[ He brings the chair in. There’s no real way to move Alucard from it to the bed to without touching him, so for now he’s just. There. Trevor sits on the bed, facing him. ]

I think- I think my father wanted me to interfere. He never told me to. But he sent me to Targoviste, and he sent me alone. It’s the first time he’s had me ride alone for the hunt. It’s... less bad, for me to be the one to break the deal. I’m not the one who made it.

But I did it wrong. I wasn’t meant to be so direct about it.

[ He huffs. ]

I thought that I could salvage it. If I just kept you, like my sister keeps her wives, maybe it would seem better somehow. He wouldn’t like it, but I wouldn’t have failed. Just done what I wanted instead. But that doesn’t work either.

This is the first thing he’s really trusted me with. The first thing that matters. I think he’s testing me. And I think I’m failing.

So I’m not being nice. I’m choosing who I want him to see me being. [ A sigh. ] And if it’s between being graceful in failure or cruel in failure, I want to choose grace.