Hush! Careful what you say

By the time Percy found Rhane after running around half of the rooms in the inner mansion which wasn't a quarter of the entire estate the young man was already out of breath, his inner shirt drenched in sweat and his hair stuck to his face, yet he didn't find Rhane.

Rhane actually found him, picking up the shoe that Percy left behind in his futile search. Rhane waved it in the air.

"You don't litter around here, Percy." He threw the shoe that landed on Percy's head.

The young man grimaced, but not a word of complaint crossed his lips, neither a look of protest. With the look of things, Rhane could run Percy with a bulldozer and he'd thank him for it.

"Rhane... Our mistress, she's in trouble. We have to leave right now!" Percy's words came out rushed as he was still catching his breath and scrambling with the clothes.

Rhane furrowed his brows, a line forming between his forehead. "What kind of trouble do you speak of, Percy?" he drawled, his voice slightly deeper than normal.

"He... he..." Percy wiped the sweat that trickled inside his eyes. "It's um... they put a bet, and I don't know, but we need to leave this place right now!"

Something flashed in Rhane's eyes like Percy's words were mere humor. His lips curled into a smile that didn't last long.

"Is that so?"

Filled with panic and the urgency of the situation, Percy failed to notice how relaxed the person he was speaking to was.

"You said you wanted her, right? You can't have her if someone claims her as prize. Let's leave before they notice!" Percy rushed his words that he almost bit his tongue.

With slow, intentional strides, Rhane dipped his hand inside his pocket, strutting towards a scared Percy.

"Per-"

"Percy?!" Jenna's voice cut through the air, and so did Rhane's hand that was an inch from the boy's head.

Rhane retraced his hand, keeping them down. He didn't turn even on hearing Jenna's voice; he just watched Percy, mirth dancing in his soulless eyes.

"My lady!" Percy staggered as he ran towards Jenna.

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" Jenna was clearly worried about her servant. She touched his face, moving it to the side just to make sure the boy wasn't hit.

It was only after then did she notice the next young man.

"Rhane?"

Rhane turned finally, his eyes on Jenna's face. "Master?"

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Percy knelt down at the same time. "My lady, we need to leave this place! I heard... I heard..."

"What did you hear?" Jenna asked impatiently, her eyes moving from Percy to Rhane. Both had very opposite expressions, one was terrified, the other looked too relaxed.

Percy inhaled deeply, "It's... this I heard—"

"Master, Percy thinks you're in trouble because of a bet," Rhane completed, his gaze bored intently on Jenna to see her reaction.

Jenna leaned back, now standing straight. "You heard that?" Her tone wasn't one of surprise but a sigh of indifference.

"Y-you knew?" Percy stuttered, not the reaction he expected.

Jenna nodded, now continuing her step, her shoulders sagged like a lot weighed her mind. "I only just found out recently, myself," she muttered.

Percy slipped his leg into one of his boots, trotting behind his mistress. "If you knew, then we should be running, not staying here. I heard that the master... the owner of this place. He thrives in blood and people's tears. A very dangerous and evil man!"

Rhane arched his brows at Percy's words, his eyes zeroed on him like he was a target.

"If you're a prize, then he's going to make you work so hard and even throw you to these men. My lady, you're a woman of dignity, and if you refuse, he could ki—"

"Hush," Jenna held her finger on her lips. "Careful what you say, Percy. You don't speak ill of an enemy in their territory; you never know who's listening."

Rhane looked down at his shoe and smiled, "Enemy?" he asked.

"Yes... that's all I can say for now. I neither know if he's a friend... or ally but—" Jenna paused when she realized who had just spoken.

"Rhane, you don't think he's an enemy?"

Lifting his face that now had a completely stoic expression, Rhane hummed, giving his answer a thought before he let it out.

"I think he's whatever master thinks he is," he replied.

Jenna nodded, moving on with her stroll. "Sometimes I wonder if my life is some sort of charade. Who would have thought that the owner of this whole place is Gerald's half-brother, and I owe him a huge debt!"

Abruptly stopping in her tracks, Jenna tilted her head.

"Maybe it's not that bad. I could beg him to save me and borrow more money to help my trade, then maybe run away with it." She chuckled at her own thought.

Percy sucked his teeth, "My lady! Don't you hear me? This man is really dangerous and can kill you without even thinking. You—"

"I was joking, Percy, just a joke." Jenna nudged the young man.

Percy rubbed his neck and sighed, "Please don't joke about something so scary. We never know what might happen. What if he asks you to marry him to pay the prize? You know how men like him are..."

"I do, Percy. Especially one from Gerald's family." Jenna groaned. "I don't have more bones left to spare." She stretched her body and exhaled.

"I'd thought that I'd escaped this for the rest of my life." This time Jenna sounded really worried, but she put up a smile. "Take me to my room."

Rhane bowed, leading the way. He walked ahead of Jenna until he got to the room that was assigned to her.

"I'll have my bath and rest a little. You two can explore the place," she said to them with a reassuring smile. She turned to Percy,

"And you... have a good wash too. You reek of sweat and fear." She giggled softly, walking inside the room. With one click, she locked the door.

Percy stood there with his hands sitting on his waist. "She's worried, I can tell. She's worried." He murmured, walking away from the door with his head hung in sadness.

Rhane stood alone at the door for some minutes before he turned and walked away. He didn't follow Percy. This time, he left the hallway entirely, walking to the mansion opposite it with numerous masked guards.

"Master," the guards vowed in unison the moment they saw Rhane.

The old woman who had been with Jenna earlier bowed along with them.

"You spent quite a good time while on your rest days. It's good to see you back."

Rhane ignored them, neither acknowledging their greetings nor replying to the woman. His words were simple,

"And the one who stole from me?" he asked coldly, his eyes a murder gaze.

"There he is," the old woman pointed ahead, then offered him something wrapped in a gold piece.

The man tied from mouth to feet wriggled his body like a worm trying to wriggle his body free, but the pin attached to the chain pierced into his skin. From the dried blood latched on the chain and the collarbone that now shot out, dipping the man's neck, anyone could tell the man had been there for a long time.

"We didn't know when you'll return, so we gave him water once in two days to sustain him," the woman informed like it was good help.

Rhane grabbed the object in the silk, and it shimmered, reflecting his hazel eyes on the dagger.

"Please... please... don't kill me." The man mumbled, though his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth due to thirst.

Rhane shook his head, "I won't kill you, just don't say a word. I need to think." He advised calmly, placing the knife on a whetstone to sharpen it.

At the same time, a young girl rushed inside the place and whispered something in the old woman's ear.

"Master, there is—"

The man tied panicked, and he screamed. "Rha—" That was his last word. Blood splattered from his neck and drenched Rhane's dagger and face, leaving the man's eyes wide with shock and death.

"Why don't people listen?" Rhane sighed. "You were saying?"

The old woman and young girl swallowed hard, their hands trembling with fear.

"Her... her tea was laced with ecs... ecstasy."

Rhane wiped the blood from the dagger. "Whose tea?"

"Lady Jenna's," the woman confirmed.