The metallic clang of the candelabra as it collided with the cold stone floor echoed.

Then, a chilling silence followed the raucous noise. Frozen still, Alena stared at the scattered candles.

Alena was certain that such a sudden and jarring disruption would surely send a jolt of alarm or even fear through any mortal's heart.

But the duke simply opened his eyes, and those golden orbs even revealed the complete opposite of panic—a calmness that seemed otherworldly.

As he rose, his movements were fluid and graceful. He stepped towards the fallen candelabra, passing through Alena's spectral form. A strange sensation, like a ripple in water, cascaded over her as he moved through her.

His fingers curled around the fallen candelabra, lifting it with ease and setting it upright, its candles still bearing the wisps of smoke. 

The rustle of his night robe as he made his way back to the bed was the only sound that could be heard. He settled down. His body sinkws into the plush mattress and silken sheets, and then, just like that, his eyes once again closed.

Alena stared, her ghostly form radiating disbelief. The audacity of his nonchalance left her utterly flabbergasted!

"Could it be that... he's already used to this? That must be it, right?" Her eyes fixed onto his face . "I wonder how many other ghosts have haunted you that you're no longer this bothered."

She shook her head. "No, this could just be him being the fearless man that he is. He's not afraid to kill, so it's understandable that ghosts wouldn't even make him flinch."

She tightened her grip on the dagger and murmured, "Well then, I have no reason to idle anymore." 

She lifted the dagger high, its blade gleaming ominously under the faint light streaming through the window. Every part of her screamed vengeance, yet her heart—or whatever remained of it—wavered. An internal struggle played out within her. “Don’t hesitate. This man deserves this!”

The muted sound of an owl's soft hoot from the outside faded.

Her dagger thrummed with intense energy as dark tendrils of shadow intertwined with shimmering beams of light.

With one final breath, she closed her eyes, and then, in a heartbeat, the world snapped back into motion.

Alena lunged.

A hand shot up with shocking speed, grasping her wrist with a grip so firm just before her dagger could pierce his flesh. Her eyes flew open in shock, and she looked down to see the tip of the dagger hovering just millimeters close to his heart.

The duke's eyes bore into hers, gleaming intensely with an emotion she couldn’t quite decipher.

And then his voice, rich and deep, flowed through the tense silence: "You are hesitating way too much... my duchess."