Where Is The Child?

"A maid who had joined the palace just an hour ago would decide the punishment of a permanent worker. That did not make any sense." She shook her head only for him to roll his eyes and snort in response. Was he even a noble?

"Why? I thought you came here for his punishment. I gave it to you, now leave." and with that, he threw the door on her face. 

"Wait.. what did that supposed to mean? How can i…" she knocked the door again, surely he was not giving her power to fire someone. Right?

But.. When she turned to look at their pale faces and a scowl on the face of Sigmund who challenged her, suddenly that foolish man did not feel that bad.

With a smirk, she folded her hands in front of her chest and looked down at them when the maid trembled and came to her.

"Miss Brentwood. We are going to work together. There is no reason to have bad blood amongst each other." many maids nodded, supporting her but Elara just smiled softly. 

There was nothing wrong with her smile yet they felt weak in front of her smile.

"Patrick!" the maid begged. Elara felt bad for the tears soaking her eyes but she steeled her heart. Or it was going to repeat itself.

"What! I did not.." the man sighed, feeling bad for the girl or afraid of the situation, she did not know but the maid had already believed on the former as her eyes softened when he nodded, 

"I apologize. It would not repeat." he bowed slightly when Elara nodded slowly. 

Even if she wanted to punish him. She could not because it was not in her powers. The butler would blame her and who knew it might be a test by the duke to check her greed.

"As long as you stay controlled. I do not want an argument either." her voice softened as she shook her head and slowly descended the stairs and walked toward them, "i am Elara. And though it is a bit late for the pleasantries. I am the new nanny of the young lord and I hope we can take care of each other." 

The maid exchanged glances, full of wariness and surprised rage but they nodded their heads. Still shaken by the reply of their master, they soon scurried away in the palace.

Elara sighed, already exhausted when they had just entered the palace.

She slowly walked down and stopped a maid, "do you know where the butler is? He was going to introduce me with the child.'' If he did not come, she was going to tour the palace.

She must find the common hideouts and shortcuts. These kinds of large palaces hide many of them.

"Ah! Young lord?" The maid looked shocked by the revelation as if the butler had offered her to show the soul of the dead duke and duchess. "He is not in the palace.. I mean, the child. He.. the butler will be in the study." the maid pointed at the left door before leaving with a dirty sheet in her hands.

Elara's brow furrowed as she took quick steps toward the study. Where could a young child go without any escort and knight and why did the butler say otherwise? But as she reached the study, the door was locked.

She stared at the lock hard as if her strong gaze could break the lock before giving a deep sigh and leaving.

She took a right turn which led her to the entrance of the palace. She would go for a tour then. The butler would come finding her if she would be needed.

But just as she had reached the entrance, she saw a carriage stopping there. It had a seal of the royal family. Another carriage followed it with the duke's flag on it and the last one.. .her eyes widened while her body shrunk involuntarily. It belongs to the viscount.

The door of all three carriages opened and many knights came out, they were swarming like bees covering the whole garden. When a knight stopped in front of the middle carriage and extended his hands.

Elara forgot the fear of getting caught for a second as she leaned to see who was there in the carriage to bring the three biggest families in the empire together.

A young child held the hand of the knight and came forward. But before he could come out properly, the knights bent and held the child in his arms. Elara could not see the face of the child because of so many men covering him but she was sure he was the young lord, the future duke who had to stay in the guardianship of Cedric for more than a decade to get the right to rule.

She noticed the butler running to the carriage and holding the child in his arms. The sound of his crying could be heard from far away. The butler must be emotionally attached with the family badly.

Elara felt bad for the tragedy that had fallen on them. She took a step forward only for the knight who was holding the child before to turn toward her.

She was still far but she knew that man. He was the one who had attacked her in the dark alley in the Duskmere town.

He was the one who had come to save that child and taken her as a criminal. She took a step back, her eyes widened with shock and fear.

If he recognized her, she would be taken into prison for investigation. Even if the child gave testament that she was not a criminal, they would take her as a witness and interrogate her.

She would be doomed if that happened. So, before the man could come to her, she hid, hiding in the dark. She turned and ran as fast as she could without making it obvious, hoping he had not seen her. Or at least, he had not recognized her.