Sheila had yet to be found. She had disappeared somewhere in the Red Line District. However, Kayle Carthwrite now sat before Ravina, nervously shifting in his chair as the young girl fixed him with a determined purple stare. He didn’t dare speak first. After all, the mood and the manner in which he had been summoned here had been rather… forceful.
Finally, Ravina granted him some reprieve by breaking the silence. “I would like you to tell me exactly what happened between you and Sheila.” Her voice was cold as she sipped her tea, pointedly showcasing the lack of hospitality, as Kayle had been given no such luxury.
"Ah," understanding dawned on him. "How is she?" he asked, his genuine concern causing Ravina to narrow her eyes.
“No good,” she answered curtly. “It was after you apologized to her that her entire demeanor changed. So, I will ask once more, and not once more—what happened between you two?”
Kayle looked down, a wave of discomfort crossing his face. “We were kids,” he muttered simply. A tense silence hung in the air before he continued. “She and I were set to be married—our fathers’ idea. They were both farmers, and it would’ve united their land and other business matters.” He shook his head, dismissing the details. “Thing is, I was too young to understand what marriage even meant. The guys and I... we didn’t want to deal with her. Actually, we made her life miserable.”
He fidgeted, scratching his head as he shifted uncomfortably. “That’s what we did. But she escaped—ran away with a wizard. It was around then that I started to realize what it meant to be married, and I tried to change how I treated her, but... it was too late.”
Ravina stared at the regretful man before her, her expression hard. “Well,” she said, her voice low, “it’s far too late now, but I think I understand what happened.”
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“What happened?” Kayle asked, his voice almost desperate.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Ravina raised an eyebrow. Kayle just stared at her blankly. “You were a driving force in her life. She escaped you—ran away from everything she knew just to get a chance to breathe. Then, when things finally seemed to be going well for her, you ruined it by showing up unannounced and offering a genuine apology.”
Ravina paused, imagining how she would feel if Rupert walked through the door and apologized. What if he admitted he was wrong and offered to let her do whatever she wanted to him? Right now, she would kill him without hesitation. But if years had passed… if she was no longer in her position she was now. Didn’t have the backing of the count… in her new life, for him to reappear with an apology, how would it affect her?
Still the difference was between night and day. Ravina was a noble, Sheila---not even a commoner. “Sheila lost a big part of herself that drove her forward,” Ravina continued. “Your apology caused her to question if she made the right choice. Memories fade, after all. I’m sure she’s forgotten most of the terrible things you did to her. Focusing on her mistakes, her actions that might have caused you to wrong her. Causing her to feel as if maybe it was her fault.” humans were funny little creatures after all.
Kayle began to rise but stopped and slumped back into his seat. “I just want to help,” he said, his voice soft and filled with regret.
Ravina shuddered at the thought of Rupert saying those same words to her. Still, she knew they needed to find Sheila first. Her well-being came before anything else. Once Sheila was safely tucked away in the manor, she could kick Kayle out and ensure he never bothered her again.
“She’s self-destructing because of you,” Ravina said, her tone sharp. However, she wouldn’t make it easy on him. “Do you know where someone might go to receive the same treatment you gave her? Because I believe she’s seeking out that same abuse, thinking it might affirm her past actions, or perhaps she is just searching for the pain she suffered, convinced she made the wrong choice.”
Kayle's face fell. “I... I never meant for this,” he whispered, but Ravina remained cold, her eyes narrowing as she watched him squirm.