Idiot

"So, did you find anyone?" Melinda heard the words which woke her from her thoughts.

"Well..." Melinda hesitated. She didn't want to trouble Francis anymore than she already did.

"Is there a problem?" Francis asked again thinking he could help her out if possible but all he received was silence.

After hesitating for a moment, Melinda gave a faint smile to Francis and made a request "Can you bring Lord Lucien here for me?" Melinda decided to discuss the matter with her master Lucien first.

Francis also noticed the large blood drop on the map but he didn't understand what it meant. And he knew Melinda was reluctant to tell him the truth.

He assumed there must be a big problem or else she wouldn't look this troubled.

But, who would have thought she'd choose Lucien over him to talk about her problem.

Did she think he's incompetent? Was she looking down on him?

How could she choose a vampire over a vampire hunter? How could she do this to him?

He shot daggers at the old woman with his eyes before walking out to find Lucien.

Melinda was speechless.

'I don't think I offended him. Why is he angry all of a sudden?' She could never get to understand him. Trying to figure out a toddler's blabber was much easier than understanding his mood.

Noticing the grumpy man stomp his feet, Derek was amused as he thought who could make this strong headed man to sulk like a child.

"Could only be our beloved Melly" Alivia shook her head and continued playing chess with Derek.

...

Melinda took a deep breath before speaking softly like a meek cat "Lord Lucien, here's the thing..."

"What's the matter?" Lucien raised his eyebrows. Melinda was acting so docile, he concluded there's something seriously troubling her.

"I found someone on the north side of the country. But..."

"What did you say?"

Before the woman could finish her words, Francis grabbed her arm. His grip was so tight, Melinda felt her bones were smashed into pieces. She was in so much pain, she cried out loudly with tears instantly forming in her eyes.

Flustered, Francis immediately moved away from her.

"I'm sorry. I just lost my control" Francis apologized. He lost his temper when Melinda said that she found someone. His heart was disturbed. She would rather inform Lucien about the result than tell him when he questioned her first. Was she trying to play with him at her age? Outrageous.

Lucien glared at Francis with his eyes turning red and immediately walked towards Melinda to check up on her.

Hearing the loud cry, Alivia and Derek rushed into the room.

"What happened?"

"Melinda, are you okay?"

Melinda heard the concerned voices. Nodding her head, she gave them a slight smile indicating she's alright.

With almost everyone in the room, Melinda explained reaching to the map on the table.

"Here, this big blood drop shows that there's someone with great magical powers. But I can't determine their exact location"

"Aren't you a witch from a powerful bloodline? How can you say you can't find a location?" Francis mocked. With how she ignored him previously, he wouldn't let her go that easily.

"Sorry, My Lord. I'm not as powerful as Google" Melinda gave a sarcastic reply. She was from a powerful witch clan, but witches too have limits.

Lucien was confused. Who's this Google? He thought it could be someone even more powerful than Melinda. Would it be possible for him to hire this Google?

Derek observed the large blood drop on the map. As though he found something, his eyes brightened. He asked with a curious look "Melinda can you cast the same spell again? I have an idea"

Receiving a positive response, Derek ran to his room and came back a minute later with an atlas in his hands.

The others were confused but Melinda seemed to have understood his intentions. 'Why didn't I think of this before? My brain cells must be going numb with me aging, they lost their ability to work' Melinda thought looking at Derek who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Here, try the spell on this one" Derek placed a detailed map of the region where the blood drop was located on the world map.

Melinda was more than happy to try the spell again. In a minute, they found a more precise location which was in the middle of nowhere. All they could see was a green shade on the map indicating a thick forest.

"What the heck is wrong with you Melinda? Have you lost your touch or what? A forest? Which idiot would live in the middle of a forest in these modern days?" In frustration, Francis barked like a madman.

Melinda looked at the people around her. She couldn't agree more with Francis. She visited the castle only when her presence was needed. Most of the time she stayed in her own house far away from here, enjoying city life.

Even Alivia and Derek agreed with Francis. Who would love to live in the middle of the forest unless they are seeking peace and solitude?

Other than Lucien, everyone else left the castle every now and then. They visited new places, ate new food, met people and saw things about which they never heard before.

They knew the present world was very different from the times to which they originally belonged.

"If not for Sebastian who upgraded this abandoned castel into a modern house by providing us with every facility, we would still be living in stone age. Don't you think so, sister?" Derek muttered into his sister's ears.

"Yeah. The world outside this castle was much more fun. I can't wait to escape from here again" Alivia mumbled.

"Exactly. I can't wait either" Derek giggled.

The sister and brother communicated with each other in a very low voice, unaware their big brother Lucien could hear them very well and clearly.

"Enough" Lucien sent chills down everyone's spine. He scanned the people around him with his bone chilling cold eyes. How could these people look down on his precious castle?

As the head of the house, Lucien made sure everyone in the family lived away from human habitation as they were hated and feared by humans. Even he hated himself for being a monster.

So, he turned this secluded castle as their home and made the surrounding forests, their hunting ground. He hid himself and his family from the mortals.

However, he didn't expect that one day he would be ridiculed for his decisions and be called an idiot.

'Was it his fault for trying to be a good brother? Just where did he go wrong?' Lucien was confused and his siblings' attitude broke his heart.

He never stepped out of this castle. Not once in centuries. He lived a lonely life like someone who lost interest in everything.

Lucien turned to Melinda and asked her somewhat awkwardly.

"Do you have any spare rooms for us in your house?"

Never in his life, did he face a situation like this before, where he had to request instead of order or demand.