At this point, Edwin ended the conversation and pushed Shane forward.
“In any case, you can be sure that we will not make mistakes. Let's go."
Before slamming the door, he threw a sign to the jailer. He again gagged the priest and locked him in the cell.
Of course, he still had to be interrogated, but Edwin already doubted that he would tell anything really important.
“Genevieve is probably still in shock. I should visit her."
"I'm coming back."
"A? Aren't you going to visit Genevieve?"
“Is it necessary?”
“How cold you are...You’re her guardian, haven’t you forgotten?”
"I am fulfilling my duties as a guardian."
[But it wasn't just about debt.]
[Genevieve most likely didn't want to see Shane right now.] Edwin didn't insist.
“So, how’s your married life going?”
“I have no obligation to discuss personal matters. This is my private life."
“Oh, drew the line, huh? Between us."
“I hate people who gossip about their feelings or relationships.”
“...It’s even insulting...”
Shane said nothing. And in this silence it was clearly heard: “So what?”
[He has always been like this.]
[As if he saw only Adaline in this world, and nothing else bothered him.]
"If someone really controlled him..."
“Dark magic? In theory it is possible. But it's unlikely. If he had been controlled, he would still be out of his mind. And he says that he just lost control for a moment. I woke up and immediately realized what I had done.”
“Maybe Genevieve cleaned it up?”
"Maybe. But only from poison. And that’s... not to say that it’s impressive.”
[Genevieve was much busier than her predecessor. But not because she had special power, rather, on the contrary.]
[Even to eliminate the poison, she had to repeat the ritual two or three times.]
[And, each such healing cost time, effort and money. Genevieve felt pressure from all sides.]
[Rumors and assessments of her weakness reached her, whether she wanted it or not.]
“She can heal wounds, but not diseases. With poison, it's the same story. She can only support life until an antidote is found. Even a curse cannot be removed immediately. It will take days. You seem to overestimate Genevieve, Shane."
“I'm just looking at all the options. But about Adalyn..."
He stopped short and clenched his jaw. A tremor ran through the gnashing of teeth.
His voice became lower, as if filled with heaviness:
“Whenever someone is in danger, she rushes in as if she were immortal. No matter what I say, she doesn’t care.”
“...This is worthy of respect...”
[Ignore threats from a feared person.]
[From the very moment when she, without flinching, said: “Yes, go to the Saint if you want,” even after all his confessions and mad love...]
[You couldn't help but admire Adaline. Her courage was not human.]
Edwin, thinking for a moment, suddenly said:
“I thought you would lock her in the mansion as soon as you got married.”
Shane didn't answer.
He thought about this himself.
“That’s why I hinted that you would help me at the Founding Festival. Now that it’s clear that you haven’t locked it, the invitations will come more and more often.”
[The Empress, who dreams of giving her son away as quickly as possible, will begin to invite guests in advance every time she meets with Genevieve. There were two months left before the holiday.]
[Adaline has a good understanding of people, which will come in handy.]
[Although, looking at Shane, they were already beginning to doubt this.]
[Or maybe, on the contrary, she saw everything perfectly and just tried to stay away.] Edwin chuckled barely.
"Shane, I thought you wanted to get back at her."
[Isn't that why you caught her and forced her to marry you after she ran away?]
Edwin also knew what state he was in when Adaline disappeared.
[The plan was simple: to hurt the one who betrayed him.]
[But now...it seemed that everything was not so simple.]
Shane looked straight ahead. A few seconds, and the air seemed to thicken.
Finally, he answered briefly:
"This is no different."
“Well, yes...a husband who is ready to kill an attacker just because he almost hurt his wife.”
Edwin wanted to tease, but fell silent when he looked at Shane's face.
“For Adaline, my very existence as her husband is already torture.”
Shane chuckled to himself.
Blue eyes, dark and heavy, looked into emptiness.
There was not a drop of irony in this grin. Only pain.