Chapter 21

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕮𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖑𝖊𝖘 𝕮𝖗𝖚𝖒𝖇𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

The warmth of the sun became painful, but the cool breeze would always manage to sway it. I tried to wipe the cold water from my forehead and looked at Claudius. I could see that he was serious. I looked to where he was gazing and sighed.

"If you wanted to be a knight then you should know of the rules again," he said but his eyes never shifted to mine.

I narrowed mine but I did the same thing he's doing.

"Rule number one, never feel pity for your opponent," he looked at me after his words. Grabbed my hand and moved to other bushes until the knights we were looking after walked in the opposite direction

"Rule number two, look your opponent directly in the eyes without hesitation," his grip became tightened. All along, I'd been following him, while he was saying a knight's rules, in my sight all I could see was how he had grown so much.

His back became sturdier, though his skin was still fair as usual despite how he would train under the sun to become a knight.

I gaze down at our hands, and he never forgets how to hold mine. He just gestured for ours to be intertwined but it was enough to be simple and thoughtful.

Like something running through my stomach, I felt some butterflies flutter their way out. Observing him came out as a hobby, not as a mere part of the plans.

I didn't know back then that whenever he would be around, my eyes would follow him, and gaze at his every move, how he would talk, how he would act and he would look at me with a smile.

I should be used to it, but every time I looked at him, I could never get myself enough. He used to be my friend and Henry's as well, but observing him throughout those years, he also grew his circle and even managed to earn our household's trust.

My eyes looked at that sparkling hue of his hair and I couldn't get more to be amazed. As if I was looking at the jewels embedded in the night sky.

"Rule number 10, never betray your allies," I didn't notice, he was already at the tenth rule. Then he halted. I blinked a few times before knowing where we were.

It felt foreign, that all those years I've known Henry, he didn't invite me to come to his household except for that one night regarding his coat.

Shaking my head, I tried to narrow my vision and looked around. The coldness of the pillars with the white cements from the Vellitas' hallways couldn't get much more icy than now.

I felt Claudius tighten his grip on my hand and lead me somewhere. I trust his instincts. Yet, he led us to this narrow path.

"What are you thinking this time, Claudius?" I whispered. Right now, we were facing each other since there were knights that came our way so Claudius immediately pulled me into the nearest narrow path.

"I've just heard from one of the knights earlier that they're sending a physician under the basement," his words didn't contain any doubts. He looked at me and sighed but the dullness in his eyes remained.

As if he knew what was in the basement.

"Why would they need to send a physician in the basement? Isn't that some storage area?"

"It would be if it that was the case, Vestia. I think we should move first," he leaned in close enough to whisper to my ears before finally dragging me again. However, this time, we managed to sneak into one of the rooms.

We don't know the use yet, but when I looked around, it would be one of the typical guest rooms.

"Is it necessary to do this on your own son, Duke?" We heard, and Claudius moved us to a more secluded area, where darkness lived. Perhaps, they wouldn't see us in the room.

I just wanted to thank Claudius for moving so swiftly that we didn't catch anyone's attention.

The old man's sighs reverberated within the room.

"He never learned, not when he got to know the Monsiore's only daughter. That's why I am hesitant to let him stay for a week in that manor"

"Well, let's just say that the Duchess had something planned for him, right?"

"If that's the case, he wouldn't be in the basement for now"

"But is it right to put your son in there, My lord? You know he's your only son after all and---"

"Belfus, how many times would I have to tell you?" The old Duke paused. From my vision, he turned from looking at the large window to where his attendant at.

I nearly gasped if I wasn't able to hold my mouth. My eyes widened. The Duke's eyes felt like a viper's trying to observe their prey before they attack.

"That's the discipline I knew from him whenever he couldn't keep up with his words," Every word that the Duke uttered felt like it was emphasized that the young man who happened to have a single lens on one of his eyes, stepped back and bowed.

The attendant named Belfus bowed and admitted his wrong. I tried to remember the appearance this person had because he seemed to be familiar with my previous life.

He had this dark green hair swaying towards his back and tied with a black ribbon. He was wearing any servant's clothing appropriate for an aide, then on his right hand was always a small note with a pen attached to it.

"So don't mind what I do to my son, it was to discipline him because having emotions would be the greatest weakness anyone in this family would have," were the last words we heard from the Duke before he sighed and went away.

The aide, stayed longer, looking at the window like the Duke had. I saw him close his eyes before finally following the Duke's footsteps leaving the room locked, and that's where I could finally breathe.

When I looked at Claudius, he seemed serious for a moment. His hand was caressing his chin, and his eyes were within the window of the room but moved toward the painting.

The drawing emphasizes a woman holding a vase, of water while she was within the lake. The woman looked straight like she was looking directly at who was looking at her.

Then without any hesitation, Claudius walked to the portrait and lifted it, there he found a keyhole.

"That's why," he ushered while I maintained my gazes to him.

"You should pull your mouth together," were his words before settling the portrait down to its original position and smiling at me

"Because we might just have the answer to your question on the books you've read, Vestia," he said pointing at the portrait

"H-How did you know?" I asked still amazed at his deduction, if Claudius didn't become a knight, he would be more suited to being a detective.

My thoughts got a better hold of me again so I shook my head and looked at how Claudius seemed to shake his shoulders for a second before landing his gaze back to me.

"Don't you think it was weird enough for the Duke and his attendant to be in a guest room without any guests, Vestia?"

We were already walking long enough away from the people's eyes toward the basement where Claudius came to know. We didn't manage to find the key from that place, but we managed to know where the seal was.

Sometimes, I felt like Claudius could learn or embed something in his memory from one rad and it was such an intelligence that no one could have except for him.

I started to wonder, where he came from.

"Looks like we were about to enter this place, so brace yourself," he tightened his grip on my hand while his other hand kept holding a lamp.

When a sudden gust of wind bypassed us, I shivered. After a few more seconds, I felt warm and looked at Claudius bestowing me his coat.

"You should take this for a moment before we enter," I held onto it and nodded. I saw him smile but it faded when he looked in front of the wooden door.

"So shall we, Vestia?" I took his offered hand as we entered the room only to make me gasp and step back.

"H-How could they do this t-to Henry?" I asked then my vision became blurry.

Everything in the room was dark, but when Claudius brought his lamp, I could see everything, and the crimsonness splattered and dried around. Henry was there chained from hands to feet.

I could see that the physician did his job, but the bleeding was still there. Even though he had bandages all over his body, I could barely recognize him now, not when I deeply admired his smile and when I looked at him, his eyes felt dull.

"What has this duchy done to him?" I asked trying to find an answer but before we could help him, Claudius grabbed me again this time, but he carried me as we hid in the darkest room blowing the light from his lamp.

"Shh," he ushered. I covered my mouth while he wiped my tears.

Heavy footsteps, slow and expensive came from the penetrating coldness of the ground.

"If you only listened to us back then, you wouldn't have to suffer like this, Henry. In the very end, what did those friends of yours do? While you suffer, they were having the time of their lives," The old Duke said, and he threw something after looking at his son and left.

"Better drink that to heal your wounds faster," he said then left without sparing any mercy from him.

I gasped and then heavily breathed. Was Henry suffering when he wrote those letters for me? I don't know, I couldn't know. But here I am, crying like a madwoman.

"We better hurry and escape for now. We couldn't possibly save him"

"No, we have to!"

"Look at that bottle. It was used not for medicine but for erasing someone's memories. I will try to set it aside but who will know what will happen next? It's better to come and claim Henry at night than today. This is just risky"

***

"You have to get Henry no matter what Claudius. Tomorrow night will be."