𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕾𝖚𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙
***
"Lady Vestia, are you all right?" I heard Jer ask me from my side. When I stopped gazing at the letters that Anna and the others had sent me, my hands immediately put them down while looking where Jer was.
Since Key had been gone for a few days, I couldn't help but have Jer's company for now.
I saw him drinking some of the tea that Rita served earlier thinking he was one of my guests as he had been in this noble attire different from the cloak he had worn that previous night.
"I just had a lot of thoughts coming into my mind right now," I said honestly as I exuded some air from my body.
"I see," were his words before putting the tea down and when I gazed once more into his eyes, I saw how his eyes narrowed from my soul to where the letters were and closed them for a while before finally looking at me.
This time, I felt some daggers being thrown into my soul.
"Then can you tell me, why your hands were shaking?" I didn't even know until now that my hands were acting a bit different. I parted my lips to talk but it seemed that the fog from my mind had gotten within my throat that the only thing I could do was look into that radiance beam.
"Didn't you know, that after you left the imperial household yesterday, there had been some incident as well and to make matters worse, the crown prince immediately ordered his knights to come and search the entire empire," he paused and took the tea once more and drink from it.
"No one knew why it suddenly happened and only the knights knew but they were keeping their mouths shut when it came to the truth, and right now, even the knights of the palace seemed to guard your household that you can barely escape, Lady Vestia," he said and even during having that warmest tea from my mouth I nearly choked.
It all made sense and it started from that day, even though Caliere seemed to be busy he managed to send me some letters if I was all right and what happened to me but none of those asked me if I had Verfeil or if I had seen Verfeil's condition to which sounded weird.
Right now, Jer wasn't even lying when he said that knights were surrounding my household because of the crown prince's orders.
No one even expected that it would happen in a few while, because everyone thought that the empire was safe and secure but this happened and I could barely read what was on Caliere's mind.
Oratio, at that time, said some words that nearly stumbled my way out of his place making Verfeil safe but that wasn't enough. Verfeil needed the Clamorian's blue rose to be healed completely and none of my medicines could heal him permanently.
"So, Lady Vestia are you even prepared to do what Master Oratio had told you?" When he said those words, I took in half of the air that my body needed and gulped them within with my eyes wide as the golden orb above.
The wreath of the sun was shining from its edges, but the luminosity it had within the center couldn't be compared to anything blinding me of everything other than the existing words that Jer managed to speak of.
"So you knew about the second prince's condition, is that it?" When I asked, I saw him nod and put the tea down, but this time, his gaze wasn't focused on me but on the view right beside the prism of our reflection.
"Do you think why the sun keeps it shine, Lady Vestia?" Then suddenly the words he managed to speak were different from the usual.
It was as if he was making me think of a puzzle that I couldn't solve without his supervision.
"Why?" When I asked those words, I knew that I already captured his soul from my mirror.
"Because it's like the truth, sometimes, lies come out like the silver orb but when tomorrow comes, the truth will always prevail with this golden orb," then his pointing hand started to draw something from the window that he managed to create a fog with his warm breath.
That's when I had no choice but the calm down even when my hands were already crumpling the edges of my dress.
The lips that I never thought to bite already move its move and immediately make me part them after remembering Henry or even Caliere's words of biting my lower lips as my habit.
Then I sighed.
When it comes to the phantoms that Lexus was taking care of, I guess I couldn't beat them with the truth as he just stated earlier.
"I managed to make Verfeil calm down with the medicine I created and it will temporarily make him sleep a little while longer. Before finally waking up, but that wasn't permanent, Jer. It was only temporary"
"But did Master Oratio approve of that?"
"Yes, since he's a royalty"
"Weird since he just couldn't let humans know of his place's existence"
"He must have some reasons," I said since hearing his words from the last time we talked to, him was enough to burn the flames I've set my body on, the vow I made to myself.
"I guess Master had always reasons to say those words. Other than that, you only have two days left right?"
