Caleb murmurs softly, arm moving on the empty spot next to him, searching for someone. Silver eyes slowly open, a low groan escapes his lips as he slowly sits up, frowning when the person he wants to see is not here. It is still dark outside, despite the watch on his nightstand saying 7:30 a.m.

Where is Primrose?

He picks up a rustling sound coming from the bathroom, the door peaking open, a few strands of lights sneak their way to the bedroom, dim and easy to the eyes. The young lord hears whisperings, some kind of secret talk and he can't help but make his way there, standing outside the bathroom and eavesdropping on whatever conversation his lovely raven head is having on the phone.

He hears Ember's name, how the person on the other side of the phone has found the girls, and how they should process this little operation carefully. Raising a brow, what is Primrose planning this time?

"C-Caleb…"

The door opens and she stops dead in her tracks when she meets his lazy silver eyes boring at hers. Her face is flustered at the attention and she averts her gaze, avoiding his intense stare. It is not a good start for their new relationship when the first thing she does is sneak into the bathroom to talk with someone on the phone. Gripping the phone tightly in her hand, she bites her bottom lips, fearing that the vampire lord might get the wrong idea.

"What's wrong Primrose?"

"N-nothing…"

But he is not buying it. She never learns her lesson that she is a very bad liar, that he can see through her lies easily and almost effortlessly. Caressing her jaw with one hand, his thumb presses on her chin, saving her poor bottom lip from bleeding. She turns crimson at his action, knowing how this is his way of telling her she can speak to him about anything. Primrose is grateful for how supportive he is, no matter what she does.

"Beloved?"

Primrose nods, finally giving in. It will not be a good idea to hide this problem from him, especially when he just catches her red-handed having a secret conversation in the bathroom.

Caleb wears a pleasing smile when he sees her tense shoulders finally relax and with one swift move, the young lord sweeps her off her feet and walks towards the bed, their bed. The raven head blushes at the thought, while they have done nothing but cuddle and talk about their future together last night, it is still embarrassing to think of how this bedroom is now their shared bedroom.

Nathaniel better not have any wild imagination this time…

The young lord sits on the bed, wrapping his protective arms around her and nuzzling her hair, he is encouraging her to speak up about the problem.

"Do you remember Ember?" breaking the still silence, she asks in a gentle voice "Nathaniel's girlfriend?"

"Yeah, they broke up right?"

She nods, chewing on her lips again, unsure how to continue.

"Well, I was on the phone with her twin brother, Emerald. We were talking about their business, and…"

After a few days of their first meeting, Emerald was able to track down the girl that his parents paid to pin a crime on Nathaniel. He had not confronted her about the situation, fearing that she would report it back to Lily and Victor Feng, making it harder for them to clear the younger Emberlynn's name.

While Foxbury's administration decides to keep it a secret, Primrose knows that it is only a matter of time before they gang up on her younger brother and use him to their advantage. She can not let that happen, not in a million years. Those who dare to lay their hands on her brother, whether it is the university's administration or a wealthy family like the Fengs, will make sure they all pay a hefty price for this defamation. Primrose also asks about Ember's situation, she learns that the Fengs have pushed back her wedding day due to Don Lothario's injury and Ember is currently under house surveillance.

"I'm thinking of asking Marlin to help me." she turns to him "He has a spell in which he can force someone to speak the truth, pretty neat right?"

"You can say that, but would it be too dangerous? You are not allowed to use magic on civilians, yeah?" Caleb reminds her gently "With Nathaniel's trial, you should act carefully."

"I know, but this is Marlin we are talking about. He is…well…he is a questionable guy…"

"But wouldn't the Fengs can just say the girl is lying?" he continues "You need more concrete proof, beloved. One of the best ways to do it is to track their monetary transactions. You mentioned that the girl received fifty grand for her cooperation, right?"

"Yes, but how can I…?"

Her shoulders slump, realizing how much preparation she needs to do in order to bring this case to light. The young lord tightens his hold, he should step in and help her out. He can have Butler Richard retrieve information about the transactions the Fengs made in the last six months, it will also benefit him too as the Vatore is looking into the human trafficking case.

"I will ask Richard. He might be able to help." planting a kiss on her cheek, a smile grazes his lips, feeling the warmth of her skin against his.

"He can?" Primrose's face beams up as she exclaims, her eyes twinkling in excitement.

With a nod, the young lord holds her closer when she wraps her arms around him, giggling in joy. Her soft laugh is adorable, like a bell ringing in their dark yet cozy bedroom. He can feel how their little space lights up the moment that bright and crisp giggle escapes her lips.

