We Meet Once More -- Sucrose x Albedo

Chapter 33

6:45 pm...

"Where in the world is Noelle? She should have been back in the castle hours ago!"
Sucrose exclaimed.

Klee, Albedo, Xingqiu, and Sucrose were all sitting on the couch and chairs in the living room. Albedo was drawing with Klee, Sucrose was drinking tea and Xingqiu was — of course — reading a book. It had been eight hours since Sucrose ever spoke of Noelle. She was getting worried by the second.

"I haven't seen Noelle either. When was the last time you saw her?"
Albedo asked.

"The last time I saw her was when we were walking out of the dining room after breakfast. You and Klee know that."
Sucrose responded.

"What about you Xingqiu?"

"I last saw her in the hallway before she followed Evette somewhere to Archons, who knows where."

"Evette? Who's that?"
Albedo asked as he raised a brow.

Xingqiu said nothing but glanced at Sucrose, begging her softly using his eyes to answer Albedo instead of him.

"Oh, uh, she's the new maid that was just hired."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Apparently, she's the replacement of Eris since Eris quit her job—"

"ERIS QUIT?!"
Both Klee and Albedo shouted in shock.

Xingqiu silently glared at his book, not reading any of the words written on the pages. He kept pressing his lips and gulping. Sucrose was taken aback by Klee and Albedo's shock. Sucrose felt like she was left out or rather, she felt like something was uncanny to their reactions. 

If a maid you rarely talk to and barely notice at all, would you be shocked to find out that the said maid quit her job? Something was strange with Klee and Albedo's reaction to the news because she knew that the two of them barely knew Eris. So why would they be that shocked to find out she left? Of course, we all know the answer. Little did everyone know, she was still here in this very castle. She was just hiding her true identity.

"Why are you guys so shocked? It wasn't like you barely knew her..."

"I— well... uh, you see..."

"Other maids and servants have left the job and you guys could have cared less when I told you about the news. Why is it that now you care about a maid quitting her job?"

"Uh, yo-you see..."

Albedo glanced at Xingqiu, telepathically asking him permission to tell her the entire story. Xingqiu's eyes widened as he gave a stern look and with a strict and small shake of the head. Sucrose noticed the small nod from Xingqiu and the weird face Albedo was making.

"Are you guys okay? You seem weird..."

"Oh, ye-yeah. We're fine."
Albedo insisted.

"Mhm! Totally!"

Albedo and Xingqiu chuckled nervously to trick Sucrose into believing everything was alright and dandy. But she refused to fall into their beliefs.

"No."
She furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyelids.
"Something's off between you three. I don't know what it is but I can tell something is very off."

All three of them jolted as if they were shocked by the electricity that Sucrose's sharp eyes gave out. They gulped, beginning to sweat as the nervousness grew stronger within their panicked bodies.

"What do you me-mean off? We haven't done anything that's 'off'. R-right guys?"
Xingqiu turned to look at the blonde siblings.

"Right! Yeah!"