Irene tried her best to wait for Mal's arrival, but she realized it was a bit too late at night. Irene decided to go to bed and talk to her tomorrow morning.
What she didn't know was that Mal is eager to deliver the news once she arrived at the residence.
As Irene took her peaceful sleep, Mal slipped through the unlocked balcony and entered Irene's room, Mal then started to tap Irene's shoulder.
Irene is a light sleeper, she is very alert due to living in this fantasy world, she was already awake from the sound of Mal entering the room. The elementals also told her to be aware of her surroundings no matter what.
Irene was trained for this situation.
Irene quickly got up and turned at the person in her room, "Mal?" Irene said shocked, Mal did an awkward wave, Irene just sighed.
"I apologize for this rude entrance, Young Lady Irene!" Mal quickly kneeled, Irene, got flustered, "No no, it's alright! I am glad you came back without injures I was worried!" Irene quickly said everything in her mind.
"You were?"
"Yes..."
Mal smiled, however, she remembered why she rushed to tell Irene something, "Is the Count alright?" Irene asked shaking Mal's thoughts.
"Yes, he is fine," Mal replied.
"Oh, that's good!" Irene said really excited, looks like she worried for nothing. Irene stared at Mal, she looked like she wanted to say something else.
Mal looked at Irene.
"Someone is trying to get rid of the Count," she spoke, Irene felt herself shattered inside, "Say what now?"
"Someone is trying to murder the Count," Mal repeated again, Irene now realizes this was reality and she wasn't mishearing anything.
"Do you have any ideas who they are?" Irene asked quietly breaking the dooming silence.
Mal bit her lips, "No...the leader of the bandits was killed by something before I could get answers," she responded. Irene was confused, bandits?
Mal explained the story and Irene's face dropped.
"So you are telling me someone is plotting to kill the Count," Irene repeated the words Mal said to her before, "Yes."
Irene wanted to faint, she realized that she just has dragged herself into a serious situation, Irene had to think logically.
Wait could this be part of the downfall of the Empire?
A dangerous thought clicked in Irene's head, t-this much happened during the last 5 stories/sides stories!
Irene whined and cried in her head, she had forgotten some people more like some spirits can hear her inner thoughts and feelings.
"Ho, calm down there girlie," Undine suddenly spoke in Irene's mind, where the fuck did she learn to word 'girlie'?
"I skimmed through your memories..." Undine replied quietly.
Talk about shameful!
"Haha, you guys are sure entertaining!" Gnomes said enthusiastically. (I am so sorry readers, I just realized I spelled their name wrong the whole time last chapter!)
Irene was having an inner conversation as she thought this situation through.
"I think the Count knows something he shouldn't know..." Irene said, Mal, looked at her confused.
"How do you know?" she asked, "That is the most reasonable reason I could think of, whatever the Count found out has just put his life in danger," Irene shook her head as she lay herself down on her bed.
And it's probably some information of the culprit of the Empire's downfall...
"Mal, let's continue the conversation tomorrow, I need some desperate rest..." Irene said tiredly as she melted into her blankets, Mal nodded.
"Understandable," Mal said before she left she paused to say one more thing, "I apologize for not giving the information you needed, I should've seen the sudden death coming..." Mal felt really horrible.
But what Irene said right afterward will forever be remembered.
"You did good, Mal," Irene said sleepily. Mal almost teared up from these couple of words, it was really comforting to her.
"I will serve you till I die," Mal said softly to Irene, who was already in deep slumber. Mal then left the room.
Irene had a good sleep even with the knowledge she had.
"We will be going to the Count's residence today," the Grand Duke suddenly appeared in Irene's residence.
Talk about the timing...!
Irene felt cold sweat on her neck, she gulped and smiled.
"I see, I must get myself prepared," she said. The Grand Duke nodded, "We will be waiting in the carriage," he said in his usual cold tone.
Elle rushed Irene upstairs and quickly helped her get dressed in a nice dress and quickly did her hair, Irene glanced at Mal.
