Chapter 48

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕾𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙 𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

When the grayish sky meets the cloak of the night, there are no jewels to behold, but there are only salt and cold water rinsing everything as if erasing the traces of the ones who left.

Sighing with my image reflected in the mirror of the window, I closed the curtain and looked toward the only door of my room.

I walked, one, two, and three steps then I halted when I looked at the small chair from my table, the vision of yesterday's dreams where Anna would usually comb my hair came pushing through my memories. Then I looked at my bed and I couldn't help to envision Henry's hands holding mine as we slept when we were still children.

Now that time continued to tick, gone was the days of happiness and now, it would only be sorrow and a bloodbath, but I wouldn't let the people I cared about, be the one to shed their blood.

I will make them the ones who would be an offensive shield for themselves and the people of the empire.

I swore to my past self that I would no longer be a weak person, and when I was given a second chance, I would give everything to my fullest even if it meant sacrificing myself to see the people I love happy.

I didn't even pay attention to my hands they were already shaking if I weren't able to feel a sudden warmth enveloping them.

I sighed and looked again at the door then my feet acted in their own way until the soft and yet icy cold breezes from the outside touched my damped skin, did I manage to exhale the air from within my body?

I gripped tightly at the doorknob before letting it go and the sound of the clicking metal echoed through the nearly empty-looking hallways.

From the area where I go, I kept reminding myself of the future, but every time I turned around, even if the weather wasn't nice, I would get the vision of the laughter I once had with Henry.

He would stumble from the chair and table in the hallways because sometimes he would be careless, he even had the knack of disturbing some paintings within the walls because of his height issues.

Then I would always stay behind him and silently chuckle then an argument would immediately begin and he wouldn't let me win not when he thought that he was right.

Another thing was when I first got to know Claudius. He would be looking at the paintings on the walls and admire the beauty it gives. He would put both of his hands behind him and intertwine them while smiling at me.

Then when I came to look at the dining table, I remembered about the time Henry, Claudius, and I would fight over a cake and Claudius would always have the win with his favorite tart cream cake.

He would always have a smile on his face while his eyes would shine, and both of his hands would be under his cheeks and he would dance all over again.

Henry would try to get the tart cream from his hand and Claudius would always avoid that happening so he would always trip him, Then the argument would happen again, and I would come in between them until I and Henry would be the ones bickering and Claudius would watch the two of us fight.

Then as I passed the hallways, the memories from the past started to fade away except for their voices which were sweet and mesmerizing to the point of seeking those memories again and bathing in them for years to come.

I wanted to be bathed in them and continue to loom over that abyss but then, I remember the promise I made about them and how I wanted to see them badly again.

Leaning against the hard walls of the place, I managed to twist the candle handle, and the walls divided again. The lamps attached to the sides of the wall started lighting the way with some of them dancing through the wind.

With a walk like putting my feet to the ground like a field full of snow, I managed to enter the place again until I saw the six doors that had caged around them. But just as I was about to know more about these doors, I heard some faint footsteps, heavy and familiar.

I put both of my hands to my mouth and looked everywhere until I found some hidden narrow place from the corners a few feet away from where the six doors were.

From the farthest east side, I could see two men with their silhouettes, one with dark hair and one with this familiar green lime hair. The dark one with dark hair had this black hat and he was wearing a suit. Like any other man who had these slim figures, the man seemed to be in his twenties.

But when I looked at the man with green hair, I couldn't help but keep my hold from my mouth a bit firm because if I hadn't, air from my mouth would come and echo within the place and they would know that I know about the place.

I couldn't let them know about that, so I wanted to keep my mouth shut.

The faint sound became more visible until it got clearer to where I was.

"My lord, it wouldn't be possible if the Hildigger empire were plotting their war at this time"

"I know, it would take up to five years to finalize their plans"

"But that doesn't mean that they would remain silent through those years, they might not be waging some war upon us but what about the independent small villages that live near its borders?"

"I know that this time will come but as the emperor ordered me, we have to plan for what's next he only ordered me to spy on the enemy's land but I guess we have the Vellitas household to do that secret orders from me, Beskin..." I knew the voices, but that was because it was my father who said these words.

But the voice of the man who had this dark hair bathed with dark aura like his clothes and hat, seemed very familiar to me until I pinpoint who the man was.

He seemed to be young because of his appearance but he was already in his late forties.

This man was the head of the Grevore household, Beskin Grevore. He was known for his dark aura and mysteriousness. He had this mining business on the west side near where our duchy was, and the first time I met him was when he attended my parent's funeral.

I didn't know back then that he was close to my father. He was even the one who proposed a trial to find my parent to be innocent but he never came to that trial that's why I never saw him and my parents were executed right away.

I was the only one who held my parent's funeral within my household, but I never thought an intruder would come and yet he wasn't an intruder at all.

He was a family friend that I've never known but he had claimed to know me when I was younger.

I didn't think that when he had proposed for me to stay, he would come to see the outcome of the crown prince imprisoning me.

As well as that it was also the day he disappeared forever and no word came out from him until I heard rumors about the Grevore's only head of the family's body being hanged in front of the imperial household.

I didn't know back then that my father and him were good allies and that he would always be loyal to my family.

If I had known what my family had done in the past, I would have saved them but because I turned a blind eye to that, because of a certain person.

"But my lord, wouldn't that be a serious thing to consider?"

"The Vellitas household?"

"Yes, because I think that them befriending you had always been their ulterior motive. It seemed that they were only using you and if you let them know about----"

I heard Father sighed

"I know," then I saw him land his hand on Beskin's shoulders.

"That's why I have you, I know that I would always make mistakes but that doesn't mean I wouldn't know their ulterior motives... But if things were to take a dangerous turn, I don't want you to sacrifice your life for me. Just protect my daughter if things were to go awry, Beskin"

"I have taken an oath for you, My lord and I would do everything you asked me to do..."

"So I guess that settled it, no matter what happened, return safe, Beskin. Aside from that, also report to the others what I told you..." As soon as Father said those words, he showed the secret room from the other side and handed Beskin some materials.

I waited for a few more seconds before they left so that the air from my body would eventually go out naturally.

But the throbbing my of chest wouldn't stop.

It's as if I have known something that I should have known later on.

"I need to know more about this upcoming war. I need to know from Gludius..."