Loyal Lies

None of us spoke as we left Ezekiel's house. Yue's driver had been waiting patiently in the driveway for her.

I noticed how her delicate fingers fidgeting with the strap of her bag while the remnants of unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

"Auri," she whispered. "I never knew... about Ezekiel's mother. All this time, he's been carrying this burden alone."

I reached out to hold her trembling hands. "He's strong, Yue. And now that we know, he doesn't have to face it by himself anymore."

She nodded, but I could see the pain still etched across her face. It wasn't just concern for Ezekiel's situation. I knew the image of him seeking comfort from me instead of her would haunt her thoughts tonight.

"I wish..." she started but shook her head immediately. "Never mind. Just... take care of him, Auri. He trusts you."

Those words felt like tiny daggers. I pulled her into a hug. "We'll both take care of him, Yue. He needs all his friends right now."

She held onto me tightly for a moment longer before pulling away. Without another word, she walked to her waiting car.

The drive home was painfully quiet. I kept sneaking glances at Silas through the rearview mirror. His expression remained unreadable as always.

When we pulled up to the house, I stayed in my seat even after Silas opened the door. I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to explain what happened at Ezekiel's house.

"Is something the matter, milady?" He bent down to check on me.

"What you saw earlier has no other meaning. It was just a friend seeking comfort." I blurted out, then immediately covered my mouth.

Silas leaned down, his blue eyes catching the light from the garden lamps. "I know what I saw, milady. Your friend needs a shoulder to lean on and you were there."

"B-but I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

"My duty is to serve and protect you, milady. I have no right to form opinions about your personal relationships."

Something inside me cracked at his words. I stepped out of the car to face him, the height difference forcing me to tilt my head back.

"Is that all I am to you? Just another duty?" I could hear the hurt in my own voice. "When you make sure I'm eating properly, when you notice I'm tired and bring me tea without me asking, when you..." I stopped when I remembered the day Silas came back after disappearing for three days. The way he held me, how warm and safe I felt in his arms.

"It is my duty to ensure your wellbeing, milady." The way he responds so calmly is starting to frustrate me.

"And what if I want it to be more than duty?" The words came out before I could stop them. "What if I want you to care because... because I care about you?"

The silence that followed was unbearable. Silas's expression didn't change but I saw his hands tighten slightly at his sides. Finally, a smallest crack in his perfect composure.

When the reality of what I'd just said hit me like a truck, I turned and ran toward the house. I didn't stop until I reached my room and slammed the door close.

My heart was pounding and my face felt hot with embarrassment. What have I done?Why did I confess to my butler? The butler who probably saw me as nothing more than his responsibility.

I started brainstorming about how I should face him tomorrow and fix this mess when a gentle knock on the door startled me.

"Milady?" Silas's voice came through.

My heart started racing again. Should I pretend to be asleep?

"Milady," his voice came again, "may I speak with you?"

I remained frozen with my back against the door. My heart still thundering in my chest. Should I tell him it was all a joke?

Another knock. "Aurora."

The sound of my name on his lips made my heart skip. He never called me Aurora unless it was something serious, like the last time we were ambushed.

"I..." my voice came out as a squeak. I cleared my throat and tried again. "I need a minute."

"Very well. I'll wait."

Of course he would. He always waited for me. I stood up on shaky legs to check my reflection in the nearby mirror. My face still flushed and my eyes were slightly red. I took a deep breath before I turned the door knob.

The air between us felt heavier the moment I opened the door. I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes.

"About what you said earlier," he started.

"Can we just forget it?" I interrupted quickly while staring at the floor. "I was emotional after everything that happened at Ezekiel's, and I–"

"No," Silas response made me look up in surprise. "I apologize for my poor choice of words earlier. When I said I wasn't concerned about your friendship, it wasn't because I don't care. It was because I already know."

"Know what?"

"How you look at him, and how you look at me. They're different, Aurora."

My heart was beating so loud I was so sure he could hear it. "Silas, I–"

"I care about you more than you can imagine, and staying by your side has become something far more important than duty." He took a step closer and I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. "But there are boundaries that shouldn't be crossed, rules that exist for a reason."

"I don't care about rules," I whispered even as my mind screamed at me to stop talking. "I just care about you."

The silence that followed felt electric. Silas's carefully maintained composure seemed to waver. In the soft lamplight of my room, his blue eyes darkening with an emotion I couldn't read.

Without a word, Silas took another step forward, gently guiding me back into my room. The soft click of the door behind him made my pulse race.

"S-Silas?"

He moved closer but maintained enough distance to remain respectful.

"There's timing for everything, Aurora," his voice was low. It sounded almost hypnotic. "Right now, you need to focus on your studies on becoming the person you're meant to be." His gaze softening. "Let me take care of everything else for you."

"But –" I started to protest but he cut me off.

"Trust me, Aurora. Some things are worth waiting for."

He took my hand in his before I could even respond. My breath caught when he bent down, his lips brushing against my knuckles in the most gentle kiss. The gesture was both perfectly proper and overwhelmingly intimate.

"Good night, milady," he murmured against my skin before straightening up. With one last look that seemed to contain a thousand unspoken promises, he turned and left.

I just stood there while watching the door closed quietly. My hand still tingling where his lips had touched and my mind spinning with everything that had and hadn't been said. One thing was clear – Silas had just answered my confession without really answering it at all.