I think the Count is going to tell the Grand Duke something...I need to know!
Irene was determined to eavesdrop on their conversation to figure out what the Count found out or why was the Count attacked.
She just needed to know.
Look on the bright side, Alice's father is alive...also the plot has changed a bit.
Was this what she wanted?
She only kept the Count alive since she admired and enjoy the Count's company, she didn't do it to change any future, she just wanted him alive.
Irene shook her thoughts and walked to the carriage.
She got in, and to her surprise, she is riding with her family.
The carriage ride was silent, it was suffocating Irene, "May I ask why we are going to the Count's residence all of sudden?" Irene asked.
The boys looked at her and the Grand Duke slowly made eye contact, "He wanted to tell me something important and also suggested to bring the kids too, he called me last night," the Grand Duke said straight-forwardly.
Something important? The Count knows.
Irene replied, "Oh I see," and the conversation just ended there.
If you are wondering how they call, they have created communication with magic that is in a shape of an orb that you can dial people with. Magic can make anything Irene learned in this world.
Irene looked out the window peacefully as hours passed to the Count's residence, Irene was really getting anxious about what the Count is going to say. Curiosity was eating her up as a whole.
As the Count's residence approached, they've been traveling since 8 am, right now it's 5 pm, they got here pretty quickly.
Irene's eyes widened, "Smoke!" she screamed, the Grand Duke turned to the window, smoke was engulfing the residence.
"Hurry up!" the Grand Duke ordered the horseman as the carriage quickly picked up to speed, they can see what was going on.
Irene ran out of the carriage, she stood there in shock.
The Count's home is on fire.
Irene suddenly heard cries, Alice!
The white-haired girl ran towards Alice, she quickly bend down since Alice was on her knees. "What happened!" Irene asked concerned.
The maid beside her was talking to the knights, "Madam and Lord are still in the house!" the voice echoed in Irene's ears.
What?
Irene stared at the shocked Alice as the Grand Duke's voice was booming.
Irene's heart was going crazy.
BA-DUMP
BA-DUMP
BA-DUMP
Irene's heart was going wild, Alice looked at her, "Irene?"
The Countess...
"Irene, you know you are very admirable!" the Countess said to her, Irene thanked her and was quite flustered. The Countess's laugh was beautiful.
The Count...
"Irene, I want you to know that you were born for a reason," he told Irene with a smile one day, and those words heavily impacted Irene in a good way.
"I must..." Irene turned to the big flames eating the mansion up where the Count and the Countess were still inside.
"The Grand Duke ordered you to go back inside the carriage," Ralph grabbed Irene by the arms, "It's too dangerous," Elle said beside her.
Those words were ignored by Irene.
Who cares anymore!
"Irene!" yelled both Ralph and Elle, which grabbed the Grand Duke and the son's attention, they were beyond shocked.
"Blocked the entrance from Irene now!" the Grand Duke ordered, the sons started to chase Irene.
Irene was running inside the mansion, she ducked the people in front blocking her, she will be fine.
She has Undine.
"Irene!"
"No!"
"Irene, come back now!"
"Irene!"
"Please..."
Irene heard desperate shrieks from Elle, I am sorry Elle...but I am not planning to die at the moment.
"This fire was not accidental," Salamander appeared out of nowhere.
"What are you out here for?" Undine asked Salamander, "What is a fire going to do with fire?" Undine said.
Salamander stayed quiet, and Irene took Salamander's words in.
Someone caused a fire in the residence.
Irene stood inside in the flaming home of the loving Count's family.
This fucking sucks...curiosity does kill a cat.
~Author's Note~
Woo, what a roller-coaster of a chapter...is the Count going to die? Idk, and I am not going to say anything about it. It's not Gnomus or Gnomos, it's Gnomes, just clearing last chapter huge mistake! I think I enjoy giving cliffhangers HAHA...is it bad to say that I love writing these kind of chapters.
- ANMU