven head immediately turns away, avoiding the musky scent. Her lips purse up and she finds herself gagging at the horrible scent, what even is this?

"Come on now, Prims. You have to drink it." Nathaniel encourages her "It doesn't taste as bad as it smells."

"You try it then." she retorts back weakly "Bleh…Do I really have to drink this?"

"It's for your eyes, beloved." Caleb squeezes her hand "Just one gulp and you're done, Primrose."

She holds the cup in her hand, disgusted at the musky scent. She can pick up a few ingredients in there, but the most prominent one is definitely the valerian. The pungent scent kicks into her nose but Primrose chooses to ignore the discomfort and down the whole cup in one gulp. Her brows furrow tightly and chills run down her back as she tastes the unbearable bitterness on her tongue.

"Horrible…"

"Hey, that is my medicine!" Rosalina huffs at her daughter "Here is your water."

Even with two cups of water, she still can not wash away the taste of medicine. To think that she may have to drink this every day makes Primrose shiver, she hates this…

"Goodness sweet one, this is for your own good. Medicines are supposed to be bitter, not as sweet as candy, you know?"

Rosalina scolds her, but her eyes fall onto the lovely rose on the bedsheet. The deep ocean color is in contrast to the maroon background and it is the most beautiful rose she has ever seen. Caleb smiles when he notices that her mother has found out about his little gift, but brings a finger to his lips as he asks her to keep it a secret. He wants Primrose to learn about the color of the rose herself when she regains her eyesight.

"It is quite a lovely gift, Caleb." Rosalina turns to him and playfully speaks up "But she is right here with you. My little girl has no one but you in her eyes, you can trust my words on that."

"M-mom!" Primrose exclaims, her face is adorned with a shade of red.

"Oh, am I wrong?" the woman sings teasingly.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean…" she lets out an embarrassing groan "You are the worst…"

"And I love you too, my sweet little angel."