It’s A Lie… Right?

Elle was happy at first seeing the face of someone so dear to her but then it morph to worry as he was covered with blood and gashes. The last emotion that stayed on her face was a confusion, wasn't she suppose to see the criminal who had burned her family? Then why would Old John be here?

Elle stepped more forward to make sure it was him and when she indeed hadn't seen it wrong her voice called, "Old John! Is that really you?"

The old man had hung down his head on the floor all this time, never replying to anyone who had came to visit him regardless if it was the Saintess herself.

Yet upon hearing Elle's familiar voice, the man's eyes lit up and a sense of relief washed over him, "Elle, that is you Elle?" In a few days that Elle had lived in the Vernon manor, not only was she well fed and clothed well, she looked like a little angel far from how she would have appeared in the slums.

The man almost doubted the person in front of him was truly the girl he had taken care of since she was such a baby.

"It's me, it's me," Elle showed him a smile as the old man didn't appear to change. He seemed thinner, his white bread was now drenched with blood which sting her heart but she couldn't understand why he would be inside the prison. "What happened… why are you here Old John?"

"You seem to know him?" Santoz who has heard the conversation can't help but spoke out.

"He is the person who had taken care of me since I was young, my grandpa," Elle said in a hurry and realizing the urgency she wondered if he was convicted for mistake that wasn't his. "I think there is a misunderstanding, grandpa John wouldn't do this. He wouldn't kill people or harm them! Right grandpa John..?" Elle slowly turned her head aside and found old John that had went silent again, tying his mouth in the rope of silence.

Santoz frowned as if he was hurt as he couldn't bear seeing such a young girl being betrayed by her own family member. He sighed and glared at Grandpa John who had became mute again. "Now that someone you know and someone you have made victim stood in front of you, would you speak, Norman Waltz?"

Elle's lips parted a little, finding the name rather familiar.

Norman, Norman?

The person who had killed her grandmother!

Elle turned her face to her father who seemed to be as shocked as her.

"He is Norman? That Norman Waltz?!" Arthur stepped forward clenching his fist even tighter. "How dare you! So not only have you taken my mother's life, you have to take Elle's family lives too?!"

"What's happening? No, grandpa John isn't…"

"I am Norman Waltz. I haven't forgotten what I did to you either, Arthur Vernon." Old John smiled wickedly when he looked at Count Arthur, "Isn't it only right for us to take the life of the person who had ruined our own family? You are not innocent Arthur!"

"Wait it doesn't make sense!" Elle stopped Old John from speaking any longer. "You are a human grandpa John, those robbers are werewolves."

"Then it is true that the member of the robbery are mostly werewolves but the leader isn't?" Santoz said for Old John to stare in silence, agreeing to fact in tacit silence.

Elle was horrified, she was confused and couldn't find herself wrapping her mind to the idea that Old John who had taken care of her childhood would be convicted of such heavy crimes. Yet despite her rejecting the idea, Old John confirmed his mistakes, confirming that he was indeed the cause and the guilty.

"I also knew she was your daughter," replied Old John. "Isn't it lovely for you to feel the urgency of losing your trophy of happiness Arthur?"

Elle couldn't bear to hear it anymore. She slammed her hand on the floor where she had kneeled to. "What are you saying?! Old John do you know what you are talking?"

"I am the one who killed your grandmother and everyone in the slums," Old John revealed. His eyes that seemed bloodied appeared firmer and feistier than ever. There was no remorse and no lie, Elle who had known him could tell that he had spoken not even a single lie.

"You… you are lying!" Her voice broke as tears slipped from her golden eyes. She pushed her finger between the iron bars before anyone could stop her and pulled grandpa John's hands, "Tell me it's a lie. Grandpa you know that Lucas and Marcie are still there! You know that they are innocent! You wouldn't- You wouldn't have harmed them!"

"I refuse to speak," came his passive reply that shocked Elle to the core.

Her firm fist pulled Grandpa John's by his shirt, her anger turned into sorrow and she released him after swallowing her outburst. "You liar," she whispered.

"Let's bring her away," said Santoz, feeling rather upset for Elle as she had to suffer from such horrifying pain of finding out the person you care for is the one who had harmed her.

"Let's go Elle," Count Arthur said, agreeing to his friend that it would be best if she stay even further away from Norman Waltz, the person who had also killed his mother.

As Elle bring herself to stand up with the help of Count Arthur, she couldn't bear to look at Grandpa John but there was still hope in her eyes that hasn't been extinguish, a ray of hope that it was all a lie.

"Did you take care of me only to get back to Count Arthur?" Elle then inquired without looking at him.

Old John although promised he wouldn't response, spoke, "Yes."

Elle gritted her jaw and pressed her hand against her chest. Count Arthur sees this as a sign for him to bring her away and leave the dungeon for good.

Santoz who was left alone with Grandpa John then exhaled, "You are a terrible human being."

The old man watched as the werewolf left and imagine Elle's face again. A sorrowful smile seemed to have softened his wounded face and he whispered, "I know."

Outside the dungeon, Elle sat on the carriage alone. Count Arthur had left to speak a bit more with Santoz, giving her space as well as he knew she needed one after what she had went through. She covered her ears, her golden eyes that brimmed with tears was confused on what to believe. Was the grandpa John she knew who always care about her was nothing but a facade? His worries were sincere and so was his care for her, but was it all just a lie? Was she just blind from the truth?

Even if she was the target he wanted to kill? Was it necessary to burn the whole slum? What about Lucas and Marcie? What about Timmy?

Did they die because of her?

Elle couldn't bear it anymore. The more she was left alone, her heart ache even more. She stepped out from the carriage, taking just a few steps away from the door when she bumped to something so hard that it could almost break her nose.

"I know I am attractive, but bumping to me for attention is a bit too cliche don't you agree?"