I had managed to get her approval, and she volunteered to act according to what I said. She had blackmailed me once, it was my sort of a revenge to blackmail her back. And I liked the way it turned out.
I knew about her tricks and her two-faced personality. Even when I won't lie that I am just as she is.
I had my cloak draped over my shoulders–the one that I had received from the competition–and walked towards the Countess' estate. At the end, this was where I wanted to stay for a while. Because I really wanted to visit Nada and I was curious why Elanor would take her in without even knowing her properly.
As I came to stop near the large metal gates, the guards approached me from either sides.
"I am sorry if it seems like we are rude. However, we can't let in strangers." One of them spoke while bowing their head in front of me.
"Oh don't worry. I am not a stranger." I smiled while pulling back the hood of my cloak and wiping away my disguise. Honestly, I didn't have my disguise on since I left the palace grounds.
They seemed to have recognized me from my previous visit and immediately moved out of my way.
"Welcome back, Princess Seraphina."
I nodded, although I had dropped that title the time I had taken my life. I guess it was alright to hear it a few more times.
A few servants came out to receive me, and I smiled back at them. So I was still a guest to their eyes. They didn't even wait, and went straight into escorting me. They did stop to ask me why I was alone and why I hadn't come without a notice. It was a bit uncomfortable since I did come from the palace straight here.
I was actually thinking... Whether Elanor had told them anything.
Regardless of the fact, none of them asked me about my sudden dissapearance or why the Imperial family had written me deceased. This meant one worry from my shoulders had been lifted, and I let out a sigh of relief. As I entered the estate, I felt the air of familiarity wrap around me.
Elanor was hurrying down with a stern face, I could see that she had been stressed when a sudden guest had appeared at the front gates like this. However, that expression didn't last long, and a smile returned to her face.
"I was wondering when you would come."
"Really? Why though?"
"Your cousin told me about your arrival to the capital."
"That is nice to know." I smiled, while secretly feeling angered and annoyed at her reckless behaivour. However, she came to this estate. So in case she was harmed in here, I could burn this manor to the ground. Apparently, I killed her sister to give her the title of Countess. I wouldn't have waited for anyone's command if I am secretly the commander of it all.
"Anyways... Princess Aefia... You seem very tired. Would you like to rest a bit?"
"It would be a great idea if only I wasn't a burden to you. Is it alright?"
Elanor raised a brow while crossing her arms. Then her head turned away from me. "Go prepare the guest chamber. She would be staying her for a very long time." She then turned to command a few of her servants around the estate.
"What do you mean a very long time?! I am only here for the apocalypse! I will then take Nada and head towards a more secluded place." I tried to protest.
"I am not listening. Don't tell me you are going to reject the host's orders. Now go and freshen up... We have a lot to talk about." She pushed me towards the stairs while grabbing my wrist and making me climb it.
I think that was the start of my joyous days. But also the worst days.
***
Finally, as I immerged from the guest room from a swift nap, I went down to the garden with one of my assigned attendant. It seemed that now that Elanor had become Countess, the estate and it's people were striving. A simple walk around was so much as peaceful as being away from all those conflicts that I was worried about solving.
The garden was blooming and distracting at the same time, and I went over to the shade in the middle of the garden to take a rest. The wind was very faint, just during summer, it was cool. Suddenly, I started to miss the freezing weather of the Island. I shut my eyes for a brief moment before I went to look for Nada.
However, before I could make my move, Nada found me. She rushed towards my place as I stood up and tried to back away. As childish as she was, she leaped onto me and I collided with the low rails of the shade.
We both toppled backward and my head went into impact with the tree behind me. I held my head where it ached and squinted my eyes which started to water. However, I had suffered more pain when I fell from the bridge, so I didn't afford a scream.
"Oh my..." I muttered quietly as she sat up on the grass.
"Aefia!" Nada squirmed while pulling me into a tight embrace. "Efi bear! You don't know how scared and broken I had become when I heard you were dead! I knew it was going to be a false rumor too!"
My mind blanked out for a few seconds, and then I recalled which two people who knew about my dead would have told her about this. I clenched my jaw in frustration.
That Lio and Elanor!
I pushed myself away to intake a huge amount of breathe, then let it out as a sigh. "Well Nada... The truth is... I did die. However, I reawakened." I spoke out, and watched as her eyes darken and widen at the same time.
"..."
"Did they tell you how I died?" I asked out of confusion and a curiosity when she stayed silent for a long time. Before a word escaped her mouth, she pulled me back into an embrace while burying her face into the crook if my neck. She started to tremble while clenching me tighter around the shoulders.
"Did they though?!" I spoke with my last breathes as she pulled back with teary eyes.
Then, with a sudden movement, she striked me at my face, causing me to turn my head to the right. I was left in a moment of confusion and shock as I raised my fingers to feel the burning area of my cheek.
Before I could even touch it, she yanked my hand away and cupped my face between both of her hands, then pressed her lips to my forehead and the sore area of my cheek.
"You stupid girl! Why would you do that?!"
"Do what?!" I asked while still confused.
"Don't act like you don't know!" She shouted at my face while pulling me back into her embrace. "Why did you jump you idiot?! Was I not someone to comfort you?! You were smiling and happy the last time I saw you! Why were you faking back then?!"