Her lips…

He wants to kiss her again…

Caleb sneaks a hand underneath her chin, raising her head up. The moment onyx meets silver, she turns crimson and her heart skips a beat. Her eyes open widely when he draws in, closing the gap between them before closing her eyes, feeling his lips on hers.

Just like last night, it is soft and sweet, carrying a sense of longing and adoration. Her hands tighten their grip on his shirt, trembling in joy. Her heart is weighted with affection, fireworks bursting in her chest with butterflies in her stomach, Primrose thinks that she is walking on cloud nine. It is addicting, the taste of his lips carries a hint of mint and wine, sweet and pleasant, and she finds herself wanting more.

Caleb pulls away, caressing the softness of her cheek with his hand as he stares at her, admiring his beloved's flustered face. Biting her bottom lips again, Primrose can't help but bury her face in his chest, bashfully hiding away from his gaze. Her heart is bursting with a warm and cozy feeling, a smile grazes her lips when she feels his finger lacing her raven locks, brushing them gently.

"I love you."

His confession somehow makes her shiver in excitement. The way those words roll off his tongue like honey to her ears, his voice is low and warm, and his whisper is loud enough for her to hear. She gives him a shy nod, gripping his shirt even tighter, hoping the closeness will calm her now pounding heart.

"I love you too…"

Within a day, Butler Richard comes back with a monetary document in his hands. He enters the reading room, where Caleb and Primrose are together with Marlin and Nathaniel.

"My lord, here is the information about the Fengs."

The blond's ears perk up at the mention of his girlfriend's family and turns to the wise butler, puzzling at what he is doing. The young lord accepts the file from his butler, scanning through the content before giving it to Primrose, who accepts it with joy.

"Prims, what is that?"

Nathaniel, unable to hold back his curiosity, walks up to his sister. The raven head shows him the highlighted content, how there is a transaction between Lily and Victor with the girl who accused him of violent assaults and and dean who partook in the Feng's grand scheme of defaming the younger Emberlynn.

"How did you get this?" the blond looks at her, feeling weary about this "This looks illegal, Prims…"

Sensing her brother's nervousness, Primrose pokes his forehead gently, reassuring him that there is nothing illegal about the document she has in her hand. She turns to Marlin, who gives her an I-know-what-you-want look, grinning at his acknowledgment.

Edward has informed them about Nathaniel's newest trial and the father-and-son duo will arrive at the Emberlynn manor to receive the final verdict. Alfred has convinced the elderly council to listen to the blond's side of the story, while some of them are reluctant to do so, the scandal of the elder who attacks Primrose has put pressure on the council as no one wants to get into trouble with House Vatore.

"When are you planning to do this?" Marlin asks her, referring to gathering evidence from the girl who falsely accused Nathaniel.

"I want to do it before Nathaniel's trial day, we only need her to confirm that the Fengs and Foxbury administration were involved in this defamation scheme." holding the monetary transaction document in her hand, she responds "The sooner we can finish this, the better."

"What about Ember?" Nathaniel's voice is quiet, almost reluctant to mention her.

"Don't fret, Emerald told me that she is safe for now. But the moment Don Lothario leaves the hospital, they will do the wedding immediately." the raven head rests a hand on her brother's shoulder "Lilian is also keeping an eye on their movement and will call me as soon as anything happens."

The blond scratches the back of his head, feeling embarrassed that his sister has to do everything for him. The realization makes him feel pathetic and useless that he has caused nothing but trouble to everyone in his family. Primrose stops those thoughts from him, telling her younger brother that he is not troubling anyone and that it is only natural for them to look after him.

Caleb looks at the Emberlynn siblings and smiles. For someone who doesn't flinch at the thought of approaching her brother with violence a week ago, Primrose is very supportive of Nathaniel. She turns to him with a beaming face, proudly placing a hand on her chest as she claims to be the oldest sibling of the two and that it is her responsibility to whip some sense into her idiotic but charming brother.

"Right…Idiotic but charming…" the blond mutters under his breath before his lips curl up into a sly smirk "At least when we are hanging out, everyone assumes that I am the older sibling."

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" she raises a brow defensively.

"You see, Prims…You lack something that makes people believe you are my older sister. For example…" he crunches down playfully, measuring their height with one hand "If you just drank your milk like Mom asked you to when you were little, then maybe I would not have to do this whenever I want to meet you at eye level…"

"What the…?" she scoffs at him "That is not true!"

She turns to Caleb and Marlin for support but the two men just shake their heads, telling her to admit defeat. There is no point in bickering when the blond is only stating the truth.

