Breakfast

Dante:

I couldn’t stop thinking about Elowen, which made it difficult for me to sleep the whole night. It didn’t intend to make her cry, but the way her face beamed with innocence touched my heart. My emotions were all over the place, and I tried to convince myself that it was simply the weight of my new responsibilities piling up.

I got out of bed early and dressed because I needed to inspect every corner of the house, just like my father did. I had to ensure that my order was followed to the letter.

Before I left, I looked at Elowen, who was fast asleep on the bed, and walked up to her, kissing her forehead gently before exiting the room. A guard holding a platter greeted me.

“Mr. Romano Saccone’s hand on a platter, as you requested,” he said with a bow, opening the plated hand preserved in formalin.

“Place it with the others.” I said, and he nodded, walking away.

As I walked down the hall, I heard doors close. Of course, my relatives were upset about my decision, but I couldn’t ca