The Spy in the Library

Julia Shuzar slowly closed the door of her room behind her and tiptoed across the hallway to the staircase.

Quietly descending the stairs, she looked around, no-one, and she resumed her stealthy walk.

Reaching the dining hall, she quietly sneaked to a side and today blended with her surroundings by hiding behind the curtains hanging in front of the portraits.

She crept to the dining hall's door and swiftly sneaked out. Now, there was just one hallway left to the main doorway from where she could sneak out again for the library.

Her brother would usually question her to death whenever he caught her going out, that's why she had no other choice but sneak out like thieves.

I think I am too miserable, she sighed and started walking through the last hallway. Her brother's study and the family library were in that hallway so she couldn't make any mistakes.

As she cloud-walked in front of the oak carved door of her brother's study, she heard something.

'Witchcraft?'

'You're from the southern principality.......... I want Julia to learn about these things so she doesn't get into some uncanny situation.'

'I understand, my lord.'

Julia couldn't hear clearly, so she pressed her ear against the door.

Still can't hear, she thought. It's not safe to stand here like this.

She pondered for a moment.

Ah! The library!

There was a ventilator connecting the library and the study.

She quickly and swiftly entered the library and went to the corner where the ventilator was.

It was too high for her to reach, so she carefully stacked those thick books upon each other and mounted the tower.

Reaching the ventilator, she peeped in and listened.

'I know the white witch of Singrad.'

Her heart throbbed as she heard that woman say those words.

The white witch of Singrad was someone her brother was looking for from a long time.

Did he finally find her?

*****************

"Please watch over him for a while, Higgins."

Raymond said as he held the tray in his hands and looked at Frank who was deep asleep on the chair in the kitchen.

"I'll be right back after delivering the lord's tea."

Higgins smiled and said," Don't worry, Mr Raymond, I am here and I will take good care of him."

Raymond sighed and walked out of the kitchen. Now, trotting through the hallway with the tray, alone, Raymond fell in deep thoughts.

He was an orphan as long as he can remember of his life. A family was a luxury for him. But suddenly, a little child with golden hair and blue eyes popped into his life and asked him ' Are we family now?'

That was the happiest moment in Raymond's life. Having someone to cherish. He had found his first and only treasure.

Yesterday, he took Frank to his little house in the estate behind the main mansion. He told him it was his home now. They had dinner together and went to sleep.

At midnight, he heard something.

'Please, I am not a monster.... Hic... I didn't kill him on... He was... I didn't want to kill him... Hic... I am not a monster... Please let me go.'

That child was crying in his sleep with such a terrified expression on his face that even Raymond trembled at his wailings. That child was a murderer.

It's alright, he thought. He is just a child. It must have been some unpredictable situation. Seeing he regrets it to the point of crying in his sleep, he must have been really terrified. From now on, I will protect this child.

He patted Frank's hair and went to sleep.

But what happened in the kitchen was too strange to be ignored like that. Though he handled it well in front of chef Higgins by calling it an allergy. Higgins was a straight man so he believed him easily. But Raymond knew well himself that those burns weren't allergy.

That child is strange for sure, he thought as he turned around to the hallway with that oak carved door. I have to find out and more than anything, make sure that no one harms him.

*****************

The Marquis' eyes were fixed at her face like he would gobble her up if she didn't start speaking.

Just how desperate you are to learn about the white witch to give me such an expression, Hannah thought.

"We were roommates at the convent in Singrad. She told me her name was Ilea. At that time, I didn't know that she was a witch. I came to know after the massacre incident of Singrad. Everybody started calling her the white witch because she froze the whole town. A lot of people died."

Hannah's expression grew dark. It wasn't like she was completely lying. Her previous name was indeed Ilea and she was roommates with a girl. A nun at the convent. That nun's name was Hannah Chester. After killing that nun, she took her name and left Singrad. She killed that nun because she herself asked to be killed. Because no one whom she loved was left alive after the massacre. It was the nun to whom she promised that she would never kill again.

She looked at Lloyd, he had an expression that wasn't exactly intimidating, but was stern enough for her to know that he knew she was somewhat lying. But now that the smug was off his face, she could see his fine features. Sitting there now behind that large table with a serious face, he looked like a scripture crafted. And his violet eyes fiercely looking at her as if he wanted to devour her. All that vibe signified on thing; Authority.

Hannah continued more cautiously.

"I left Singrad after that and started living life as a teacher. It was a year ago when I met her again. We always had the same eye colour so her magic didn't work on me. She was then escaping from the imperial guards, I somehow ended up helping her hide. It was then when she told me about the witch's oblivion."

Hannah looked at the Marquis' face, disappointment, she could clearly see it. Disappointment and resentment.

" A witch's oblivion is an ability which she can use if she wants to start anew. When she uses it, she can willingly forget everything she wants to. She said she didn't remember me at all, because she used oblivion after the Singrad massacre incident."

It was true, Hannah remembered nothing about or before the massacre incident ten years ago because she used oblivion.

She looked at the Marquis, he seemed to know that she was telling the truth.

As I thought, you knew me before, Marquis, Hannah thought as her gaze came back to the floor.

It wasn't like she cared about it. Whoever he was to her, she didn't remember him anymore so it didn't matter at all.

The atmosphere in the room now tensed. Though they had been speaking entirely something else with their mouths, they could read each other's expressions the entire time, as if they could read each other's mind.

Lloyd kept looking at her as if he wanted to lock her up right that moment.

Hannah could see his intentions as clear as day.

Suddenly, the smug returned to Lloyd's face and the transition was so shocking, like difference between day and night, that Hannah was almost scared.

At this moment, Raymond knocked at the door and entered. He quietly placed the tea and the cakes on table. He put the tea near the Marquis and handed Hannah a little plate with those cupcakes. He smiled and said," Please enjoy, my lady."

Raymond silently left.

He seemed sad, Hannah thought as her eyes traced him leaving.

She sighed and turning to the Marquis, who was now enjoying his tea as he offered a cup to Hannah and said;

"That's all I can tell you, my lord."

Suddenly Hannah heard something somewhere;

"Miss …. ia"

Hannah turned her eyes towards the source of the sound, that was a corner in the roof. She spotted a pair of ash grey eyes and knowing that they were discovered, those eyes immediately removed themselves.

Someone was eavesdropping, Hannah thought.

Hannah finished her tea quickly and said;

"Then, I'll take my leave. Have a nice day, my lord."

Lloyd just smiled at her with his 'all-know' smile, which left Hannah in a sour mood.

'How could I even think that jerk's face looked handsome when he looked serious?'

Hannah contemplated at her previous thoughts as she came out of the study and as soon as the oak carved door closed, she raced to the adjoining library and slammed open the door.

There she saw a large collapsed pile of books and in front of her stood Frank.