Chapter 50

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖉 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

"Is that it? I could provide such information to you anytime but after I gave you a letter since I would still study that household"

"Then as long as the young master said it, I know I will believe in you..."

I heard what they were saying, but the moment Gludius' words about the tradition from my household went out of his mouth, my whole body froze, my hands became cold and my lips opened but I don't know why I felt as if they became pale.

When I looked around again, the words became slower, their moves felt like colliding with some curve, and the spaces within felt like spiraling in shapes.

"Festin...Lady Festin, are you all right?" I didn't even realize that Crane had been calling me while his hands were in my arms.

"I-I'm fine, I was just startled," I said trying to look good and elsewhere but when Crane held my cheeks, he turned my head to look directly into his shining brown eyes as if they were familiar enough for me that I couldn't help thinking of a certain person.

"Then look at me and say that you're fine not when you're looking elsewhere, V----Lady Festin," I captured his eyes for a moment before sighing.

I guess hearing Crane say my real name would be one of my illusions again, and I managed to close my eyes. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay in this place forever that's why I looked directly into his eyes

"Crane, I think I also needed to investigate that household," not for anyone else but I also have the right to know more about what is happening to my household and how we have that kind of tradition as if we have the same fate with the Vellitas household.

Crane seared my soul for a whole minute before sighing and finally going to where I wanted him to be.

"Then just remember that you're not alone when it comes to this. Besides, I trust my friend," he said with his lips like before and I returned the favor.

I knew that most of my friends were away but I realized that some of my friends were still here and I could always talk to them whenever I wanted to.

Crane and I talked for a few more minutes before parting ways and I've learned a lot of things about him. I learned how he liked to eat bread in the Grow Bakery, I also learned how he became friends with the old men within the market whom I'd seen him earlier talking to.

I also learned about how he disliked anything extravagant that's why he would always wear simple clothes I also learned that he was from a noble household, I thought he grew up to be an ordinary child with more money from a merchant ship, but it turned out that that was from a noble household.

That explained every word that Gludius let go, that he's a young master and I thought it was only his endearment to the savior of his life, but I never thought he would be a real young master from a noble household.

I wanted to ask more but it seemed that he was in a hurry, so we ended up our conversation with nothing more to say than a farewell for now.

I saw a sign in front of a building where there were enough signboards and one of the corners had a sign for carriage fee, and I came towards the place where the arrow pointed.

It was from within beside the narrow alley, and as I walked by, I felt this familiar sickening feeling within my stomach being tied over, as if the stench couldn't get any worse.

People around were pretty busy with their goods to be sold from within their stools, and carriages passing by, either from nobles who had their seals on the edges or some who had signs that they were used by the public.

I could even see some small children passing by laughing while chasing one another, not minding the stench of the blood oozing towards the narrow alley.

I tried to look away but images from that day where I found Verfeil whispering some words to mine felt surreal and wasn't even such a dream

When I tried to ask Anna about the legends of creatures and some vampires, she just said that they weren't true, that everything was based on myths and legends but the one thing I forgot to ask about is where that legend originated from.

How come people knew of it, and was it just some rumors from the past that became a legend or was it some folktales that came passing down from generation to generation with such unproven evidence?

Just when I was about to pass that narrow alley, my vision kept on being hounded by the darkness as if the edges were corrupted and the same feeling earlier when I learned about my family's tradition came to exist.

It felt as if everything around me were moving slowly and the voices of the people surrounding the place kept on going slower and slower until I felt as if darkness was about to take over my whole being, I felt this unfamiliar and yet kind of warmth that I wished I have in the past.

"Young lady, are you all right? Young lady?" It was Crane because the voice felt soft and yet it was like a whisper of someone's voice that came from my past.

A past before my tragedy even began.

I tried to reach its face and know who it was but before I could do it, darkness eventually took over.

"Young lady, please hang in there..." were the last words from my consciousness before it faded into a distant abyss.

***

"Brother, would this young lady be all right?"

"Is sister all right?"

"The big sister must have fallen ill because of too much stress"

"Brother, would you take care of her? She doesn't seem like a bad lady to me"

"Of course, brother always knows who to help and this lady is just someone who had a bad feeling earlier," I heard the young man speak and a chuckle erupted from the young children.

They have soft voices even though I couldn't see them I felt as if they were the bright light of hopes for the future.

"Oh, brother her fingers moved!"

"Is she awake?"

"I hope so!"

I suddenly felt someone's hand wrapped on mine and before I knew it, I already opened my eyes to the sweet velvety, and yet painful rays of the sun.

I looked around and I saw these cute little children. I smiled at them and they smiled back with chuckles as they talked about how kind I am and everything about my appearance.

I repaid them with words but then, when I looked at the person behind them, they immediately went away with a wave of goodbye leaving me with a very familiar young man who had the same appearance as my friend from my past life

Lexus...

He had dark brown hair dark chocolate eyes and a mole under his eyes on either side. I used to tease him because of it from the past he would only shrug and chuckle afterward. That was the briefest interaction we had before he went to war as a soldier.

I remembered the letter he last sent to me before it came to a halt.

His eyes looked the same as our first meeting, it was penetrating to the point of inquiry and yet, he managed to loosen them when I showed him my true side.

"Thank you for saving me," I said while fidgeting my hands looking at the soft and yet brown fabric where I was.

Considering the place, it was only small, and perhaps, I was in his small house in the small village near the market.

The bed and the room were all made out of wood and the rays of the sun shone through like a cozy feeling. It might not be like any other noble household where it was extravagant but it was enough to keep any family from any calamities.

It was enough to shelter small people, but my chest felt heavy.

I don't want these people to continue living in a small place where they couldn't even get enough of the space they needed for their family.

I guess I needed to plan this even more.

"I see you have cute siblings...." I said and I heard him sigh.

He took a chair near the bed where I was and sat while holding a wooden tray and wooden cup

"Here, a cup of warm water," he said and I just looked at it. When he was about to pull it towards him I took it without hesitation and I gulped.

Just like eating Crane's fried fish back in that Crevon place, I didn't even feel the need to not drink this, as long as I could trust the people and I knew I could trust this young man.

I could see how his eyes widen when I did those but I just showed him my full smile

"Again, thank you for saving me..." I said and I could see how he laughed for the first time

"You're truly something, young lady. I thought a noble like you would never want something from us, ordinary people"

"How do you know I'm a noble?"

"It's evident on the way you appeared, Milady. There were no people from the empire who had the fairest skin like your noble than us commoners," I gulped at his words but when I tried to look at it, his words made sense.

Everything about society made sense to me that's why I'm not only helping people right now but I also want to reform some laws.

From the start nobles had the upper advantage while commoner people would always take the blame to suffer.

I don't want that to happen so I wanted to propose something as I made use of my position as the current crown princess.

"Can I know your name, young man?" I asked even though I knew it.

"Lexus..."

"Then Lexus, would you rather make a deal with me?"