Secrets' Bureau

Julia came down the staircase dressed in a beautiful peach outfit and smiled at Hannah as she saw her waiting near the main door. Julia hopped towards the governess who instead told her to be careful and not to fall down.

"We should ask the lord for permission to go out, first," Hannah said when she saw Julia directly heading towards the door.

"Brother's out today, "Julia replied looking back at the governess.

"He even goes out?" Hannah asked as the only image she had of the Marquis was behind that large table on that large chair. The prospect of him going somewhere and doing things like an actual human being were quite difficult to imagine for her.

"Right, no?" Julia chuckled and continued. "Brother often gives the vibe of a painting. Just static and nothing dynamic about it. Believe me, till the age of five, I believed that my brother's butt was stitched to that large chair of his. I was really scared when I first saw him walking around in the garden one day and continued crying for three days in a row."

Julia chuckled as she remembered how naive she was then. The governess was trying her best to not to laugh in front of her student but the thought of the Marquis getting his butt stitched to his chair seemed so well imagined and relatable in her mind that she could imagine herself laughing out in the middle of the night after recalling it.

"Brother always brings those pretty red candies whenever he goes out at the end of the month", Julia smiled as she remembered. She daily ate one of those red candies that her brother gave her as told by him. She didn't eat one today because she ran out of them (the reason was most likely her smuggling those candies to share with that little puppy she was hiding in her bedroom.) She didn't know why but her brother seemed weirdly obsessed with feeding her those red candies. Maybe it was his weird way of spoiling her. Though she didn't mind it because she enjoyed that sweet flavor of those candies.

As permission was no longer required, the teacher and student pair set out for their expedition.

"Where is Sir Nico, Sir Yauv?" Julia asked as she mounted in the carriage followed by the governess.

"Sir Nico had a sudden emergency at home. His wife is pregnant, after all. He is so restless these days to visit his wife, "Sir Yauv said in almost a complaining manner.

Julia chuckled and said, "Last time he said he wanted the baby to be a girl."

Sir Yauv just frowned as he was forced to do Nico's share of work in escorting the young lady along with his own. Julia just chuckled at the frown.

As they had entered the carriage now and had begun their outing, Hannah thought about the possible ways to amuse herself during travelling. Of course, what could have been more tempting than making the squirrel sitting in front of her flustered.

"Well, my lady, there was something I would like to ask you. Do you mind if I ask?", Hannah slyly laid out her trap.

"Yes, teacher. Feel free to ask anything, "Julia answered, completely unaware of the hidden trap.

"Last time, you clarified that you like that brat, Frank. I just wanted to know the reason. It's not like you both have been together for a long time. Just what was it that you saw in that piece of... I mean Frank, that you started liking him in such a short period of time."

Hannah was expecting to see a flustered face, to hear a stuttering answer, to observe her clumsy actions. But all she saw was a little reddish glow on her cheeks and a smile so bright that she thought it would blind her.

"Teacher, you want to know why, right? I'm sorry to say but even I don't know why I like him. It was just that the first time I saw him looking at my face as if he had discovered a treasure, I just felt my heart feeling warm. I just wanted to make him come with me."

Julia smiled and looked outside the window.

Hannah just kept a straight face and also started looking out of the carriage window.

'Hmph, what's so good about being in love! 'She shrugged.

The porter knew well where the destination would be as he has always been the one to drive Julia to her one primary refuge in the capital whenever she sneaked out from the estate, the library. So, there was no time wasted and soon enough they reached the library. Hannah could see how excited Julia was.

The moment the carriage stopped, Julia jumped out instantly and ran towards the library door, then stopped just before entering in and looked at the left side of the door. She smiled softly and pink glow covered her cheeks.

"What happened?", the governess asked as she approached Julia following her to the library's door.

"Nothing, "Julia said and silently walked in through the door. Hannah just casted a dumbfounded look at the place where Julia was looking at. How could Julia help not smiling, after all that was the place where she first met Frank.

Entering the library, Hannah saw a girl, maybe twelve or eleven, standing behind the counter. With Julia in her sight, she smiled and waved her hand at her. Julia also ran to the girl and after exchanging what seemed to be some primary conversation starters, Julia pointed towards the governess as if telling the girl about her.

This was followed by a brief introduction phase and Hannah could see that this girl was the infamous commoner friend of Julia that the maids usually talked about. Lucy Shaw, as that was her name, was a very beautiful girl with a mature aura. Hannah could feel faint magic from her, but ignored it since there were even stronger magical auras escaping the books of the library.

'Such strong magic books. Guess it won't take me much labor to find something good for this squirrel', Hannah thought as she waved to Julia that she would go look around.

Julia nodded and started cheerfully chatting with Lucy.

Hannah didn't take much time in finding the right books for Julia and was returning when she suddenly heard the two talking girls talking. Hannah didn't know why but she unconsciously used magic to hide her presence. And standing there behind the book shelves, she started eavesdropping at the girls' conversation.

"You sure she knows something about it?"(Lucy)

"Yes, I'm sure she said 'The White Witch of Singrad."(Julia)

"Then we can finally get that so much demanded information."

"Yes. But we need to go slow and take every step carefully. We can't manage exposure. Anyways, how are the bureau's profits this month?"

"More nobles want information. Our customers have increased greatly. However, they are demanding more to see the 'future-seeker'."

"I didn't know I was that popular."(Julia chuckled)

"There's an information that root seven brought this morning."

"What is it?"

"It's about Sir Nico. It's a known fact in the under informants that his wife is...."

"A witch. What about it?"(Julia asked seriously)

"It's suspected that there is going to be an imperial raid at Sir Nico's place. Someone reported her."

"Who did it? Wait.... Sir Nico went home today for an emergency..... Don't tell me... She is pregnant... Lucy... No way... We have to go..."(Julia trembled at the thoughts at the which passed through her head)

Before anything could happen and Lucy could stop Julia, she had already called out for the governess and was already pacing towards the carriage with rushed feet. Hannah didn't say anything but just followed Julia. She knew the reason anyways, so there was no point in lingering her by asking useless questions.

Sir Yauv was nowhere to be seen and there was only the porter. Julia didn't care and just told the porter to drive towards Sir Nico's house.

As the carriage drove at a very high speed as Julia kept unconsciously yelling at the porter to drive faster, Hannah took a good look at Julia's behavior. Why was she so worried about the witch that she had even forgotten the existence of Hannah.

Just as the carriage stopped at the so long waited for place, Julia was going dash out of it, when the governess held her arm tightly and pulled her back in.

"Teacher!! What are you....,"Julia couldn't complete her question when she saw the expression on the governess' face. She traced the path of the gaze of Hannah's eyes in horror.

There, outside the carriage, was a large mass of people swarming around on central high wooden pillar. On that pillar stood a pregnant lady, tied to it, with blood flowing out of the fresh wounds on her forehead.

A man was trying to reach her desperately in front of her but the imperial guards were holding him tight. It was Sir Nico. Sir Yauv was one of those holding him back. That was why he wasn't near the carriage. He had an agonized look on his face.

A priest was holding a large cross sign in front of the lady. A man in black clothes was holding a burning stick near the pillar.

It was all too clear to be misunderstood. Hannah knew exactly what was happening there. Witch Execution.

But what was stranger was that after seeing all that, Julia's ash grey eyes suddenly flashed into blue and she started leaking so much magic in a sudden moment that even Hannah was overwhelmed.

'This child.... What is this power...'Hannah thought as she was having a hard time to keep Julia inside the carriage.