"P-prepoustous!" she exclaims, standing tall to prove her point.

But the more she tries to extend her posture, the more she makes Nathaniel want to tease her. Instead of his casual standing, the blond straightens his posture, making him even taller than he normally looks. She twitches her eye, feeling how her neck is straining looking at her devilish brother.

"Sorry, sis. I beat you this round."

"Give up, little lady. It hurts my eyes just to see you trying to be taller." Marlin joins in the teasing bandwagon, calling out to his pupil with a sarcastic voice.

"H-hey! I am not a little lady!"

She fumes on her words, pouting at their silly antic. But Caleb steps in and sweeps her off her feet, making the raven head turn crimson. She holds onto the hem of his vest, letting out a yelp as her feet are now dangling in the air while everyone laughs at her antics.

"You might want to think about that again, beloved."

"Caleb!"

"Right, you both have fun! I will be waiting outside." Marlin states with a deadpan expression "And Caleb, make sure you tell her what is the meaning of the pendant she is wearing."

With that, the fire mage pushes Nathaniel out of the room, leaving the lovebirds alone.

Primrose blinks confusedly as she stares at the pendant dangling on her neck and then back at the young lord. He sits back on the comfy sofa again, with her nestles on his thighs and caressing the delicate accessory in her hand.

She looks at him, searching for any form of answer. She thinks that this pendant has the same meaning as the earrings she gives him, ones that he is wearing proudly on his ears. The bright crimson color of the ruby gem shines brightly, adding a touch of warmth to his pale skin. The earrings are meant for protection, a charm that she has crafted with care prior to this incident.

"Caleb?"

One hand rests protectively around her waist, the other one cups her palms that are caressing the pendant carefully. The accessory shines brightly underneath of warm yellow light of the reading room, like a veil of stars on a dark, black canvas. The crest of House Vatore is imprinted on the gem, a golden hue complimenting the red jewel.

This is one of the most important pieces of jewelry that House Vatore possesses, one that only the significant figure of the house is allowed to wear. Primrose with her young age might not understand the meaning of the pendant but her father and Marlin know the moment they lay their eyes on it.

"This pendant has a significant meaning, aside from being a protection charm." he speaks up, running his hand up and down her back to ease the tension that is slowly rising in her "Traditionally, only the Lady of House Vatore wears it."

"L-lady of the…?" she stammers, staring at the jewelry in awe "B-but isn't Lilith the lady…?"

"She is my sister, so in theory, yes. But I am the head of my family and you are my mate, it is only natural that you wear it."

Primrose nods her head, unsure how to respond. There is a mixture of gratitude and expectation within her, fighting to be more prominent. While she feels loved and cherished at how Caleb sees her, there is a heavy wave of pressure just at the thought of her being his mate. This pressure comes more within her and the question of her worthiness pops up as she wonders if she deserves the title or not.

On top of that, they just allow their relationship to bloom, vulnerable and fragile, like a gem that needs the utmost care. She is afraid that just a gush of wind can knock it onto the floor and while the thought of being his mate sounds lovely, Primrose questions herself if she can truly live up to the expectation of the title, as well as the previous ladies who held that title in House Vatore.

"Beloved…" rubbing his thumb gently on her chin, the young lord successfully saves her bottom lips from bleeding "There is nothing for you to be afraid of."

"B-but…" she bites her cheeks the moment he looks at her with determination in his striking silver orbs "Caleb, I…"

"The pendant holds a significant meaning and I only want you to wear it to ensure your safety. The idea of you being my bride is amazing, but right now…" he holds her close, allowing the raven head to rest on his shoulders "Let us cherish what we have in the moment, yeah?"

Her face is painted with a lovely shade of red and she nods gently, eyes closing as she can feel his fingers combing through her hair. Primrose almost feels guilty that he has to be this patient for her and everything he does is filled to the brim with care and adoration. It makes her wonder if she is taking advantage of his love and kindness or not…

But the kisses on her forehead, her eyelid, her nose, her cheek, and finally her lips seal his promise. Each one lights a fire that warms her heart and she can't help but hold onto him tighter, burying her flustered face in his shoulders. He whispers tentatively in her ears, letting her know that there is no rush and they have all the time in their lives to make this relationship more beautiful, one that is built on love and trust.

"I'm sorry…" she tightens her grip, shoulders finally relaxed in his hold.

"No need to say sorry, beloved." Caleb continues to comb the lush raven locks, smiling fondly at how smooth and soft they feel in his hand "My pretty jewel, I love you so much."

"I love you too…" Primrose's lips curl up to a lovely smile "A whole lot…"