Suddenly, María remembered Aria’s advice:

'Never show fear.'

A simple piece of advice, but difficult to follow in front of someone like Elizabeth, whose mere presence seemed to weigh her down.

However, Aria's words echoed insistently in her mind, giving her the courage she desperately needed at that moment.

María took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves.

Clenching her hands to stop the trembling in her fingers and, with a slight stutter, she dared to break the awkward silence.

"Esmeria promised Hugo she’d leave us alone," María said, trying to make her voice sound firm, though a slight hesitation betrayed her.

Elizabeth frowned, and her gaze, which had been deadly, seemed to soften, though just slightly.

Her eyes glimmered with a hint of something beyond menace—perhaps a trace of curiosity or doubt.

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked in a low tone that sounded calculating.

María nodded, feeling her throat dry.

"Yes, I heard it myself," María insisted.

She wasn’t going to let herself be intimidated so easily this time.

The vampire watched her for a long moment, assessing her as if weighing every word.

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María felt cold sweat trickle down her back, but she held her ground, not breaking eye contact.

"And why are you here if you’re supposed to be with Esmeria?" María asked, trying to steer the conversation and at the same time maintain her position.

Elizabeth had been with Esmeria that morning, and her presence in the kitchen made little sense if she were following orders.

Elizabeth’s gaze sharpened, and she pressed her lips together, as if María’s question had irritated her.

"That's none of your business," Elizabeth replied curtly, cutting off any attempt to probe further.

María felt her brief attempt to redirect the conversation vanish with the vampire’s cold and sharp response.

María clenched her teeth to contain her frustration, but at least Elizabeth lessened the intensity of her murderous aura.

Elizabeth observed María with a serious expression, and in an unexpected move, began to approach slowly.

María stood still, surprised and unsure of how to react.

Each step the vampire took seemed to echo in the silent kitchen, amplifying the tension in the air.

Elizabeth stopped right in front of her, her eyes locked onto María's for what felt like an eternity.

María held her breath, her sweaty hands clutching her apron.

Elizabeth bent down with the same unsettling grace that characterized her, and with a fluid motion, she grabbed a jar of cookies that had been hidden on a lower shelf, out of María’s reach and sight all this time.

Without raising her gaze, Elizabeth extended the jar towards her.

"Take it," Elizabeth ordered in a firm voice, devoid of any patience.

Still stunned, María obeyed immediately, taking the jar of cookies while trying not to show the trembling in her hands.

Elizabeth, without changing her stern expression, looked her straight in the eyes.

"What are you doing here wasting time? Aria is waiting for her cookies, and you're still wandering around." Her tone was a clear scold, making María feel small under her sudden rebuke.

‘But I’m still here because of you!’ María thought, frustrated, while nodding quickly, not daring to answer aloud.

The words got stuck in her throat, replaced by a resigned grimace.

As María turned around, the fire spirit floated near her, its warm light illuminating the way back.

Elizabeth watched it with evident displeasure, her lips curling in disapproval.

The vampire’s eyes followed the spirit until it disappeared behind María, as if the mere presence of that creature made her uncomfortable or, perhaps, irritated.