Chapter 60

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: '𝕿𝖎𝖘 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖒𝖓 𝕾𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

Anna would continue sending me letters from the Vellitas household and I've also known that they would also come to the dark nobles' nightlife.

Besides that, when I read about Cain and Celna, they didn't seem to know about this dark nightlife held by the noble society and all I could think was, that either they have never been told to or that they just don't care.

Shaking my head while putting the letters down on my table, I could barely lift my hands to massage my temples, and then another memory gushed through my mind, the kind of a flash where everything seemed to be vividly clear as a golden ray but enough to make this chest heavy.

His eyes reminded me of the curious man he was, the way he opened his mouth despite the protests of his knights surrounding him, when his hands that tried to reach me halted because of the people around, Lexus' comfort made me go back to the way where it would be.

To the beginning of where I would start my plans, the place of my shattered lifeline.

When my hands finally landed back on Anna's letter, with a whispery usher of Lexus' name, a candle's fire moved corresponding to its silhouette.

Then finally, the cloak that prevented me from knowing more about that day made its way to my face, and when that happened, my eyes began to narrow.

The gloved hands started to lift my hand and the back of it became wet with such overwhelming warmth.

"You've called me, Vestia?" As if he moved one like a smoke suddenly appearing when the fire faded, I wanted to ask how he would do such a thing.

Yet, knowing that he had been trained as a shadow assassin, I wouldn't even want to know how much torture he had to claim every day to have that kind of performance in front of his lady.

Shaking my head, my sight descended on the dancing figure of the almost fading fire. Then with a sudden thrust from that silky and yet soft paper, the edges of it burn and become ashes like the cloak of the night sky.

"From now on, you should know what I wanted you to know, especially about the Vellitas household, Lexus," as I said those words, the paper had already been turned to ashes swayed by the cold breezes from the open window.

But my eyes got burned from my reflection in his.

It was terrifying and yet mesmerizing to see how I would get burned within his sight.

"Everything, I will listen and do everything I can for my lady..."

"I know you would Lexus but you should also remember the promise you have made me, because in the end, I wouldn't accept someone who wasn't able to keep any promises..."

Like a gust of mighty wind, I felt my hair suddenly sway as if the wind continued to comb through it only for me to see how he would envelop me into his warmth.

"I would never dare break any promises, Milady, not when I made them, especially with you..."

"Then, let's begin, first and foremost, you must learn all about the Vellitas household, in case you would need to claim Anna's letter"

"Anna? The one you said that you're a close friend and servant?"

My lips formed to curl and when I looked at him, I could see Anna's silhouette beside him smiling at me with hands that stayed as it was before.

"Yes, and perhaps, we will meet her soon enough since the time with that dark nightlife still had two days to go..."

"Vestia, are you prepared for the outcome of your plans there?"

"Trust me, I've never been more prepared than this, when all that it takes is to pretend as someone else..."

***

When the passing mists of the golden rays descended on my skin, I felt the warmth and yet pain since it had been a few more times when I had landed out of my household and came to this place.

The market as usual had a lot of people, and I, as a lady who had never had her mask on, and coat, could freely roam around, considering that I stayed the same in my original appearance.

"Oh, Lady Vestia, what have picked your interests to come within my shop?" the voice seemed to be high-pitched, and yet it was as a whisper when the figure finally arrived in front of me, I could see how old the man was, it was as if he lived through the passing wars.

His forehead had its creases, and wrinkles as his face, but the color of his skin was evidence of how he was a noble.

From the way he acted to the way the edges of his lips curled upon looking at a lady like me with his hands caressing both of his palms, I could see he had been molded with a business of his own.

"Oh, I just wanted to try some of your dresses, can I?"

"Of course, you're free to fit them all you want! Since you would always come and buy within this shop"

I chuckled, and the old man followed. As I toured around the place, I could see the expensive clothes that he had been making, and they seemed to be worthy of my eyes.

All of them were pleasing, and I couldn't even pick out what was best or not.

"Here, all of them, Milady," he swayed his hand just to let me see how penetrating the blinding lights were from the dresses, and yet, they were all of the dresses that I'd managed to wear in my past life.

I needed something, not any elegant and extravagant dress, but clothing that was like the cloak of the night, with endless jewels hanging within the dress.

I wanted that, to signify how serene the night was, and how it was quiet and full of colliding warmth and cold, unlike when the sun's heat would almost cause my attention to hide from it.

"Then please Sir Dessen, I would like to propose a dress that I could only wear, would that be all right?" before I could hear him say his words, his eyes widened and his mouth opened as if he had been choked, but all of that changed in a blink of an eye.

He held both of my hands and nodded with the edges of his lips curling up.

"I would do everything the lady asked for," he said and in a flash, he had already brought more of the fabric I could ask for in front of the huge table he had in his shop.

I couldn't asked for more with this man, he had been a loyal ally of my household and despite what had happened to me in the past, he passed away earlier than I did, not because of some illness, or any accident but he just disappeared and his shop was abandoned.

That's when the emperor proclaimed that another who had been missing died and the imperial family claimed the missing noble's wealth.

This time, I would prevent that from happening, and it will never happen as long as he's in my sight.

This day became busier than I expected because, in the blink of an eye, I was already facing a different man with a long grayish beard and crinkled forehead.

"So, who might you be, little lady?" the old man asked. He may seem to be another noble or a fallen one who settled on being a merchant within the market, but his shop was in the farthest location, and it was also beside the carriage station for the public.

"And who is this young man behind you? He seemed dangerous like he wanted to kill me if I ever harmed a lady like you..." the old man's wavered.

I could see how his eyebrows creased and before I could even say any words, soft chuckles escaped my mouth.

"Then you better do as I say and ask if you don't want this handsome reaper to do anything at your precious throat..." I said with a wavy voice but he seemed to gulp and immediately nod as he bowed with a shaking body.

"Do as you please, just spare me please!" the old man continued to kneel with his shivering body and as I landed my hand on his neatly and yet crumpled clothes, I could see how he almost jumped.

"M-Milady?"

"Yes, just call me Agness from now on, since you will remember this face for the rest of your life. For now, I want you to do what Hellier told you to do. Didn't he ask you to provide me with a building that has the most crowded section of the market?"

The old man immediately stood with eyes as wide as the sun.

Then with a shaking mouth, he managed to utter

"So it's true! You are the young lady who was healing everyone! She was also named Agnes, so it's not a coincidence, right?"

With my present appearance of having dark hair and silver eyes and a mask that only covers my upper face, this man will remember this face not only for the rest of his life but also every time the name Agnes appears.

Besides, there were no other people here than me, Lexus, and this old man.

"Then, l-let's proceed i-inside of my shop for n-now Lady Agness and Sir..." It didn't take us any second to come within and sign a document that he handed us.

I read everything and even let Lexus read the papers before I could finally sign it.

"Then, as we've agreed, I'm already buying that building. It's 100,000 gold coins, right?"

"Y-Yes, m-milady..."

I tapped Lexus' shoulders and looked him in the eyes. He nodded with a narrowed gaze and handed the old man the case full of golden coins.

"Now let's proceed because this isn't only the things I would be doing..."

The old man nodded as he put the gold coins in his safe place, but when I looked at Lexus, I could see that I could finally talk to him.

"Didn't I mention before about the slave trading on the Belfore East to you, Lexus? From now on, you have to find those two people and bring them to my clinic. I will teach them all about medicines. For the rest, you have to establish your own knighthood, like a group because I would have a special order to give to you by the end of the day..."