I felt a huge fraction of my memories become vivid in my eyes as I gazed up at the sky. I remember every single pain that erupted in my body and the way I struggled to move any inch of my muscles to maybe survive. But the step was already taken and I was already gone by the time I knew it.
I don't know if I was supposed to feel guilty or happy since as soon as I had woken from the death, I was given back my powers and a lot more. As if the reward for taking my life was power enough to patrol an entire nation without batting an eye. However, I didn't like the burden that I took on along with the immense power.
Furthermore, I didn't want to speak about me having become the Guardian of Death to someone like Nada. She would grow more concerned if she heard about the sudden left arm pain that I suffered frequently.
I hugged Nada back in dissapointment over my ownself. I wanted to protect her of all people by sacrificing myself, and then Silence ended up sacrificing herself to save me. It was a twisted story to tell, but I couldn't find it a story at all if I spoke about the 'shame' I had received from Ms. Avry and Brittany. That scenery had always left me paranoid since then.
I laid my face flat on her shoulder as I gazed away into the distant fields. Before I knew it, her sobbing stopped and I was back on my feet without even a scratch to make up for the harm done when my back hit the tree trunk. I dusted my clothes and continued to feel irritated that I was wearing the same thing everyday.
"I could really use some new clothes..." I frowned at myself while folding my arms.
As I lifted my gaze, I found her looking at me with puppy eyes. I could see that she had her own favourite gown on, the one with the pretty colours of spring and laces covering around.
"Nada... I don't like gowns or anything of that sort. Don't even think about it."
"Come on Aefia! I want to dress you up!"
"No! Please... I prefer this anyways..."
For someone like me, if I couldn't run freely, or fight in it, then it wasn't something I would wear. I preferred wearing pinafores and overcoats as always if I were to stay formal, but if it were informal, I liked wearing hoodies, knee length flocks and baggy jeans.
"Aefia! I have just the right thing for you!" She grabbed my wrist and yanked me indoors. A moment later, I had to come out and show her the way she had dressed me up. I was honestly impressed.
She had clad me in formal, but it was a sort of dress that someone would wear to a funeral. I was in black, wearing white full-sleeved shirt and on top of it was a flock that had a big bow at the back and a lot of bead works at the front.
And as for accessories...
"Nada, why the heck do I have a gold band on top of my shirt? What sort of a... Sorcery is this?! It is irritating!" I complained for five minutes straight.
"Come on! It makes it look more unique."
I frowned while drooping my shoulders in frustruation. But she didn't let me stay that way either, she straightened my back and squared my shoulders. Then, fixed a few stray locks of my hair that rested on my forehead. I was happy enough that she didn't touch my ponytail.
As she dissappeared away down the hall, because I had slowed down my pace on purpose, I turned a corner and let out a sigh. She would come back searching for me anyway, however, I needed to leave a message.
I had a spirit accompany me anyways for this reason.
"Lucy. Do me a favour... I need to contact someone. Can you drop a message to Helio for me?" I whispered to the ghost as she faded away in a run. With that, I leaned against a wall and took a few minutes to catch my breathe before heading back towards the hallway of Nada's chaos.
Then, I heard a pair of approaching footsteps, that caused me to look towards the direction of the sound. And I couldn't describe whether I was shocked or not on my right mind. I could be hallucinating.
"Princess Aefia!" Cedric beamed while smiling at me. He wasn't wearing what he would usually wear around the palace. So I was relieved he wasn't treated as a servant in this house.
"Oh I am not a princess... I dropped the title." I answered back while standing straight.
"I heard... I am sorry for your... Difficult times."
"Thanks." I spoke while looking away as to walk out of the corridor. However, a sudden information crossed my mind that caused me to turn around and face him again.
"By the way, is it possible to have a private conversation with you at my room? I believe you have the free time to clear your mind before hearing about it though. It is pretty deep and you might not want to be associated to it... So I won't force you." I added.
"No. I am completely fine. Alright. I will head over whenever I am free."
***
The door clicked shut as he walked in. I was seated on the sofa while reading a book I had picked up on my way from the library. I closed the book as he approached and sat on the opposite sofa.
"You might be wondering why I had chosen to keep you by my side while I stayed at the palace and then moved you away all of a sudden."
"You were trying to keep me from getting killed. Right?"
"Partially yes. However... I know about your family roots in particular." I spoke with a stern voice.
"Oh really?" His expression dropped as he turned more stern.
"Yes. You have an elder brother, and an elder sister. I think it was when you were four when you were forced to believe that your father and mother died. Along with your siblings and everyone else. Then you were sent to someone who was claimed to be your grandma...
"But what I find interesting is... Why didn't you fight back or tell your parents even after you knew that your siblings were treating you wrongly?" I asked finally, after the explanation.
"Well... I would ask you the same question. Why didn't you fight back when Lewis strangled you in the air?" He grinned at my direction.
"Because he had more authority."
"Exactly. For me, my parents would believe my elder siblings before they believed me."
"..."
"You seem to have known about me from the time you saw me imprisoned."
"Not really. It took me time to realize. And when I did... I thought, 'what was I supposed to do now that the missing son of a major family is actually alive and is working for me'." I asked while leaning back against the sofa.
"Then do you know my full name too?" He held a questioned gaze at my direction after a long time.
"Do I need to clarify? Cedric von Mides."