Chapter 24: Arousing Suspicions (3)

Chapter 24 – Arousing Suspicions (3)

“You just have to sit down and look pretty. And pray for my mother. After all, Vianut needs her.”

Stephan brought her here as collateral for Paola’s health. At last, Gris regained her reason and was buried in deep thought.

Stephan wasn’t completely wrong. Some may think nobles wore fancy clothes and attended parties to chatter, but in fact, they were squirming to find ways to maintain their power; exchanging information and discussing the state of their Kingdom among themselves, it was too much work. Someone needs to govern the affairs of their own household while they are busy on state affairs.

Nobody wanted Paola, the woman that stood in the middle of everything, to die. This meant that if she kept Paola healthy and alive, she could stay out of Vianut’s grip. She had hope to stay alive.

“But….” Gris stated.

Interpreting that she understood what he meant, he flicked his index finger on her chin, as if adoring her.

“You can do it, right?”, he asked her.

Only interested at the thought of staying alive long enough to find a way to leave the mansion, Gris did not answer. Slightly amused at her silence, Stephan nodded his head and opened his mouth once again

“Sure, you don’t have to answer me.” He teased her and Gris could only glare at him.

“But do keep in mind that if you get caught trying to escape, you won’t leave this place in one piece.” Gris pretended his words didn’t affect her.

She must survive, this was the only thought she allowed to fill her mind.

He gave her one final smirk, and left her room without a goodbye.

Gris sighed and sat on her bed, she curled her fingers, her nails biting into her palms as she stared in fury at her door.

Like always, their conversation finished on his own initiative.

***

That night Gris came down with a fever.

After Stephan left, she was stuck in bed for hours.

Maybe it was Stephan’s negative energy floating in her room that caused her to be sick, but for some unknown reason, she developed a headache that progressed to this illness. Feeling she would become stiff as a rock if she laid down for another minute, she sat up in her bed, her sweat rolling down the sides of her face.

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She wanted to run away even now, even in her sick state. But the walls of the mansion were as tall as a fortress, and the front gates were heavily guarded. But just like Stephan had told her, she wouldn’t stay unharmed if she was caught attempting to flee.

Teer, who laid asleep next to her, woke up and stretched its back. The puppy approached the edge of the bed and jumped off it, landing with a soft thud on the floor. It then began to sniff on the room’s carpeted floors, it circled the wardrobe and finally stumbled towards the door. Gris noticed that Teer started to scratch the wooden door with its claws. She thought that Teer was still a puppy, and it seemed to be curious about what was outside, so it wanted to go out.

Gris decided that it may be a good idea to take the puppy out on a walk, so she mustered up her strength and walked towards the door. Teer peered up at her as she approached, she turned to open the door too. She followed Teer who was happily walking along the hallway, its small feet stopping ever so often as if picking up an interesting scent along those areas all the while wagging its tail. Gris finally overtook Teer, and noticing that Gris was now in front of it, Teer followed her closely behind.

As they walked in the garden, Gris had a sudden thought.

She wondered again why Vianut had given her the dog. She recalled the gentle, yet dark smile on his face as he handed her the dog. Why did he give her that look, what was he thinking, when he already suspected her identity? Was it for show? What did he want from her?

Gris continued to walk along the corridor, she was lost in deep thought. She soon reached the lobby, and Teer also followed her direction, after a second of hesitation, Gris decided to step into the unfamiliar place.

Smelling the fresh soil and grass, Teer charged outside the front door with excitement. Afraid that Teer might ruin the flowers in the garden flowers, Gris chased after it with a ghastly face.

“Oh dear, Teer! Teer?” She called after it.

A warm ray of sunlight greeted Gris as she stepped outside. The early-bloomed flowers swayed in the breeze which carried their floral scent and filled Gris’s lungs with their sweetness. Unable to spare a moment to relish the scenery before her, Gris scanned the garden in distraught to find Teer. She panicked.

Various flowers decorated every inch of the small patches of soil inside the fence. Outside the fences was a stone path with fresh baby leaves sticking out of the cement and led to a path filled with trees that rested at the opposite side of the fence.

Gris finally spotted Teer.

Teer was strolling around a bench under a tree, sniffing at the ground happily. In front of Teer’s moist black nose was a pair of crossed legs. Not wishing for the puppy to disturb the person in the garden, Gris frantically ran over to Teer to gather the puppy in her arms.

Gris sighed in relief and was about to take Teer in her hands and leave the garden but she stopped in her steps when she locked eyes with the person sitting on the bench. Gris couldn’t move a leg.

This man, she had seen him yesterday. It was Sir Byrenhag.

“Teer.” Her voice that had been calling for Teer faded into a whisper. She wished the wind didn’t carry her voice all the way to the bench. She wished he didn’t hear her.

Vianut’s eyes fixed on her. Quentin, who was facing Vianut, also turned around to look at her.

“Lady Yuliana?” Quentin greeted her.

The wind traveling from a distance swept past her, lifting her skirt above her knees, but she didn’t have the sense of urgency to push down on her skirt. Her mind was overcome by the urge of wanting to ride the wind and disappear into the sky with it.

She wanted to flee. Danger! Her mind screamed at her.

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