A small knock, followed by a creaking sound of the opened door. Lilith's brown orbs light up at the sight of Caleb entering the room. She wants to greet him, but her brother holds a finger on his lips, signaling her to stay silent. Slowly making his way to Primrose as she is still absorbed in the reading material, he takes a seat next to her, silently observing his favorite maiden. The younger Vatore giggles softly at the scene and decides to retreat, leaving the couple their private time.

Primrose doesn't even notice what happened, eyes still scanning through each word on the old yet well-kept paper. If there was an earthquake happening right now, she wouldn't even know. Caleb leans onto the armrest, one hand lying underneath his cheek as he slowly observes her. It's not unusual for them to be like this, especially when the raven head is pouring her attention into something that captures her interest.

The young lord's eyes are on her, watching her every move. No matter how many times he looks at her, Primrose always appears to be more adorable in his eyes. She doesn't have that sophisticated features like Lilith, or an elegant charm like Lumera, or the classic beauty of Rosalina, but Primrose is gorgeous in her own way.

Her hair, long and wavy, is a silky raven color that ties into a lovely braid. Her eyes, as deep as the night sky, sparkle with joy as she reads the book. Soft porcelain skin contrasts with the darkness of her hair and her soft lips carry a hint of natural pink. The lovely apple scent, bright and crisp, wraps around her body like a sweet blanket. Caleb enjoys that fragrance a lot. Her stature, small and delicate, is charming. Whenever she tries to reach for something on a high shelf, her tiptoeing antic always draws a chuckle out of him.

Primrose might not be beautiful, but she is adorably charming in his eyes.

"Uhm…"

Her soft mumble pulls him out of his train of thought. What is more surprising is how her face is painted with a lovely shade of red, she pulls the book up, hiding her face from him. And even so, he can still see the faint redness on her hands.

"S-stop staring…"

Caleb dots on her, moving closer that he is now by her side, shoulders slightly touching. He can feel her whole body freeze on the spot and the young lord can't help but smile at her shyness. Moving one finger to her book, he gently pushes it down, just enough to see the onyx orbs of hers. She widens her eyes a bit, averting her gaze to avoid his.

This is too embarrassing for her…

"Want to go somewhere else?" he asks, his voice calm and soothing "I'll take you to my secret place, okay?"

She looks at him again, fondness fills the depth of his silver orbs, and before she even realizes her response, Primrose nods, allowing him to guide her out of the reading room.

Caleb leads her through the hallway, going down the stairs and outside of the estate, his hand never leaves hers. The maids stare at them, in awe at the affectionate scene while some are blushing at how gentle their lord is at treating this young lady. Primrose feels her heart flutter at their compliment, knowing that she is the only one who receives this kind of attention from him.

The cobblestone walkway slowly opens their path to a gorgeous garden and Primrose immediately picks up the faint floral scent of roses. Continuing on the path, she finds herself mesmerized by the blooming white roses, bathing underneath the enchanted and whimsical air. In the center of the garden, there is a gazebo that is surrounded by bushes of roses and lush green hedges, warm and cozy with a single hanging light and seats that are covered with a velvety throw.

Not far away, she can see a tree standing tall and mighty. The trunk is big and gnarled, with light forms emitting a soft purple hue. The branches reach higher into the sky, embracing the soft breeze that blows against them. The leaves are a shade of amethyst, carrying what Primrose assumes to be energy coming from the tree itself. And the fruits, glassy and translucent, range in color from pale lavender to deep violet. From top to bottom, the tree emits an enchanting luminescence that bathes itself and the surrounding area with a soft purple glow.

It's magical yet eerie at the same time…

She notices there are two gravestones underneath the tree, each one with a white rose laid on top. Who do those gravestones belong to?

"Here is my parents' resting place."

Her voice hitches at the revelation. She looks at the name on the intricated headstone, seeing the names William Vatore and Beatrix Vatore. So they are his and Lilith's parents…

"This tree, we call it the plasma tree, was my mom's creation. Back then, she dreamt of finding a way for vampires could have their food without having to hunt down a human, so she started this research. However, her dream was cut short, along with my father's vision to live in harmony with humans."

She looks at him, unsure what to say. It is in times like this that Primrose wants to have centuries of knowledge like Caleb so she can understand and maybe give him her words of wisdom. But she doesn't know what to say except for standing by his side like she is doing now.

"Before this tree, vampires would hunt down humans like they're nothing but livestock. Some went alone, others formed groups, and in the end, it was always the humans that met a gruesome end."

The light in his eyes is dimmed, as if he is trying to forget the pain and suffering of the poor souls that were caught in the hands of his kind.

"House Vatore continued her research and a miracle happened, we were able to synthesize the seed and plant it. It was a success and the plasma fruit became pivotal for our victory against House Straud." sighing, Caleb continues "However, even with this plant, we still need blood to survive. While there are still vampires out there who prey on humans for their blood, since the success of the plasma fruit, we are able to reduce the number of attacks on humans significantly."

The hold on her hand tightens as she looks at him, hoping to search for any underlying tone that he wants to hide.

"It's a sad thing that my mother is not here to see the success of her creation."

Losing a parent is already difficult enough, but losing both at the same time, during the most critical time in a war, she can not help but sympathize with Caleb. This is his story, the yearning to see his parents again, and Primrose can't help but want to cry. The way his silver orbs dilate at the sight of the gravestones pulls her heartstrings. If anyone needs to cry, it has to be him. She has no reason to spill her tears and act like this is her pain when in reality, Caleb's pain is worse than how she is feeling right now.

