Found It

After her first visit to the west tower, she learned how to get in and out easily, which was through the door on the first floor. 

That's right. It turned out that everything was easier than she thought. She found out from her second visit that when she touched the door handle with her bare hand, the door would be opened.

In the beginning, Ayana was wary when she realized that the door was unlocked so easily and tried to find a hidden camera around the door or anything that could make her presence known, but there was nothing. No hidden tricks or cameras, no magic circle, nothing. 

She was dumbfounded when she found out about this. She then realized that besides her and Irene, almost everyone in the tower wore gloves when they worked.

Is it because I am a human or because there was something with the gloves that make them could not open the door and thought that the door could only be opened by Luca? Ayana asked inwardly.

Does it mean that Irene can also enter the west tower effortlessly? Does the key open the door of the west tower by touching the handle with a bare hand? Ayana did not know the answer since she had seen that no one had opened the door to the west tower. 

She had asked several maids, and the answer she got varied. Some said that they had never seen anyone get inside the west tower, some said that Luca put some trap around the tower, and some said that the people in the castle who could get inside the west tower were Irene and Nicolas, the butler. 

After that, Ayana always used the door to get inside and walk out of the tower. She realized that it also have some risks but it was better than climbing in and out of the tower. The best thing she could do was make sure that no one was around when she goes in and out. and for some time her hearing and hiding abilities undergo great development. 

She had also prepared another escape route if someone got into the tower when she was still inside which were the windows.

Ayana looked at the disorganized books and boxes around her. The room looks even messier since the first time she came here. Ayana did not neaten the books and paper and just stacked them randomly when she entered the room for the second or third day. She enjoyed the books she found there. Occasionally she would take several papers she thought were interesting to read in her room. 

Ayana gazed at the stack of books with melancholy. She can't visit this room anymore since Luca will be back at the castle and maybe stay in this tower for a while. She would have to wait until the man went on another secret mission before she could come and read the books in this room.

Ayana knew that she cannot be careless. She needed to keep her guard up, so she won't be found sneaking inside the tower when the man was around. She knew that as long as she lived inside the castle. She had plenty of time to read any books she wanted in this room. she had time for around two or three years until their marriage ended.

Ayana deprived the desire to open another box and search for another interesting book. She then started to tidy the room to its original position. It was not hard for her since she has a photogenic memory. She finished her job within two hours.

Inside her heart, she prayed that no one would enter the room since they would notice the lack of dust on the box. At first, Ayana wanted to spend as much time as she could to stay there. She could read several books to pass the time, but since she did not know how many hours were left till Luca returned, she decided to leave the room as quickly as possible. 

Ayana just came out of the room when she heard an echo of people talking. Her body stopped moving as she sharpened her ears to find out the source of the voice. The sound of people talking was getting closer to where she stood. 

Ayana then realized that people were coming from the second floor. She needed to hide before someone found her. She looked at the nearest windows and opened the windows carefully before moving out carefully without making any noise.

Ayana hooked her feet on one of the dents on the wall as she hung outside the window. She breathed in slowly to balance her body so she could hang in her position for some time without losing too much energy.

Ayana knows that she needs to get away from there since she was out in the open. People might not realize her presence, but they can see her. She needed to go back to her room as quietly as possible. After her first visit, Ayana realized that she needed dark color clothes that has a similar color to the tower wall. Maybe that was the reason she was overlooked by the vampire that patrols down there. 

Ayana held her breath when Luca and the other person stepped onto the third floor just right after she closed the window. She was waiting for them to pass before she jumped since she knew that she would make a loud sound as she landed on the roof of the opposite building.

"Are you sure that no one enters the west tower?" Luca's question made Ayana's body freeze. Although she wore a necklace that can hide her presence, hearing the man's deep voice made her anxious. She shuddered at the fact that his mere voice could make her react this way. There was something in Luca's voice that made her body turn alert. 

"No one enters the tower, master. Even the maids only clean the area around the tower," reported the butler who walked beside Luca. The butler looked at Luca wary. The man was not scheduled to come this early. He must have noticed that Irene told the maid to make preparation for his coming that he come this early. Luca winter is never really fond of gathering in the castle and Nicolas never understands the reason. 

"What about my wife?" Luca's question makes Ayana's heart almost leap through her mouth. 

Ayana felt a little embarrassed by the way Luca casually mentioned the word 'wife'. It sounds strange hearing Luca said that word to refer to her. Ayana did not move and focused her ears on what happened inside the tower. She frowned when she noticed that the butler and Luca stopped walking. 

The butler sounded hesitant and paused for a second before answering Luca's question.

