Fate : A Twisted Story

Chapter : 55

Misham clutched his hands in his cloth, looking at the floor, standing quietly without uttering a word. Seeing this, Arya sighed and took him to the washroom herself. "Let's get you washed up first," Arya said, approaching him. Misham behaved like a cat afraid of water. After an hour or two, Misham finished his shower. As she let him get dressed by, she waited in his room.

With nothing to do, she looks at the papers on his table, she was surprised by seeing those. Misham emerges, donning a simple attire, noticing that his master was checking his work progress he confesses, "they broken no matter how many times I tried. For the last week I have been working on those, but they don't work." Afraid that if his power are no longer useful; his master might no longer need him, he does not want to be abounded. So he confines himself to the room, determined to find a solution. Now that she knows, he is afraid, he was going to be abounded. He dare not look at her, he was scread of what expression she might be wearing right now; so he kept his gaze fixed on the floor.

"Misham," hearing her call out his name, Misham flinched. "Did you do this by yourself?" Arya's eyes fixed on the pages as she ran through them, excitement filling her gaze. Hesitantly, Misham nodded his head. "Yes, my lady."

Approaching him, Arya ruffled his head and commented, "Very good, Misham. You did well." Hearing the unexpected praise, Misham lifted his head, meeting Arya's sweet smile with a plastered gentle look. 'Ah… my master,' feeling fuzzy inside, Misham kept his gaze on her, as if saving her image in his head.

"We'd better clean up the table before anyone finds out about this," Arya says, to which Misham nods, and both start to clean up the table. After finishing that task, Arya invites him to join her for evening tea at the greenhouse. Later, after she leaves, Arya sends maids to clean up his room.

In Arya's office :

Arya was planning to hold a tea session when her eyes fell on the tea table. A tray containing three colored envelopes sat upon it. Arya rose from her chair and settled onto the sofa nearby. At first glance, she recognized two envelopes from the seals attached to them – one from Madam Fredeca and the other from Madam Julianna. While these two were important to her, the last one caught most of her attention, adorned with a bright red snake wax seal, signifying a letter from her dear family. Cutting it open with a knife, she found two pages. It was sent by the Marquis. While one page detailed the emperor's decision regarding her marriage, the other was the documentation of the very deal. "Huh… they didn't even ask about my well-being. Well, make senses, since it's the Marquis. Still, it's bitter." Their marriage was nothing but a political scheme. No Westerners are allowed to build their business here in the North, that's the law. But now, through this marriage, the emperor wants to permit Westerners to build their businesses here. "How laughable, a mere tool until the end, huh?" Her voice laced with mockery.

Calling Miya inside, she sent the latter to Ivan, and looked at the other two letters. While Madam Federica sent an invitation to her salon, Madam Julianna cunningly wrote in code, sending her message about the ongoing process of the research.

As the evening drew closer, Arya rose, completing her remaining tasks before heading to the back garden. "There's still time left before meeting Misham," Arya exhaled deeply, sitting on the bench and gazing at the sky with clouded eyes. She heard rustling noise coming from the bushes, and soon Noir emerged. Seeing the cat, Arya cast a gentle smile, extending her hand for it to touch. Despite her smile, her eyes were clouded with sadness. Through the window, Ivan observed her downcast face, marquis letter in his hand. Witnessing her sadness, his grip on the papers crumpled them. Arya, not wanting to betray Ivan, sent the letter to him, knowing he could handle the emperor well. Even if they ask her about this, she rationalized that they had checked the letter before she received it. However, Arya was unaware that her demeanor had already turned the matter into a contentious issue between Ivan and the emperor.

The setting sun dipped low on the horizon, casting its golden-orange glow over the pristine snow-covered landscape. Each snowflake sparkled like a diamond in the fading light, creating a mesmerizing spectacle of color and texture. The sun's warm hues danced across the icy terrain, painting the world in a soft, ethereal glow that seemed to breathe life into the winter scene. Shadows stretched long across the snow, adding depth and contrast to the picturesque tableau. It was a moment of serene beauty, where nature's elements converged in perfect harmony, leaving a lasting impression on Arya lucky enough to witness it.

Holding Noir in her arms, Arya made her way to the greenhouse. In the winter, with warm tea, the greenhouse was the best place to keep oneself warm. "Leave us alone for some time," Arya said to the maids. After they left, Arya snapped her fingers, casting a barrier.

The papers that she had found on Misham's table were scattered before them. "My lady, I am sorry. I could not prepare the stones," Misham apologized.

Arya was shocked as he bowed, making his head touch the floor. "Get up this instant," Arya commanded.

He got up but was scared because of her firm tone. "Look, Misham. It's okay, alright? Nobody is perfect. It is natural to be lacking. However, not trying to fill that gap is what makes one insufficient. So don't feel that way, okay?" In a soothing voice, Arya uttered each word.

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