Chapter 128: Trust Is Earned

Lorien:

I headed straight for my office, my footsteps echoing through the otherwise silent corridor, and the moment Elara stepped in behind me, I raised one hand and sealed the doors with a locking spell. The magical click that followed was soft, but in the silence of the room it sounded almost deafening.

I finally turned around to face her, only to find the woman standing several feet away with her shoulders tense, her hands curled into fists, and fury burning so brightly in her silver eyes that, for one dangerous second, I nearly let the corner of my lips curve.

She looked ready to charge at me, and considering everything that had happened tonight, I couldn’t exactly blame her. Still, I held the amusement back and met her gaze evenly.

"Before you say anything about how unfair I was to Jasper tonight, I want to make one thing very clear," I told her calmly, though I could already see the accusation forming on her lips. "I just saved your blood knight."

The anger that had been ready to explode across her face faltered almost immediately. Confusion slipped through the cracks, though it did nothing to erase the suspicion in her eyes, and she frowned deeply as she demanded, "What are you even talking about?"

I exhaled softly, suddenly wondering how much of the truth I should have revealed earlier. There was no point in hiding it now. "I’m the one who told Jasper to take you to the cemetery tonight," I admitted, watching her carefully. "I was also the one who arranged for Natalie to open the portal for you."

Her expression changed so quickly that I could almost see each emotion crossing her face. Anger disappeared beneath confusion, confusion gave way to disbelief, and then pure shock settled over her features as she stared at me as though I had just told her the moon was made of glass.

I continued before she could interrupt, explaining that I had arranged the entire trip because I wanted her to give her human family a proper farewell.

Professor Fenrith had recently shared with me how Elara told him about her having constant nightmares about the night of her family’s death. So I thought maybe giving her the chance to grieve might help her a little.

"What I didn’t expect was for Regent Valemont to suddenly arrive at the academy tonight after receiving word about afternoon’s incident," I added, my voice tightening slightly when I remembered the Darren’s attitude toward Elara. "If I hadn’t stepped in and taken control of the situation, he might have dealt with Jasper himself. And believe me, Elara, Darren Valemont would not have stopped at twenty lashes."

Silence swallowed the office. For several long moments, neither of us moved, and the only sound was the faint flicker of the fire burning in the fireplace.

I watched Elara absorb everything I had said, expecting anger, perhaps relief, maybe even a small acknowledgment that I had intervened on Jasper’s behalf. Instead, she suddenly let out a quiet, humorless chuckle. The sound was so unexpected that my brows drew together, and I asked, "What exactly is so amusing?"

She lifted her eyes toward me, and something inside my chest tightened the instant our gazes met. There was no relief in those silver eyes. No gratitude. No softening. There was only distrust, cold and unmistakable, and somehow that hurt more than I expected it to.

"It’s just... incredibly convenient," she finally said, her voice carrying a bitter edge. "Everything sounds so perfectly coincidental when you explain it."

She took a small step forward, her expression hardening as she continued, "First, you put on a show to help me. Then suddenly Regent Valemont appears, Jasper ends up in trouble, and you get to play the person who saves him from an even worse punishment. Do you really expect me to believe all of that just happened by chance?"

I stared at her, genuinely stunned. Of all the possibilities I had imagined, I hadn’t expected her to believe that I had deliberately engineered the entire situation just to hurt her and Jasper.

"Why would I do that?" I asked, unable to keep the disbelief from my voice. "Why would I arrange for Jasper to take you somewhere dangerous, only to turn around and punish him? What exactly would I gain from that?"

Elara shook her head, her hair hair shifting around her shoulders as she admitted, "I don’t know." She paused, her eyes never leaving mine, before adding quietly, "But I also don’t believe everything that happened tonight was just some unbelievable coincidence."

My throat suddenly felt dry. I had spent over a decade learning how to navigate political games, reading intentions hidden beneath carefully chosen words, and manipulating situations before they could become dangerous. Yet standing in front of this woman, I found myself struggling to find the right words to make her understand that I had not been playing against her.

"Then trust me," I said at last, quietly enough that the words almost sounded like a plea. "Just this once, Elara. Trust me."

She chuckled again, but there was nothing warm in it. "Trust is for people who earn it, Headmaster Moonveil. Not for people who demand it." Her words landed harder than I expected, and she didn’t stop there. "Unfortunately, you haven’t given me any reason so far to trust you. You haven’t given me any reason to believe you are someone I can count on."

For a moment, I couldn’t answer. Her words felt like a slap, not because they were cruel, but because I couldn’t honestly tell her she was wrong.

I wanted to be someone she could depend on. I wanted her to understand that everything I had done, every decision I had made, had been intended to protect her, even when those decisions had looked cold or unforgiving from where she stood. But wanting that didn’t change the truth. I had not earned her trust.

I had protected academy rules when she needed someone to protect her. I had called her reckless when she was frightened. I had allowed misunderstandings to grow because I believed explanations could wait.

And perhaps worst of all, I had expected her to understand intentions I had never bothered to explain.

I drew a slow breath and forced my expression to remain composed.

"I’m not your enemy, Elara," I told her, keeping my voice steady despite the ache spreading through my chest. "But-"

Before I could explain anything further, she interrupted me, her gaze unwavering as she said, "That’s for me to decide."