Beloved Saintess

"...The saintess brought the world that was once filled with demons and beings from Hell to safety with her light. She has the power to heal any illness, the power to unite all lands under her, and the magnetic majestic selfless heart that would protect others before herself," Magnus' voice lingered in the library. Even though her had spoken, his voice was dampened by the book that had had let to cover his face while he leaned his head back on his cushioned chair. "Isn't this a cult?"

Tingling drops of waters followed after his words as the strikingly black clothed butler poured the delicious looking tea inside his teacup.

Magnus lifted his book from his face and stared at the tea for a good long ten minute, "I thought I asked for coffee, Tuesday?"

"I read that coffee can increase risks of health, milord. You have had enough of coffee for the day so we could switch it to the sweet tea," Tuesday replied to his question passively. He looked around the room, finding how it hadn't been long since he had cleaned the study room for it to be covered by books again.

Magnus exhaled as he lifted the teacup to his hands, "I suppose granting you the knowledge to read backfires to me a little."

Seeing Magnus' blood red eyes, Tuesday who had seen him ever since he was fifteen still couldn't hold their gazes together for longer than three seconds. He looked away and replied, "Have you went to the churchmen to find the books regarding the saintess, milord? But you know her better than anyone in the land already."

"I went out to look up on how the society here in Raindawn." Magnus lazily twirled the book at the desk as if he had memorized every single words written in it. "It turns out that the churchmen here acts not only as the priests but also the power force. The church that I knew only know how to pray for blessing to the saintess but years have certainly changed everything."

"Saying years is an understatement," commented Tuesday so faintly. "How about the nobles?"

"Greedy, selfish, envious, and ugly inside out, should I go on?" Magnus' black lashes seemed to have glowed in red when his eyes lifted upward. "Humans, vampires, or werewolves they haven't changed at all. The nobles here fear the growing power of the Church. In my newly appointed seat, they hope that I could present my dominance over the Church to remind them that they have no power against nobles. Though even if I took away the cases from the church, it will bring nothing but more problem."

"More problem?" Asked Tuesday sincerely, pouring more tea to his cup upon seeing how quickly Magnus had dawned it.

"Those nobles haven't properly learn how to manage the land. They had forgotten that teh hutch's cases were supposed to be theirs to take care of. Now that they all have forgotten how to perform their tasks, even if I took the church's rights to finish the cases, who would solve the problem? Surely not me. I like to ensue chaos not to be the savior," Magnus lifted the book again before letting it slip away from his hand and fall to the carpeted ground. He whispered in a low whisper, "The winged saintess...."

Tuesday rarely hear Magnus talking a lot but today he seemed o be in a good mood. He entertained the lord, knowing that this times don't always come freely. "Are you interested in it, milord?"

"No," Magnus chuckled as when he closed his eyes, the image of the strawberry blonde hair filled his mind again. Her golden eyes were akin to the sun, except this time he could see the sun without burning his own eyes. "I have much more interesting person keeping me awake in my mind."

First she appeared like a drenched cat in her black hair. She didn't seem to notice who he is while he somehow. New her identity in first glance after she had argued with the shopkeeper. Her habit of picking troubles made him somehow worried, not worried as a human, but worried as how you would worry about a cat living in the forest. He questioned himself how she could survive for that long if all she had done was picking a fight by being a phantom thief.

She was daring, really daring. The boldness strike him more than he expected, leaving a lasting impression in his mind.

Tuesday saw how Magnus had grinned not due to his own sarcasm but something in his head, piquing his curiosity a little. However the smile disappeared as Magnus seemed to have cooled his mind. He looked at the papers about the phantom thief and held it to his hands before walking away from his seat. Standing in front of the fireplace, he threw the papers aside and hummed, "I'm being oddly merciful these days."

Well he can't certainly blame himself, when he looked at the daring strawberry phantom thief, he had a feeling of worry that if he looked away from her she would die, though certainly it wasn't any of his business. In any case, they won't meet again and Magnus was somehow convinced that he will forget all about her by tomorrow morning, as he had even forgotten his childhood by now.

"I hope she hadn't died yet," she was too interesting to die too early, chuckling in mirth, the night in his mansion drew a close while Elle had just started.

Not far from Magnus' castle, Elle was left alone in the stifling luxurious carriage. She looked at herself sitting at such a comfortable couch, finding everything extremely uncomfortable and out of place for someone like her. Upon opening the curtain, she found the knights riding their horses whose eyes were glued to the road as if they didn't want to be bothered by her presence. Now left alone, she wrecked her mind for answers to her question— the questions of why they had brought her away in such a demanding force when she had never seen any of them before.

As she expected was it because she was a phantom thief? Her identity had somehow been exposed?

Except the people of slums, she had hide her traces carefully. This could only mean someone had sold her out, throwing her under the carriage for money. But she was certain only Timothy, grandpa John, Lucas and Marcie knew about her identity. The rest only know the phantom thief came from the slums, they don't know "who" the phantom thief was. Timmy had fought against the knights, he wouldn't sold her out as he was someone who couldn't even lie. Grandpa John had always thought of her as his granddaughter, he wouldn't either. Marcie and Lucas? They are children!

But then, she couldn't think of another reason why they had kidnapped her if not because of her identity as the phantom thief.

Almost going insane with the puzzles in her mind, Elle pulled open the carriage window, staring at Mikail who she deeply detest at this point, "Where are we going?"

Mikail initially wanted to ignore her but having seen the girl's noisiness he replied shortly, "Meeting your family."

Elle's eyebrows furrowed tightly, "Then bring me back to the slums, my family are there."

A small chuckle left from Mikail's side and every knights began to laugh in a condescending tone.

"Your real family, Miss Estelle," Mikail looked at Elle and rolled his blue eyes, "If only you were birthed not in the slums, you would have been clever. It's a shame really that you are tainted by the slums."

"Tainted.." Elle glared at the man.

Mikail was unbothered. He continued to hold the grip on his horse while sliding remarks, "If you are angry, Miss Estelle, use your authority as the Marquis' daughter— that is only if you are really the real daughter he's been searching for. We don't offer kindness to the rats of slums."

Seeing how everyone had laughed in unison, Elle felt more and more uncomfortable. She shut the window at once and covered the curtain. Her heartbeat paced louder than the clip clop noises from the horse and she covered her ears to stop the horrifying thoughts inside her mind.

Family? Father? What were they saying?! Her mother had died as well as her father, she didn't have any family other than grandpa John, Timmy, Marcie and Lucas!

These people are insane! They have lost their marbles and took her away even though she might not be the man's daughter! Was that why despite the suspicions they had behaved so rudely to her? Elle gripped at her wrist that began to ache, hoping desperately that she could escape from the carriage soon... but perhaps after seeing this "Father" that they had mentioned. Her small heart somewhere hoped for something that she couldn't really point her fingers to name the feeling.

Back in the sums, Timothy snapped his eyes opened. Looking all over the room, he noticed he had went back to his tattered house. He tried to recall what happened as his entire body was covered in horrible pain, especially his spine. Upon remembering the nightmare he hoped it was, he rushed to stand up, finding grandpa John who seemed to be in a deep daze while holding a bowl of warm soup.

He quickly took a hold of his grandfather and horrifiedly asked, "Where's Elle? Where is she?!"

Grandpa John looked at the young man and shook his head, "It would be better to forget about her now, Timmy... Elle have gone back to where she truly belong."