Three Things (2)

Count Delacorte returned to his residence that afternoon after the audience with the king.

"That damn doctor. He's gone crazy." He mumbled as he loosened up his cravat. He slammed opened his office door.

'Count, First, we need to confirm the real condition of the young lady. She might not be comatose for real. They might be aware of our plans from the start.'

We also need to know if she is real or fake. It could also be a trap . . . We should assume the worst case. . . '

Viscount Holwaldy earlier is voicing his jumbled thoughts and makes an assumption in the middle of it as if he is talking to himself and acting like a crazy person.

'. . .. but he is not someone to make baseless remarks.' the Count tapped his fingers on his table as he thought.

"How should we deal with this?"

*Knock Knock

"Father, it's me.''The count frowned but still let his visitor in.

"The Alexanders' went back to the south. The spies confirmed, Lady Kaleena boarded the carriage unconscious."

"What happened to your visit?"

"They refuse to let me see her, even for the last time." Francis' voice trailed down and sounded disappointed with a mix of sadness.

"Aren't you her lover?" The count irritatedly asked.

"Huh? fa--father i-its not . We- we are not yet . . . there. . . Are you giving your blessing? " Francis blushed uncontrollably from his face down to his neck and his father crumpled his face even more seeing his useless son become a fool. He picked up his quill and its holder together with the heavy ink box and threw it at his son.

"YOU USELESS BASTARD!!! YOU DARE TO ACT THAT WAY?!!! ARE YOU SHY? HUH? ARE YOU SHY? DO YOU NOT REMEMBER WHY I SENT YOU TO THEM??!!." The count snapped and started throwing random things in his son's direction.

"Father!!! calm down!" Francis evades each item while trying to calm his father down.

"IF YOU ONLY DID YOUR JOB RIGHT!! WE WON'T BE IN THIS POSITION!!!" When there is no sign of his father calming down, Francis decided to run away and close the door behind him.

"YOU STUPID FOOL!"

"Haaaaaaa. . . ." He then retired to his seat as he calmed down his raging nerves.

****

Kali removed her blue stone ring and made it a pendant. She hung it on her neck and hid it underneath her turtle neck black clothes. The ring has an effect as long as it touches her skin.

Kali turned to see two familiar girls wearing the same black outfits as her. They both have the same expressionless face too. They are the servants that brought her meals and other necessities back to the old mansion.

"We meet again." Kali greeted.

They both didn't say anything, just bow down uniformly.

"Ana and Ingrid right?"

"Yes, master." They answered in unison.

They are not twins but some of their features are the same. Dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.

"Are you somehow related to each other?"

"We are blood-related sisters." Ana answered expressionless manner. Ana have long hair and slightly taller while Ingrid have shorter hair that pass slightly to her ears.

'They are Vico's kind.' She thought as she observed both sisters wearing no emotions in their face.

"I see." Kali acknowledges them and looks past them and sees Luna and Fox resting above her drawers, silently watching them.

"Luna, let's go."

Luna jumped down and put his paw in Kali's shoes.

"What?"

". . ."

"I'm going to leave you behind if you don't say it."

". . .carry." Luna hesitatingly answered.Kali almost rolled her eyes. She kneels down and opens her arms. Luna jumped in and rested comfortably in her arms

". . ." The fox stares fiercely at her and seems to want something but Kali has no idea what it is.

"You cannot stay here." Kali warned. She is not using her original language since she knows the fox can understand Julian Language just fine.

"I hate humans."

"I hate foxes" Kali didn't even blink at her response.

"Master can't we bring him along?" Luna said, looking up to her.

'Didn't he just hear we declared our hatred to each other?' Kali frowned a little.

"Hmp." The fox turned his head the other way.

"He hates humans." She can't risk openly walking in broad daylight with stolen beasts. Fox masked #32 might spot them on.

"Foxy, can't you come with us, please?" Luna looked pleadingly with the fox.

'Foxy? Since when are they close?' Kali never saw them play together. It's always Luna hovering around the quiet fox.

"No! I hate humans!!"

Luna jumped out her arms and faced the fox with a more pleading look.

"Master is a good human."