Nicolas, the butler never thought that Luca would ask about his wife since the man never cares about anyone, including his parents. It was strange to hear Luca did not forget that he has a wife and even casually mentioned the word 'wife'. 

Nicolas really thought that his master would totally forget about his wife and even if he remembered her, he would call his wife something like a little girl, brat, kid, and other rude nicknames that could make someone cry. His master never cared about one's feelings and always acted rudely to almost everyone.

Nicolas even thought that this political marriage would make Luca hate Ayana a little. It seemed that his thoughts were completely wrong because Luca looked very calm when he asked about his wife.

"Her room is in the east tower. Andd…..Madam Irene had told her to avoid the west tower. She never stops around here after that," The butler answers readily although he was confused why his master suddenly asked about Ayana so suddenly.

"Why did she do that?" Luca's question made Nicolas blink in confusion. 

"Pardon?" Nicolas asked, still confused about the situation. 

"Why did Irene forbid her to come here? This is her home now. She is free to go wherever she wants inside the castle," Luca added. 

"But... I think you said..." the butler stuttered in panic then after pausing for a second, he continued, "I understand."

"Are you sure that no one ever stepped inside here while I was away?" Luca said as he chuckled.

Nicolas was stunned. He blinked and looked at Luca with confusion in his eyes. He really could not understand why his master would ask such an absurd question to him. 

It's unlike no one dares to come inside the tower. It's just that no one could get inside the tower. Nobody could access this tower without his master's permission. Even after working for Luca for almost a decade, Nicolas had to ask for Luca's permission to step inside the west tower. 

Ayana felt goosebumps crawl all over her body when she heard Luca's voice. She felt like she was out in the open, and Luca's eyes could see where she was. 

Ayana felt like the man would expose her if she stayed there any longer and did not waste any more time as she jumped to the main building roof. Luckily, she used the shoes that could enhance her jump so that she could land on the roof easier. 

Ayana grimaced when her landing created a loud thud sound. She was sure that Luca and the butler could hear the sound since they have more sensitive hearing than humans. Ayana quickly moved and tried to find a blind spot from the west tower. After she was sure that her body was completely hidden, she looked down at her shoes. Now that all the power was gone, it was just a pair of normal shoes. She would have to wait for a month until she could use its power again. 

Inside the west tower, the butler seemed alert when he heard a loud noise from outside. With a frown on his face, he quickly approached the nearest window when he realized that the windows were not locked. His body quickly reacted. He opened the window and looked around the tower. 

There was nothing.

Nicolas cursed inwardly when he realized his slow reaction to what had just happened. An intruder was clearly outside the west tower. He was baffled that someone could actually be here, in the west tower while Luca was also here.

Just how? How did the intruder get inside?

The butler then turned to look at Luca to see his master's reaction to what was happening. Although he was then astonished when his eyes landed on Luca's expression. 

A big mysterious smile was plastered on Luca's face as he looked outside the window. 

It was then down to the butler that Luca knew that an intruder might just run out through the window.

Nicolas just opened his mouth to explain what was just happening when Luca's voice cut down his words. 

"I think I forgot to lock the window when I went out," Luca said with a wicked smile on his face.

The butler quickly understood that Luca might have identified the intruder's whereabouts since Luca seemed to talk in a loud voice as he walked to the third floor.

He found it odd why Luca needed to talk loudly although he was just right beside the man. Now he knew the reason. Luca must have felt the intruder's presence. But why did he notify the invader of their arrival? Wouldn't it be better if they caught him? Why did he let him run away?

The butler looked at his master with a complicated expression. This was one of the times he cannot read this man's mind. He remains an enigma even after all this year.

"You can continue to report everything tomorrow. You can go now," Luca said, dismissing the butler.

"Yes, master," The butler said before he bowed and walked down the stairs. The butler sighed and shook his head as he walked away from the tower. There was an urge to visit the security room, but he held himself back and decided not to do it since Luca didn't tell him to check it.

He can't do anything since his master admitted that he forgot to lock the window and intentionally let the intruder run away just like that. He would have to pretend he saw nothing if his master acted this way.

After the butler walked out of the tower, Luca started to walk to the stairs that lead to the fourth floor where his room was located when suddenly his eyes caught something shining near the door of his private book storage.

It was a necklace with a small round pendant.

Luca squatted down and picked up the necklace. The necklace seems ordinary, but he seems to recognize the round pendant with several lines of minuscule symbols around it.

Luca looked at the pendant with a mysterious smile. Her red eyes filled with cunning light.

"Found it," Luca said as a mischievous laugh echoed inside the tower.