2 - The Scandalous Woman and the Predator

"Isn't she that woman? I heard she had no inhibitions. She stripped naked in front of a man!"

"Oh poor, Lady Jyliette. She has harbored a prostitute in her household. What would become of the Mericons now?"

"Such a woman is unbefitting to become a young miss in the high society. She shall be banished to the depths of hell! Don't you think so?"

Everyone was murmuring amongst themselves. Their eyes held scrutiny and disgust towards her. Sereughe could only cover herself and bow her head. She endured every hurtful word thrown against her but she could not help but cry.

How could she have been so careless? It was all her fault. Now, everything for her is ruined. More than that, she has taken Milliflore and Lady Jyliette to the abyss along with her. What will become of them now?

Sereughe could already imagine the worst things. Lady Jyliette might lose her title along with her land and income. Milliflore won't be able to find a good man to marry. And her, she would have no face to show to anyone. She would leave the Mericons for good, forever burdened by the fact that she ruined them.

"Sereughe! Sereughe! Oh my Goodness, you won't believe what has happened!"

Milliflore's squeal almost shook the heavens and the earth. Yet, Sereughe remained blank and steady, staring in front of a painting, still caught up in her nightmarish daydream.

"Sereughe? Earth to Sereughe!"

Milliflore clapped her hands in front of Sereughe. Sereughe blinked a few times before Milliflore's frowning face registered in her eyes.

"Oh Milli, you're back!" She laughed awkwardly. "Took you long enough. You brought some great news?"

Milliflore continued to frown.

"Yes, but you do not seem so eager to know it."

Sereughe shook her head. "Oh, no. Tell me this instant."

Milliflore smiled meaningly. "My dearest Sereughe, I have been chosen as one of this season's standouts!"

Sereughe's face lit up. They both squealed in excitement. Sereughe enveloped Milliflore in a tight hug.

What a joyful news! Yet, there was a pressing matter that Sereughe could not get her head off. She hugged Milliflore so tight that she did not sense her face changed from joyous to worried.

"Great job, Milli." Sereughe pulled back from the hug. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I am quite exhausted from my travels."

Milliflore's forehead creased.

"But have you not been here all day? Did you not get some rest?"

Sereughe stared at Milliflore for a moment before giving her an obviously lying answer.

"Yes. Of course, I did. I guess I just stretched myself too far this time."

Lady Jyliette caught up to the two girls, hearing their last conversation. Lady Juliette and Milliflore shared the same knowing look.

Sereughe went straight to her room and slammed herself on the bed. She screamed in frustration, yet its noise where drowned out by the pillow she had buried herself under.

Unbeknownst to her, Milliflore had changed clothes and was already heading to her room. She slammed the doors open and found Sereughe quite miserable.

"Alright, Sereughe. Stop your facade."

Sereughe sat up straight and tried her hardest to show a poker face but ended up looking like an anxious dog. Her hair was disheveled and her bed was particularly crumpled from all the wiggling she did.

"Alright, Sereughe. I know for a fact you took off somewhere right after we left. Where did you go?"

Sereughe shrugged her shoulders.

"Nowhere."

Milliflore rolled her eyes and stared intently at Sereughe. Her eyes glowed silver. Sereughe realized what Milliflore was up to but it was too late as she had already stared at her silver eyes.

"Again, Sereughe. Where did you go?" Milliflore asked.

Sereughe bit her lip but she should have known better. She only got her lips scratched with her teeth as she could not resist Milliflore's ability.

"I went to Googham Mountains," Sereughe admitted against her will.

"And?" Milliflore's eyes continued to glow.

"A man may have seen me naked."

Milliflore's eyes naturally turned back to normal as her jaw dropped.

"Are you out of your mind, Sereughe? We have to hunt that man down this instant! Or else your reputation would be ruined. You are going to be a spinster!"

Milliflore grew worried by the second, even more worried than Sereughe herself. Not that she really cared what the scandal might potentially cause to the Mericon's but Sereughe cannot be a spinster.

Of all people, Sereughe, who is as charming as the day and as mystical as the night, will be a spinster? She definitely surpasses 99% of the debutantes earlier! If only Sereughe was half as eager as her in romance, she would have found it already without an effort.

"Milliflore, I am more worried that I may damage the household's reputation. And you know, he may have seen that something I do not let anyone see."

