Chapter summary
Chapter 5
The chapter opens with Evie and her ten‑year‑old sister Lyssa sitting at the family table while their father, Griffin Sage, carefully serves a bowl of soup he has prepared himself. The soup tastes terrible, but the children eat it because his cooking signals that he is well enough to care for them. Empty chairs at the opposite end of the table remind Evie of their mother and older brother Gideon, who are dead and never will return.
Griffin, a large man with a warm smile, asks how the girls are doing. Evie compliments his cooking, then offers Lyssa seconds. While serving more soup, Evie feels a sharp pain in her shin, coughs, and tries to hide her discomfort. The conversation drifts to Evie’s work at the manor; she gives a vague answer, claiming it is “uneventful” and that a manor is “just a large house, not a castle.” Lyssa, oblivious, asks about the size of the manor, prompting Evie to lie further about her job to protect the family’s perception of The Villain.
Evie’s internal monologue reveals that, although the village condemns anyone associated with The Villain, she works for him and finds his moral code oddly appealing: he treats his employees fairly, never exploits women, and demands a pound of sugar in his cauldron brew. Every morning she sneaks the required sugar and cream from the kitchen to add to his drink, a secret she cherishes and is proud to keep.
After their father finishes his meal and clears the bowls, Evie impulsively offers to wash the pots. She scrubs harshly, feeling the water and humming a lullaby her mother used to sing while doing dishes, finding comfort in the memory. She reflects on the last good thing her mother gave her before she left the family.
While washing, Evie glances at her reflection in the window: her father carrying a sleepy Lyssa toward her bedroom. She forces herself to smile, recalling her mother’s encouraging words, “Worry not, hasibsi. You could fix a broken world with just your smile.” Despite realizing she has not fixed anything, she resolves to keep smiling for the sake of those she loves. The scene ends with Evie’s smile lingering as she continues her chores, symbolizing her determination to protect her family while secretly serving The Villain.