𝔄𝔯𝔞𝔤𝔬𝔫. 𝔙𝔦𝔰𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔶 ℭ𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔟𝔬. 𝔜𝔢𝔞𝔯 1200.

Juan took a step forward and gently pushed back the shawl that partially covered the baby’s little face. Its little eyes the colour of cornflowers in bloom gazed straight at Juan. There were so many different emotions visible in them. So much love and understanding, a silent plea, while at the same time gratitude for something he had not yet done. An unearthly warmth enveloped his body and his heart was struck with a new, unknown feeling. He felt happy… He knew now what should be done and no longer had any doubts. The little girl, as if sensing and understanding what he felt, sighed quietly and slowly let her eyelids close. Juan gazed at her like one bewitched, unable to tear himself away from her lovely little features. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Suddenly they heard what all had been waiting many hours to hear. A quiet whimper coming from the castle bedroom. The count turned around and ran upstairs. Without knocking, he opened the door in a hurry and ran inside just as the midwife was taking their new-born son from his Elena. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The count brightened even more and looked into the tiny azure eyes that gazed at him with the caution of a grown man. For the second time that evening, the count’s body was overtaken by an unearthly warmth, enveloping him completely, penetrating his soul and heart. The feeling was familiar to him and now he knew precisely what to call it—Love. Yes, it was…an immense love.

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‘𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘈𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦.’

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She flounced about the bedroom, like a wild animal shut up in a tight cage. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ‘It is insufferable! Why is it so hard for me to be near her? Why? As a mortal she should not have so much influence on me. The physical pain is unbearable.’ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In no time she was smiling at her own thoughts. She was content with her plan. She took a deep breath and looked in the mirror, which she had managed not to destroy. What she saw gladdened her fully. Standing for a long time before that mirror, she looked herself over with a smile on her face. A face that changed, becoming grotesquely distorted, taking on the image and likeness of all the demons she knew and was summoning to her aid.