For the second time, Milliflore witnessed Sereughe become so fragile. Sereughe sat on the bed next to her and lay on Milliflore's lap. She kept her eyes open, blankly staring at the wall. Milliflore stroked her hair back and forth. It always kept Sereughe calm.

"It has been a decade. The mark still has not faded," Milliflore inquired.

"Yes."

"Does auntie know?"

"No."

Milliflore heaved a deep sigh.

"Stand up. We'll find that man. Whoever he is."

Sereughe watched as Milliflore stood up and rummaged through her closet. After throwing almost all of her clothes out, she finally found what she was looking for.

"My invisible cape. Milliflore Hameth Mericon, what on Earth are you planning?"

Milliflore smirked.

"We're not going far away, sister. We're just going downstairs, on the horse's stable."

True to her words, Milliflore snatched her away and squeezed the two of them inside the invisible cape. They had to keep quiet or else they would be discovered. They could not even breathe. There were a few servants whom they passed by and luckily, no one had caught on.

Sereughe only let her breath out once they got inside the stable. She rested herself against the wall, petting Jelly as she recovered from the suffocating cape. Meanwhile, Milliflore headed straight for the farthest cubicle, where no horse is tended so it had been used as a storage for food.

Sereughe followed Milliflore and opened the door herself. Her breath hitched at the sight of a young man, comfortably taking a nap at the pile of grass. His dream must be so great that a mini puddle of saliva has formed on his shirt.

"HEY!"

The man jolted up from his sleep. His eyes blinked a few times, before he stood straight in recognition of Milliflore, with his saliva still drooping.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Milliflore turned to Sereughe whose eyes were full of questions. How can an unknown man be in their household without anyone noticing?

"Sister, meet Leivan. He has been one of the horses for quite a long time now. He has trespassed here because he lost his home so I ask him something from time to time if I need something," Milliflore giggled.

Leivan wiped off his saliva and offered the very same hand to Sereughe.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Sereughe. I've always seen you here in the horses' stable but you only see Jelly, the horsey. I'm sad." Leivan frowned and cried jokingly.

"Oh stop it, Leivan. I need you to find someone for us. A man in Googham Mountains."

"Well, what does he look like?"

"I don't know." Sereughe intervened. "But he saw me. He talked to me through telepathy."

Leivan chuckled.

"What? Did he see you naked or something?"

The silence was so loud. Leivan's happy demeanor died down as she saw the serious expression of the two. He heaved a deep sigh and offered his hand to Sereughe once again.

"Hold my hand and think of that moment. That way I can only see through that memory and maneuver through it."

Sereughe did as Leivan told him.

Leivan held her hand tightly and his ability automatically started. The first thing he saw was a wounded deer. Then, he looked around and saw Sereughe naked in the water. His cheeks blushed and cast his eyes away. He may be a poor man in heat but he is not a maniac.

"A scratch wound? You poor thing." Leivan heard Sereughe say.

Leivan began his search quickly, scanning the surroundings for any sign of a man. Certainly, whoever that man is, he would show a tremendous presence.

Unbeknownst to most people, the Googham Mountains harbor power. People have varying opinions about this place. Most find it grueling, creepy, and unenjoyable. While a few find it the most peaceful, welcoming environment they have ever seen. That is because the mountains filter who they want to let in. It has a mind of its own, allowing it to choose who it wants to enter. Only those who have tremendous power and worthy character can stay longer in the mountains. That Leivan knows.

Leivan picks up an aura from the opposite direction of the lake. He could him watching them, or rather, watching Sereughe as she tended to the poor deer with all her might.

Leivan ran the distance between him and the man before he could even scare Sereughe out of the mountains. Halfway through, he used his heels to make a quick abruption on his chase.

The man remained in his place and Leivan was closer to him now. And because he was closer, he could sense his aura better now. He could not see his face, his body, or even his clothes, yet he was sure he had a deadly look upon him.

Leivan slowly retreated, walking backward, wary of the man he was supposed to find. Though he obviously should not be able to see and feel him because he was just going through a memory, Leivan couldn't shake off the feeling that once he got too close, he'd burn.

Leivan automatically let go of Sereughe's hand, panting in relief as he got back into the present. Sereughe and Milliflore had an expectant look but Leivan only shook his head.

"That man is a predator. Stay away from him."