And I knew from the moment those words came out of his mouth that I Couldn't deny the deal I had with Oratio at that time
"Because I couldn't live that long enough," Oratio who had now been looking at his hands had this creepy smile on his face that never reached his ears.
"Why? You're an immortal being, right?"
"Well, I guess I have my reasons not to tell you everything since you will only strive if I give you some conditions. So in return for knowing the truth from me, you have to set sail five days from now, to the land of the East"
"You should have said the Belfore East, Oratio," I said but then he chuckled and his eyes landed on my soul again.
"The Belfore East was only part of the Eastern empire, don't you mean for me to say about the war that might occur?"
And when that moment hit me, he chuckled hard enough that the only way to escape was to seal his mouth but I knew I could never do that with my magic, not when he's Oratio.
"You have to find the descendant in that place and I might have given you a hint, so consider this as a challenge. Besides that, you know what Belfore East was, right?"
"Of course, but can I take Lexus with me?"
"Even though you saw him first and made him your servant, I'm afraid that I cannot. Not when I have given him a special mission he needed to do right at the moment"
"What is that then?"
"To find the truth in me, you have to do my conditions first because let's be honest, there's no more than a good condition to make you two stronger and find the truth yourselves," by the time he said those, the surroundings started to fade.
Then the only thing that I could see were mists bathed in the golden rays of the sun and when I blinked I was already in my household
"Oratio!!!"
"Lady Vestia, you seemed preoccupied, is something the matter?" Jer asked me and I only smiled at his response, as I let go of my dress and finally stood from my seat.
"Then there's no time to waste since I guess Lexus was busy with Oratio's orders, and he's been with Key lately, you're the only apprentice I could ask for right now..."
"There are still others you haven't met yet, but I'm glad I'm on your list of allies now"
"Well, I'm also glad you're one of my friends now. So there's no idling and let's go within a very familiar place..."
"Wherever you go I might have just to follow ahead, Lady Vestia..."
***
"Well, if you look it right at here," a deep voice reverberated within the four corners of the place, enough to turn our heads ever since Berton started serving us some tea in the man's place.
"Why? Haven't you seen any visitors coming in your place drinking some teas?" I said those words and put down the tea but then Hellier only laughed and joined within the table.
"Then Berton one cup of tea for me as well," when he said those words, Berton immediately bowed and went to his side and poured him some cup of tea.
"So what do we have here now?" He asked after drinking some of his tea having the corners of his mouth curled in an unusual lift.
I breathe in to look into Helier's eyes only to see these different hues once more like one of Oratio's eyes.
I didn't even know why I suddenly compared these two individuals but as if they have a history with each other that I can't just figure out.
But right now, that was only the least of my concerns.
"Before that, you might as well want to be accustomed to one of my friends with?"
"Friends? Well, if he came with that old man the one you let me introduce myself without even having to hear him apologize, then now. I just can't assist anyone from that man's side," then I saw him turn his gaze from the other side while closing his eyes and having his hands halt in the air where Jer was.
When I shifted my attention to where Jer was, I could see that he was already gritting his teeth and immediately talked while pouring his tea.
"Oh, sorry, my tea ad slipped but perhaps, it's already been too old for me to taste this"
"What did you say?"
"Well, I said too old, and first and foremost, don't insult my master like that"
"Huh, that one you called master is a good-for-nothing quarrel seeker and an old man!"
"Why you?!"
Then the two started bickering making me be reminded of the ones I've managed to gain trust with.
Shaking my head, I just felt like this would be a very long day.
***
"So are you prepared, Lady Vestia?" Jer asked adjusting his coat and when I looked at him, I just sighed since his wounds from Hellier immediately healed.
"Never been prepared. We'll just have to wait for a few more days before our plan to settle in the place would come"
"Before that, I have urgent news to tell you, and unexpectedly, it was all about the crown prince, your fiance..."