Not Giving Into Fate

18- The Morning After

The two men look at my brother to see what he demands. Elric has full control of the duchy, my father sits on the title until he marries. However, Elric can do whatever he wants, ignoring my wishes if he chooses.

We make eye contact. I reach forward and hold his hand. "Please, Elric. Help me gain a good reputation so I don't fear going outside anymore. I'm tired of it."

"Fine." Elric tsks and looks away. "Do it her way." Sebastian's eyes widen and Lawrence is already scribbling away v

Once we made a plan, the men left to the Count Masik residence. I know they will manage our affairs, so I stayed behind and went to my office to finish up my work. I took a nap at my desk, my body had crashed from exhaustion. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

I woke up midday to see Sir Pine in my study. I sit up, looking around in confusion. He seems at ease in my circular table, piles of books sit around him and he is reading one. He scribbles into a sheet of paper, hopefully a blank one and not one I am currently using.

I yawn and stand up. I look at the coffee pot that sits near him. I don't say anything to him, I just poured myself a cup and added my creamer and sugar. "Good morning," I breathe after my first sip.

"Good afternoon," He corrects, not looking up from the book. "Do you have a habit of falling asleep anywhere?"

"I have insomnia," I shrug as I walk around to wake my body. "When I am awake for so long, my body crashes from lack of sleep. So, yes." I stretch my arms up and lean back, waking the sore muscles.

He looks up at me and we make eye contact, red against green. "I had no idea."

"It's not known. Besides, my entire family suffers from this. I call it the Solon curse."

"Are you..."

"No," I shake my head. "I think it stemmed from when I was younger. I wanted to be the best, so I avoided sleep to study more, practice more, to be the best. I've accomplished a lot when people sleep. Now... I know nothing else. I keep my time by busying myself with work."

"The Academy is opening soon." He says.

I nod my head. "Yes, I am very busy. By any chance... have you read the news?"

"The news?"

I walk to a comfier sofa and collapse in it. I move my body so that my legs lay over the arm rest and I lay on the seats. I stretch my arms and stifle a yawn.

"Yes... there was an incident that my brother and I managed to catch before it was released to the public. I want to know what they currently say."

"There is talk of the trial, naturally. It gives an accurate report of what had occurred. What did you want changed?" Sir Pine asks me, I hear more scribbling on the paper. He is probably trying to help with the curse. I'll have to check his work.

"The original papers were trying to paint me in a bad light. We believe Count Masik bought the newspapers to destroy my reputation. It... was bad."  I sigh, embarrassed to even speak of it.

"Lady Giselle," he speaks and I look at him. "You were a victim. Please remember it. You are alive and that is a gift to remember. To answer your question, the papers reflect what I had said. They painted you as an innocent lady who was targeted by a cruel serial killer."

Our eye contact is strong and I do not know what to do. I sit up and nod my head. "Thank you... it's nice to hear that someone truly believes that. Now, what are you working on?"

I stand up and walk behind him. I lean over his shoulder and freeze when I see what he is working on. It's a private book that he cannot access. It's a list of all of the students within the past 40 years who have taken my classes and the grades they received. I reach over him and shut it close.