'I don't know about that.' Kali thought

"Please. . . please, please, come with us."

". . ." The fox glanced up to Kali who was waiting impatiently for his rejection.

"Master, it will be okay if he comes, right?"

'He hates humans and he will be another liability' Kali thought of saying that before she realizes, if the fox doesn't come with them, there's no assurance he will leave this room, Kaleena's room is not where the fox should be found. The noble spies are still among the servants. One wrong move and all her plans will go to drain.

'Can't risk it.'

"Yes, Sure." Kali's best solution is first take this fox away from this room and let it live its life outside after they part ways.

"See, Master is a good human. Come on, foxy, let's go. It will be fun travelling with you."

"We are not on vacation.'' Kali's forehead twitches.

'Should I just leave the wolf too? '

Kali seriously contemplates on leaving Luna.

'Should I send them back to the South? I'll let Vico raise them while I'm gone'

"Hmph. Only because you pleaded."

'Huh?'

"Yeyyyyy! Foxy will come!" Luna rejoiced and jumped around leaving Kali with questioning look. Kali's future is dark and full of trouble.

Kali massages her eyelids and turns to face Ana and Ingrid. They are standing quietly awaiting instruction.

"Ah, whatever, Let's go." Kali pulled her hood up and covered her ponytailed hair.

"Ingrid carries Luna."

"Ana carry the fox"

"NO!" The fox let out a low threatening growl and Kali immediately raised her arm to stop Ingrid and Ana from approaching the agitated fox.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!! I DON'T LIKE HUMANS! I HATE THEM I HATE THEM!" The fox showed his canine and his tail tenses up. Ana and Ingrid showed the same hostility.Their hands are clutching the hilt of their knife at their side, ready to be drawn.

'It's just a scared kid.' Kali looks at the siblings with a hopeless expression.

"We are going to run. Can you keep up?"

"Grrrrr."

Kali sighed, ' I can almost see a dark future ahead of me.'

"If you get caught again by those humans, I won't rescue you. . . I mean it." It was a threat and at the same time a truth she is going to uphold.

The fox twitched his eyes. He showed a scared expression like on the verge of crying before he slowly calmed down.

". . . but I hate humans. They are bad." He almost whispers but he is still glaring at Ana and Ingrid.

'Then why come with humans?' Kali almost slipped out.

"We cannot stay here and we are relocating. Bear with it for a few minutes, will you?"

Kali is getting impatient so she holds out her open hand to the fox.

In a few minutes the maids will come and clean this room. She is supposed to be in the carriage going back to the south in a comatose state, not in her bedroom arguing with child beasts.

The fox made a snorting sound but he still slowly approached Kali. Kali thought the fox would rest in her arms but he suddenly jumped again inside her hood and placed himself on her shoulders.

"This is fine. I don't want to be touched." The fox snorted again.

"Yes yes."

Luna staring anticipatingly at Kali with his pleading face and wanting to be cradled too.

"Ingrid carries Luna."

"Master. . ." Luna displayed disappointment in Kali's instruction but he was ignored. He eventually approaches Ingrid and lets her carry him.

'If you didn't invite the fox I won't be troubled like this.' Kali blames the wolf internally.

"Haaaa, my life." She breathed out.

*Tak tak tak

Kali could hear the incoming footsteps.

"Move out." She said in a low voice and they disappeared from the room.

"Hmm? I thought I heard something. Did I misheard it?" One of the servants said as she opened the door. She looked at the open window with the cold wind blowing the curtains.

"Who left this open?" She approaches the window and closes it.

Kali, followed by two other hooded persons, runs past the garden stealthily and quietly. They jump over the fence easily by stepping on the trees nearby and land safely on the other side without anyone noticing.

She looks straight ahead as she walks the pavement going to the Capital's Town. She has no idea how Konrad managed to get a replica of her but it was flawlessly done. Kaleena Alexanders is now officially sick and resting in the south. This is the third and most important thing she acquires in pretending to be sick. Her Freedom. Without nobles and spies to watch for and with rumors of Kaleena's sickness, even if she goes rogue, as long as her face doesn't show, Kali's activities will not be linked to Kaleena's name.

A freedom to act, at last.