«Don't say anything to Luke, please...»
Those were the only words that Ginevra managed to whisper in a broken, tearful voice, barely audible as she lay curled up on Gerard's bed.
At this hour, everyone is in the mess hall eating, except for me and her—I just couldn't leave her alone in this state, so disfigured she's almost unrecognizable. Around her right eye, a deep purplish—almost black—bruise stands out; her lower lip is split and still bleeding, and her cheeks are slashed by long, deep scratches. I'm sure that having Luke by her side would calm her more than I ever could, but Ginevra—aware of the boy's fiery temper—must have chosen to keep him in the dark, fearing he'd lash out at Countess Amelia Dulcar in a fit of rage and face disastrous consequences.