But Caleb doesn't cry…

Maybe he has gotten used to this pain, maybe it's too painful that he can't shed a tear, maybe his pain is already numb under the pressure of him being the head of the family…

"Beloved…"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't…" she bites her lips, holding back a sob "It just…I…"

But Caleb holds her close, feeling the warmth of a human body against his cold, almost lifeless one. His beloved, his precious jewel, the love of his life, she is crying for him. And he feels nothing more than overwhelmed with gratitude. Since the death of his parents, he could not even shed a tear for them, but here Primrose is, doing the things that he can't do for him.

That is enough…

"Thank you, beloved. These tears of yours are more than enough."

As they each lay a white rose on his parents' gravesides, Caleb takes her to the gazebo, where they take a seat and enjoy each other's company. He talks about the work he has done today, and how there is some paperwork about their wine business that he needs to sign. Upon hearing this, Primrose points out how similar he is to Lilian, that despite him being a surgeon, the beacon of the medical industry, it doesn't stop him from enjoying a glass of wine from time to time.

Her comment draws a chuckle out of him, knowing that her best friend and his coworker is also wine enthusiast. He also talks about how Primrose's alcohol tolerance is not as good as her spice level, that her face already grows red at the third or sometimes, the second glass of wine. Caleb suggests that she should not go to parties alone, it will be quite dangerous for her if something unfortunate happens.

Primrose retorts to this with a pout, saying that nothing has even happened and here he is, trying to curse her already…

As they continue to share their stories, the sun slowly goes down. The town of Forgotten Hollow, hiding beneath a veil of mist, is cloudy with almost no sunlight and yet, as the sun dips below the horizon, it paints an alluring crimson hue against the mundane, greyish canvas. With the sun slowly disappearing, the mist rises even more, creating an ethereal and mysterious atmosphere surrounding the area.

The streetlight illuminates, dim and eerie, casting flickering shadows along the alleyways. The residence becomes quieter, with a multitude of bats taking to the skies and absorbing the twilight for themselves. The town slowly descends into the realm of shadow, uncanny, eerie and yet enchantedly calm.

The sunset in Forgotten Hollow is a time when the town and its residents come alive, crawling their way out and engaging in the nightly rituals.

Primrose's eyes sparkle at the sight of the moon hanging in the dark, velvety canvas. It brings calm into her mind. She feels resonates with the moon, maybe it is because of her magical background, or there is just something so romantic about it that makes her heart flutter. Maybe it is because of the intense gaze she is receiving from the man sitting next to her.

Caleb's silver orbs stare at her, seeing through her soul. His gaze holds a subtle request, longing for something more intimate. The fondness that is in the depth of his eyes shines through, making her blush when she realizes how tight his hands are on her shoulders. This timing, this air, this atmosphere, this environment, everything is set up perfectly for them. Primrose tries to stay calm, she has written enough romantic stories to know where this is going. But…

Am I ready?

They have only been on reconciliation for more than a month, some might say it is too short, and some complain that it is too long. But Primrose? She doesn't know if she is ready for this…

It's scary to think about it, she has never been with anyone before. Everything that she keeps for herself is to one day, she can share them with someone special, someone she holds dear to her heart. And Caleb is that person.

But…

I'm scared…

Primrose is afraid to commit to this, her mind begins to scream that she is making a big mistake and that he will eventually leave her if she gives him her first kiss.

So when Caleb leans in, Primrose's voice hitches as her hands shoot up, covering his lips nervously. She can not look at him, her eyes are anywhere but on him. She is scared, afraid of what he might think. Maybe just like Don Lothario, Caleb might think that she is nothing more than a snuck-up woman who refuses to give him what he wants.

With Don Lothario, she doesn't care what he thinks. But with Caleb…? The thought of it makes her heart ache. Tears begin to build up in her eyes as she fumbles on her own words, shaking hands and visibly distressed.

"I'm sorry, I…" she bites her lips hard to the point it almost bleeds "I… I…"

"Beloved, shh… It's okay…"

Caleb, without any hesitation, pulls her into a warm embrace and holds her tight. His large hand lays on top of her head, reassuring her that she has done nothing wrong and that everything is okay. The more he says those words, the more it makes her feel like she just messes things up even more.

"Primrose, look at me. Look at me…" with both hands on her face, he guides her up to look at him "Beloved…"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't…" Primrose's eyes are glistening with tears as she tries to find the right word "I don't mean to, I just…You…"

Maybe she just made a terrible mistake in denying him.

Maybe he will leave her again, just like he did back then.

Maybe there is no place for her in his vision.

"Primrose, you did nothing wrong." his words soothe the doubt she has in her mind, easing it back to a calmer place "You're not ready and it's okay. I'm not mad at you, I can never be mad at you."

"B-but…"

"Beloved!" his voice is firm yet kind "I would hate it even more if I know that I have forced myself onto you."

Primrose looks at him, searching for any form of lies that he may hide from her. But there's nothing but genuine in his eyes. There is nothing for her to fear, that this extravagant story about him leaving her is just something her mind makes up. The water mage hesitates for a moment before finding solace in his embrace with his fingers gently brushing away her tears. The moonlight bathes them in its gentle glow, this vulnerable moment they share ties their connection even stronger. And Primrose smiles, knowing that she is safe in the arms of the man she holds dear to her heart.